One of the questions the World Race asks as we are getting ready to transition home is, "what have you seen on the Race that doesn't sit well with you. That you look at and think, this isn't right.". It's supposed to help us figure out the next step of our lives. To find our Kingdom Dream. And my answer is: everything.
It's not right that:
- in Ecuador it is unsafe to leave the house alone. There is a feeling of violence and hatred that emanates from some people.
- in Peru the church going out week after week showing and speaking the Gospel and the people aren't hearing or seeing.
- in Bolivia all the beautiful children whose only home are orphanages, even more so the ones whose homes are the streets.
- in Albanian all the college students who won't become believers because their families would disown them.
- in Romania all the missionaries and pastors who pour all their love out and only receive rumors and hatred back.
- in South Africa kids living in one room wooden shacks, not being loved or cared for by their parents while a mile down the road is an overwhelmingly wealthy vacation spot.
- in Mozambique the children who are malnourished and infested with worms. Or the people whose homes are destroyed by tropical storms because they are simple huts made of reeds.
- in Swaziland children and families being ripped apart by AIDS. Death and destruction is everywhere. I just found out the baby boy Jacob in my profile picture died recently. That picture was taken not even 3 months ago. I can't even begin to process that.
- in Thailand women and men selling their bodies willingly and unwillingly on the darkest street in the world.
- in Cambodia people being seriously ill because they don't have access to clean drinking water.
- in Malaysia people not getting heart surgeries because of lack of money and the homeless and sex workers trying to find escape in sniffing wood glue. The fact that it downpours every night and the homeless have no where to go for shelter because it is illegal to be homeless here.
But that's not all. There are also things I've seen on the race that will cause me to say this isn't right when I am back in America:
- It's not right that as American Christians we don't live in expectancy of the Holy Spirit moving in incredible ways.
- It's not right that we aren't filled with joy for the simple fact that God loves us. I have met people who own nothing and they have so much more joy than anyone I know in the States. They don't need things or a position to be happy. I want to live that way.
- It's not right that we think giving money to charities is all it takes to love our neighbors and care for the poor.
These are the things I've seen that don't sit right in my soul. These are the experiences that will probably haunt me after the race. But that's a lot of countries, and people groups and problems. How can I pick one to dedicate my life to!? I can't. And so I'm praying. I'm praying for God to show me how the gifts and talents He has given me added with these experiences can become my future, my Kingdom Dream.
And I was wondering if you would pray for me. I know many of you have been so faithfully praying for my health and safety but with only 24 days left of the race I'm going out on a limb to say I'll make it home safe. So if you can, will you pray that God will give me a direction in how I can help to bring His Kingdom to earth as it is in Heaven.
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So that's what I'm wrestling with now. But if you know me you know I'm kind of a planner so I do have some plans for when I get home (other than drinking my weight in Dunkin's Iced Hazelnut Coffee!!) and that will be in Part 2 of Month 12 USA!
