It's finally here! In about 10 hours I will once again be reunited with N Squad and begin our adventure on the World Race. It's hard to believe that it's come up so quickly. I still remember when I was first accepted to the Race back in April. It seemed like such a long way off back then, but now…it's becoming reality!
As I've been preparing to leave and saying my goodbye's, it's been a little bittersweet and I've been a little anxious, but God has really encouraged me through these past couple weeks. He has shown me just how big of a support/prayer group that I'll have back home as I embark on my adventure around the world. My family has shown a lot of interest and support in the Race and I've really felt the love from them more than ever before. I've always known that they loved and cared for me, but it just felt amplified these last couple weeks. Whether it be letters I've received or encouraging words that have been said or just stopping by my house to see me one last time, it's all been so encouraging and God has shown me just how much He has blessed me with the family that I have. And not only them, but my friends both in Menomonee Falls and Madison have been so supportive and encouraging as well. I know that they'll all be praying for me and keeping tabs on my experiences, which has encouraged and empowered me so much as I've prepared to leave.
And now all the preparation is coming to an end. The last couple of days I've been spending time with my parents who were able to come to Washington D.C (my launch city). and see me off. It's been so great being able to hang out with them and see a really cool city together. I love you both very much and will miss you this coming year.
Now as I sit here and think about this coming year, I've been envisioning what I want this year to look like. I don't really want to have any expectations as I go in, but I do have a vision for how I want my experience on the Race to be. I'm reminded of my time in Ocean City, NJ when I was on summer project with Cru. We had a "killing the giants" week which was basically just a week where we all really went "hard" in talking to people and sharing the gospel with them. I remember our project director at the beginning of the week gave us the vision of being "spent" for the gospel: to give up all of our time and effort for the sake of the gospel so that by the end of the week we could look back and say that we really "spent" ourselves.
And that's what I want my Race to look like. I think it can be easy for me to think that because I'm going on the Race, I'll be doing God's work and following His direction and living like Jesus did. But what I've been dwelling on the last couple days is that it's a moment-by-moment decision of if I'll choose myself or God. Just because I'm leaving for the world for 11 months, does not mean that I'm always going to choose God. The Race just gives me the opportunity to say "yes" to God and experience Him in ways I've never had before; it does not mean that I've already said "yes". Because there will be times where I may not want to do ministry or I may not want to experience community or I may not want to pray with someone or I may not want to spend time with the Lord or I may not want to share the gospel. And I guess that I still want to be able, at the end of the year, to look back and say that I've said "yes" to God even in those moments. I want to be able to say that I truly gave all of me to the Lord this year; that He increased, and I decreased. And just like Paul wrote to Timothy "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Tim. 4:7), I want to be able to say that not only after the Race, but at the end of my life as well.
So that's my prayer for this year: that moment-by-moment I will choose Christ and not myself. That this year will be a year of "spending" myself for the Lord and His Kingdom. And for those back home reading this, I ask that this will be your prayer for me as well. Thanks for all your love and support. I wouldn't be where I'm at today without the ways God used you. I'll keep you updated as much as I can through this blog so keep reading! 
