This past summer has been a whirlwind of ministry, adventure, and growth in our World Race teams.
For many World Racers, the time has come to enter back into “normal” life. The October 08 teams spent the remainder of their ministry in Costa Rica, debriefing their experiences, sharing stories, and encouraging each other to continue the race in “real” life. They have since returned home
and have begun the “re-entry” process.
We also put several brand-new teams through intense training camps to prepare them for the next 11 months of adventure, discovery, and ministry. For those Racers freshly placed in the field, they have had an incredible summer together in ministry. From Malawi to Ireland, the teams have been spreading out across continents, sharing the love of God to those who are normally overlooked.
The August 09 teams working in Ireland have been experiencing the rich Irish culture and also the spiritual darkness that permeates the region. Racer Anna Notario said the following about some of the obstacles they are up against in Ireland:
“The suicide rate here is off the charts, and this is one of the most unreached countries in the world. In fact, Europe as a whole, views Christianity as irrelevant, and less than 1% of Europeans are Evangelical Christians.”
The main goal for the teams in Ireland was to show that Christianity is indeed relevant and applicable to their culture. They teamed up with Discovery Church, a local church dedicated to “doing church differently.”
The teams in Romania discovered that the country is cloaked in spiritual darkness. The teams worked in the community through street evangelism, living in close community to social outcasts, and working with a local home for troubled girls.
Team Azariah spent much of August working with a local Romanian church. Team member Kaleb Poth summarized some of their ministry, “This month we are helping out a local pastor with his church, evangelizing to local villages and gypsy villages, walking the streets in Targu-Mures (main town) and evangelizing there and also praying together as much as possible.”
For the teams in Johannesburg, South Africa their summer was filled with building relationships with the homeless people in Melville, working at a camp and investing in Children of Fire, which is a home specifically for children with disabilities and burn victims. Shannon Higgins shared what the teams have seen with this ministry. “One thing I loved is that once you got to know these kids all you saw was their amazing personalities. Children of Fire helps these kids get the medical treatment they need to function the best way possible after being burned.” Thanks to the Children of Fire ministry and its partnership with the World Race, these children are being shown their truth worth in God.
Altogether this summer the World Race had teams in, Ireland, Malawi, Romania, Nicaragua, Johannesburg, Guatemala, Swaziland, Mozambique, and Zambia. Last week, all Racers on the field as well as a good number of alumni gathered together for a corporate worship conference called The Awakening. (We’ll share more stories later.)
Please continue to keep these young people in your prayers whether they are fresh on the field, getting ready to return home, or beginning to process the experience as alumni and figuring out what is the next step in life.
If you’re interested in going on the World Race, this is just a snapshot of what you can expect to experience. Apply now!
