All the World Races – each squad, each route – are like snowflakes; no two are identical, they’re unique. Those 11 months in a distinct combination of 11 countries has a specific purpose for each Racer. Yet there is a special esprit du corps about the World Race and a couple of upcoming Racers have touched on it.
Chris Ledbetter shares these assertions:
Would you like to know the definition of a World Racer? Your pal Webster doesn’t know. Don’t “Ask Jeeves”. Wiki-what?
The following was read over every racer at training camp. This is who WE are. This is who every Christian is:
We have decided that teaching the Gospel without demonstrating the Gospel is not enough. . .We have decided that having good Bible studies is good, but not good enough.That just making it to Heaven is not our goal; and that knowing about God without truly knowing and experiencing God is meaningless!We have decided that having good programs is not enough.That change without transformation is intolerable, and staying the same is not an option!We have decided that gifting without character is futile.We have decided that singing songs without worshiping is hollow, and having meetings without God showing up is pointless. . .
Read the rest of his post here.
Emily Tuttle pondered on November 11th (11/11) what many have asked of the World Race – why eleven months? Why not just go all the way and do a full year, a complete dozen countries? She reflects on the significance this number has had on her own life and in history, and writes:
At training camp we talked a lot about the number 11. To most people, this number might seem random. . .We learned that the number 11 is very significant. Adventures in Missions didn’t just roll a pair of dice, add up the numbers, and deploy their teams for that many months. The number 11 matters.Eleven is said to be the number of transition. . . that’s code for change, right? If you know me, you know I’ve never liked change. I like to know what’s coming, or better yet to plan it.
. . . at a time in life where most people are seeking to put down roots, find a safe port in the storm, and get off the merry-go-round of change, why am I voluntarily signing up to be a nomad for 11 months?Why am I joining a ministry that, at its core, emphasizes transition?As training camp continued and I thought about this idea of transition and my aversion to change, I realized that the two words are not really synonyms. Change simply means moving away from the current state of things. Transition, however, implies a move toward something new.Change might mean leaving behind the people I love, the culture I am comfortable in, and the things that define and motivate me, but transition means moving toward new people to bond with, new cultures to understand, and new purpose to direct my life. I could easily run from transition and find something – anything – that is stable and consistent.But then I wouldn’t learn and grow. Then I wouldn’t move toward the life that God has for me and the purpose to which He has called me. . .
What about you? Are you a young adult (21-35 years old) intrigued by a missions trip that’s often confused with a reality game show? Are you willing to begin exploring what makes the World Race so unique – and how it might be unique to you?
