Ara de Torres, of July 2013’s S Squad, learned independence at a young age. Now, on the World Race, she’s learning what it means to live in less in dependence on herself and more in dependence on God.
“I come from a family and community, and probably even a culture, that don’t really talk about feelings much less give feedback,” Ara said.
A background like that definitely made living in community interesting. Ara found herself suddenly in a situation where she realized she had to decide to trust the people around her.
The breaking point came in month two, while Ara’s squad was in Honduras. She struggled to connect with the street boys she worked with, and doubted that God could use her. Some of her electronics were stolen, and to top it all off, team dynamics just kept getting harder.
She was in a situation where she had to depend on other people, to share feelings and be vulnerable with them. Instead, Ara shut down.
“It got to the point where one of my teammates had to pull me aside, “ Ara said. “I just broke down. I didn’t realize how much I was holding in.”
Her teammate encouraged her. She affirmed that their team was there to support her, pray for her, and walk with her through her struggles. She knew she should take advantage of that as much as possible. God gave her that team in that season for a purpose.
That moment changed Ara’s Race. She began to lead Bible studies with her team, and realized she has a gift for teaching.
“I’ve definitely gotten more interested in doing a deeper study of the Bible since I started the Race,” she said. “I feel like God gave me the spirit of the Bereans.”
She’s referring to Acts 17, where Paul writes about a group of Jews who “were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” She’s just finished reading through the Bible and immediately started over.
“There’s just so many layers to peel off and every time there’s a beautiful truth to find,” she said. “Before, I would just take things as people tell me. But the more I study the Bible, the more I see how different it is from what I’ve heard. How can I know the truth if I don’t study and meditate on the word? What I hope to achieve is how to live more biblically, and the Race helped me to realize that.”
Ara doesn’t know what she’ll be doing after the Race, but she does have a last piece of advice for future Racers.
“Never mistake the fruits of the gospel with the gospel itself, “ She said. And then, quoting Romans 1:16, she said, “It is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.”
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