The World Race is for 21-35 year olds, and it’s a big commitment. It’s 11 months of your life, and it’s full of unknowns. Choosing to do the Race is a huge decision that doesn’t always come easily. And we get that.
That’s why we created World Race: Exposure – If you’re 18-22 years old and you’re interested in the Race, you can try it for a month.
You’ll meet up with an existing World Race squad* on the field, join a team, and spend a month living and ministering with them. You’ll become a Racer for the month in every way – you’ll go on adventures together, live in community, and serve alongside your team. And at the end of the month, if you feel God calling you to embark on your own World Race journey, we’ll be here to help you through every step.
Current World Racer Christina Callegari, of the September 2013 W Squad, first experienced the Race on an Exposure trip to Rwanda in 2012 with the January 2012 E Squad. Even though it was never part of her plan, God called her to the Race, and she’s loving every minute. Here’s her story:
A couple years ago I was in the process of finding myself, desperate for a change of scenery. It had never been more evident that something was missing in my life.
I lost my mother to breast cancer. My mother was my entire world. Ever since she left me, I had been trying desperately to fill that hole, looking for anything to make me feel complete, but looking in all the wrong places.
I was an overachiever, and I always killed myself trying to be perfect. And while I had been saved at the age of seven, I always struggled with letting God define me. I didn’t love myself, so how could I believe that God, the creator of the universe, looks past my flaws and sees me as beautiful and calls me favored?
Because you always fall short when you measure yourself by the world’s standards, I was at a place in my life where I would look in the mirror and have no idea who I was. I felt like I had lived the past few years as a spectator in my own life, doing things without knowing why, giving my heart away to all the wrong people, constantly comparing myself to others, and consumed with what the rest of the world thought of me.
As you can imagine, this put a huge strain in my relationship with God. I hated the person I was becoming. I was ashamed of the things I was doing. I put many things before God. He became a distant figure in my life – someone I only cried out to when I was desperate.
So there I was, lost and determined to find myself. I decided to study abroad in Italy and spend a summer on my own, venturing out into the world, leaving behind everything I knew. I was going to be fearless and fall in love with life again!
Little did I know, God had much bigger plans in store.
Out of nowhere my desire to go to Italy was replaced by a desire to go to Africa. And not only Africa – my desire to study abroad was replaced by a desire to go back into missions.
God was calling me back, and while I can’t describe it perfectly, I felt God’s peace overwhelm me. Africa just felt right, so I joined the July 2012 World Race Exposure Trip to Rwanda.
As I researched the World Race, I thought, “These people are straight CRAZY!” Every stereotype came to mind, making me even more nervous about the trip. I thought I was signing up to spend a month with a bunch of judgmental, crazy, Jesus Freaks, but I quickly realized I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Except for one thing – they were Jesus Freaks.
Jesus freaks who were able to touch my heart, speak truth into my life, and raise me up to be the woman God has called me to be. Strangers, who in just one month, had more of an impact on my life than people I had known for years. Strangers who quickly became my family, my brothers and sisters in Christ who loved God with all their hearts, who followed Jesus with reckless abandon. Brothers and sisters who saw being called a Jesus freak as an honor, not something to be ashamed of. Brothers and sisters who didn’t let me believe the lies Satan was feeding me. Brothers and sisters the Lord purposely placed into my life at exactly the right time.
The World Race Exposure trip was a summer where I ventured out into the world and left behind everything I knew.
I was fearless, and I did fall in love with life again. Little did I know God had the same plans I had for myself, but in a much bigger form. He was calling me back home, back into his loving arms, so I could heal and finally discover who I was.
And here I am, almost two years later, halfway through my own World Race. I am more confident than ever, walking in the calling my Father has for me. And as I walk into this next season of my life, there is no confusion about who I am anymore. I am the daughter of the Most High King, I am defined by him alone, I am a Jesus Freak. I am a World Racer.
If you’re 18-22 years old, looking for something more, or wishing you could try the World Race for a month, check out our summer Exposure trips. We have one to Southern Africa and one to Southeast Asia. They’re part of our Passport program, and if you apply by the end of March you can save $100.
*Note: This trip is not open to friends or family members of Racers on the squad you’re traveling with. You may choose to travel with a different squad if you’re still interested in the World Race Exposure trip.
