So what does a normal day look like on the World Race? Although no day seems to be “normal,” here is what this past Thursday looked like:
8 am: Wake up, spend some time praying/reading Bible
8:45: Breakfast: bowl of Cheerio’s, hard-boiled egg, bread with raspberry jam
9:30: all squad worship (several of my squadmates led us in worship)
10:30: intercession (pray for different prayer requests for Hope Church – Raul leads us in this)
11:30: Questions with Raul – Raul asks us a question everyday and anyone can research it and discuss the next day
- Question answered:
- Read James 2:24 – Pretend you are a new believer and the New Testament hasn’t been put together yet. You’ve only heard the Gospel of salvation by faith alone. All you have is the letter from James and the Old Testament. Are you saved by faith alone, or must you do works also according to this passage?
- Question asked for the next day:
- (1) What is more important: tasks or people?
- (2) Why should we care about the 2nd coming of Christ?
12:15 pm: Josh + I got in a car with Raul and Alecs to pick up donated presents/hygiene kits from Rosanna’s house for the event later that evening. On the way out Rosanna offers us fresh figs off of her tree and we spend a couple minutes eating them.
12:45: Go with Alecs to soccer field to evaluate the field and the volleyball situation. There is no net so we decide we must improvise one.
1: Stop at Penny Mart to get Aloe water for Josh, who is still recovering after being sick the previous day (Normally we have to carry water and groceries 1 mile home from Penny Mart.)
1:15: Go back to missions house, where most of the squad is eating lunch. Grab a sandwich (2 slices turkey, cheese, tomatoe, mayo, mustard), chips, fruit
- Search the compound for a 2nd volleyball pole – only find a measly wooden stick.
- Collect laundry-line rope from squadmates to use to create a makeshift volleyball net
2:30: Head back to church for office work with rest of team (My team works in the office with Raul coordinating all of the different ministries while the rest of the teams on the squad go out to help with different projects)
2:45: Meet with Raul to go over World Race C Squad project on which I’m personally working
3 pm: Work on letters for Raul
5:30: Head to pizza place for team dinner (instead of eating with the rest of the squad like we normally do). The only information we have to find this pizza place is ‘red umbrellas and it looks like a cotton-candy birthday cake threw up on the inside.’
5:45: We find the place. Inside what looks like a Romanian version of MTV is blasting from the TV – I play charades with the lady working the joint until she turns it off
6:30: Leave with Josh before the pizza comes and run to church because we are in charge of setting up that night’s sports/kids ministry (The purpose of the night was to have fun with children from the surrounding neighborhoods through soccer, volleyball, songs, and Bible stories and to invite them to the kids club, which meets weekly and combines fun events with teachings about Jesus & the Bible.)
6:35: Cram into a minivan with 2 permanent missionaries from Texas and head to the field
6:40: Make a make-shift volleyball net out of old soccer goals and donated nylon rope; finish just in time:
Improvised volleyball net – who knew my engineering skills would come in handy?
8: Get toys from van
8:30: Sit with Alex who hurt his wrist playing soccer
9: Give out toys
9:30: Walk back to mission’s house
10: Eat cold pizza with Josh that the girls saved for us from the cotton candy restaurant
10:30: Impromtu dance party for Kirsty’s birthday
11: Shower
11:30 Researched Raul’s question for the next day
Midnight: Went to sleep in my tent to a symphony of howling dogs, owls, neighing donkey, and the quiet chatter of squadmates still awake
So that’s what any one day of ministry might look like – you never know what the day may hold. Worthwhile.
