Another chapter of the race is coming to a close. As we leave our second continent in a couple days, it is a time of closure and transition. I feel as though for the past couple of weeks I have been thinking how I am ready to go to Africa. I am ready for a change, though in my mind, mostly I really wanted a break from the heat. But now that it is almost that time, I am not so sure that I am ready.
When we left from Miami in January, we were prepared to do anything. We knew there was a possibility that we could be roughing it: sleeping in our tents, bucket showers, etc. For my team, we did that for the first two months. By the time we arrived in Asia, we were overjoyed by the opportunity to sleep in beds and eat something other than rice and beans. It was glorious. The reality is that we have grown accustomed to this. Don’t get me wrong, it is not as comfortable as home. It is HOT, HOT, HOT and air conditioning is not very common, but we have had beds, some western food, a full kitchen at times, and food variety like fruits AND vegetables. We have been very blessed and we have enjoyed it.
Now it is time to reprogram our mindsets and I, for one, am not too keen on the idea. As I sit at Starbucks in an air-conditioned mall in the huge city of Bangkok, I frown at the thought of spending next month in possibly rural Mozambique living in my tent and walking two miles to get water each day (conditions that I heard about in another racer’s blog).
So, it is a time to reflect and remember that it is nearly the halfway point on the race. It has been filled with some roughing it times and some times of plentiful blessings. But, I must remember that I did not come on this missions trip and adventure of a lifetime to be comfortable, but to serve God even when it is uncomfortable. As I sit here with coffee and comfort, I am not sure that I am quite ready yet for what is about to come. I have become accustomed to sweating profusely in the excessive heat and eating rice at least once a day everyday, but I am not sure I am ready to give up the bed, shower, and possibly even toilet. As I try to mentally prepare, I realize that some of these mental adjustments won’t come until I am starkly aware of my new surroundings here in less than a week.
The World Race is similar to life in that we go through seasons. In some ways, each continent is a different season. Many of us are at the point that we would love to take the next flight home instead of to Africa. While I would love to see family and friends, it is my boyfriend I miss most. I don’t want to go home and end the trip early, but would love for him to come join me. Of course, this is not reality nor is it an option. But God is teaching me and all of us through these experiences. This continent I have worked with orphans, women working in prostitution, and men recovering from drug addiction. When I reflect on this season in Asia, I realize that I am not the same person as I was when I arrived to this continent. God has been working in my life in amazing ways and I have seen tremendous growth. He has been teaching me a lot about love, trust, priorities and sacrifice, and it has been good. I can see the changes within myself. My love and passion for God and his Word has increased significantly as well as my love for my loved ones back home.
