This past week, I had the privilege of traveling to Kenya for the second time in a year and a half. On my previous visit to that country my ministry included preaching in churches, house to house visiting and evangelizing, and discipling a youth group in a bush town. On this shorter trip, my role was much different.
As they began to seek participation in God’s kingdom on earth by touching the widows and orphans and ministering to the poor and downtrodden in Latin America and Asia, I saw young Americans start to find a bigger God than the one they had previously known. This knowledge of the real identity of God, who cares deeply and feels passionately for every child He has created, began to change these missionaries. I walked with them as they began to find their identity through these experiences.
When I left them, they had already changed. But what was I expecting to find when I returned to them four months later for a week in Africa? I’m not sure what I expected, but what I witnessed was simply incredible. These missionaries are changed people. God has taken pieces of clay and begun to shape them to His original intentions. They are walking as sons and daughters of a King, a royal priesthood of saints. That is who they are. Sure, as with all of us, there are still things the Lord is refining in them, but they are walking
with the identity they were created for.
The other leaders and I helped them to begin processing their experiences and looking toward what comes after their 11 month journey, also seeking to ignite them for the last three months of their race. The Holy Spirit came and did what we were praying for. The
squad was launched into the next set of ministries with excitement and expectation for what the Lord is going to do through them in Uganda, Tanzania, and India.
My heart lit on fire as I observed what the Lord is doing in their lives 8 months into the Race. I am excited about traveling to them again in India at the end of August to facilitate their final debrief as they conclude this journey, and I cannot wait to see what the Lord does in them in these last three months. Discipling and teaching are gifts the Lord has given me and I am alive when using them to see others walk into what the Lord has for them.
As I have gotten to train new World Race squads and lead one in the field, I have found what I believe the Lord has designed me to do. I am called to teach, lead, and disciple Christians into a more abundant life of walking in relationship with God. I don’t know exactly what that will look like throughout my years, but I know that the possibilities are huge, and I am excited about each step the Lord will establish. He is already doing exciting things with my work in logistics for the World Race (see my recent blog), and I am excited about what He will continue to do through World Race and my part in it.
