It has been a busy year! In 2012, we launched over 500 World Race missionaries out to minister in over 30 different countries along their way. The World Race has continued to grow as God has continued to put it on the heart of more and more young Americans to shake up their lives and head out to the nations. We have continued to go through transitions and always look to hear what God wants us to do today and improve how well we are doing what He is asking of us.
I am learning more and more that as uncomfortable as it may be sometimes, constant change is the rhythm of life through which God takes us deeper and deeper into who we are and who He is in us. It reminds me of Eustace in The Chronicles of Narnia when he was turned into a dragon and to be able to change back into a normal boy, he had to have the layers of scales and tough skin peeled off. While it was painful, he felt more and more himself, alive, and real as each one was pulled from him and he changed into the full person he was designed to be. My life has kind of felt like that in the last few years. As I continue to have my circumstances change around me and the role that I am playing is adjusted, it has been hard at times, even painful, but in every change I have seen something newer and greater that the Lord had for me.
At times when I am feeling burned out with all the tasks that I am responsible for, He often reminds me of the thing I am a part of, His love coming to hopeless places and touching people who are dying without it, transforming their lives into what they were designed to be – fully alive in relationship with Him.
So what exactly am I doing? Well I continue to serve on staff with the World Race facilitating the ministry and discipleship process for the Racers. I continue to work in managing relationships with ministry partners all over the world and guiding racers as they journey through the discipleship process that Jesus Himself taught. It is a daunting task at times and is full of challenges but with those incredible opportunities. In this last year I have traveled internationally to Cambodia, Malaysia, and India for supporting the Racers that are out in the field and also to Washington D.C. and Chicago in the states to launch two races. While it can get tiring, I do love to travel and it is such a privilege and a blessing to get to do it as part of what the Lord is asking of me.
In the coming year we expected to see continued growth in what the Lord is doing through the World Race. We anticipate launching 700+ racers and increasing our ministry partner network by more than double.
The next three months will be very busy with several international trips to do a lot of training for our Racers who are going out. I will be in India and Nepal over the new year. I will travel to Peru in the first week of February, and then to East Africa at the end of February and also the end of April. I will be doing discipleship training and also training and aiding our Racers in looking for many new partners who are doing the Kingdom work around the world. It will be an exciting new year but prayers are greatly needed and appreciated as the tasks ahead are God sized tasks that I know I can not do on my own. But those really are the best kind of adventures to be in!
Thank you to everyone who continues to support what I am doing in various ways! I could not be serving without you. Merry Christmas and many blessings to all of you in the new year!
