Many of you may know the difficulty that is leaving the World Race. The rapid and incredible swing from intense community to bitter loneliness, awesome ministry to the dullness of American society, living in an “everything’s taken care of financially” mindset to having to find a house and job, the list goes on. I wasn’t to experience any of this! I’d been all over the world. I’d seen the vast hunger in India, the poor in Mexico, the sick in Peru, the naked in the Dominican Republic and the spiritually dead everywhere. I am Seth Barnes Jr.! I’ve been through it all and returned to the U.S. unshaken. Add to that that I’m not an emotional guy – I’m very steady. I am the very voice of reason! What could happen to me?Well, I had asked God to refine me and that’s what set about to do. He put me in the desert place to see how I would react. Would God be enough for me when I had nothing but him? After a while of wavering back and forth, telling God I didn’t mean it and it was too hard, I finally gave in. Then he tossed me down to Nicaragua. As for now, I’m not sure where God’s leading me, but I know what he’s put before me and I’ve resolved to do it with excellence.
God is continuing to refine me, and I’m trying to submit my plans to him and go with the flow of his spirit.
The task set before me is to awaken the guys on this team to the Spirit and to see themselves the way Christ sees them (I also get the privilege of helping to guide the team alongside Tana Turner, a former World Racer, and Rebecca Chuckney and show the girls standards of a Godly man by inspiring these young men). Most days are daunting as I look at these two tasks. I wake up and think, “What do I have to offer?” I think myself ineffective, unproductive and illequipped to accomplish what is set before me. But then I condemn those thoughts to hell and try to walk in truth, or at least potential truth.
I’ve begun dedicating one day out of every week to each of the four young men. I pray with them, follow them around to their ministries, hear them out and challenge them. It’s only by God’s grace and much food that I accomplish any of this. I’m sure your prayers help to get me thru. I don’t know where I’d be without them.
Please continue to pray for me. I’m not sure what God will put before me next, but he’s always met my needs.
