Good morning from Swaziland! I realized that I haven't really updated you guys on how I am doing on a more personal level. So I think this is a good time to do that. First off, I am doing great. I'm healthy, I'm passionate and I have a sweet mustache/goatee combo going. In about a week it will be almost 2 months since I've left home. I've battled some very real homesickness last month, but I'm learning how to find my home in God himself. That's part of what I believe He wants to teach me on this trip, how to be completely at home in Him no matter where I am geographically. Even more so, He's teaching me how to be completely at home in Him no matter where I'm at emotionally as well.
While signing up for the World Race I had no intentions of being a team leader, none at all. In fact, I decided to stay quiet at training camp just so that I wouldn't in any way give off the impression that I wanted to lead. But life is funny, and it always seems like God has His plans trump over mine in situations like that. So here I am, team leading a group of 5 on an 11 month journey across the world. And I can unashamedly say that I'm desperately in need of the Father's grace in every breath I take. I was sitting outside the church last night as we were having some time of worship, stared up at the stars (if you can even imagine how the stars look out in the Swazi mountains) and I just reflected. Reflected on my life growing up and how certain seasons prepared me for this journey, reflected on how I have two of the most amazing and loving parents I could ever hope for, reflected on my loving sister and her non-stop support, reflected on life-long friends that I've made at Biola and the life-changing conversations we had late into the nights, reflected on my high school buddies and the innumerable ridiculous antics we were apart of back in the day, reflected on my mistakes and my fears and reflected on who I am today. I've come a long way from high school Joe who just saw everything as a joke and never dared live for something bigger. It is still hard to believe that I'm here, on a mountain in Swaziland. But the growth that God wants to do in me has only begun and I don't want to sit around and wait for it, I want to seize it with everything I have. I've already felt the discomfort of growth these past two months. But I'm learning that for me it's in the most uncomfortable times that God is doing most of His chiseling. So I'm doing well, I'm learning, I'm growing more in my assurance that God is for me. In Christ, God is for you.
Next month I've been put in charge to be the main contact throughout the month for three teams. That means more responsibility, and more responsibility means more challenges. Please be praying that I learn during this next month, that I learn to fuel my life on the grace of God and not my own striving. Ethiopia is going to be wild. We're helping with a huge festival being put on my Andrew Palau. This festival has been 2 years in the making and there are expectant hearts to see God move in Addis Ababa through this thing. I'm excited and filled with joy that I get to be apart of these things. If you want to check out my photos you can at https://www.facebook.com/JoesTreckinTheWorld
Thank you all for your support. I wish I can look at every single one of you who have donated and prayed for me and say that. I will soon enough. Blessings to you all!
Joe
