It has been almost seven years since I hopped on a plane that eventually led me to almost 15 countries on The World Race. Looking back, I can remember some great moments and some that were incredibly tough. It was a life-changing year for me and I still have a few friends that I talk to from around the world. So after so much time, why would I come back and write my first blog on this website in more than 5 years? I would like to give you some valuable advise. Don’t go. Let me repeat that. Don’t go. While I could write pages and pages that you probably wouldn’t actually read, let me give you two reasons why I would suggest you not go on the World Race.
First, you can absolutely find a better way to spend your time. Things might have changed in the last 7 years, but the amount of travel on the World Race makes actual ministry work somewhat negligible. Christian ministry is all about discipleship and relationships. Yo might be able to build some rapport with your teammates (or you could not) but you will be incredibly hard-pressed to actually be able to ministry in the few weeks that you get to spend in each country. You will have a ton of time to take pictures, meet lots of people, hang out, and possibly build a relationship with your contact. You might get to meet a contact to whom you still might be talking to years later. I have two. Overall, however, the vast majority of your “ministry” will not have any impact in the greater Kingdom. If you want to go overseas and do ministry, I strongly suggest finding one where you would get to spend more than a few weeks in a single place. It is in a ministry like that where you would really get to make a difference. You will have the time to truly make friends and do the nitty-gritty work of discipleship and actually following what Christ commands in the Great Commission.
Secondly, you can find a far better way to spend your money. The World Race is quite expensive. Not only did AIM take a good chunk of your money for administration, but the constant travel continues to add up not only financially but in time as well. You could spend that money far better in one of two ways. You could travel to a place where you will spend more than 3 weeks and where you can actually do ministry or you could donate that money to real missionaries who will actually do ministry.
If you have the time, I highly suggest reading a book titled “When Helping Hurts”. It will give you an in-depth look at short term missions and the benefits and ways that it can hurt those who you are trying to help. If you are looking for a fun year where you get to visit a lot of sites and meet a lot of people, the World Race can work for you. If, however, you truly want to do missions and want to do true ministry, then I suggest you look elsewhere.
