September 2016.
For the past year each month has been attributed to a number on a route in a different country, but for the first time in over a year I’m in the same country for two consecutive months.
Where I am now?
I am back nestled in the room I spent the second half of my childhood, now rooming with my parents—something I haven’t done in over 5 years, but this is just a short season. I have been able to spend time with my parents, something that hasn’t happened in so long without terrible third world wifi, I’ve been able to visit my late brothers grave, and I’ve been able to process all the Lord has done in my life in the past year.
What’s next?
Surprisingly multiple times when being asked how my year in Asia was, people inquire if I’m going again—and well the answer is YES.
I spent my entire race in leadership, serving my squad as a logistics leader, but now I have accepted a new role of SQUAD LEADING.
The World Race launches squads three times a year; January, August, and October. I applied a few months ago fully confident that this was a season the Lord was calling me into. At our re-entry seminar last month in Georgia, where I was able to reconnect with my squad, worship, and go to break-out sessions about practical post race topics, we had a meeting for those who had applied for January squad leading. Ultimately they told us that for the first time they had way too many potential squad leaders for January and not enough squads to place those leaders, so there would be a low percentage that would actually launch in January. For the next two weeks I felt an extreme peace about the next season of my life and finally I received the email that I would be one of those few squad leaders launching in January.
Next month I’ll return to Gainesville, Georgia, 15 months after my own training camp—this time working on the other side of things. I’ll be able to walk alongside people in my squad as they walk through freedom, forgiveness, and feeling the love of Christ in an atmosphere that is unexplainable. During these days spent on the East Coast I will be able to deeper know the people I will be spending the first 5 months of 2017 with!
After returning to California for a week I’ll be once again traveling, this time across the pond with my mom. We are attending a TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Suriviors) Conference to see how the UK celebrates their fallen military. We’ll be in London for 2 weeks before returning for Thanksgiving and a few weeks at home before heading out again. Early December I’m joining my parents on a cruise from LA to Florida, visiting a few countries in Central America and being able to take part in my favorite past time—scuba diving! After a short, but much awaited visit with my best friend in Florida, I will return home for Christmas. I am so thankful for this season of being able to genuinely spend serious quality time with my family and friends before I leave during the first week of January!
Squad leading was something I began praying into almost a year ago. At first my eye was drawn to leading a 9-month gap year, college aged trip that travels to three continents. At 22 I didn’t feel qualified to lead a normal world race squad whose ages range from 21-35, but as I continued praying into this next season the Lord revealed to me that my leadership isn’t defined by my age.
As I prayed into this next season I wanted the Lord to challenge me. Here I am expectant that He is going to provide that. I came from a squad of 25 and now I will be on a squad that will most likely have at least double the number of people as my original squad. As I have continued to pray over this next season and wanting to lead people into growth, I ask myself what physically can I do to obtain the goals I have for not only myself, but the people who surround me? As a collegiate athlete and coach, I see how much more growth is obtained because sometimes an outside source can see such great potential. I am expectant that the Lord will honor that intentionality and desire to challenge my peers in a way that will provide visible results.
How can you be praying?
Firstly, I have absolutely no doubt that the Lord’s hand is over which squad I will be placed with, but please pray vision over this squad that I will be with beginning next month.
Secondly, please pray for the countries I am soon to enter. I do not yet know what my route will look like, but please pray for the hearts of those who will in 4 months come in contact with my squad. Pray that there would be so much influence from my squad that the love of Christ would be so evident even in the way we walk down the streets.
Lastly, I would love prayer over my financial fundraising. For my 5 months on the field plus flying out to month 7 & 11 debriefs, I need to raise $6500. If you would like to partner with me financially you may do so on the home page of my world race blog at lauraacosta.theworldrace.org
If you would like to partner with me prayerfully please comment your email below to receive weekly emails from me on the field and specifics ways you can be praying for my team and I.
In Christ,
Lo (Laura) Acosta
