As this beautiful journey comes to an end, I opened up the space to ask questions about my journey! What I learned, what I missed, what I didn’t like…
I appreciated all of these questions so much, as they helped me begin the process of looking back at this incredible journey and reflecting on all that Jesus did! Thanks y’all!
How does being on your phone, laptop, etc. work?
The World Race is a journey of, mostly, self governance. While asking us to be present in ministry and community, there are few restrictions that came along with use of devices.
For me personally, I used my laptop mostly for movie watching (which rarely happened alone!) and blog/vlog writing and editing.
After a couple of incidents early on in my race, my parents and I decided to get my phone an international plan that had minimal connectivity. I used this for google maps, translate, uber, cancelling stolen credit cards, you name it. I tried really hard to stay present so I made guidelines for myself about what that looked like, because everyone is truly different in what is and isn’t healthy for them.
What does free time/free travel time look like?
For the vast majority of my race, we had one sabbath day as well as a adventure/off day! Those days could be used in whatever way that you saw fit, in most cases. Some days, you’ll really want to go explore your city or take a day trip to nearby waterfalls. I will say, the longer that I was on the race, the less I wanted to use those days for adventure and actually wanted to rest. Ha! I still adventured, but take the time you need for you too. As far as free time during the week goes, there were months where ministry was long/hard days that didn’t consist of much down/free time. There were also months that ministry only happened in the morning, and you had several hours of time that was solely yours to use.
Meal plans, especially for those with dietary restrictions?
There were months that we had access to a kitchen for our use and some way to keep perishables (fridge or freezer). On the WR you’re given a food allowance per person per week. To steward money well, my teams mostly chose to cook together those months and split the responsibilities that that entailed. I am lactose intolerant, my team always had a dairy free option for me. If they bought cereal for breakfast, we all had almond milk. If it was mac and cheese for dinner, I had red sauce on plain noodles.
There were months that we were cooked for by our hosts. Before arriving, a team leader will be in contact with hosts with dietary needs that the teams may have. There were always options for me when dairy was used.
What do sick days look like?
Sick days are used up to personal discretion most times (I say most because there was one time I sounded quite hoarse and congested and my host asked me to stay home…). Should it lead to missing ministry for longer than a day, you need to seek medical attention.
World Race poop story?
Yikes. (I’m so sorry I’m putting this on the internet Mom!!!)
After a terribly long travel day between Malaysia and Thailand (well over 24 hours by foot, subway, train, and ferry) we arrived to Thailand and I was starving! Two friends and I went to a nearby food hut desperate for sustiance. What we got was SO spicy, I had literal tears in my eyes and was sweating. Within hours, my stomach was making all kinds of weird noises. I asked my roommate if spicy food was worse coming out than going in, she said I would be fine. I wasn’t fine. I laugh pooped myself. Still crying remembering those very painful days.
Would you recommend WR to others? Tips for future racers?
I preface this answer by saying WR is not for everyone, community living/feedback/living missionally 24/7… But I will tell anyone who asks that this trip was one of the best decisions I have ever made and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
My tips for future racers would be: surrender over the junk you’re carrying early, and surrender it over often. Surrender is not a one and done process. Keep pressing into the hard spots, its worth it.
Feedback isn’t to hurt you, its to make you look more like Jesus. Do a pride check!
Kind of random but: How often did you get sick?
I had occasional sniffles and upset stomach a few times throughout the Race (Travel days = Vitamin C, future Racers! Take note!!!) (Don’t drink/brush teeth/touch the water you’re told not to, comprende?!? Just don’t do it. Water is cheap. Go buy it. Don’t be skimpy). Beyond that I had a respiratory infection Month 3 and at the beginning of arriving in Month 11. I only missed ministry 3 times in the entire 11 Months. The Lord was incredibly gracious to be!
Best parts of your journey? Hardest parts?
Best parts of my journey: wow, there are a lot of those. I can just think of so many moments living in community where I thought, ‘This is it!’ just organically and earnestly loving one another was so beautiful. I have loved meeting people around the world and cultivating lasting relationships with them.
Hardest parts: I would without a doubt tell you is community living. That is HARD. But as I wrote above, it is also some of the best. It is incredibly raw to live in community 24/7. It is quite intimidating to be vulnerable and exposed but man is it worth it!
Saying goodbye every month got harder and harder I think. Hold loosely, love deeply- this was my motto for my WR journey and I walked this out hard core! Love the heck out of people and let them go when it is time. That was rough.
Lessons the Lord has taught you? (I’m sure there are so many but anything that stands out…I’d love to hear ??)
Each month of my race, I felt that there was a general lesson that Jesus was trying to teach me. One of my most favorite lessons that I learned was during my hardest but most favorite month! Malaysia. The Lord gave me a vision of a garden with beautiful flowers. Amongst the flowers, there were weeds. The Lord told me that my weeds were lies from the enemy, doubt, the voices of others… and the Lord told me as long as I let those live in my garden all the beautiful things that He had for me would waste away. So I needed to pull those weeds up! I needed to clear it all out to make room for the fullness He invites me into! Such a beautiful lesson that was so tangible to see.
How has WR changed your relationship with God/view of faith?
My relationship looks radically different after this experience, truly. I’m not sure I understood the communion/relationship piece to faith before the Race. I am in communion every day with Jesus. I have non-negotiable Jesus time, studying word/worshiping each day. I have embraced living out the John 15 model of really abiding in Him, His love and denying myself and carrying my cross (Luke 9:23)
What was the most effective way you fundraised? Or different/creative ways?
Effective? I would say being intentional with reaching out to friends and family and advocating for funds. Prayerfully asking people to consider specific donations monthly or one time. I just saw such faithful, selfless giving pour out that to this day blows my mind! SO grateful. I would also say Adopt-A-Jar was really successful as I was intentional about following up with people about picking up and returning jars back to families. Some families and restaurants kept the jars for months at a time, I just collected the coins or asked them to count it and make a donation!
Different/Creative? I am a calligrapher in my free time. I made some custom pieces for people getting married, wrote out some vow renewals for home decorations, did a chalk board menu wall at a restaurant! Use the gifts that the Lord has given you and the passions that you have to find a fun way to bring people into the journey with you.
How can a Racer continue to fundraise after launching?
I think the biggest advice I have for people fundraising after launching is stay in contact with supporters. I, by the grace of God, was fully funded prior to training camp. Up to Training Camp, I did a newsletter monthly/bi-monthly and at the end of each letter, I let people know how far away I was! I would take my total I needed to raise and divided it by how many people were subscribed to my newsletter to see how much each person could give to get me where I needed to be.
What were you most surprised about while on the field?
It never ceased to amaze me how hospitable most of the places we visited were. I was blown away by how gracious most all of the people we met were. I remember one time telling a host about a certain dish that is traditional in the states and in the next day or two they made it for dinner for us! Gosh. The effort that each host we had went to make sure we were comfortable and taken care filled my cup so much. It made being away from home a lot easier having people take such good care of you, honestly.
What was the hardest part of the race for you?
‘Counting the cost’ was the most difficult thing for me. It was so hard to rationalize that I was missing big events at home (my best friend had a baby, my other best friend got engaged, Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, etc.) and that I willingly chose that. It was something I felt called to do but that didn’t make the decision easier to grasp necessarily. It was difficult to see that life moved on while I was simultaneously moving and going through radical change. At the same time, my change wasn’t contingent with what was happening at home. So while I was changing, home was still home. Such an odd thing.
What has it been like traveling to all those countries and meeting new people?
It has been one of my favorite pieces of this journey. I’ve met some really incredible people that have changed my life! I have met people who have spoken beautiful, prophetic word over me. I have met people that spoke hard truths into my heart that I needed to hear and learn. I have met people who have loved me in my brokenness for no other reason than I’m their sister in Christ and have selflessly served me in doing so! What makes the Race such a beautiful experience is that you have 11 months of opportunities to meet people and cultivate these relationships that can and will change your life if you let them. SO great!
Other than family and friends, what have you missed the most from life in the states? Maybe the thing you didnt expect to miss so much?
I missed convenience. I missed being able to get in my car and go run to the store when I needed some eggs or whatever it was. There was a piece of independence that was never really obtainable on the Race, relying on other things (in that sense). I didn’t miss making decisions for myself. That kind of makes me laugh as I said just before this that I missed independence. But honestly, I loved getting up and doing whatever God asked us to do that day. Sometimes, I really didn’t want to and that required a lot of dying to self which was a lesson that I had to learn and it has been a beautiful journey learning it! I loved selflessly serving and just doing what needed to be done because I was asked!
Did you get to have alone time? And if so, how did you find opportunities to do that?
Alone time is a subjective phrase. My entire race, with the exception of two random nights that I happened to have an empty room and a layover that I bought a hotel room, I was never ‘alone’. There will be times where your entire team wants to go somewhere and you don’t! So you’ll have that alone time. On the Race, we embraced a phrase that we call ‘together alone time’. At a coffee shop sitting next to each other but working separately, having your seperate quiet times with Jesus at the same table in the mornings, tent living when the opportunity is there! These are all some examples on how to embrace those times.
What did you learn about God through times of uncertainty or hardship on the race?
God is the only constant. In my time on the field there were seasons of loneliness and hardship and SO much change, constantly. Remembering that God’s promises are always there, regardless of your circumstances. Clinging to the belief that your circumstances are temporary but what God has entrusted you with on the field is going to bring Him glory that goes well beyond your discomfort or the hardship that you are facing in that time. I learned some beautiful lessons in dependence this year! If you haven’t read the book “River Dwellers” ya need to! In this book, it talks about how we often try to take water out of the river and walk it up the bank. We are trying to take a little Spirit, a little piece of what we learned on Sunday at a church service and make it last through the week. Really, we should dwell in the River. We should be in communion with the Spirit 24/7 and dependent on the Spirit for everything! Because that is game changing.
What do you foresee will be the hardest/scariest part of going home? How do you plan to deal with that when it comes?
I’m terrified that I’ll forget what just happened. I’m terrified that I’ll forget the faces of the orphans I’ve kissed and prayed over. I’m terrified that I’ll fall into mundane tasks and pretend that that is sustaining. I’m terrified that, at some point, I’ll lose my anxiety of American grocery stores (SO scary), I’ll become numb and indifferent and forget that I’ve fed hungry people in each continent that I visited and the pain that caused me. I can’t let myself forget. I loved those babies with my whole heart. I have loved emptying myself and letting the Holy Spirit fill the gap (even when it hurt)! I have loved working with homeless and hungry on the Race. I have seen more people come to know Jesus through food than any other ministry I’ve participated in. It speaks to who Jesus was, really. He took care of His sheep. I plan to volunteer at homeless shelters. On the race I’ve learned to live a lot more sustainably and minimally, living with what you actually need not what you necessarily want, and I plan to take that home into whatever I find myself in. Use what you need! I don’t want to be wasteful! I plan to continue to live radically, even if it makes me look weird. And, obvs, cling to Jesus!!!
Did you find what you were looking for?
Honestly, I’m not sure what I was looking for. Was I looking for anything? I’m not really sure. I can tell you though, I found a whole lot of Jesus and a whole lot of love on this journey. Despite heartache and hardship, I found fullness that I never would have gotten from anything else.
I’d do it again. And again. And again.
