It’s hard to believe that our 5 months in Asia have come to an end. We have arrived in Albania and will spend the next three months in Eastern Europe!!
The first five months of the race have been an epic adventure. My first experience with tuk tuks and navigating village ministry in India, to hiking mountains and going on prayer walks in Nepal, to teaching English to little nuggets in Vietnam, to sweating like crazy and working on odd jobs in Cambodia, to traveling to four different areas of Thailand and learning how to lead a group of 51. Oh Asia you have been a grand experience with so many valuable lessons learned and memories made.
I’ll never be able to fully explain with words these past 5 months, but I’m excited to take time to reflect and share with all of you the many lessons, fond memories, and challenges of the race thus far and the ways that God has moved in my life and the lives of those around me.
The race is definitely a unique experience that has taken me outside of “normal” life. These past five months have truly gotten me outside of our American culture and norms and I’ve had the opportunity to take a step back and see the world from such a different perspective. I’ve experienced cultures completely opposite from ours back home. The world is such a bigger place than we make it out to be and God is so much bigger and active around the world than we give Him credit for.
There truly isn’t a place that God isn’t breaking down barriers, showing unconditional love, and breathing life into brokenness. My mind has been blown by the hundreds of people we have come into contact with that have given their lives to ministry and pursuing others for the kingdom in Asia. The sacrifice, rawness, and determination of these fellow brothers and sisters in Christ have been an incredible encouragement. Every place we’ve gone as a squad we leave knowing that there is such an incredible ministry that we are leaving behind that will continue to pour into the people and relationships we make in each country. There’s infinite hope in all these circumstances and places because God is constant in pursuing his people.
The race has been an opportunity to die to our comforts, give up our expectations of God and what ministry should look like and dive into the abundant life in the Spirit God has called us to live.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned on the race so far is that ministry isn’t what some people devote their lives to and move over seas, ministry is a lifestyle and as Christians we are all called to ministry daily. Whether that means being a “missionary” in a foreign country or moving back to your hometown to love and pour into the people around you, ministry is our life.
I went on the race to give God a year of my life to serve him wholeheartedly, only to learn that this is what the rest of my life looks like. Year after year, I’ll give my life to serving him wholeheartedly whether that’s back in the states or around the world.
Asia has been a beast of its own and I’m beyond grateful for the many challenges and triumphs that it has offered over these past 5 months. I’m grateful for the strangers I left with in January that have become family and have been one of the greatest parts of the race. I’m grateful for the incredible ministry hosts who poured into us and allowed us to partner with their ministries and get a look into what long term missions overseas looks like. I’m grateful for the people I met in coffee shops, on bus rides, at ministry sites, and in the mundane of each day that I got to show love to and listen to their stories.
I’m grateful for the new perspective I have in how God works and how He just wants us to pursue a relationship with Him. We don’t have to do anything to try and deserve His love, he loves us because we are his. I’m grateful that I grew in intimacy with my Savior and know His heart to such a deeper level. I’m grateful that I still have six months of this epic adventure to still take part in.
This is just the prelude blog to the one that will break down a few memories, lessons learned, and cool stories that I want to share from each country in Asia with you all. PLEASE if you have any questions about the race, the countries I’ve served in, or about the spiritual growth that has taken place, send me an email or comment below and I’d love to share with you!
Next blog will be the final wrap up of Asia! Thanks for reading and following along!
In Christ,
Michelle
*Throwing it back to India! Lopes Up from the other side of the world!
*A sneak peak of the photos to come from Rome!
