Without further ado:
How do you manage to always put the Lord above all other things? And how have you overcome challenges like not putting yourself or other first?
Man, this is a great question. I think the biggest thing that has helped me with this during these past 11 months is something that the World Race does called feedback. When I signed up for the Race, I agreed to enter into a community of people who are committed to making me look more like Jesus. This meant that whenever I was acting in a way that wasn’t like Him, someone would tell me. This definitely was not the easiest thing to hear by any means, but I am so grateful for feedback and how much it has helped me to grow this year. By no means am I perfect at this, and that’s why it helps to have close friends who are willing to lovingly point out when you aren’t putting the Lord first or placing your friends in a place where the Lord should be. It’s a journey, and I still mess up frequently—but God’s grace extends over all of that. The other piece of advice I have about this is that it is so important to be in the Word every day. The Bible is so alive, and the Lord will use it to point out areas in your life where you need to put Him first! Can’t emphasize this enough!!!!
Do you think you would do this again?
I would go back a year and do it again FOR SURE!! But, unless God made it abundantly clear, I wouldn’t do it a second time. This year has been amazing, and I am so thankful that God called me to it, but I’m ready for the next adventure!! (Preferably a little closer to home :)!)
How hard was it to trust that God would water the seeds you had planted with people after you left?
I think that this is definitely an area where I had to grow this year. When I signed up for the Race, I was envisioning a year where I would lead people to the Lord every day, see crazy insane miracles, and have a lot of those ‘woah’ types of stories to tell. And while all of those things have happened to me more than once, there are so many in-between moments. So it was hard in the beginning to adjust my expectations, but once I surrendered my futile plans for God’s sovereign ones, it was so much better! Even in seasons of harvest, I was well aware that there were many before me who had planted and watered the seeds. No one can take credit but God!! We got a word for this last month of ministry from one of our leaders and he said, ‘This month you will sow a harvest that you won’t reap, but you will also reap a harvest that you did not sow.’ So good and so true for all of life!
What was the most fulfilling/most disappointing part of the race?
This question took some thinking! The most fulfilling part of the Race for me has been the community of friends that I’ve been given throughout these past 11 months. They have walked with me through so much life, and I am so blessed by each one of them. I don’t have a lot of things that disappointed me about the Race, but if I had to choose one thing, it would probably be that I lived in way more cities than I had originally expected. When I signed up for the Race, I was expecting to be living out of my tent in rural villages with little to no access to modern day comforts. Now don’t get me wrong, it was really nice sometimes to have those things, but at the end of the day, I wish that I had actually lived out of my backpack more.
Where do you feel God is leading you?
This feels like an impossible question to answer. I feel like the Lord is leading me into a life of missional living, a life where I consistently put Him first and tell people how much He loves them every chance that I get. I’m expecting to live a life listening to the leading of the Holy Spirit and stepping out in obedience for whatever He asks of me. As far as careers or jobs or where in the world I will be for my life…I HAVE NO IDEA!!! And honestly, I’m pretty okay with that. Life with Jesus is the biggest adventure ever and I’m excited to get to live it.
What’s the most distinct time God spoke to you over the last 11 months?
There have been so, so many times!! I think one of the most distinct and transformative times for me was in Bolivia. I wrote a blog about it, actually. If you want to read it click here. But long story short, God told me something about rest that I knew, but needed to be reminded of. If you’re anything like me, it’s so easy to get sucked into false forms of rest that are actually just a form of disengaging from the world. For me it looks like a lot of Netflix, movies, and being alone. At the end of the day, it’s not restful. God is the true source of rest.
Where’s the area of your life that you feel you have grown the most?
Yet to be confirmed, but I think I’ve grown the most in taking time daily to spend with the Lord. I heard this so many times growing up and in church but was never actually able to implement it in my life until this year. And let me tell you, it has been the most amazing thing!!! I’ve heard God speak more through His word, I’ve been convicted by it, encouraged by it, and transformed by it. This is something that I am determined to keep as a part of my daily routine for the rest of my life. Learning more about God will never get boring. It’s true what Jesus says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33). If you’re seeking the Lord, he will stretch and grow you in the best ways.
What is God working on right now in your life?
Right now, I feel like God is continuing to stretch my trust and dependence on Him. Not knowing exactly what my future will hold or what job I’ll be able to get definitely makes my reliance on the Lord more evident. Which, honestly, this isn’t some ground-breaking thing. God is always calling His followers to depend fully on Him and nothing else. But our human frailty and pride continually pulls us away from Him. So I have a feeling this is going to be something the Lord continually works on in my life.
Considering you’re past 11 months, what’s your advice to future racers? (I launch in August!!!)
Ooooooooh man!!! My advice for future Racers is first and foremost to let go of your expectations early. More often than not, God has something different planned. And it will go a lot better for you if you let go of your expectations and make way for God to work. Don’t get me wrong, God does some pretty amazing things on the Race, but it’s rarely in the way that you think. Secondly, learn how to give/receive feedback & learn early. It is one of the most helpful things I’ve learned in my whole life. It seems awkward and uncomfortable at first, but it’s important for a healthy community. Take the feedback you get to the Lord; keep the meat and throw away the bones (aka keep the good parts and toss out all the rest)—God will work out which is which for you. Go into feedback with an unoffendable heart. Assume the best in your teammates and their intentions toward you. Especially at the beginning, everyone is just figuring these things out. Be open to friendships you wouldn’t initially choose. You’ll probably be surprised more than a few times at the friendships you’re able to create. Some of the least likely people could end up being the best friends you could ever have. Lastly, I’d tell you to buy into all the World Race has to offer. Sometimes the lingo sounds cheesy and there’s so. much. christianese, but they really know what they’re talking about. They’ve been doing this for a long time, and the things that they bring to the table are extremely useful if you choose to buy in. Also, congrats!!! You are going to have the time of your life!!!!
What are 3 ways you’ve grown?
Dang, this is a tough one. The World Race stretches you in so many ways so it’s hard to choose. For me I think the Race has taught me that it’s okay not to know everything all of the time. It’s good to trust those who have been chosen to lead you. This was something that I wasn’t very good at early on, but once I learned this, my life got a whole lot easier. I’ve also learned the importance of staying connected to the true source of Rest daily. An 11 month mission trip is not an easy feat. If you are doing ministry out of your own strength, you can get burned out so quickly. Read your Bible, listen to some new sermons, do intentional listening prayer. God is always speaking, the question is are we listening? Maybe the most important thing I’ve learned on the World Race is that my identity needs to be found solely in the Lord. If I have it in anything else, even for a second, I will be let down. Friends, family, relationships, money, success, smarts…all those things can never fulfill you in the ways that you need. Your truest identity is as a child of God, and that’s the only one that never fails.
How did this change your view of God and attentiveness to him?
The Race has made me so much more attentive to God’s voice. If I ever have a day where I don’t read my bible or don’t spend intentional time with Him, I feel off. I am thirsty for God to speak to me, and always expecting Him to interrupt my days (in all the best ways). Before the Race, it wasn’t like that. I am so thankful for these past 11 months that have allowed me a ‘reset’ on my priorities. I’m more convinced than ever that God is good, and that He is at work in the world. I’ve seen Him pursuing people in 11 different countries, and I can’t wait to have a renewed view of how He’s pursuing people in my 12th (USofA BABAY!!!)
What is one story you don’t usually get to share that changed you?
In Rwanda we had the most amazing host family. The mom and dad were both pastors and they lived such a humble life. They did their best to make ends meet but had to send their youngest son out into the country-side to live with a relative and go to school. At the end of the month, they were trying to move into a new house, but didn’t have enough funds to finish the walls and the floor (we had a generous donor already that month pay for the roof to be put on the house!!!). So, me and one of my teammates sent out a SOS to our supporters. In under 24 hours we were able to raise over $1500!! First of all, that is crazy!! I was blown away by people’s generosity for complete strangers half-way across the world. But what really impacted me was the reaction from our host-mom when we gave her the gift. Since they were moving into a new house, we bought her a ceramic pot as a house-warming gift and placed the money inside the pot as a little surprise! She opened the box, pulled out the pot, and raised it above her head and said, “Praise the Lord!”. Honestly just so thankful for a new pot!! When we laughed and told her that she needed to open the pot to see what was inside, all she could say was “oh Lord”. We ended our time in Rwanda by praying over her and her new house. She was on her knees with tears streaming down her cheeks. It was such a great example of a genuine heart, and she has changed my life forever!! **On this note: pray for the churches in Rwanda. The government passed may laws while we were there that required churches to renovate their buildings to comply with outrageous building codes. No churches in the area were able to stay open because they didn’t have the funds to comply with these new laws. We are believing God for some big changes in government that will allow the churches to re-open their doors.**
If you could do the race all over again what are some things you would do differently if anything?
If I could do the race all over again I think I would do a few things differently. At the beginning I would have been less closed off to other friendships. At that time, I found my ‘people’ and clung to them hard. Thankfully they are still some of my closest friends on the squad, but I missed out on some other friends I could have made earlier on. I would also tell myself that getting & giving constructive feedback is a really, really good thing. I would tell myself to spend some time enjoying the moments & not only taking the ‘perfect photo’. I’d watch less Netflix and spend more time playing card games or talking with people…real life people are better than TV people!!!
If you could re-live ONE day from your past 11 months, would you please describe which one would you chose?
There are so many days that I wish I could re-live!! I can’t choose just one, so here’s a list of a few. In India, we got to dress up in some pretty incredible saris & have a photoshoot. We put on makeup and everything. It was such a fun day; just getting to be girls. In Thailand we got to spend a day walking around the jungle with rescued Burmese elephants. They weren’t harnessed or anything. Just giant wild animals stomping around a Thai forest with a bunch of ‘farangs’ trying to control them with sugar cane. It was so awesome. Any day in Ethiopia would be amazing. Getting to wake up to chilly, fresh air, playing with adorable kiddos all day, finishing it off with the most incredible sunsets you’ve ever seen. Those days were the dream!! A couple days in Bolivia we went and toured the Salt Flats & Laguna Colorada, and it was ahhhmazing!!! Some of my favorite views from the entire World Race are from those two days. I would love to relive all the time we had in Cusco, Peru. So much hiking, so many amazing things we saw!! Lastly, from Colombia, I would re-live the two nights we got to do the Agua Panela y Pan ministry with the people on the streets. I wrote a blog about that one & you can read it here.
What food are you most excited to eat once you come back home???
Is it bad that I have a list?! I am so excited to eat Chick-fil-a!!! Café Rio and Chipotle are also pretty high on my list. Mostly I’m just excited to have choices. Also expecting to avoid rice as much as possible for the foreseeable future because I’ve eaten it almost every single day for the last 11 months. There’s also nothing like a great cheeseburger and french fries; the United States has that one on lock.
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Special s/o to Payden & Connor for all of these gems: What is the political climate in the rural villages of Columbia? Well, I’ve never been to a rural village in **Colombia, so I’m not sure. But if you’re genuinely curious, my squad-mate Paige wrote a blog about politics in this country. You can read it here! Do you make your bed every morning? Definitely not. Do you wear your watch on your left hand or right hand? Right hand! What’s your definition of the perfect cup of coffee? Dark roast coffee with a healthy bit of cream…no sugar though. Is it potato or potato *said differently*? … not sure about this one. How much did you make this year? Before taxes? So far in 2018 I’ve made $500 dollars from being in the hospital in Nepal. I don’t think that gets taxed…or maybe it does. Idk. Biggest enemy on your squad? Lindsay Adams for sure. Don’t like that girl at all. What is your favorite state and why? COLORADO (obviously) because it has all the best things. The most important of which
is named Taylor Hendren. List your previous 6 jobs. International Humanitarian Aid Worker, Front Desk, RA, Nanny, other Front Desk, other Front Desk. Thoughts on Taylor Hendren? Refer to favorite state question for complete answer. Eye color? Blue! Do you brush your teeth? Most definitely. Not super great at flossing though tbh. Dentist always yells at me for it. Is LARPING a sport? I think, yeah!
