When going on the World Race I knew that God was about to rock my world. He was taking me around the world and was going to show me things I had never thought about seeing in my lifetime. I was going to learn what a truly intimate relationship with Him looked like while serving the nations. I never could have imagined what he was going to do to my family. Wow.
Throughout this journey God has been working in the hearts of my people back at home just as much as he’s been working in mine. Being on the Race personally, and experiencing it through bits and pieces that I share with my family are two completely different things. But God has knit those two different worlds together so perfectly. We walked through grief, exciting moments, heart wrenching situations, unbelievable joy, and many other milestones that come with this journey.
For me, the journey started when I was fundraising. My family was right there along for the ride as well. But I think Launch is when it really started hitting my parents. A man spoke at Parent Launch and said, “A lot of people are dead at 40, buried at 70. But God has so much for more for your life! You are not done and God is not done with you yet!” Y’all that hit me hard so I can only imagine what it did for my parents and the other parents in that room. At Launch, my parents were approached by an Adventures in Missions staffer that my dad had met in the Men’s Time. He asked my dad if he had ever heard of World Race Coaching and if he’d be interested in thinking and praying about that.
Side note: Each squad has two coaches that come alongside the Racers for the entire journey on the mission field. They are more spiritually mature, able to give advice because they have “been there”. They have lived a life with Christ and are there to give us advice or just listen when we need it. They keep up with us weekly. They join us for a few debrief throughout the year as well.
Now that was in the back of my parents mind. We talked about it a few different times in the last few months but it didn’t seem to be a role that my parents were too confident in stepping into. Let’s fast forward to PVT, when my parents joined me for a week in South Africa. Talk about life changing. That trip really opened up my eyes to new conversations with my parents about where I was when I came on the Race and where I was now, all because God has transformed my heart!!! I think the Lord really opened my parents eyes to all that He could do through them too, if they let him use them. That same man from Launch was at PVT and he talked to my parents more about coaching. All I remember saying was, “You don’t have to be scared. If God calls you, he will equip you to do that thing.” …Like coaching…
That week, at PVT, I found out I was going to be Squad Leading for nine months for Gap Year. Woo!!! But that same week my parents finished their application for coaching … cue the excitement!!!!! Wow. How cool to watch my parents trust the Lord with their future and answer a call that He had placed on their hearts.
Let’s fast forward to month 10, I’m in Haiti and I FaceTime my parents. “Oh, we got accepted to be Coaches for Gap Year”
YALL ARE YOU KIDDING ME WHAT HOW COOL IS GOD
Now usually you shadow another set of coaches for a year to see what it’s all about.
… A few weeks later…
“So they asked us to Coach in September because they don’t have enough couples to do it. We were assigned a route yesterday.”
YALL WHAT GOD IS SO COOL AND SO FAITHFUL
My parents have seen the Lord transform me over the last few months and they in turn let Him transform their hearts as well. Now I’m going to be Squad Leading and they are going to be Coaches. I’ll be disciplining the Racers I’m with and my parents will be there for their Racers as well, giving advice and loving those Racers like
they loved me through my journey. God is using us all to further His kingdom in mighty and different ways. All while changing us to look more like Him every day.
WHAT A LIFE WOWZA THANKS GOD
needless to say, this past year has definitely been a family affair … now we’re just waiting for hudson to graduate highschool so he can go on the Race himself 😉 (love u bro)
With love and awe at how good God is,
sav
