Hey everyone!
We are already halfway through our time here in South Africa, crazy! It’s been so great. Shoutout to everyone who asked questions… here are my answers (:
(Please read even if you didn’t ask questions!)
Q: What has been the most difficult thing for you on the World Race?
A: The most difficult thing on the race is chosing to be present 100% of the time, even when ministry is hard. Ministry is often hard and exhausting, which makes it hard to get excited about every single day, BUT it is so worth it. When it’s hard and tiring, that is when I have found it the most rewarding to push through!
Q: What have you learned while being on the Race that you didn’t expect?
A: One thing that I didn’t expect to learn on the race were real life skills. I’m sure my friends in college are learning this too, but going from living at home with 2 parents to living with 15 teenagers taught me a lot. I cook all my own meals, do all my dishes, do my own laundry and all that grown up stuff that my parents have been trying to get me to do for some time now. I’ve learned how to cook a lot of new things. The biggest thing I have learned is how to intentionally live a healthy lifestyle. I’ve learned that choosing to eat healthy has great benefits! I actually rarely eat and sweets anymore – shocker, rick! I’ve learned a lot about myself and how to find rest for myself when I need it.
Q: What has been the most enjoyable thing for you while being on the Race?
A: The most enjoyable thing on the race has been getting to know the people I am traveling with. I have become so close to these girls in such a short time. They are so fun and funny and we just have great laughs all the time.
Q: What does it mean to live in a relationship with Jesus?
A: To live in relationship with Jesus means to literally live as if you are in a relationship with Christ. When you are in a relationship with someone, that relationship requires nurturing. It requires time spent together, two way communication, vulnerability, time, energy and a genuine interest. The same goes for Christ. A relationship with him takes the same effort, but it is so worth it. And the cool thing is, when we seek this relationship, he promises to always show up. A super cool thing I read the other days in James 4:5 says “God jealously longs for the spirit that he made to live in us”. That’s so cool, and it shows that not only does God want relationship with us, be so does the Holy Spirit!
Q: What is the biggest misconception about the race?
A: The biggest misconception about the race is that it is a “vacation” or that it is only “taking a year off”. Those things are very much not true. I have learned more on the race than I did all 4 years of high school. Also, the race is not just a wishy-washy “hippie” thing. Our community here is very hard working, disciplined and wise. We take ministry very seriously and work really hard at it because we genuinely believe in it.
Q: Jesus talked to Nicodemus about being Born Again in the 3rd chapter of John, What does this mean? Also, Paul declares in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that “if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation, the old has passed away, the new has come”. What does this mean? Is being a new creation in Christ related to being Born Again?
A: Being a new creation in Christ is directly related to being born again. When Nicodemus asks about how he can possibly be born again, he gets this answer. Jesus tells him “flesh gives birth to flesh and spirit gives birth to Spirit”.
The Message version says it very well: “When you look at a baby, it’s just that: a body you can look at and touch. But the person who takes shape within is formed by something you can’t see and touch – the Spirit – and becomes a living spirit”
And so when our spirit becomes in line with Gods spirit – the Holy Spirit – our spirits become born again. The old is washed away completely and our spirit is made completely clean. This happens because the Holy Spirit cannot dwell in a place that is unclean. So when we ask the Holy Spirit to come into us, God eagerly gives us a new spiritual birth!!! Because like I said earlier, the Holy Spirit jealously longs to live inside of us.
Then Jesus goes on to say, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born again”.
The way to do this is written in Romans 10:
“If you confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord”, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will he saved.”
So for our part as humans, all we have to do is submit to God, and we reap all the rewards. Jesus already did all the work so that we can freely be born again and live full lives, in body and in spirit.
Q: Have you seen any whales out of water while in Africa and was the earth any heavier???
A: Yes.
Q: What kind of food do you eat?
A: It depends on what country we are in. In the Dominican our ministry cooked for us and we ate authentic food. We ate a lot of corn meal, rice and beans, rice pudding, corn bread and more rice and beans.
In Haiti we ate carbs and more carbs. We ate “Haitian spaghetti” which was noodles with hot dog sauce on them. We ate bread and avocado every day for breakfast. The other meals were rice and beans, dough balls (you only get like 4 meat ball sized ones for your whole dinner), and pâté which is basically more fried dough but with stuff inside it. If we were lucky we got egg sandwiches… but with realllyyyyy hot hot sauce on them.
In Botswana and South Africa we get to cook our own food. I eat a ton of carrots and peanut butter. Oatmeal. Steamed veggies alllllllll the time (my new fav meal). Eggs. Cucumbers. Tomatoes. And a lot a lot of coffee and tea.
Q: What’s the coolest thing you’ve got to experience?
A: The coolest thing I’ve experienced is super natural healing. We have witness many many people be freed of pain and sickness through the power of prayer… so cool.
Also I got to pet a baby lion and a cheetah so that was pretty neat too.
Q: When do you comek homeee??
A: Sometime in the first week of June 😉 Cant wait to surprise you #sneakylilsnakeysnake
