“One day the world race will flash before your eyes, make sure it’s worth watching.”
It was bed number fifteen I believe. Fifteen different beds in the last ten months. Bunk beds, twin beds, air mats, sometimes sweating, sometimes freezing, loud fans, crickets, one tent, mosquito nets, sometimes sharing, sometimes not.. Fifteen places I’ve called home. This time though, it was different. This time the excitement of a new place had worn off. I felt more tired, and more unmotivated than usual. I was in Rwanda, my tenth country of the world race. My current country.
I was tired of the same routine. Pack, travel, new ministry, do the thing, pack again, process the month, repeat. It can be a tiring process.
I want to assure you that this attitude was not coming from our new ministry. I love our new family. We are with a church, we preach door to door, we are provided amazing food and a comfortable space. We honestly could’ve been anywhere doing anything this month and I probably would’ve felt exactly the same. Simply tired of the pattern of my life. Some of these thoughts included: “I’ve already experienced everything I possibly could. Eleven months is too long. I’ve already stepped out of my comfort zone more times than ever in my life. I feel as though I’ve done enough.. it’s been long enough”
I want to assure you that I didn’t necessarily want to go home either. The solution to this problem wasn’t to leave. What I needed was to simply look back at the last 9 months of my life and decide that months 10 & 11 were just as important, if not even more important than months 1-9.
For our weekly worship my teammate Elise had us look back on the last 9 months of the race and write down 3 things we were thankful for from each country.
Going back and remembering important details was exactly what I needed to do. I realized that each month of the race I experienced something different, yet equally life changing. I needed every month in order to grow, heal, and change in the ways God intended when he first called me here.
Chile. I needed this month to show me that I have strength through Christ, and through others that carry the image of Christ. I was surrounded by people I trusted, and I got to enjoy gifts that could’ve only been from God.
Argentina. I needed this month to teach me about my identity, to rest in Gods promises, and to step out of my comfort zone.
Bolivia. I needed this month to experience new levels of discomfort, and through that discomfort, gain new levels of trust for leadership, teammates, and God.
Cambodia. I needed this month to see God work through me in a tangible way and to meet people I wont ever forget.
Thailand. I needed this month to break me down so that I could walk in true freedom.
Serbia. I needed this month to rest, to have fun with my sisters, and to make lasting friendships.
Romania. I needed this month to find comfort in my own routine and to learn how to bring Christ into daily life.
Bulgaria. I needed this month to adventure with Christ, to trust him EVEN MORE, and to be refreshed.
Ethiopia. I needed this month to step into unknown circumstances, to be content no matter what, and to trust God with my fears.
Rwanda.
Uganda.
I am trusting that I’ll need these last two months just as much as the months prior, I am trusting that the best is yet to come. My journey here is not over yet.
When the world race flashes before my eyes, I want to see something worth watching. I can’t wait to look back and enjoy the show.
