That’s what a plaque on my wall says when I walk into my room in Herscher, IL. I haven’t lived in this little town since 2009. I’ve been home to visit for a month at the longest but I tend to get anxious when I stay home for any longer. I tell people that I’m from Chicago just because most people would have no idea where Herscher is. But, I have a lot of pride for this little town that I grew up in. If there is one thing I look forward to the most when I come home it’s peace. Of course I love to see family and friends but I feel like that’s an easy answer. Even right now as I sit outside and type this post, all I hear is cicadas in the trees and leaves blowing in the breeze. There is the occasional squirrel running in the grass, but on top of all that the temperature is perfect. And the perfect temperature is not always easy to come by in Illinois. I’ve had a few crazy past weeks so sometimes it is just good to get away from all of it and get back to seeing what you are doing all of this for. All of those fears and doubts really add up to hold you back from what’s really important. So, I decided to bring my focus back to why I was doing this challenging endeavor. My favorite question that I get quite often is,”What made you want to do something like that?” Honestly, there wasn’t just one thing that made me want to do something as life changing as World Race. Remember, this was a decision that took me months. So, I tried to break down the word and try to list out WHAT made me want to do World Race.
Worship
One of the major things that I look forward to in each country is doing worship with the people there. Worship is different for everyone but we are all worshipping the same God. I want to dance, sing, clap, and yell praises with people all over the world. I want to learn what it means to worship in each culture. I want to hear them shouting Jesus in their own language and singing hallelujah with full surrender. I have devoted some of my time to try to learn part if not all of a worship song in each language that we might encounter in each country. Right now I am learning “Exalt You” in Chinese and Spanish. I have to say it is turning out to be a bit harder that I had expected but I am determined to sing with people in their own language. I think that learning their language helps me to build a new connection with people. For people who may not know God, I pray that through these songs they experience His presence. They hear words that they know and are able to sing with us in worship. I look forward to these experience in worship teaching me what true worship and surrender is. I pray that through next year I can really shift my worship and song writing for life.
Hope
One of my favorite responses to telling someone where I am going is when they start getting really worried. They says things like,”Isn’t that really dangerous? The world is a mess right now.” I mean I can’t disagree with that. I know that the world is a mess right now but I have hope in what the world can become. I have hope in the generations to come. I have hope in what they can accomplish with wisdom and faith put into them. I know that these younger generations are growing up smarter and stronger with technology. People are not afraid to say what they think is right and I think that is important. I have hope in this generation who is fighting for change around the world. I have hope in these kids, adults, and elderly that we are going to meet with around the world. I want to hear their stories and I want to see the change that they are bringing. I want to meet the kids with big dreams and tell them that they can accomplish them. I want to meet a kid out of seminary who started a church and tell him he is doing amazing work. I want to tell the elderly woman in the back of the church who sings a little off key that her voice is beautiful and God is smiling down on her. I want my hope in people to only grow as I travel. I know that their will be situations around the world that will definitely shake my faith in the world. But, I want the little moments of hope to shine brighter. Stories of hope are going to fill my blog. Stories of salvations and prayers answered. I have hope in people trying to make a difference and kids trying to break out of the same cycle of poverty. That hope is what is going to keep me strong throughout all of the tough situations and sad stories that I may come in contact with.
Adventure
I mean, you can’t talk about World Race without using the word adventure. You never know what is going to happen next and everyone you are with is down for trying new things. You have to be okay to try new things in order to devote a year to travel and helping where ever you are sent. I want to try and turn the year 2018 into a year of a lot of yes. No matter what the circumstance, I hope that I can say yes as much as possible. Sure, that may lead to do some crazy things that I’m not too fond of but I need to build a life of surrender. Does that mean I will say yes to bungee jumping off of a bridge in the middle of no where, hmm not too sure. But, does it mean I will say yes to eat some food that I’ve never seen before, climb a mountain in all of my gear to reach a desolate town, or give really big hugs to kids in hospitals who might be really sick: absolutely. I am preparing myself for anything. In order to get the most out of this trip I have to have an open heart for anything that happens or becomes available in my path. I hope these are experiences that will inspire others to a life of more yes. With more yes in life, comes more confidence in the decisions to come in life. I promise to live a year of surrender and surrounded by some amazing people who are chasing after the same adventure I am.
Teaching
After living in South Korea for almost four years as a teacher, I grew to love teaching and an even greater love for kids. I wanted to teach those kids that they could do anything they wanted to and that tests do not define who they were. Kids in Korea go through so much education and are forced to learn so much in such a short period of time. They hardly have any time to have fun. Kids have a hard time learning something that they find is boring, especially the 4-5 year olds that I had. I learned so much about myself and about kids as I grew better at my first full time job. But, in most if not all of the countries that we are going to on World Race, it is difficult for kids to get that kind of education. Some don’t know how to read or write. They may excel at some of the textile jobs with using their hands that they have learned from their parents but it is hard for them to break into a different industry. They are sometime stuck in poverty because they don’t know any other kind of life. I want to show those kids that they are not failures, they are never failures. They are loved and they are protected through every difficulty. I want to show them a kind of love that they are not used to seeing. I want to show them interest that other foreigners may not have ever given them a second glance. I hope to be able to teach kids in new countries and show them the praise they deserve when they start to understand something. I hope that I am able to start a spark in their interest that will lead to them wanting to learn more. These kids will teach me far more than I could ever teach them and I believe that with all of my heart. But I hope that through my stories that I can teach others through the experiences I have. I get to teach them how God is moving in other countries, how miracles are happening all over the world, or how God reveals himself to me through the people I meet. I miss teaching a lot and I hope we are able to teach while out on the field. Through me teaching, I know that God will teach me way more than I could ever prepare myself for through the conversations and encounters I have with people.
What first drew me to World Race was a love of travel and a love for the nations that I couldn’t put into words. I have such compassion for people in other countries who are struggling with some things that we have never had to face. I want to learn as much as I can about different places and the people that live there. I want to learn their language, rich culture, and how I can fit in with daily tasks. What draws me to travel is adapting to each place I go. I would laugh when my kids in class would ask me if I was Korean but honestly it came as a big compliment. I think that fitting in shows a different kind of love for the country you are in. Americans don’t have the best reputation around the world, and I don’t think that I will change that solely by myself, but I hope it will show someone something they didn’t expect from a foreigner. I hope that when they see a white person they don’t feel uneasy but feel joy in remembering the white friend that they had met last month. I hope to build relationships that I can remember for the rest of my life. I pray that I can write stories of the people that I meet that will impact and inspire others. It may not inspire you to travel to that country, but it will inspire you to pray differently for the world, it will help you to see the world the way that I do. The words that come to mind when I think about this trip is worship, hope, adventure, and teaching. I know who called me to this trip and kept bringing it up on my radar. I am ready to go on this great adventure of compassion, love, faith, transformation, surrender, and strength.
I can’t express the excitement I feel to get started. I thank God for giving me this opportunity and always preparing me for this adventure of a lifetime. If you are afraid of taking that leap of faith, can I urge you to just take a step? What God has in store is way more than you could ever imagine. Don’t ever think that you are not worthy of something amazing that is placed in front of you. Sure, you may not be ready but do you think God is just going to leave you in the middle of the ocean without a paddle? No, He is the one who will bring the wind to send you towards shore. Sometimes taking that step is all you need to build confidence in yourself and the person that God has prepared you to be. Your life is meant for way more than you could ever imagine, just keep that in mind. I know that is something that I have to keep reminding myself of. You are stronger than you think, you are amazing. No matter how old you are or what may haunt you from your past, God is preparing you and He will be glorified through your life. You are a light that He has created to shine brighter than any cityscape. Don’t underestimate the person the Creator has created you to be.
