When God tells you to jump, YOU JUMP
If you haven’t heard about my crazy story of how I got on the race, here it is:
So I went to Alaska for the summer in 2017. Amazing, incredible experience. I worked as a waitress in Juneau, AK at The Hanger on the Wharf (if you go on an Alaskan cruise anytime, please stop in and eat some halibut fish & chips for me). It was my first day there that I met my coworker Bri, who later became my squad-mate on the world race. Her and I talked about our faith at the bar one night, and got on the topic of The World Race. I had heard of it before from a family friend and it sounded amazing. She said she was going in January and I was interested but quite frankly I was too worried about MY future and what I needed to do to be successful when I returned back home after my summer spent in Alaska. All me, me, me. I went home that night and looked into it but it wasn’t something that I thought was realistic at the time. I filled out the first two questions of the application and then let it sit. Sit for a good 3 months. Then the Holy Spirit decided I shouldn’t leave it any longer.
I returned back to Minnesota after the summer and got a job in Duluth where I went to college. A job that was just temporary and not ideal, but just something for the time being until I figured out my life. I had (and still have) no idea what I want to do with my life, but I was really lost at that time because I was trying to do it without the Lord’s help. Not my best idea.
I still had the race on my mind as something that sounded so amazing but not attainable. I had other things on my mind, like figuring out what I was going to do with my college degree, sitting in a life of stress and the unknown. I felt so worn down and defeated by the enemy, telling me I wasn’t good enough. I should know what I want to do after graduating, are you kidding? You need to do better. C’mon Adriana. All these negative things running through my mind.
Turns out God had some big plans for me in 2018. He ended my relationship shortly after returning from Alaska, slightly turning my world upside down. But He was shutting the doors that needed to be shut in order for me to see the ones that He had opened up for me. A few weeks later, Bri was traveling from AK to training camp and stopped in Duluth to visit for a few days. The World Race kept popping up in my mind and when she came to visit I finally mustered up the courage to tell her I wanted to call Adventures in Missions and see if I could still apply for the January route. A month past the deadline. Typical me, last minute deciding to do something very big. It is how I operate best or my indecisiveness comes out in full force.
So I call AIM (Adventures in Missions) and ask them if I could somehow apply for the World Race and they said that if I were to fill out the online application that night and then a phone interview that next day they would consider it. WHAT. My mind was all over the place. I was actually going to do this thing. Last minute. Most people plan to do this months, years in advance. So I do the application, the phone interview that next day and two hours later I get a phone call saying that I’ve been accepted on the race. GOD IS SO GOOD. I had so many emotions running through me. So much excitement, the thought of traveling the World and sharing the love of Jesus. Anxious, meeting these 30 other people I’m going to do life with for a year. Nervous, getting literally all of my gear for training camp ready in one week. You could say the employees at REI got to know me on a first name basis pretty quick.
I still sit here in awe at the fact that I’m doing this thing called The World Race. I have so many moments where it doesn’t quite feel real. Most people look into it thoroughly before applying, reading blogs of previous racers. God had me hop into the boat last minute. He gave me no time to plan, but that’s how He had to do it in order for me to say yes. No time to ponder whether or not I should do it. I just did. I put my trust in Him whole heartedly because I really had no choice once I said yes to this adventure to be honest. And He has immensely blessed me through trusting in Him. He funded me in just 5 months, $17,700. God REALLY wanted me here.
