Hi, everyone! I’ve been home for four months, and I thought it would be super helpful for me (and hopefully interesting, for you) if I wrote a Q&A blog entirely about the race – using questions asked by you.
Some of these questions were asked during the race, which I answered during the race and kept in my journal. Some were asked on the very last day, some while being back home. Hopefully you can discern which 🙂
1. How did you prepare?
– a lot of prayer. A lot of wisdom from friends, family, and mentors. A lot of encouragement from racers. Training camp.. and then I just did the thang!
2. How was fundraising for you?
– ROUGH. I wrestled with the Lord every single day it seemed like. At times, I did not trust Him but He showed up daily, He always provided. I would encourage anyone fundraising to just freaking GO FOR IT. Don’t hold back. Do anything and everything to get funds. It’s better to try and fail than to not try at all. God blesses effort. Just do your best.
3. What’s been the hardest part for you on the race?
– Lots of hard things, honestly. The race is literally 11 months of dying to yourself. The Lord will reveal things to you that you are most definitely going to have to deal with. You can’t run away from anything on the race. So the hardest part for me has been the growth process. It’s painful at times.
4. What are five travel essentials for your daypack?
– Travel day sweatshirt. Dramamine (POP THEM DRAMIES, knock yourself the hell out, trust me). Hydroflask. Hand sanitizer. HEADPHONE OMG DO NOT FORGET, EVER.
5. What did a normal day for you look like?
– A normal day looks like any day in America. We wake up between 5:30-7 (depending on where you are. In India we worked nightshift aka night preaching so we slept in super late). Cook breakfast, or get served breakfast depending on the month. Go to ministry, whatever that is. Normally all day. Come home, cook/eat, shower, team time, chill, sleep… repeat.
6. What has the race taught you about friendships and community?
– SO MUCH. Godly friendships with people who have the same mindset as you is crucial. You have to be equally yoked. Community is so important for Christians, we cannot do anything on our own. If you can’t handle community living here on earth, how do you expect to live in community in heaven, for eternity? Your “circle” should be a group of people who knows you, who you feel emotionally safe with, who does NOT hold back constructive feedback and speaks it in love, and who calls you higher every single day. These are your people.
7. Do you miss home/Christmas with your family and friends, or has the race made up for that?
– It was really hard on Thanksgiving and Christmas. But, I have a team of people with me who are all feeling the same emotions, so that helps. I know I am not alone. I think the hardest part of the holidays is not being able to get in touch with family and friends back home, due to being in the middle of nowhere lol. But it’s been incredible to experience “holidays” in other cultures.
8. What is the best and worst part of the race?
– Best part: being intentional with the Lord every single day. Right now, my whole life is Him. And I want to continue that for the rest of my life, even when I am not a missionary. This year is sorta like a practice run for the rest of my life. It’s a time when I can figure out what it means to be a follower of Christ, and to allow the learning opportunities to carry throughout the rest of my life.
– The worst part: I asked a teammate and she said, “sleeping on the floor for 3 months in a row.” Another teammate said, “falling in love with people and then having to say goodbye.” Both of those are very true, along with never having alone time. But I think if I had to say one thing to sum up the hardest part, it would be seeing the world. The raw reality of humanity with your own eyes. Poverty, neglect, abuse, suffering.. those are things you cannot unsee. They are things that make you unable to return unchanged, to the life you were previously living.
9. Are you happy?
– A lot of times, yes. Sometimes, no. There are so many things happening all at once on the race. We don’t have time to process. So eventually, it all catches up to you and you’re hit with this huge wave of emotions. Also called a mental breakdown lol. Happens a lot. We’ve learned how to handle each teammate going through this. But, yes I am happy! God is renewing me daily. Like I said before, the race is just normal life. Emotions come and go. I can’t really escape that, but I can control how I react to it. The race has been teaching me how to deal with those feelings, learn from them, and grow from them.
10. How did you fit a gap year for the race while being premed?
– I knew it was what the Lord called me to do, so I followed. Of course, I had worries. Will I lose my financial aid? What about finishing school? Will taking a random gap year look bad on med school applications? What about my job? Even with these worries, I still did it anyways. I blindly trusted my Father. I knew that if becoming a doctor was in His will for my life, taking 11 months off to obey and serve Him was not going to change that. It was actually going to push me further into it.
11. Do you get homesick?
– Yes. I have little random phases of homesickness. Mostly at the beginning of every month, when a lot of change is happening. But I just have to keep going – to move on. I know I will be back soon.
12. Packing tips?
– You reeeeally don’t need much. I know that sounds scary, but it’s true. 3 outfits. 1 pair of shoes. Bible. Journal. Pens. Blanket or sleeping bag. Soap. Maybe some medicine for pain/nausea/cold. Headphones.. legit that’s it. Practice minimalism.
BUT, packing also depends on which countries you will be going to. Check what the weather normally is in that country during that month. For the first 7 months of my race, I chased summer. And then I immediately went to a country where it was snowing. Pack for the first 3 months of your race and then pick up clothes along the way.
13. How do you think the world race has changed you?
– I am not the same person, and I still have 4 months to go. Before the race, I was not confident. I did not know my identity. I barely knew who God was, therefore I did not trust Him. Now, I am confident. I know exactly who I am and I walk in that authority. The race has changed my life. It didn’t change me, God did that. But it has definitely opened up doors for the Lord to minister to me. I am very happy with who I am.
14. If you could go back to any country, which would it be and why?
– This is always so hard for me to answer. I left my heart in so many different countries for so many different reasons. But every time I get asked this question, I always think of India. I’m not exactly sure why. Maybe because it was the most challenging. Maybe it’s because I experienced God in a new way. I’m not sure. But that month changed everything for me.
15. Do you feel you sin less?
– Hmm.. that’s actually a really good, reasonable question. I think a lot of people think of missionaries this way. My answer is no. I’m just more aware of it and I feel conviction more strongly. I have more self-control now and I understand the importance of saying no to anything that hinders my relationship with God. I still sin – I am very human. But there are a lot of sins I have let go of.
16. What do you miss the most about Mobile?
– Late night drives with my friends while listening to music and smelling the gulf coast air!! I really do miss my hometown a lot. Once you travel the world you realize how special home actually is. I miss southern voices and people who speak english and home cooked meals and Target and so many little tiny things that I will never take for granted or overlook ever again.
17. Has your perspective of God and relationship with Him changed?
– Wow, yes. I honestly don’t know how to answer this because everything has changed. Prior to the race, my relationship with the Lord was about me, not about Him. I made it all about myself.. this past year I was completely transformed by the renewal of my mind. Everything changed. My view of Him, my view of myself, my view of the world.. I can’t put this into english words… sorta like in the book of Revelation when Jesus is described. John repeatedly says, “and it was like” because he was looking into a heavenly realm and our human language cannot fully describe it. He couldn’t paint the full picture so he had to use the best words our language had… So, my answer is yes. Everything has changed.
18. How often do you talk to your family?
– Honestly, not much. Not because I don’t want to, but because I literally can’t. The first 7 months of my race, I got wifi MAYBE once a week, if I was lucky. Sometimes 2-3 weeks without it. Now, I am in eastern Europe and Wifi is readily available. I also unlocked my phone, so I can purchase local sims and I’m able to use iMessage and WhatsApp anywhere there is service.
19. Do you ever get downtime to rest so you don’t burn out?
– Yes! Of course. It’s different each month. Usually, you have one rest day and one adventure day a week. But we also can have random down times throughout the day, and the evening is usually to ourselves. (after team time, of course). Rest looks a little different than it does at home due to no personal space, so you must learn very quickly how to have personal time while surrounded by other people. Sometimes on the race, you have no choice but to sit/laydown/cry/etc while shoulder to shoulder with someone. BUT, I had one month (India) where we had zero rest/sabbath/adventure days for the entire month and I felt like an actual zombie because of it. Rest is so important. Resting in the Lord is KEY for ministry – and life. You can’t pour out if you aren’t filled up.. Operate from a place of rest, not striving.
20. Is it hard switching cultures so often?
– Yes.. we are constantly having to learn new languages, new currencies, history, laws, religion, appropriate manners, etc.. it can be overwhelming at times because once you get used to a country, you are moving to another.
21. How have you become accustomed to jet lag?
– Haha! Good question. Honestly, I haven’t. I just feel like my body has gotten used to it and I can tough out the exhaustion more easily. You kinda get used to being tired all the time on the race. Usually, if you’re lucky, your host will give you a full 24 hours to rest and recharge after you arrive in a new country.
22. How often were you able to share the gospel on the race?
– You can share the gospel everyday if you want. Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance and seek out one person – and go after em. Statistically, I have preached maybe 7 or 8 times, told my testimony probably over 100 times, and evangelized to family and individuals welllll over 100 times. And I still wish I did more.. I know I could have done more. The race is exactly what YOU make it.
23. Tell me about the most fun/exciting memory you have!
– One time in Haiti, the geese (my team) decided to go to a waterfall. There are Haitian men who work there, who are there to protect you and make sure you don’t fall. We didn’t want a guide, because you must pay them out of respect, and we had no money. But, of course, they decided to help us up the waterfall anyways, even after we asked them nicely not to.. because we had no money. We each had our own personal guide. He held my hand and wouldn’t let me take ONE STEP alone. Seriously. Like wouldn’t take his eyes off me. I felt like an infant. At one point, my teammate and I started running as fast as we could up the hill to try and escape both of our guides. While I was running, I turned my head around to look behind me and my guide was SPRINTING up the hill to try and catch me. I remember laughing and running and smiling all at the same time and I was really happy. We reeeeally put them to work that day lol.
24. Are you ready to come home?
– Yes and no. Some days I am more ready to come home than others. I think I’m sometimes too busy to feel homesick. But there are definitely moments when I would do anything to be in my own bed or hugging my mom and dad. I’m ready to be home, but i’m not ready to say goodbye to all of this. It’s a really bitter-sweet situation. And also hard to explain.
25. What was the most heartfelt moment on the race?
– Probably holding Malachi in my arms. He was a 1 month old baby who was left at the hospital by his mother. He was taken to a women’s home to be cared for, which is where I met him. He now has 30 moms 🙂 He made me want to have a child of my own one day, and that was the first time I’ve ever felt that.
26. What scared you the most but gave you the biggest reward?
– Stepping out in boldness and sharing my testimony or sermon in front of a foreign congregation. Having to trust God with the words I say, praying it impacts just one person.
27. What have your teammates taught you?
– Ahhhh. I could write a million blogs on this one topic. They taught me to love unconditionally. To forgive. To fight for people who mean a lot to you, and to fight for people who don’t, because everyone deserves to be loved. Over-communicate everything. Pray continually. Always be honest and vulnerable, especially when you don’t feel like it. To put the Father above everything. To let myself be loved.
28. What is something you have seen yourself grow in this year?
– Vulnerability and how to communicate well. I have a lot of trouble articulating my emotions to people, because I want them to completely understand how I’m feeling. I’m a very detail-oriented communicator, so explaining emotions and stories can be difficult for me because in my mind, there are so many details I need to explain for someone to FULLY understand the situation. Sometimes, English words simply aren’t good enough and it frustrates me that I can’t communicate the way I want to. So, I end up not communicating at all which creates problems in my relationships. But, I’ve grown a lot in that because on the race, your teammates are there to listen to you. They will sit with you and wait all day until you feel as though you know what you want to say. They were patient with me. I’ve realized that the effort of communication is just as important as speaking.
29. What is a word you want to bring home?
– Contentment. I don’t want to live a life of expectancy. I want to be content in who God is. I never want to find myself asking for more, or expecting more of Him. No matter the situation, He is still enough and He will always be enough. I don’t need more of anything or anyone. Of course, the God we serve always surprises us. We can expect a lot from Him because He loves His children. But, I don’t want my life to be about waiting around for more.. does that make sense?
30. Was it difficult dealing with your period on the race?
– Valid question! It was difficult when you live in a place with minimal running water and no supplies when you reeeally need it. Women around the world handle their periods a lot differently. They don’t have the same luxury of tampons/pads/cups as we do. But they make it work, and we can, too!
31. Did you witness anyone accepting Jesus for the first time?
– Oh, yeah! Every single day in the squatter camps in Africa. Also a lot in India.
32. How did you process a country while going to the next?
– It’s really hard to take time to process in a healthy way. Things happen so fast that one day you realized you still need to process month 4 when you’re in month 10. I think it’s best to just let yourself feel, but also focus on not allowing those emotions to overtake where you are now. It takes some trial and error and it’s different for everyone. But, processing is extremely important. Occasionally, my squad would meet up somewhere in the country for a few days before moving on to the next, and process what has happened.
33. What is one thing that stressed you out while deciding to do the race?
– The idea of “i’m ruining my chances of med school if I leave school for a year.” The Lord has provided so much comfort in that. I now know that this year of my life is the beginning of shaping me into the future physician I want to become. I believe it was a very good thing for me. I have learned about compassion and empathy and good character which is important in medicine. I have also discovered my “why” as to why I want to become a doctor. In every med school interview, that’s one of the most important questions. “Why do you want to become a doctor?” I now know.
34. What is the sweetest moment you had with the Father while on the race?
– It was actually on June 5th, 2019. I’ve been studying the fruits of the spirit the entire race, and on this specific day, during month 11, He revealed it all to me. Everything finally made sense. It did not come from me, I couldn’t have made up that information myself. This day was the day He wanted me to finally understand and gain answers to my questions. It was all in His control. I sat with the Lord for hours and it was so beautiful.
35. After seeing you struggle, do you hope others won’t take the simple things for granted?
– Ugh, yes. A bed. A shower. A refrigerator. ICE CUBES. A car. A DISHWASHER. A washer and DRYER. I could go on.. it’s all luxury to me now. I will never take those things for granted again, and I hope that if I do, someone will put me back in my place.
36. How are you balancing being home and not with your team?
– It’s really weird. At the same time everyday I feel like I’m supposed to have team time. Sometimes I wake up and realize I no longer live with roommates. I don’t receive daily feedback anymore. I don’t cook and clean with my team anymore. Everything is so different and I haven’t figured out what to do about that yet.
37. What goals did you have going on the race? Did you meet them all?
– I tried going into the race without any expectations. But here is a partial list of some things that I’m glad the Lord fulfilled: 1. To discover the Father’s heart & experience Him in a way I never have. 2. Find my identity in Christ. 3. Have fun 🙂 4. Allow grief to come when I see and experience horrible things in the world (because that’s reality), and learn how to allow myself to feel it all. I want my heart to break for what breaks His. 5. Experience real, authentic community with people who chase after Jesus just as much as I attempt to. 6. Be BOLD.
38. Is re-entry harder or easier than you thought it would be?
– In some areas it’s easier. In other areas, it’s harder than expected. When I’m not in the best state of mind, I tend to run away from anything that causes pain. There’s been a few days when I haven’t looked at any pictures or talked about the race because it’s a lot to take in that it’s actually over. But, I know it’s healthy to grieve and I need to give myself time and a safe space to do that.
39. How has your time with Jesus been different now that you’re home?
– I’m struggling in the intimacy area. But I know that’s just based off emotion, and we do not serve a God who is based off emotion. No matter what I’m feeling, I know that He is constant through my ever-changing feelings. My wavering emotions will never change the fact that God is still God, and He is still present and good. But to be completely transparent, I know what intimacy with the Father feels like. So it’s frustrating that I lost that connection just because I’m in a different part of the world. But, despite all of that, I still make quiet time a priority, even though it may look different than what I got used to on the race. I’m still having quiet time with the same God.
40. Did you experience reverse culture shock?
– It’s been 4 months and I’m still experiencing reverse culture shock. Anxiety is at an all-time high. I hate being in a room with a lot of people. Loud noises freak me out. I find myself getting annoyed when people don’t share the same values as me, or don’t see the world the same as I do. I cope by being alone. I feel different than everyone around me. I’m also really SAD, lol. But, this is all okay. It’s part of the process.
41. What has been your biggest encouragement while being home?
– Honestly, it’s been people who treat me the same as when I left. I know it sounds weird, but while being overseas for a year I got used to feeling like a celebrity. The world freaks out over Americans. Everywhere I went, someone wanted a photo or wanted to talk about America. It’s nice to be home surrounded by people who see me as Jordan, not a missionary who traveled for a year.
42. Best advice for the race?
– 1. Go into it without any expectations regarding ministry and world race living. 2. DO expect a lot from yourself. You want to come back changed, right? That’ll take work and boldness and the daily commitment of showing up and saying “yes”, no matter what excuses you can come up with. 3. Remember, at the end of the day, it’s not about you. It’s entirely about the Father. Don’t allow self-growth to become an idol. 4. Some things on the race will not make sense. Trust the process. Allow the Lord to do His thing, let go of trying to control everything for once. Just be.
43. Are you nervous about school/itching to get back into the hospital?
– I’m a little nervous, but that’s to be expected after returning to something you once left behind. I am really excited, though! I enjoy studying and working hard at something. I want to do really well, and I believe that I can. I wish I could get back into the hospital immediately, but I’m taking a break from it to focus on school. It sucks, but it’s the smarter move. I once put work above school, and it backfired on me. I can’t make that same mistake.
44. What have you come to cherish most about the past 11 month journey?
– Hmm. that’s a tough one. If I had to pick one answer, it would probably be community. I did not realize how incredibly important it is to have people close to you who believe the same things as you, have the same morals and values, give you hard feedback, speak the truth in love, and call you higher… daily. That is what I want and what I need. I’m terrified of having that stripped away from me. For my own sake, I NEED these people. I can’t do it alone.
45. What is your biggest fear in returning home? Have you submitted it to the Lord?
– Being normal. I’m not normal and never will be. I have seen and experienced the world – most people never do. It changes you. It makes you different. How do I talk and connect with people who are no longer like me?
46. What is something you want from the final month of the race? What is something you want to give away?
– Contentment. I don’t want to long for more or strive. I want to be content in who the Lord is and what He has for me right now. I want to give away peace. I want to be a gentle and quiet spirit. I want to REST in the presence of God and have peace in my soul that overflows.
47. What are three revelations you’ve had about yourself over the past 11 months that you want to be relevant for the rest of your life?
– 1. I value safety and security. Not only for myself, but especially for the people I care about. I can’t always create security, but I can always find it in my Father.
– 2. I value justice, but I need to trust God to take care of that. I will never be righteous enough to properly understand what justice truly is.
– 3. I am smart enough and capable enough to become a doctor. A great one.
48. What are three truths about the Lord that you have learned and want to believe forever?
– 1. His character is unchanging. He is always who He says He is. He can be trusted.
– 2. His power is not to be comprehended. He is gentle, yet should be feared.
– 3. When we hurt, He hurts. He gets sad. His heart breaks.
49. What is something you wish your training camp self would have known?
– haha! So much. Be yourself fully and completely. Don’t run from what the Lord is trying to teach you. Be BOLD and courageous and confident. Nothing you do can prepare you for this.. take that pressure off of yourself. You’re doing all you can – let God do the rest.
50. What is something you have used to cope on the race? How are you going to resist coping with the same thing during re-entry?
– Music. Alcohol. Journaling. Reading scripture. Gossip (venting). I want to be self-aware. I want to face things head-on. I will turn to journaling and reading scripture, but there has to be an action point. There has to be a moment when you take what you have read and apply it to yourself.
51. What did you learn while team-leading?
– Team-leading was a very humbling experience for me. I grew a lot during those 3 months, and a lot of that growth was painful. I quickly realized that I couldn’t do it on my own. I had to gain rest from the Lord MULTIPLE times a day in order to be the leader I wanted. You burn out really quickly. I realized that I was not perfect. I had a lot to work on. I realized that at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is loving your team. You cannot argue with that one fact – you MUST do it – especially in the moments when you feel as though you can’t. Be a good listener. Consistently point your team to Christ, never yourself. Allow people to help you. Be honest. Be vulnerable. Accept hard feedback. Always encourage. Basically, throw away everything you know about what a good leader is. Allow the Lord and the Lord ALONE to rebuild that meaning for you. Let Him teach you what a good leader is – because only He knows.
52. What exactly did you do on the race, ministry wise?
– So much! Sometimes we preach. Sometimes we evangelize. Kids ministry, medical ministry, cleaning, teaching, manual labor.. We do anything our host needs us to. Everything can be considered ministry because the Lord is involved in everything.
53. Why did you decide to go on the race?
– A lot of reasons.. but it all comes down to needing more of God. That sounds weird, because God is everything we need and He is with us at all times. But, hear me out.. I needed to figure out who God was. I needed to leave behind this picture of Him I came up with in my head. I wanted the bible to teach me who God is and I wanted to experience that in other cultures. I also wanted to DO something with my life. I wanted to BE a follower of Christ, not just claim to be one with my words.
54. Has there ever been a time you had to leave a country early due to something happening?
– By the grace of God, no. But we did have to change the order of countries on our route due to civil unrests. We’ve had to avoid specific airports and cities.
