Ever since the day when we watched Bri leave for the World Race, in our hearts Wendy and I have been focused on the Parent Vision Trip (PVT). Sure, it was a long seven months away, but it was our chance – finally – to see our daughter again. There would be other things to do at PVT, but whatever those might be, they would pale in comparison to finally getting to hug and kiss our daughter.
The reunion with Bri was everything we hoped it would be. It was so wonderful to be together again, to share more intimately what she has been doing over the last seven months, and just to be together again. But, it turns out that PVT was a heck of a lot more, and now that we’ve been back in the U.S. for a week, the richness of the PVT continues to sink in even more. We realize every day just how much we miss our time in Swaziland and how life-changing the PVT really was.
During the course of our five days together, we were amazed to see how the Racers and their parents quickly evolved into a community. Of course, the Racers have lived in a community for seven months, but we parents quickly drew closer, thanks to a shared bond of having our kids going through the same experiences. And, the parents and the Racers grew closer, as well. I think the Racers loved getting to know the parents who raised their friends, and we parents loved getting to know the young men and women who have been so loving and caring to our kids. We also shared a lot of wonderful experiences together – we served on the mission field together, we worshiped the Lord in the evening, we ate meals together, and we sweated next to each other every day. We look back on those wonderful days together with so much happiness and awe for how impactful those times together really were, even in just five short days.
We also had the privilege to serve together at two Care Points operated by Adventures in Missions and Children’s Hope Chest. In the midst of much tragedy and sadness in Swaziland, we were able to see the life and hope that a simple care center can bring to hundreds of children. Children who might not otherwise eat receive a warm, nutritious meal, and more importantly, they receive love from the Racers (and for five days, their parents). While there was a lot of heartbreak all around us, we couldn’t help but be struck by the difference and hope that AIM and CHC bring to those children; I think all of us parents were proud and grateful to see the impact that our kids, who are now young adults, are making.
There were so many other fun times together – breakfast (and lunch and dinner) at the Mugg & Bean, which could have passed as a favorite coffee shop anywhere in the U.S., and at any given hour could serve as the host for 40 or more Racers and their parents; a half-day safari, where we saw rhinos, elephants, lions and lots of other animals, and some were even charged by elephants; planting trees together, and lots of shared meals.
As we sit back and reflect on our five days together in Swazi, the thing we miss the most is our Racers and our new friends, the remarkable community that we developed in just a few days, and the bond that comes from sharing a lot of the same experiences, all while being about 10,000 miles from home. PVT is not for the faint of heart – you travel a long way, you are exhausted just about all the time, you’re out of sorts being in a foreign land jet-lagged all the time, working in the hot and dusty mission field every day, and living in conditions that are much different than what you’re used to. For all those parents who came, after a week to reflect on our time together, I think we’d all ask one question – when do we get to do it again?
