One year ago I hopped on a plane and said goodbye to everything comfortable that I knew. I said goodbye to college with a great promise of the Lord that He would bring me back in His time. I said goodbye to the best people that I surrounded myself with, friends and family and mentors and peers. I said goodbye to the comforts of having an income and a closet that was stocked full of my favorite shoes and accessories. I said goodbye to my home church and the body of believers that promised to support me during this new season of change.
I also said goodbye to things that I didn’t expect to leave behind. I said goodbye to some relationships that I always thought I would have. I said goodbye to any expectations I didn’t know I had created. I said goodbye to who I thought I was and saying goodbye to her meant saying hello to a new me, which was terrifying.
Those things I said goodbye to were all products of saying hello to the Lord and what this season had for me. I like to think that with every goodbye comes a new and fresh hello.
Over this year I said hello to 40 fresh faces that became more than family. I said hello to a total of 6 new countries that all crave and have been touched by the hands of God. I said hello to traumatic travel days and lots of unresolved doctors’ visits. I said hello to new homes, broken families, seeing lives restored and inviting people into eternal life with the Father. I said hello to God and all of His plans and opportunities he had for me over the past year and for many more years to come.
I want to make one thing clear though, the hellos and the change that occurred in my life were not products of the world race. The world race did not change my life. So if you stumble upon this blog hoping the race will change you, just expect that it won’t. If you’re a subscriber and have been following me throughout my entire journey and are “disappointed” that the race didn’t change me, hear me out.
The race doesn’t change people, but I was changed by the amazing culture I was immersed in for months at a time.
The city life and public transportation that I traveled on every day in Ecuador changed my view on what it looks like to live intentionally for the Lord in a bustling society.
Pulling weeds in the blazing heat 4 out of 5 ministry days for two months changed my view of what it looks like to plant and never see a tangible harvest.
Mabe and Fabe taught me about love.
The dance moves I tried to learn for hours and hours for ministry outreach in Peru changed my view of community and teamwork.
Through-the-window Spanish conversations with Julio and Flor changed my idea of intentionality.
Wendy and Auden taught me about sacrifice.
House visits and unorganized soccer matches in Guatemala changed my view of relationships. Sandra and Theresa taught me about the importance of culture and changed my view of “serving others well”.
The base staff changed my view of leadership.
The classrooms in Cambodia changed my view on the importance of friendship.
The lack of air conditioner and over-priced tuk-tuk rides changed my view on patience.
Victory church, Ronald, Cynthia + family, Gette, Jonathan and Sam changed my idea of healthy and uplifting community.
My team changed my view of vulnerability.
My Squad taught me what it looked like to be a body of believers in all conditions.
Jackie, Aly, and Stephen changed my view on accountability and what it looks like to lead others well.
Kate taught me about passion.
So, the world race didn’t change me, but the people I met, places I went and experiences I had completely transformed my life.
One year later, I sit on my couch in my apartment back at the school that God promised to bring me back to and I can’t help but be thankful for the vessel of change that the world race was. I am thankful that when I said goodbye to so many things that gave me the opportunity to say hello to many new and amazing things.
One year later I miss it, but I am forever grateful for the beauty and change this last year had in store for me.
