11 countries in 11 months; only taking two packs – one large travel pack and one small day pack…wearing the same clothes for a whole year…being away from family…not having a bed…the discomfort of a new lifestyle…
this doesn’t seem like the most captivating way to spend a year of my life, does it?
WELP!
here’s 6 reasons why i’m NOT going on the race… countered by reasons why i AM
1. to find myself
i actually plan to seek the Kingdom on Earth, to find the Father in every person and place i encounter. this is not a time for me to find myself, if i find the Father and know how He loves me and sees me, i will then already know who i am by knowing who HE says i am in Him.
2. to seek the glamorous, elegant places of the earth
dont get me wrong – traveling to these places is cool. but i want to enter the deepest, darkest places of this world. i want to seek the lost in the places that aren’t deemed as pretty as other places or are seen as run-down or where “nobodies live”. those nobodies are not nobodies in the eyes of the Lord – He sees them and loves them, and i want nothing more than to spread this news to people of all ends of the earth
3. for cool instagram pictures
i mean, some cool instagram pictures are going to come of this trip, but that’s a bonus really. i will not be focused on capturing the people for what they look like or the conditions or environments in which they live in, but more so their stories. i am interested in capturing who they are as humans and as children of the Most High King
4. to run away from life back in the states
when i applied for the race, i was in a time in my life where i worried “am i doing this to run away from life’s struggles?” the answer is no – life will have struggles no matter where you are. if i run away from the ones that i have here in the states, they will only be here waiting for me when i get back. i will be able to best serve the people i encounter and my team by having a heart full of praise and adoration for people and the King, not full of grudges, hurt, and past offenses. those things have no place in my life, and it is my responsibility to handle those things before the Lord day in and day out.
5. to escape people, community, and accountability
HAHA this one is funny. i will literally never be alone in the upcoming 11 months. i will eat, sleep, pray, do ministry, shower, and breathe every breath around the same people. i am STOKED about who i will spending this journey with, but there will be no alone time. so escaping people is basically a joke. i will also be serving people and communities – why would i want to escape them when all i want to do is LOVE them?? accountability will be the only way to make it through without falling apart into a million gazillion pieces. vulnerability deepens relationships, and vulnerability leads to accountability. bring em both on.
6. just to take some time off to travel and adventure
no no no. this isnt time off. this is the most time on that i will have ever had in my life. this is where my life begins! this is only the beginning of what the rest of my life will look like. this will not be leisurely travel – it will be intense heart work that will break me to my core and leave me to depend on the Lord to put me back together again. i love to travel – traveling feels like home to me (i know, that makes no sense, but humor me). i am happiest when i am traveling. these will be long, excruciating travel days. i heard one of our speakers at training camp say “don’t get so focused on the adventure that you forget about God; life with God IS an adventure!” how powerful! i am thrilled to be able to go on this adventure with Jesus Himself.
i cannot wait to walk through this journey and adventure with each one of you. you are such a huge part of this story in my life, and i am so grateful for all of you. if you feel so inclined, don’t be afraid to hit that donate button at the top. it isn’t the voice in your head, that’s the Holy Spirit 😉
much love,
mags <3
