World Race Unscripted is unlike anything I have ever done. It has absolutely changed the way I look at life and the way I intend to do ministry after the race. This year has been the best and craziest year of my life in part to my journey with Christ and living Unscripted. When you are on the Unscripted route you are really empowered to make the World Race yours. You are given tools in training camp to push you to seek the Lords voice and hear when He speaks. You are in control of where you go, what you do, and who you will reach. These three things look different each day. This is exciting but terrifying. You will see closed doors open and open doors close right in front of your eyes as you actively seek the Lords voice for your day.
When I signed up to do the World Race I was excited to get to go to 11 countries. In training camp we found out that we would most likely be going to more than 11 countries. It is month 7 for me and I have spent a considerable amount of time in 8 countries. In a couple weeks I will be going to country number 9. I have also had layovers in three countries I have not been to otherwise. That means that by the end of this month I would have been to 12 countries with 4 months to go. This is crazy. When you seek the Lord, He will put some insane places on your heart. A couple months ago my team felt led to go to Namibia. That was not a country on our route. I had no idea it existed before the Race, but once we started praying about what our first month in Africa looked like I knew that was going to be home for us. The Lord provided abundantly for us that month between our travel, lodging and how we did ministry that month. I am now currently in another country that was not originally on our list of places to visit. We were “supposed” to be in Bulgaria this month. In seeking the Lord as a team we quickly realized that Bulgaria was not where the Lord wanted us. We are now in Athens, Greece sweating to death but loving every second. In a couple more weeks we will most likely be leaving here to go to Italy for a few weeks before going to Spain. These are all places I wanted to go but never thought I would get the chance to go. I love how the Lord is the one providing for us to get the chance to minister in these sweet places.
On traditional routes you are normally set up with a ministry for the month. This is super cool because you can often see how the work you are doing is impacting the Kingdom. When you are on Unscripted this is not the case. You are told nothing (except don’t fly or ride motos). You get the chance to wake up every morning and seek the Lord and see what He has for your day. We call this listening prayer. We dedicate time each day to ask Him about what He wants our day to look like. Sometimes this has been helping our Airbnb host out in moving a dirt pile from the front of her house to the back. Other days it has been volunteering at a hostel and just meeting the travelers where they are and loving them with the heart of God. Then there are my favorite days where the Lord calls us to just admire His creation. Looking at what the Lord has made has become one of my favorite things this year. I have had the chance to see some of the most beautiful places on earth between my time in Asia and Africa. I could go on for days about this but then nobody would finish the rest of the blog. (stick with me, it will be good)
The final thing we are encouraged to do to own our Race is focusing on the people we reach. Again, we use our time in listening prayer to see who it is that the Lord has for us each day. We often talk about how the Lord has “the one” for you each day. That person could be anyone from the bag lady at the grocery store to the homeless person you pass on the street or even a teammate. The Lord is creative in who He wants you to reach. Its not always who you expect, and it is rarely in a way you would think. One of my favorite stories from the race was from when we were in Cameron Highlands working at a hostel for two weeks. We made friends with quite a few guest and the other workers. Well this night it was one of the workers last nights before she had to go home to Kuala Lumpur. She wanted us to go out with her after I got done working. I was exhausted but felt something inside of me saying to go so I went. We went to this bar for a little bit and played some pool and shared a beer with our new friends. After a little bit we went back to the hostel. On the way back a couple of the travelers started asking questions about what we were doing. They knew that we were missionaries but were confused after the beer. This led to a long discussion about Jesus and religion. The girl was previously hurt by Christianity in her home country. She left home looking for a new religion but kept feeling called back to Christ. We were able to redefine what it really means to be a Christ follower. Its not about following all these rules but having a relationship with the Father. When I woke up, I had no intentions on going out that night. I was looking forward to getting some sleep, but I sought the one and it was cool to see the impact that was made.
The World Race is truly an amazing experience. It has been a massive catalyst in my walk with the Lord. I was originally on a traditional route and was super upset when I had to push back my launch date. This push opened Unscripted to me. Choosing Unscripted was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I am now friends with some of the coolest people in the world. I have been able to go to the coolest places on earth and do the craziest things with these people. Even cooler than all that, I have learned to hear the Lords voice for my life. This is something I am ecstatic to take back after the race. I can’t wait to live Unscripted when I get home. With all this being said, I am left with one question for those who have made it this far. Why not Unscripted? If you are worried that its because you are not equipped? Forget that because if you are called the Lord WILL equip you. Are you scared of being away from home for a year? You will get homesick (we all do) BUT it will be worth it. Fundraising? God WILL provide. You really have nothing to lose. Take the step and live UNSCRIPTED!!! You won’t regret a thing.
