Helloooooo here is the link to my latest podcast episode called “TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER” with my squad-mate Jenny Brown. Listen to find out what our two teams have been doing for ministry in Panama City and other fun stuff 🙂
Don’t forget to subscribe so you know when a new episode comes out!!!
And leave a comment on iTunes / SoundCloud because I’d love to know WHO has been listening to these while I’ve been gone!!
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/created-for-more/id1439912956
Now onto the blog 🙂
People have been talking about wanting to go home.
They’ve been joking about buying a plane ticket and heading back to the comforts of American life.
People have also been expressing feelings of “being stuck here” or “bored” or “tired”, etc. etc.
Little comments like this cloud the air of an already stretching, challenging season of the Race. We’ve been on the field for a little less than 9 months and things get more … complicated. A lot of teammates are worn down, unmotivated, homesick, all the things!
Because of these feelings and casual conversations, and because of the longevity of the trip,
it’s harder to choose the people around you,
it’s harder to say “yes” every day,
It’s harder to engage with ministry,
it’s harder to focus,
it’s harder to save money,
it’s harder keep lice away,
it’s harder, it’s harder, IT’S HARDER.
Disclaimer: I have never felt the desire to go home. I’m quite enjoying my time and can’t imagine leaving. But have I been struggling off and on? Yes. Is it getting more difficult to keep pushing and engaging? Sure.
(Also, we are one of the only squads who hasn’t had someone go home!)
Other ministries, like YWAM for example, send out missionaries for 6 months or so. I tried to imagine what that would be like if we would have went home back at our layover in NYC. That was after 6 months. We made it through 3 countries in Asia and 3 countries in Africa! Wow, what a time.
We saw a lot, did a whole bunch, had some fun, walked through some challenges, grew a ton! 6 months would’ve been a great ending place to go home! Those 6 months were a great season of community and growth and the Lord did SO MUCH.
But once you cross that threshold, that’s where the magic happens. My squad mentor and I were talking on the phone a couple days ago and she said “It’s like when you’re sitting quietly with God and you’re trying to hear from Him. You sit, clear your mind, things are good. But nothing crazy happens and it gets awkward. It’s been a couple minutes of silence and you don’t hear anything, you can’t focus, so you give up. But if you sit there and wait longer, and use past the uncomfortable silence and distraction, push past the awkwardness, that’s when you finally hear Him.“
If we can just push past this uncomfortable part, address our needs and emotional state, but still choose to engage and jump over this hurdle, there’s MORE. We can actually go deeper than we already have in the first 9 months. Many World Race alumni talk about the last few months where they pressed in as being the breeding ground for a lot revelation and beautiful encounters.
I don’t know about you, but that sounds great.
We are in the middle of our Latin America stretch of the trip. At the end of this month we have a week of debrief in Colombia before we officially start ministry there. I’m praying that this debrief — where the whole squad comes together to rest, process, reflect, catch up — lights a new fire in all of us to finish strong. To go deeper. I can’t wait to see everyone again, it always feels like a big family reunion. And I also can’t wait to have honest conversations with myself and others about how I need to alter my course and improve my mindset.
What are disciplines that I need to integrate into my lifestyle on the Race?
What are fresh ways that I can seek intimacy with the Lord and hear what He’s saying?
How can I be more intentional with my team while we still have this time together?
And how can I carefully approach ideas about my future back at home while remaining present and enjoying each moment I’m in?
These are just some of the questions I want to reflect on to push my experience to new levels. And hopefully the things I’m walking through right now will continue to encourage me when I’m back in the States, pursuing the next thing.
Adios, thanks for your time.
