Lessons learned from a Month 6 World Racer - Explore Archived World Race Alumni Blogs

Hey everyone! I reached out and took a survey of questions people had about my World Race Missions Trip. I am about halfway through this World Race journey and it’s been a joy filled journey with many lessons learned. I am excited to see what God has in store for the next 5 months. Thank you all for the continued love, encouragement, and support you have given me throughout this journey.

Q: What has been the toughest (but beautiful) lesson learned?

A: When I first started the Race I was very eager to make friends and build community. I was pursuing relationships with people on the squad and I felt like I was not connecting with people in the way I wanted to. At the end of our time in Nicaragua, the Lord told me that I am first and foremost seen and loved by Him first and when I can confidently walk out my identity as a beloved daughter of God then I can pursue others effectively. It was incredible to see how shifting my perspective empowered me to love and pursue my squad mates even better than I could have imagined. By the time we got to Costa Rica I made multiple friends outside of my team and I was thriving.

Q: What has been the hardest lesson learned?

A: The World Race has made me aware of how easily I turn to “easy comfort” instead of God when things get challenging. In America it is easy to turn to your close friends, comfort food, things that are familiar, or to hide in your own bedroom and have solitude. On the Race, I do not have the same access to these easy comforts and it has forced me to run to the Lord for guidance as well as seek out godly counsel from other people on my squad who gently point me back to God.

Q: What has been your favorite location so far?

A: My favorite countries so far have been Costa Rica and Indonesia. I enjoyed Costa Rica because I had worked with the ministry we partnered with Oceans Edge two years ago and already knew our Costa Rica hosts. We had a great routine of doing manual labor during the day and then we went swimming in the Ocean at night. I was living my best life in Costa Rica. Indonesia was also one of my favorite countries because the island of Ambon was absolutely stunning and I could not get enough of the island scenery while we were there. Our hosts in Indonesia, as well as other missionaries on the island, went above and beyond to make us feel welcome and at home. I enjoyed Indonesia because of the many relationships I built during our time there.

Q: What has been your favorite experience so far?

A: I went snorkeling for the first time in Indonesia and it was incredible. The beauty I saw while snorkeling blew my mind. I was told about an hour after I was done snorkeling that sharks have been known to come to the area I was swimming in. I’m really glad nobody told me until after I went snorkeling or I may have chickened out.

Q: Is this experience leading you to full time missions?

A: Great question! I am very interested in doing more Missions work in the future. I am considering making a short term commitment or doing an internship overseas for 1-2 years. I can see myself working at an orphanage overseas or teaching English somewhere. I do not feel called to a specific place yet and it will be interesting to see how the Lord leads.

Q: Has the journey so far been what you expected?

A: Coming on the World Race I did not have specific expectations. I had a very healthy understanding that the World Race is intense and everyone’s experience of the World Race is drastically different. Everyone’s experience is very unique based on the countries you visit and the ministries you are partnering with. My teammate and I may be in the same country and same ministry and one of us might be loving life and the other may have a countdown until the next country. Traveling to 11 different countries in 11 months is not a walk in the park by any means. My hope for this year was to grow a heart for the nations, be immersed in a community with other believers, and to grow in my walk with the Lord. My hopes for the Race are being met in a beautiful way and I’m really happy God called me to go on the Race.

Q: What has been your biggest challenge?

A: As happy as I am to be on the World Race, sometimes it is hard to know you are missing a year of life back home. I am having many amazing experiences this year, but I do miss my family and friends from back home from time to time.

Q: What are you learning about yourself and God by living, serving, and traveling with your team?

A: Great question! It has been spoken over me by multiple people on my team that I am a highly intentional person with those around me. I like to think of myself as the highly intentional introvert who goes around and quietly learns everyone’s life stories in the room. I had never seen this as a gift before, but I am beginning to see that God has gifted me in this way for a reason. It brings me joy that my teammates have told me that they are learning to be more intentional with people from the way I pursue others. My hope is that my teammates and locals in the countries I’m in can see the intentionality of God in me. We serve a God who takes great interest in us and longs to know our hearts.

A: My eyes have been enlightened to see God created a world of beautiful people. This has expanded the way I worship Him and has brought awareness to the way I limit God in seeing Him through an American Christian lens. He loves diversity and He loves the different ways we worship Him in Spirit and in truth. I’m learning to see God beyond the lens of my personal experiences and worship God for the Almighty God He is.