Hello everyone!
I hope you are all doing well. It’s been a while since I last posted on here and I want to make an effort to post more regularly. It has been a very crazy past couple of months with work, fundraising, traveling, and getting caught up with other logistical things on my never ending to-do list. The World Race is becoming such an exciting reality! But with this, there is A LOT that goes into it. A few weekends ago while I was visiting my family in Florida my mom asked me if I am still excited about going next year. I didn’t realize how much I have been externally processing to her everything I have to figure out before leaving on mission for a year instead of talking about how amazing it’s going to be. Of course I am still beyond excited to be going! I guess I have been talking to my close friends and family mostly about logistics and stresses rather than about what communities my team and I will be serving in, and how God is going to be doing such amazing things.
On the other hand, I haven’t been able to really tell people what is going on in my head day after day trying to plan for this. I don’t think there is a day that goes by that I don’t think about the World Race at least once.
So, I wanted to make this blog post a place where I can share with you some of what is going on in the background of preparing for this because you are in this with me and we are doing this together!
Overall, how am I doing?
Well, if I am completely honest, I am very overwhelmed. I am overwhelmed with planning everything out logistically such as figuring out where and which of my things to store here in MN and then what to bring down to Florida with me for my parents to look after and what am I going to do with my car and re-occurring bills… the list goes on. Then there is getting doctor appointments scheduled and figured out, deadlines to make for the World Race, fundraising, preparing my heart for a year of serving, on top of a full-time job and making time for friends and family. I never thought there was so much that goes into leaving for a year. I thought it would be simple and easy; just drop everything and go. But that’s not always how it works. But I serve a big God and He will never give me more than I can handle.
Psalm 29:11 says “The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.” I am believing and receiving that as I am going through this whole process. But some days I struggle to remember this when something doesn’t go according to plan and there is another set back. I was listening to this morning’s sermon and my Pastor talked briefly on negative things which hit me so hard because it feels like that is exactly where I am at (I am going to paraphrase and add on to what he said here). He was basically saying even when there are all these good things happening around you, one negative thing will sit and stay in your mind over all the positives. Chemically in your brain, when there is a stress placed before you, the chemicals your brain releases takes 6 times longer to leave your system than what is released when a positive thing happens. I will be open and honest and say this happens to me A LOT. There are so many incredible things God is doing around me every day on this journey, but then one negative thing happens or a set back comes up and that’s all I can think about. I constantly need the reminder of God’s faithfulness each and every day of what He has done and what He is going to do. If you are willing, please be praying that I will keep my eyes on things above, and not allow the things of this world get in the way of that.
I am learning, failing, getting back up, getting distracted, getting refocused, getting discouraged, becoming full of joy again, but at the end of the day God still provides and loves me more than I deserve. This journey so far has been CRAZY but I am so thankful for all of it and for all of you for encouraging me and praying for me!
With love,
Isabel
