The world race was never something that I imagined myself doing. As a matter of fact 6 months ago I was 99.9% sure that I would be attending Texas Tech University in the fall of 2019, but as y’all know that is not what happened.
I heard about The World Race from my tour guide while on a mission trip to Costa Rica in January of 2019. My first thought was wow these people are crazy. Why would you choose to spend almost an entire year away from home? I mean college already seems so far, let alone going halfway across the world. That said: I gave The World Race 5 minutes of thinking and instantly decide, no.
I got back from my mission trip and continued my normal life: wake up, go to school, talk to my friends, sports, go home, help out around the house, spend time on my phone, stress about knowing I want to go to Tech but not knowing if it is the right decision, go to bed, and then wake up and do the same thing. One day while I was stressing about which school I want to go to, my mom asked me: “Have you heard of The World Race?” I told her that I have, but wouldn’t ever go because 9 months was way too long to be away from everything that I know, so I began to consider all of my college options. While weighing out my options and considering all of the different paths I could go none of them gave me peace.
Then my mom asked me, “So you’re not even going to look into the race? Finally, I gave in and decided to do some research. I could not find ANYTHING wrong with the world race. Everything about it seemed logical, and the only thing that scared me about it was being gone. A few weeks after I researched this the president of my school asked me about it and why I was so unsure. I explained to him that I hate change and that I was afraid to leave everyone behind and have to start all over. He looked at me and said, “So you’re scared to do something that might challenge your faith? Wait no. Its Christian based, so you’re afraid to not have your immediate circle of friends and family to constantly surround you and make you feel important? I mean I just thought that someone like you would have already been through that and would be stronger than that?”
It was this conversation that I needed to have. I felt as if the Lord was telling me I know I would be scared to be alone, but I would never truly be alone because He is with me wherever I go. It also helped me to realize why I truly wanted to go. You see I have been moved around many times in my short life. Been abused and beaten down by people and have felt as if my situation would never be able to be changed, but I am living proof that life can change. I am proof that with the power of the Lord, anything can happen and that is why I want to go on the race. To show people that they won’t and don’t have to live in fear and loneliness forever. That with faith mountains can be moved and lives can be changed.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and support me on my journey. Your prayer and donations are very much appreciated, and I can’t wait to post all about it, so that you can feel as if you are right on the field with me. Love y’all!
-A. Star
