The Waiting Game
“Join The World Race,” they said. “It’ll be an adventure,” they said. Well, they were not wrong! However, I do feel there are a few things that I may have misunderstood or just overlooked all together. Tighten your overalls because I am about explain all the little details of the route they call “Fusion”
First of all, for those who don’t know, World Race-through Adventures in Missions- sends out hundreds of missionaries every year. There are several different routes, most routes are the same just played out in different countries. There are two routes however that are different. One among the two is my route, Fusion. Fusion is different for two reasons; one-people from different countries can join our team, we have one person from France, one from South Africa, and one from El Salvador, and two-we go into every country without a plan.
What does going into a country without a plan look like? Well it looks like waiting…. A LOT of waiting. We wait in line at the bus station, we wait for hours to cross the border, we sit on a bus and we wait, we stand on the street and wait, we call on the Lord and wait. We are waiting for each other, we are waiting for direction, we are waiting to eat, waiting for half the team to finish fellowship with a new friend, most of all we are waiting on Jesus. I truly believe that when I come home I will be so incredibly patient that waiting in line at DMV will actually become a luxury.
One of the things you will hear most often on this route is, “Ministry is life, life is ministry” I have heard this so many times that I almost cringe when someone says it. To sum up this short little motto, we-on the race-believe that ministry never stops. It doesn’t matter if you are waiting in line at the grocery store or on your way to find a bathroom-the Lord is always moving and seeking out people who are willing to move with him. So we always make time to “stop for the one,” another saying heard often on the race. This comes from an understanding that no matter what we are doing, how busy we are, how late we are, stopping for the one is necessary. I don’t ever want to be too “busy” to stop when God highlights someone or asks me to put myself second.
So! Short synopsis. On this particular route, we don’t usually know where we are going or how long we will be there. We don’t have a set ministry or church we will be working with. We just tend to keep our eyes fixed on what the Lord wants and sometimes that may mean we only get to talk to one person about Jesus all week! Sometimes that means we meet someone who introduces us to an entire room of teenagers and we get to speak about Jesus to the masses. We honestly just don’t know… again… we are waiting for direction!
Our daily routine is NEVER the same. Each person on the team takes a day to lead and we just follow in their footsteps. We spend A LOT of time doing listening prayer and trying to determine our next move. We have feedback time-this is an open time for us to call each other higher or just encourage one another-
We generally have some form of team time. For Josh-we hike a mountain or do communion. For Jesse- We go for a run or cook breakfast together. For Akelea-we do trivia games or play two truths and a lie. For me- you pick an m&m and answer a question or you wash the feet of your teammates. These are just a few things we have done and there will be much more to come.
We have ministry time- this honestly looks different all the time. Some days, our ministry has been spending time with our host family, the Purdy’s. We may make them breakfast or clean the house from top to bottom. Sometimes our ministry is literally just walking the streets and praying the presence of the Lord over the city or maybe stopping into Poppers-a burger place here- and spending some time getting to know the owner’s family. Ministry is generally some form of listening and fellowship. Ministry is understanding that God tends to stop for the one and desiring to follow his lead.
We have a lot of challenges. Backpacks are heavy, travel days are rough, alone time is rare, personalities clash, disagreements happen and honestly… sometimes… the stench is enough to knock you off your feet. However, the growth makes it all worth it. I wouldn’t change where I am at for anything. I truly believe I have been called here no matter how many times I get frustrated or feel overwhelmingly exhausted I know that those are the moments I can either flee or pull God in a little closer. I have decided I will keep pulling until God and I are one. Until I stop for the one without hesitation, until I pray without ceasing until, as Forrest Gump says, god and I are like peas and carrots.
Thank you to everyone who has helped me get here and those who are continuing to help I wish I could explain how much this means to me… I just can’t imagine doing anything else!
