I remember when I was skating by in college, feeling the tug on my heart that there was something more to this world. I remember knowing I needed to go to India. Sitting at my college, filling out my Peace Corps application, and my friend telling me instead all about the World Race.
And I remember just knowing.
Knowing in that moment that you had planned this trip for me all along. 11 countries, 11 months. 320 days of radically following you, trusting you completely.
I didn’t even think it was possible. $16,961 dollars. I didn’t even have one thousand in my bank account. I didn’t, I couldn’t, I can’t. You asked me to overlook this. Turn my nos into yeses. To look past the numbers, and all of the reasons why it couldn’t work. Money and time and passports and vaccinations. And you said, “why not?” You taught me about your faithfulness, and how big you really are. That all the money in the world is yours anyway. And I was fully funded just in time. Money came out of nowhere, from everywhere. You said, “Ali, I can do this, watch me, trust me.”
Remember when I prayed that Mom and Dad would come to know you. That they would be able to experience how incredible you are. I thought, ‘maybe one day,’ and the small voice inside my head said ‘probably not.’ But I stood there in worship the week before I left for the race. And my parents walked through those church doors. I didn’t even know they were coming. They surprised me, knowing how much it would mean. And when their hands went up that day, accepting you into their hearts, tears of overwhelming joy flooded my eyes. Like rain in a drought, I felt your presence and your power. They’ve gone to church every Sunday since. They flew all the way to Africa to see me, and ultimately, to see you Father. And you’ve changed their lives. You’ve shown them love and faithfulness they never even dreamed possible in this broken world.
You’ve done things I never thought could be possible.
You kept me safe all 320 of these past days. I traveled to 11 countries and was never robbed or put in harms way. I have all of my things, safe in my hands. From my journals to my wallet. You took care of me and my teams. Better yet, you let us thrive. You blessed us every day, every month. From litters of puppies living at our home, to people cooking for us, to new friends feeling like family. You gave us mountain top sunrises and living water in the amazon.
Remember how every month you gave me a person. One that became a sweet friend and filled my soul. You gave me Victor and Daud, Chiran and Thu, Pope and Khumo, Kemi and Richard, Baka and Frola, Keila and Maria, Bernarda and Duvesa, Nellie and Celia. Sweet friends that were a home away from home for me this year. You knew how much I needed all of these people. Every single month. Each and every country.
You showed me how much you love all the people around the world. From the tops of the mountains in Nepal, creating a resort for missionaries and evangelism, to meeting Christian families everywhere in a little town in Northeastern India. From watching the faith of Christians in Vietnam, a closed country to Jesus, to seeing the street children in Cambodia have a chance. Watching them get cleaned up, fed, and loved every morning, sent off to school, because somebody who knew Jesus decided that they matter, and decided to do something about it.
From watching the little 2 year old girl walk into church in Botswana, burns covering her body. Learning that her own Father had set her and her mother on fire. But recognizing that someone believed in you enough to bring this little girl to the only place where there’s true hope in the world. From watching the faith in the little children in Africa. Seeing the way they worship you with all of their being. When they only eat one meal a day, and have very little, but have so much when they believe in you. Knowing that you brought Taylor and I all the way around the world just to have church at Frola’s house because she hadn’t walked in three years, and just wanted to sit in the house of the Lord. Seeing the excitement that lit up in her eyes as she picked out her best dress and cleaned up her tiny brick home, ecstatic that somebody cared enough to see her.
I remember watching the way our Argentinian family loved you. How every night they were doing something for your glory. Feeding the homeless, visiting and preaching at the prison, bringing us into their home with such open arms. Giving us with sweet Bernarda, making empanadas with her, and watching the way she loves you so genuinely. Remember when you blessed my relationship with my little 9 year old class in Chile. You gave me that very last day to share how much you mean to me, hugging my little students with tears welling in our eyes. Seeing how perfectly you had planned our month in Bolivian amazon. Sustaining us enough to hike 64 miles and bring joy and life to the indigenous people of Mojos.
God you’ve been there through it all.
You’ve been in every moment.
Even when I doubted you, even wondered if you were real.
You were patient with me.
And you still are. Every single day. You’ve taught me how important it is to just be myself. How you created every human being differently and intricately. How you want us to be unique. That comparison is the thief of joy, and that there’s freedom in being exactly who you are. You’ve taught me that anything is possible with you. That we should never sell ourselves short, no matter how big the dreams in our heads may be. Nothing is too big for you, you created the earth.
Lord, you’ve showed me that you’re always going to be there, that you go before me in every step I take, and you have plans for my life I don’t even know about yet.
That following you is kind of like riding a roller coaster with your eyes closed. Feeling the ups and downs, feeling that someone’s driving, not being able to see a thing, and laughing with your hands up the whole way.
I just wanted to reminisce with you.
I just wanted to say thank you, Father.
For blessing me with this crazy journey. For showing me that your presence reigns from sea to shining sea. For bringing everlasting friends into my life. For challenging me and growing me this year, helping me become the woman you fully intend me to be. One full of adventure and spirit. One that lives with perspective in the forefront of her mind. One that is slow to speak, but always sure to speak in honesty. One that lives in forgiveness, grace, patience, and full-hearted love every moment of every day. One that’s humble, a woman that wants more of God, less of people, and less of herself.
I just wanted to reminisce with you.
I just wanted to say thank you, Father.
And I remember just knowing. Knowing in that moment that you had planned this trip for me all along. 11 countries, 11 months. 320 days of radically following you, trusting you completely.
