Something really awesome that the World Race offers for both racers and parents is PVT, or, Parent Vision Trip. This is an opportunity that we can invite our parents to join us on the field for a few days.
Approaching PVT, it was sometimes difficult to remind myself this was not a week “off” with Mom, or vacation. This was particularly difficult for me because my family lives in Ohio and I had lived in Florida for the last 7 years. Most of our visits together are vacations. Mama has never been on an international mission trip, so I knew this would be a great chance for her to see a bit more of the world and gain insight to my heart for serving.
Parents arrived late Monday night in shifts, so racers eagerly waited for buses to pull up and greet them. Mom was fortunate enough to have internet earlier that day so I knew to expect her on the first bus arriving. It was an emotional greeting for us both. As I said before, we were use to going a few months without seeing each other, but this time is obviously a little different. I have been traveling through “dangerous” countries, diving deeper in my faith, and growing. So she was excited to see me happy and healthy, and I was happy to see her joining me in a foreign nation 🙂
Our days were long but so good. Every day, we had to be ready for the buses by 6:30/6:45 to take us to breakfast at 7, then eat and be ready for ministry by 8 or 9. We usually didn’t get back “home” until 8pm. Day one, our team and parents were assigned to construction. Some of our thoughts were concern, for our parents ability to keep up with us since we have so much construction experience (a little sarcasm here), but also desired them to experience ministry with more personal interactions with local people. It turned out really great – we were building picnic tables and book shelves (not too physically demanding) and we did have some locals on site, assisting with the jobs.
During a break in our day, they asked us to “prayer walk” the farm land for future ministry, the crops they were raising, and for success in the well they were attempting to dig soon. I knew Mom would be a little uncomfortable with this because I do not think I have ever heard her pray out loud, outside of meal time or maybe at my grandpas funeral? I have grown in my prayer life immensely over the last few years, and the first step is getting over that initial awkwardness of praying out loud or around other people. We walked the fields and came across the well area, which MOM wanted to pray for. I was excited she even had that desire. So we each prayed and her prayer was BEAUTIFUL. I am the “prayer track” for our squad, and when I heard her prayer, I thought to myself, “I get it from my Mama.”
The next day, our morning assignment was the prayer walk through the neighborhood. Our team split in half and went our separate ways with a translator. We encountered so many people with unique, beautiful stories. I was trying to find my place in the process and recognized this was a chance for us racers to kind of step back and let our parents practice being “lead” to pray for different people or houses. Mom stepped up to pray for young-adults who were training to be boxers and encouraged them to focus on physical, mental AND SPIRITUAL health. Walking further down the street, SHE asked the group to stop for a shop owner and pray for her. And lastly, we came across a family (mother and children), whose oldest daughter had started experiencing mental disturbances for the last year. Our team prayed for the daughter and we all prayed for the family – that God would release any oppression and provide the resources they needed to care for her. We were all very touched by this experience, but Mom shared how she connected with the sadness the mother must be feeling for her daughter and feeling helpless. Each day concluded with a worship session and message of encouragement from leadership. These were short but an uplifting way to wrap up everything we were experiencing together.
We were blessed with an off day, where Mama and I took a trip to our sanctuary – the beach 🙂 The previous days were packed with spiritual experiences, observing drastic cultural differences, and the realities of poverty. It was really healthy to have this day break, unwind, and let it all soak in… while we soaked in some rays.
On the final day, the program coordinated some site seeing. This was another day to spend together and with other families, to learn more about the area in which we were serving, and time for discussing all the feelings of what life on the field is like. That evening we had our final worship session and testimony sharing with the group and parents. There were beautiful encouragements from parents to keep motivated, how they were inspired by the growth and change they have seen in us racers, and testimonies from racers of how the journey has broken and healed us in many ways. Some people participated in feet washing with their parents, but before my Mom left, I wanted to hear her prayers for ME! So after the last song, I asked her to step to the back and pray together. Again, very moving and emotional – but I am so thankful to have my Mama’s prayers.
Here’s what my Mom had to say about her experience:
“Although mentally, physically and spiritually exhausting, I would not have changed a thing about the PVT week in Granada, Nicaragua. So much of the week took from us all we had to give, but in the end, we parents gained more that we could ever have given in walking the walk, talking the talk and serving the Lord as our racers do every day, every month, in every Country for 11 months. Humbled by lasting profound experiences and God blessed were just a couple of the feelings I felt as I flew home.”
Mama, Mom, Corrie… As I prayed that night and will continue, I hope this trip gave you a glimpse of what selfless serving looks like, how hearts can be changed, and how we can connect from people of all walks of life, cultures, and languages simply by sharing our love. I pray you know God still has grand plans for your life – cast your burdens to Him and trust He will continue providing all of our needs, as He always has. I love you so much, and so does HE!
“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:13-14
