The last 3 months of the race, don’t seem like they’re real. We’ve spent all this time growing accustomed to a life with little, and seen the abundance of the Lord in day to day things, and now it’s becoming a reality that this will soon come to an end. Or will it?
Coming into this last team change, I approached it as I always do. In stride. I knew the next step was coming, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. So I decided that I would accept whatever would come my way because in the end, it’s no surprise to God what would happen. Our raised up squad leaders sent out an email letting us know we could pitch in with the thoughts/concerns/and requests we had with team changes, but ultimately it would all be up to God. Believing in the Father, and his ability to speak to our leaders, I didn’t even ask for the possibility of being placed on a team with my best friend Sierra. Also a fun fact about us, is that no matter how hard we try to get away from one another, the Lord ALWAYS brings us back together. Not getting away in a bad sense, but whenever we try to live our lives away from each other, like me going to school in Greeley, and Sierra going to beauty school in Colorado Springs, the Lord always brings our paths back together (like having a room open up in my college house so Sierra could live with me).
Now, for those of you who may be joining the party late, Sierra Dudgeon is my best friend of 11 years from back in Alaska, who I also lived with during my college years. The Lord brought us both on the race, to the same route, but we had never been on a team together. We have a squad of 40 some odd people, and from there we are split up into teams of about 6-7. Got it? Back to the story.
Even back in training camp, I mentioned wanting to be with Sierra, but I NEVER thought it would actually happen. I had convinced myself that this was the time that the Lord created for us to be apart. Boy was I WRONG as two left feet.
I keep saying that the biggest thing I will take away from the Race is how much the Father truly loves me. He has pursued me every single day, by giving me amazing opportunities to preach his word to a group of believers huddled under a tin roof in India, to keeping us safe when we had to spend the night at a bus station, to even keeping our feet as we trudged up a volcano at 2am in Indonesia. In all those adventures, I asked for every one of them because I wanted to experience his love through them. I had no idea the biggest surprise of all that God was about to give me.
As we stood on the roof of that hostel in Nepal, and they read off the team announcements, I looked around and Sierra and I still hadn’t been called yet. They were reading off the last two teams, and I was sure that we would be separated. It didn’t cross my mind that we would be together. They called me up, and then another racer and then they called Sierra…….TO MY TEAM. We locked eyes and we both began to cry as we rushed into each others arms and hugged each other so tight. I know it sounds like a romance novel, but I’m not kidding, my mind was BLOWN. I immediately thought, God you TRULY know the desires of my heart without me even ASKING. To top off all the excitement, I had no idea I would be reunited with Becky (my freaking beautiful cup of joy that is BEAMING with the love of Christ), and still have the opportunity to be with Anna (my down chick who speaks grace with every word she says) once more. I had mentioned in passing (I seriously thought to myself it would be cool to be with them on a team, and didn’t bring it up to God again after that), being with men who could show me what it is to be brothers and sisters in Christ, and God gave me Levi, Kevin, and Tyler who are nothing short of INCREDIBLE (seriously I could go on about how caring and selfless they’ve been for days). This team of Burrito Brothers is truly a BLESSING if I’ve ever received one. I had counted out the possibility of God being that good to me, because I truly didn’t think it could EVER happen. He absolutely blew me away with his love for me, and I’m so thankful for a team that he hand picked years ago without me even knowing.
I’m telling this story to hopefully encourage you that, God KNOWS your heart through and through. It gave me so much peace and adoration for a Father who knows me that well, and wants to see me grow in the love he has showered on me. It gives me a lot of hope and peace about this next season of life that is quickly approaching, where I will be landed back in America. I know that if God can still provide for me here, while time is winding down, I know he will do so in every unknown season ahead.
Love,
Alisha
