It’s official! I am going on the World Race. Some of you knew that I was applying and others had no idea…so SURPRISE! In case you don’t know, the World Race is an 11 month mission trip to serve the nations.
So you might be wondering what led me to this decision. I will, after all, have to quit my wonderful teaching job for an entire school year. While this is bittersweet, I know that God is calling me to this. I have wanted to go on the World Race for almost three and a half years. In 2010, I went to the Dominican Republic and fell absolutely in love with the people. From that point on, I knew that I was meant to be overseas again at some point in my life. When I returned, God asked me if I would be willing to give up everything to follow Him on the journey of a lifetime. I said a reluctant
“sure, why not”. I stumbled upon the World Race shortly after that and I knew that I was meant to go. I still had a year of school left so I pushed the idea to the back burner and finished college and began looking for teaching positions. When I could not find a position, I began looking out of state and was hired in Virginia, so I prayed about it and moved here knowing that this is where I was supposed to be.
A few months into teaching, God once again laid the burden and desire on my heart for me to go. So I decided to make a five year plan where I would have enough money saved to go and pay for the trip on my own. At the end of February, God really told me that I would be going and not in my five years, but in 2014. God’s timing isn’t always our timing. Since then, I have spent much time in prayer and wrestling with God while making the decision to apply as soon as the routes for July 2014 were posted. God has revealed over and over again to me that this is where I am supposed to be and what I am supposed to be doing. I have such a peace about this decision and know that God will provide everything that I need for this journey.
While I know that missions is our everyday life and I absolutely love what my mission has been and is right now, God has broken my heart for the nations. I have become uncomfortable being comfortable, living the “American dream”, living only for what I want or think I need. I am truly excited that God is taking me on this journey to not only serve all the people that I will come into contact with, but also to allow me to find my true identity in Christ and learn complete dependence upon Him. So as I prepare to leave in 9.5 months, I will continue to serve Him right now with the people that He has placed in my life, but I will also look forward to everything that He has for me on this race.
Where I am going:
Honduras
“Hondo” comes from the Spanish word for depth and there’s lots of depth to Honduras. It’s home to the Aztec and Mayan civilizations, whose ruins are still stand. Honduras is mostly mountainous and the weather’s as tropical as it gets. What really runs deep in Honduras are its needs. Honduras is the third poorest in the region, after Haiti and Nicaragua. Like her neighbors, Honduras has had her of share political/military troubles, e.g., the six-month constitutional crisis in 2009. There’s a need to reach out to the youth, not just to keep them out of trouble (e.g., gangs) but for them to know their worth and that they’re loved.
Guatemala
A country rich in history and natural resources – fertile soil from the volcanoes help yield excellent coffee – Guatemala is the perfect place to initiate your World Race experience. Outside of its aesthetic appeal, Guatemala needs God’s touch. Gripped by poverty and bound to a spirit of religion, the people of Guatemala hunger for the kingdom of God to pervade their lives. You’ll have the opportunity to usher in the kingdom to this land and reach out to the people on the fringes of society through hard work, relationships, and maybe even a miracle or two.
El Salvador
El Salvador is the third largest economy in the region after Costa Rica and Panama and the smallest country (in land mass) in the Americas. A coup d’etat in 1979 led to civil war from 1980-1992 in this country. Oscar Romero, a Catholic bishop well-known known for supporting liberation theology, advocating for social justice in El Salvador, and protesting the government’s persecution of the church was assassinated in 1980 while conducting mass. Much of the country’s revenue comes from remittances. In a land whose name translates to “The Savior”, you’ll be the signs that point to the one true Savior – not a better political system or economy – Jesus Christ.
Nicaragua
This location is always a World Race favorite. It’s a country full of wonderfully warm and caring people, and participants always leave having had a powerful experience. However, hopelessness, addictions, destitution, and poverty still plague the many lives of Nicaragua. There are orphans who have grown up without knowing the love of a parent and families who get by each day by scrounging scraps from the city dump where they have made their homes. In Nicaragua, you’ll have the opportunity to bring God’s love through slum ministry, door-to-door outreach, outreach to children, and more.
Malawi
Known as “the warm heart of Africa,” Malawi is a place you visit to ignite your passion for God’s love. This country has a beautiful landscape and an even more beautiful culture and population. This month, you’ll fall in love with the people of Malawi and bless them with the love of God. Chances are you won’t want to leave.f
Zimbabwe
Formerly a British colony known as Rhodesia, Zimbabwe boasts intriguing ruins and shares the majestic Victoria Falls with Zambia. According to Amnesty International, the current regime is allowing human rights violations to escalate. Zimbabwe also has one of the lowest life expectancies in the world. The majority of the people identify themselves as Christians but very much need people like you to advance the kingdom with love and hope.
Mozambique
One of the most beautiful countries in the African continent, Mozambique is a favorite location of World Racers for a variety of reasons: the people, the landscape, the ministry partnerships, the miracles that this country has seen, and more. The former Portuguese colony is seeing signs of redemption and economic recovery; because of, or in spite of, the extreme poverty gripping the nation, the church grows. You will teach, preach, and practice “true religion” with widows and orphans while you grow in your identity in Christ. One of your most interesting travel “days” may happen here.
Philippines
This Asian island nation, former Spanish colony then American protectorate, is a country in tension, trying to cross the threshold between the third and first world. It offers a variety of landscapes – beaches, mountains, volcanic lakes – and languages, with Tagalog as the national tongue. The Catholic Church is a substantial piece of the religious pie, however, and Islam is growing in the island of Mindinao. The Filipino people and culture love music, dance and community. While there, you may find yourself living with and giving hope to the destitute, caring for orphans, and challenging the growing number of Christ-followers to rise up.
Thailand
According to the CIA, the kingdom of Thailand, known as Siam until 1939, is the only country in the region not colonized by Europe. Their 2000 census showed that 94.6% of the population is Buddhist, 4.6% are Muslim, and 0.7% are Christian. Approximately 600,000 people live with HIV/AIDS in Thailand. With nearly two million people estimated to be forced into prostitution, it has become one of the most popular places for sex tourism. Change lives in the city-where you, like Jesus, might befriend prostitutes-or in the countryside-where you may serve youth, care for orphans, and encourage a remnant of believers.
Laos
Following a brutal civil war, Laos came under communist rule in 1975. Therevada Buddhism and spirit worship dominate Laos with Christian missionary work monitored by the government. This ruggedly beautiful nation is home to some of the most unreached hill tribes in the world. The need is great for people to bring God’s love to the isolated places in Laos.
Cambodia
Cambodia houses one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Angkor Wat, a Hindu temple and monastery built during the Khmer empire in the 12th century. It later became a Buddhist complex a century later, and today, just over 96% of Cambodia is Buddhist. Almost 30 years ago, 1.5 million Cambodians died at the hands of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge regime. Today, Cambodia is a source, transit point, and destination of human trafficking. Unfortunately, the government is struggling to stop it. The people of Cambodia are thirsty for the hope you can bring.
Stay tuned for more blogs and details coming your way!
