Fifteen months ago, I applied for the World Race. It was also around the time that I started to pray that God would use me in big ways that I couldn’t even imagine, to make me uncomfortable, to take me places that were new.
It is day 2 of the World Race, and He has already given me everything I have prayed for.
Let me give you a glimpse into the last three days of my life.
Two nights before leaving America, I was in a worship service flanked by my mom and sister. Before the service began, my mom gave me a ring that is made of 11 gold wires, each representing the countries I will call home. We were surrounded by other World Racers and their families, and the Spirit’s presence was palpable as we all sang, prayed, and cried together. During those moments, I made some vows with the Lord. Vows to persevere when this Race became overwhelming; to love my team genuinely; to pursue and seek the Father’s heart every step of the way. Beautiful vows that sound so tremendously good. I even posted on Instagram a photo of my child-sized, chipped nail polish hand featuring my new 11 stranded promise ring. It got a lot of likes, and I felt so romanticized and ready to take on the journey ahead.
Fast forward two days to 11:30 PM in La Vega, Dominican Republic. Our day had been a long one which started in Atlanta with our airport shuttle bus being hit by a car and ended in a completely strange house on a backstreet of an inner neighborhood, of a foreign city, in a foreign country. My heart felt like it might burst, and I don’t mean that in the cute way. I mean it in the, “what am I doing here/ have I made a huge mistake” kind of way. A feeling of restlessness covered my spirit, so my team gathered and prayed in our new home. We spent the night welcoming Jesus in, and He was so faithful to comfort and remind me of some things that I needed to remember.
So I curled up in my sleeping bag liner only (it is WARM here, guys) on my sleeping pad on white tile floors. The fan overhead spun so fast I was sure it would detach from the ceiling, and the warm breeze blew through the open window shutters. I simply said, “Hey, God, talk to me. I need to hear from You.”
He responded, “Wherever my children are, there I am. You have my spirit in you. I have brought you to this place for this time for reasons that you don’t need to know yet, but I will reveal them to you over the next 30 days as you remain true to those vows. Do not find your comfort in a building, but in my heart. This year is ours, and I am your home. I have given you everything you’ve asked me for.”
He is right. I mean, He always is!
This morning I woke up and sat on our front porch, taking in the colorful houses around our apartment building, the smells of the gravelly streets, and the sound of the neighbor’s roosters as they repetitively reminded us of the morning’s arrival.
I read Psalm 27 and smiled. Honestly, I do not know what is ahead on this journey. It is my second day and I am only clinging to the information my Father provides for me as I need it.
I nodded as I watched the sun peek around the corner of a building.
“You always give me exactly what I need. I am always where I should be when I follow You.”
As we continue to work and live here in La Vega, would you join me in praying for this city? It is full of passionate people and surrounded by lush, green hills and mountains. So much beauty, but still a major climate of brokenness is apparent. Pray that we would come alongside our amazing ministry hosts and walk in what the Father calls us to faithfully.
Hasta Luego, y’all.
