So for this blog my new teammate Seeks and I thought that we would have a few questions for each other and allow us to answer them about our race so far. The questions are semi random but good for people who are interested to know what is going on a month 7 world racer who has seen and learned a lot, so here is my girls Seeks answers!
What is something that the Lord has revealed to you about yourself on the race that you didn’t know before?
Ive always know that Im a big extrovert, so I didn’t think about how much it would overwhelm me to be thrown into a mix of 55 new people and be told to do life with them for a year. Its hard people. Living in community quickly puts you in a place to make a choice, to fight for relationships even though its hard or shut doing and only allow those relationships to remain shallow. You can literally do the race either way and have incredible stories to tell. But Ive learned, alongside many of my squad mates that I get way more out of each month, each dat really is when I choose relationships and all they bring: the good, the hard, the hilarious, and the frustrating. I am a person that loves knowing a lot of people, I literally thrive in talking to complete strangers. Im learning though that its hard for me to want to be known by people. But wow, the friends that know how to challenge me so that I grow closer to the Lord and tell me to get two ice cream cones from McDonalds one for each hand, because they know how elated it will make me are the friends that I realize the Lord wants me to fight for even when its tough.
What has been your theme for the race?
Freedom and Renewal! Ive learned a lot about freedom in Christ. Not just that we are free but that the Lord longs for us to find freedom in him. Thats why he send his son to die on the cross. Thats why Jesus spoke so heavily into not worrying about tomorrow and releasing our burdens. he wants us to thrive in the freedom we were designed to experience. Renewal has also been something that keeps coming up. The built in dictionary on my phone even defines renewal as “the state of process of being made spiritually new in the Holy Spirit”. The Lord doesn’t just say his mercies are new every morning for fun. He means it. So we can either choose to be who we once were, worry about yesterdays hard things and mistakes, and dwell on the old. But I wan to be a person that lives out the 2 Corinthians 5:17 new self every day!
What has been your favorite day on the race and why?
My favorite day (so far) was in Cape Town, South Africa. It was one of the days on the race that has shown me what it will be like to just live life, wherever I am, with a “yes and hallelujah” spirit. My team had an off day and we were going to the beach. A few of us randomly to hike the mountain that was on the Muizenburg beach and were in shock at the view we saw. When we came down we got to rent surf boards with our whole team and spend time surfing- in Cape Town!- and laughing way too hard to even paddle out. This beach quickly became one of our favorite places to visit during our time in South Africa. At this beach we met locals with ministries planted in different places in their city, talked about our trip and mission with a group of young muslim girls with a dream to travel, and become acquaintances with some coffee shop workers and had some amazing coffee and bagels. On my favorite day, and really every day we went to Muizenburg, I realized how impactful it is to just say ‘yes’ to what, where, and who Jesus was calling us to say yes to and engage with any interaction or interruption that came up. Those have been some of the most memorable moments of my race yet. The unexpected.
What has it been like to have team changes after 6 months with one team? And what was your mindset going into a new team?
Yo, team changes were tough. Not because of what we were moving towards but because of the chapter we were closing on. Living for 6 months with people that were strangers in October sounds crazy. It is. But I can’t even begin to express how much I learned about living in community through those 6 incredible people. I have to give a big shout out to team Fernweh/The Village- Amy, Alex, Brittany, Sam, Zack and Jeff you all really thought me what it is to want good things for people simply because you know it will bring them closer to the Lord. You all cared for and encouraged me so well. And made me laugh so dang hard. All that being said, when we knew team changes were coming the Lord quickly gave me more a peace about it. Its still sad to say goodbye to the first half of your race, but knowing how lit our squad was, I wasn’t worried about who my next team would be. My mindset going into this next chapter was that I have been placed on a squad of 50+ wise, compassionate, gifted people who I may only have 5 months left to learn from. I want to take full advantage of every opportunity given to me on this trip. Kim, Meredith, Danielle, Elisabeth and Amanda, Im exited for these next few months with you women.
What is something you wish you knew before coming on the race?
Before the race, I wish I knew how quickly it would do by. I would’ve been way better about writing the little things down in month 1 and 2 that made me laugh or fired me up for ministry or pushed me closer to the Lord. Its flying by, were almost at day 200 on this thing. Im learning how to cherish every. single. moment. and to write more of those down. People tell you college flies by, but I wasn’t prepared for how fas this race would go. Im getting more and more excited for the moment I get to hug my family in the airport in after Peru, but Im also holding on tight to even the smallest most mundane things while I’m still on the field. The reality is that when you’re traveling the world for 11 months, nothing is actually mundane, its just the way you perceive it. If I could tell someone that is about to launch anything I wanted, I would tell them to be concerned when bucket showers, children ministry, and content hopping start to become mundane; thats a sign that you’re missing something big.
Dang Seeks knows how to answer some questions with some real heart behind the answers!
Thanks for reading and don’t forget to check out her blog to read some questions she asked me and see how we answer things so differently!!
www.sequoiphillips.theworldrace.org
Also, I am FULLY FUNDED WHOOOOOOOOOO!!
Thanks to all who helped me get this far 🙂
