After 17 hours on a bus from Honduras, we finally made it to Antigua, Guatemala at 12:00am. We pulled up to Valentino’s Hotel and my heart began to beat faster. I had been looking forward to this day since month 6 on the race and all of a sudden I was nervous. There were two very important people inside of that hotel and I could not wait to get to them. After unloading all of our bags we snuck in the hotel to find a bunch of people gathered in the back courtyard of the hotel. We ran through the hotel and into the courtyard screaming to surprise them. At that point, everyone else started screaming and grabbing their racers with huge, tight hugs. I fought my way through the crowd but nowhere in site were the two faces I was there to see.
So typical of my luck, they happened to be in their hotel room when we got there. So I went knocking on doors until I found them. A man opened the door and, oh my heart, there they were -the two people who brought me into this world. The people who loved me and raised me for 26 years prior to this moment. The two people who not only have been my biggest supporters throughout my whole life, but these people are my biggest fans on the World Race.
“Sweet Jesus, You are good,” I thought, as I hugged my parents as tightly as I could.
And that was the moment that began PVT’13 for me and my crazy cool parents.
(Oh yeah, I should tell you: we termed this week PVT’13 for two reasons. One, because it’s called Parent Vision Trip aka PVT and it’s 2013. Two, because this week for racers is like spring break for college kids. So it only makes sense to hashtag everything with #PVT13, right?)
Everyone is different when it comes to inviting their parents onto the field with them. Of those who chose to, we all had a different experience so I can only speak for myself. Also, every PVT is different in location, leaders, racers, parents, etc. However, if you are a racer or future racer reading this, I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend that you participate in this week. If you can’t already tell, I am such an advocate for PVTs.
For the whole rest of the week, we sat through sessions and activities, shared meals together, served at different ministries together, prayed together, worshipped together, laughed together, cried together, and told stories together. Having my parents on the race with me was so surreal. Many nights I just sat looking at them and thinking this must not be real. I’ve missed them so much for 8 months and now they were sitting across a dinner table from me. It wasn’t their pictures or a Skype call. It was them … in flesh and blood… in real life… with me… on the mission field. Wow! It was one of the best weeks of the World Race for me.
While Chuck and Dianne (my parents, duh) are generous, loving, amazing people with huge hearts of gold who love Jesus a lot, they had never been on a mission trip outside of the US before. So for me, it was so cool to see my dad pushing little girls on the swings and my mom holding babies and serving food.
At one children’s center that we served at, we helped the kids paint the outside of their wall with bright colors of hand and foot prints. Of course, we left our mark on the wall as well.
This trip wasn’t all serious business either. We had free time to shop and eat out and just have really, really good conversations about what God has been doing in all of our lives over the past 8 months. We enjoyed Guatemalan restaurants, markets, and coffee.
The morning my parents left was a very sad day for me. When their van pulled away and I turned to walk back in to the hotel, I was overcome with loneliness. And by that I just mean that I felt funny. Because for several days prior to that, two more people were in my equation. When it came to schedule and plans, there were three of us to consider. What to do, where to go, and at what time – we decided together. But when they drove away and I started to walk back to my room, all of a sudden, it was just me again.
Almost like it was … my race again. Only mine.
And it was weird.
So to any other racers reading this, please please please pray about whether or not to invite your parents to the field. Leaving them again was absolutely hard and it was very tempting to jump on that plane with them and head back to Mississippi. BUT … I would do it all over again because the few days I had with them, experiencing and walking through the things we did, made it ALL so worth it.
Besides, I’ll see them in 2 ½ months! : )
Mom and Dad,
You freaking rock. Thanks for being my support and comfort. Thanks for knowing me and understanding me and loving me. Thanks for listening to me. Thanks for giving me food and money and paying my bills while I travel the world for Jesus, haha! I love you both so much and I have no idea where I would be without you. Your simple presence makes my heart happy.
I'll see you so soon!!
Love, Ash
