Through God, the World Race gives YOU DREAMS - Explore Archived World Race Alumni Blogs

This was a message I sent to a friend's sister who had questions about World Race and missions:

Hey Kathryn, So its taken so long to respond! Ok here I go, lol. Ill try to answer the best and most honest I can. What Did I do? I put off missions for about 2 years. I KNEW down deep I wanted to do it, but I didn't know what, how, or with who. I did know, however, that I wanted to be gone for a long time when I did. So i found out about the World Race and put it off for a lonnnng time because I have very little self motivation, and belief in myself. I looked at that price tag and thought HECK NO! Thats not possible, its only a DREAM, and could never come true. But one day I just started filling out the WR application cause I was depressed, hated my job, my lame life, thinking to myself that I was dumb for even filling it out. It I think, was God LITERALLY moving my body, and fingers to fill it out, cause again i had no idea why I was wasting my time. In fact I shut it down half way through, and a couple days later went to starbucks to finish it. One of the questions was "whats your interpretation of the gospel?", and I had no idea what to say, so I asked my friend what hers was and I typed that, haha. I was just so nervous. Anyhow, Ive gone though a lot of situations just doing them but not trusting the Lord, and he knows that, but God still blessed the crap outta me and provided how he saw fit! Ive grown SO much in trusting the Lord, with almost everything. Its not easy sometimes, but if we do whatever we feel like we need to do, even if we're unclear or don't understand, he WILL show us eventually, in his timing. He just wants us to be obedient, and he'll take care of the rest, no doubt!

Yes you will be taken out of your comfort zone, for sure haha! But Kathryn, its what we need! The community i've had on the race has been SO important to me. It's vital.I went through some rough patches not wanting to behave, submit, or whatever, but i've come through and i'm changed. So you will be stretched, you will be angry, sad, happy, you'll cry, and all that lol. Its what you make of it. If one wanted to coast through it and not open up and hide your feelings and their life, they can, but it will be so sad cause when one opens up and becomes vulnerable, immense growth happens! When you accept not being comfortable immense growth happens. Its what we make it. I opened up big time to my whole squad a couple weeks ago, i was set free from a LOT!!!! It was long overdue, and i couldn't contain it and hide it anymore, and when I literally SCREAMED it out, it was instant FREEDOM! My whole squad was literally at my feet praying for me, encouraging me, speaking life over me, and telling me I don't need to feel any guilt or condemnation for what i've done. It was incredible. God did something crazy that night.

Those thoughts of questioning and what not is ok! Its a step in a good direction, ya know? Mixed emotions in our head will lead to Gods glory and you sometime ending up doing some type of trip. I was signed up for X squad on the WR, 1 cause I liked that route, and 2 cause a friend of mine was on it, and I thought itd be cool to be on the same squad. But I couldn't go cause of finances so i picked a later one. I think that was God to. He wanted me to do this ALONE and not with anyone I know. Trust me, if you did it by yourself, you would NOT regret it. It might be awkward at training camp or if you did another trip, meeting those your working with but you'll learn that they are your family and you will realize how important to you they are.

I'm speaking in all World Race lingo though. If you are thinking of something other then the WR then do it. If you wanted to go with someone and its a 1 or 2 week, however long trip, by all means take someone. I wanna do missions with my friends when I get back. But for WR, go alone. It will be so good! Even for other trips though to, its good to do it alone. Growth happens in ways you never even thought. And a lot of that is through who your community is and how vulnerable you are.

And the World Race is actually my first missions trip lol. It was my first time out of the country to. Ive always wanted to travel though so I was excited.

I think 1 thing about the WR though is how much growth happens to the people who go on it. I mean yea ministry is huge, what we do in each country is huge, how we minister, help, pray, and all that is extremely important. Its what we're called to do. But with WR, we individually grow substantially! Its a trip that is also about US! And God wants that. Through our ministries, community, trials, good times, contacts, WE grow so much, it's unbelievable. And if one says to us, "Oh well you need to focus on the ministry and not you", they are wrong. But its ok and they are misunderstanding and not grasping what happens on the WR.

Through God, the World Race gives YOU DREAMS! Seriously! Intense passion, dreams and visions! It unleashes YOU!!! It reveals the real YOU and who you are in Christ, and what your capable of! Your freed from chains, ties, generational curses. You realize your identity if you haven't before!

ME Preaching to a room full of PASTORS! Never seen it coming.

A slum.

Beautiful worship at some friends of ours we met and stayed with for a couple days.

Lawn mower.

Haha, I dont know.

Jeremy, Brian, Sammy, me. Sammy is an amazing boy Katy and Mallory (2 girls we met who started their own ministry in Uganda) took in off the streets.