Welcome to Part 2 of my words and World Race summary blog!
This is a blog focused on the words God would give me about the upcoming month and how He brought them to pass.
Click the link if you want to read: Country Words – Part 1
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Rwanda: Faith building
I actually didn’t fully understand this word till recently, but wow is it true. God used this month to build my faith in people and myself. This was one of my favorite months and our host was incredibly awesome (he even adopted each of us and gave us all new names – mine being Mushumba, meaning shepherd). It was also the only month that my second team was on our own without being paired up with other teams, and it was incredible. The memories, lessons and dreams that were birthed this month will last forever, and God really used my teammates to unlock emotions that I’ve kept back for years. Our God is soooooo good!
Uganda: Stretching
God told me this month would be hard ahead of time, and I’m glad He gave me the heads up. From spiritual warfare, a tough host situation, and getting my heart torn out like never before when we left the kids there, this month stretched me like no other. It was hard, dirty, amazing, and beautiful all in one. Yet, I look back at this month as so special and I’m definitely going to cry when I get home and re-read the letters the kids wrote me.
(I also got to play golf during debrief, and a vision God gave me the year before came to pass in teaching the kids here how to play golf with balls I brought and a broken railing)
Kenya: Peace
This word is the one I misunderstood the most beforehand. I thought that this month would be peaceful as in relaxed, easy, and fun, but that’s not what God had in mind. What this month actually was about was finding peace in the midst of storms.
Our ministry and hosts were amazing this month but at the same time there was quite a bit of disorganization and craziness because of cultural misunderstandings and the fact that our host had just gotten back from the states a week beforehand. This all combined with the fact that my team wasn’t together at all because of some serious illnesses, and we also lived in a children’s home so there wasn’t much personal space or quiet. In spite of all this though, God taught me what true peace is. It’s not the lack of discomfort or life being easy. True peace is finding God and trusting in Him no matter the storm around you. God’s got it all. Trust Him.
(I also saw some crazy miracles this month! Check it out in I’ve Got Nothing Left)
Ethiopia: Fun and joy rediscovered
Coming into this month I was burned out from intense ministry the past couple months, so I was encouraged but still a little apprehensive because of past misunderstandings on my part with these words. Come to find out though, this was maybe my favorite ministry I worked with on the race, and Ethiopia brought so much joy to my life.
This month was split into two parts. The first being ATL (where you make your own ministry) and the second being with a ministry at a children’s village. ATL was absolutely amazing and I have so many stories from it, but my heart really lies with the kids in the second half of the month. I miss those kids maybe more than any other people on the World Race and the joy and life that working and playing with them gave me is unlike any I’ve ever felt.
My favorite story is when one of the boys told me one day, “you are my Dad now” (Most of the kids there are orphans). I thought it was just something he was telling me without really thinking about it. The next night was movie night though, and as the kids were putting their boots on to walk back to their houses, this little boy blindsided me with the biggest hug and said, “Good night Dad,” and promptly walked out the door. To say my heart melted like never before would be an understatement. This month was truly special.
Romania: Passion: taking you back to your first loves
I wasn’t sure exactly what this meant at first, this month being Man-istry month (where all the men were together for ministry, and my squad has 13 men – a higher amount than normal), and I also was asked to step back into the leadership role. In short, there was a lot going on.
Our ministry this month focused mainly on labor and sports and when you put those together with having the opportunity to lead men, God really did take me back to the things I’ve loved for years. It was a hard month, being with 12 other strong-willed, focused and opinionated men and doing so much labor, but it was also extremely rewarding, and I loved getting to just be with “the boys” again. This month set me up for a strong finish.
Portugal/Spain: Progression: this isn’t the end
As I was praying about this last word in Romania, I figured it’d be something to do with the end of the race and finishing it well, etc. but that’s not what God had. The contract we signed before the race was lifted a month early and we walked El Camino de Santiago, finding out own ministry along the way.
This journey taught me a lot about myself (mainly with pride) but God also helped me process a lot and see that the race isn’t the end. He showed me how much more there is to life when I get home, how I’ll be able to impact America, and what my future is beginning to look like. I’ve also gotten to really cement relationships that I’ve built over the last month, some of which will last the rest of my life, and God has started to prepare my transition home and to the next season of my life.
So, there they are. These words and summaries are only a tiny snapshot of my year, and to give you a complete picture I’d have to write a novel, but I hope this helps give you a little better idea of my past year.
I officially get home mid-December and will potentially have a very short turn-over before moving on to what God has next in my life (more info to follow in the future), but I can’t wait to see people when I get home and I’m looking forward to God continuing to blow my world. The World Race has been the best thing I’ve done in my life so far, but it’s not the end. This is just the beginning and I can’t wait to find out what’s next.
See you all soon!
God Bless!
-Ben
