I leave America today. Although I have been preparing for this moment for almost a year, it still doesn't seem real. Myself and my teammates have gone through our bags countless times. We have ordered, sent back and reordered sleeping pads, sleeping bags and tents. We have tried to fill our packs with which clothes are most appropriate for different cultures and unbelievably hot weather. We have stocked up on medication and vaccinations to deter sicknesses that may head our way. We have packed Dramamine for those long travel days with overnight flights and bumpy bus rides.We have brought our Ipods, computers and pictures for that small piece of home. We have our Bibles and Journals. For some people (including myself) the packing process has been quite stressful and those last minute shirts and shoes we leave behind actually feel like a significant loss of part of who we are.
Nervousness, excitement, anxiousness, fear, happiness, sadness are among the wide variety of emotions we are feeling. Some still choking back the tears as they recall that last hug from Mom and Dad. Some hugging t-shirts that smell like home. Some running through the hotels with so much excitement it is practically bursting from their faces. Some feeling content, going wherever the wind blows.
What we have learned at launch is that the amount of clothes, hair products, medications, weight of the packs doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if your pack weighs 50lbs or 30lbs. Whether you have enough medication or your freaking out because you don't have nearly enough. Whether you have spent two months packing or two hours. Whether you're holding your emotions together well or if you feel like crocodile tears won't ever stop falling from your eyeballs. What matters is that we each know these three tiny little words and the truth that rings out of them…
We are ready.
We are Ready World Racers. We may each feel all over the place and like we have no idea what we got ourselves into, but Jesus does.
The Lord has helped us through the fundraising, the packing, the good byes. The long stressful hours, days and months of preparing for this very moment. And now He's calling to us…
You are Ready.
We are ready because we have Him. And that is truly all we will ever need.
So grab those 50lb packs and those day packs that are busting at the seams and remember even if they fall off the top of a bus or get left in the corner of an airport somewhere…
We have Jesus.
So, we're ready.
