Last but not least here are the last few quesions and answers!
Is it hard being in multiple countries and not being able to fix everything at once? Seeing how poor and needy some people are and knowing you can’t help all of them the way you really want to.
Yes and no. The no to that is we are helping them the way we want spiritually which is living them and sharing the gospel. The yes part is the physical American flesh side that wants them to have the American dream and fix all of their problems with money. It has gotten easier as the months have gone on and we have learned to adjust. I have struggled with seeing poverty so much especially the 3 months in Africa. It’s never easy to see especially when you know that’s not what you are going home to at the end of the day. But what we like to call “savior complex” which is basically trying to be superman in every broken circumstance, is not healthy. We aren’t here to save the world or magically make the problems disappear. We are here to simply love and through that pray that makes a small dent into the people that we meet whether they are rich or poor. I think we as a squad and as Christians have to come to an understanding that we have to trust the next teams coming in after us, that the seeds we plant will be watered just as we watered seeds. My favorite saying I’ve learned on the race is “you never know what step you are in the process” you may be step one, finding the problem, or you maybe be step 100 where you can help remove someone out of a needy or broken situation but no matter where you are at in the process, you lean on the trust in the Lord he’s working it out some how some way even if you’re not there to see the final product.
How do you handle the emotional stress of seeing people in many different living situations that you know nothing about coming from America? “I assume through prayer but I’m sure you you have other ways as well.”
Yes prayer for sure is number one. But also we are educated on the culture each month by our hosts which helps us better understand maybe why certain people are the way they are or why living situations are the way they are. It doesn’t make it easy but it helps us try to understand and with that being open with our team and learning to talk about it. It’s a daily surrender for sure. My answer to this is probably similar to the top, you aren’t their savior and you aren’t meant to be the bandaid of a situation. It’s a choice to wake up everyday and try to find joy in the darkness. There is a lot of darkness we encounter month to month and so you somehow in whatever way works best for you, choose to see joy in the suckiest of situations.
Is it easy? Absolutely not. Is it worth it? Yes.
How’s the pizza???
9 months in and I’m almost 100%positive I have had pizza in every country! Philippines voted worse pizza so far! Most pizza we have encountered is thin, huge, but thin slices. Dominoes, which is in most countries is usually a safe bet but the sauce overseas is what gets you, very different then the states. Nothing beats an old fashion American slice of pizza.
What did you hope to get from your race v.s. what actually happened? What did God show you the most? And Jesus? And the Holy Spirit? As someone who dreams of doing the same, should I do it? What will you miss? What won’t you miss? What do YOU want to tell me/ share?
When I first started, I think part of me was a little arrogant, one of those “it won’t ever happen to me” moments. I thought the race would be easy. Just share the gospel with people and move onto the next country, end of story. That was the pre world race expectation. The reality of it is THE HARDEST SEASON OF MY LIFE! I walked onto this battlefield that I was not prepared for. I wasn’t prepared to grow in the way that I have, I thought things I had dealt with before the race were over, they weren’t. I walked into this season trying to strap up a bullet proof vest because I thought I had it all figured out, but God unclipped it off me and has given me a shovel to dig things out with him I never even knew I had. What I have learned from god, Jesus and the Holy Spirit is doing life with god, on mission, all the time, is fun. He wants to have fun with us. Life with the Holy Spirit is actually really fun. Our lives on mission are not on and off switches. Just because it’s my off day, doesn’t mean I should ignore the Holy Spirit if there’s something he’s wanting to show or teach me that day. I will miss people being so open to hearing the gospel . America isn’t like that, we are very defensive when it comes to “religion”. But I also won’t let that stop me. Just because I will be back in the states, doesn’t mean I can’t share the gospel with a lady at a grocery store. There’s this worship song that comes to mind and one of the lyrics goes ” there’s no shame in looking like a fool” I don’t ever want to be ashamed. I probably won’t miss community living haha… waking up to the same 5 people every single day is very stretching and we all know that and understand that of one another. But I am ready for personal space again:)
I used to tell everyone that they should do the race, but now being on it, I’m careful of who I recommend it to because just like any other season of your life, the race isn’t for everyone but it is for some. The race is about abandonment, it’s about selflessness. Abandon your comforts, your lifestyle and enter into someone else’s, their life style, their home, their culture. Love through God’s vision, not yours. If that’s something you want I’d say go for it! And the last part of that question, it’s all worth it. It’s worth the sacrifice, people’s salvation is so worth it. I’ve seen many give their lives to the Lord and it’s truly been incredible. If you do the race, expect perspective. You will gain so much perspective of the world and people around you. On the flip side of that you don’t have to travel thousands of miles to see what I see. The God here over seas is the God back home. But I am extremely grateful for the race because I have done things in my life I never thought I would ever ever do. But then again, it’s not all roses and butterflies. It is hard. It is challenging. And it will grow you, if you allow it. You choose how to run your race for 11 months.
Tell us about team changes and team dynamics.
I started the race on a co Ed team. I am ending the race with an all girls team. The first team we were together for four months, by the end of the race this team I will have been with for 7 months. Teams are hard. You are living with 5 other people day in and day out waking up with them being the first people you see and the last before you go to bed. Leadership puts our teams together. You have to trust them in that knowing the people on your team, whether you see it or not, are there for some reason that you may never even know. You have to trust leadership hears from the Lord and that it’s the Lords will you all are together. I personally prefer co ed teams, but both offer wisdom, challenges and growth. It was cool having a males perspective especially when it came to dealing with conflict. But with an all girls team it teaches you unconditional love.
It teaches you how to balance your emotions with one another in a healthy manner. because let’s face it woman are very emotional). Both are stretching and both are growing but you have to choose to buy in. Vulnerability is key. You have to be vulnerable and let your team in. (Rookie mistake I have learned the hard way). When month 4 team changes happened, squad hit freak out mode a little bit ha. You spent 4 months with the same people and now you have to almost start over with new people. Sometimes. I dont have anyone on my new team from my old team. But our squad mentor (shout out to Jeremy) said one of the best things to us as a squad.. team changes in the grand scheme of your whole entire life is so small that years down the road you probably won’t even remember what a team change is. At the end of it all, it would be sad if you let something small like team changes ruin your race. Team changes also depend on the squad and squad mentors.
Some squads have multiple team changes others don’t. We have had one team change. Te dynamic is honestly what you and your team choose to make it. You have to realize your each different parts of the body and each have something to offer so you learn how to become a puzzle that makes all the pieces fit for what’s best for all of you. Easy? Absolutely not. Worth it? Absolutely. I say that with confidence because the first 5 I started with was exactly the people I needed to push me to the place I got to by month 4 and my team now, these 5 woman are the exact people I need to grow me into the woman the Lord wants me to be ending the race. The truth is you can always learn from someone even the person you least expect to learn from.
What is the strangest thing you have ate on your world race?
Praise the Lord I haven had too many bad experiences on the race! But strangest would be the foods that I actually had no idea what it was. Mostly Cambodia with questionable meat that could have been dog, and some sketchy meat in Africa. The foods that you have no idea what they are, you close your eyes, plug your nose and just be thankful it’s food haha.
thank you guys for all the questions! This blog has opened my eyes I reflecting back on the race and I hope it allows you guys to see the race through my eyes. It was so much fun writing theses two blogs with your questions. Feel free to comment below with anymore uestions or thoughts about any of my answers. Love y’all!
