RACE CHANGER
This blog has the potential to be a Race Changer and change the race of many, both for the ONE who reads it, and the ONE who shares it. 
I write for the ONE and live for ONE. Let God multiply the blessings and seek out a future racer if you don’t know one, or simply someone God puts on your heart. If you don’t have the conviction to invite and find someone worth encouraging, stop reading now…because, along with things specific to racers, there are lessons in here that have the potential to impact entire families, marriages, and self.
***THINGS I WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY…reflecting 6 months into my race
DISCLAIMER: This list is solely based on MY experience…and overall it has been a life-changing, and unforgettable journey that I wish everyone between the ages of 21 and 40 could take. There’s so much wisdom at the table God sets.
*Literally expect nothing on World Race except for God to be at work…(You will fail at this. I did. Every race is different for every racer. People communicate differently. Different personalities, preferences, and vision. You don’t have to be uncomfortable in an uncomfortable place. You can have comforts, see them as gifts from a good Father, and be no less of a missionary because you aren’t always roughing it. Expect that God is always at work and look for Him to reveal Himself in EVERYTHING. That person next to you is the ONLY chance you have to learn what He wants to teach you through them)
*Recognize that miscommunication is huge in Asia and Africa, but also throughout the whole World Race experience between humans…(so over communicate everything of importance)
*Pay attention to increasing irritability that appears to be directed towards you without visible reason in the present. Pay attention to the trash can…(If you’re watching the trash can and that can’t explain the world of emotions, chances are you did something and they didn’t deal with it in the present so now it’s the future and what was their present struggle they think is in the past, but in reality has shown up in your present and is now an recognizable present struggle by the offended once again. Vicious cycle. Do everything to prevent it. Strive to be less and less offendable. Encourage them to be honest, vulnerable, and direct, even blunt if necessary, to avoid this. Do the same. Don’t try to address personality things of the flesh in feedback, unless your Father tells you to. Spiritual only. Those are just your irritations or theirs and God can handle it.)
*Pay attention and go after the unusually quiet teammate becoming distant…(There is a reason. You might be it, but chances are they are dealing with something deeper than you, like depression, or something most likely from home, feeling inadequate and ill-equipped teaching English or being around children, the changes in their bodies, or quite frankly frustrated with the lack of alone time and the battlefield to fight for it. You are with people 24/7 and you didn’t choose which ones you would wake up to. It’s like you decided to have a sleepover and forgot that their mom and dads are not picking them up)
*Even if vanity and struggle with self image is not a struggle for you, it will be for the majority of your squad…(Your hair may fall out, your skin changes due to water, shampoos, detergents and climate. Care more about the child you are holding in the picture than HOW you look holding the child. Call out beauty, remind them to embrace a season of changes, and hold them accountable where necessary. You will see pimple popping and habits like that almost daily and publicly. Remind yourself that they don’t want to be that way.They are doing the best they can with what they have where they are, and operating out of what they know to be true, or lies they have bought into. That last sentence can apply to your entire race, and certainly your entire life. Foreigners may not be kind to your friends if they are overweight in their eyes. They often don’t mean it, but sometimes they’re just plain mean. Especially in Asia’s culture. Surrender it.)
*Not allow teammates to sit in their funk…(They crave you calling out what nobody else will. Grumpy can be met with grace and gratitude)
*Have teammates conduct video interviews with me in each nation or continent (because you go through and see so much)
*Bring the exact face wash I use at home, no matter the weight…(daily/nightly routine)
*Bring pictures of myself… (you leave having taken tons of pictures of kids but littles and bigs can’t have any to remember you)
*Stick to one nice camera... (I have Canon SX50HS) , a phone, an 11inch MacBook Air and leave Kindle and iPod Touch etc. at home (never used them)
* Choose one friend to Facebook, Skype, Viber, Line, or Whatsap almost daily…(I have had thousands read my blogs and support me, and hundreds from thousands write on my Facebook wall…but I crave voices and have heard 3 all year)
*Remind myself daily that teammates, Team Leaders, Squad Leaders, and AIM Staff are human 100% of the time…(What’s deeper than you and spoken to you can call out greatness in them. Jesus was a doormat full of grace. You can receive anything as long as you know what to do with it. Take it to your Father. He alone defines you. This is their race too. Same same but different)
*Start a recipe book to add recipes from every nation… (because your mouth will be very happy most days and your stomach unhappy some days)
*Find one teammate to do daily devotions with, pray for, check on, and hold accountable…(We are all a broken people but everything you need for righteousness is not only in you but him or her and you won’t tap in at the same time or to the same depth. You might even be called to disciple him or her for a season)
*Load my external hard drive with all my favorite movies… (especially Christmas favorites because I had holiday homesickness by October and I don’t get homesick easily)
*Help more people out with high fees on their cards by pulling out money for them through my Charles Schwab and having them pay me on Pay Pal (send money to a friend) Why? (I lost my first Charles Schwab card in month two and a friend helped me out)
* Decide IN ADVANCE what I want my first month to look like and what I will do to fight for spiritual depth…and stick to that vision and delight in Him…(Because you can’t know if you’ll be surrounded by positivity or negativity. You have people with you 24/7 who you didn’t get to choose to live with. You will have things spoken to you or behind you that are not true while others you will find truth in and adjust to..but get dressed because the enemy hires out and heard your YES)
*Fight for worship, prayer, and God’s Word to be priorities for Team Time without ceasing…(I didn’t have that till month 6)
* Choose a sarong over any towel…(less weight)
*Impart what I carry to my team and not just those I minister to on the field. (This is a race changer. Don’t disqualify anyone from hearing what He’s done in you, or is doing in you/teaching you)
*Invite others into Spirit prompted spontaneous ministry…(You are students first of Him and then each other)
* Raise $300-$400 extra per month not just for big opportunities…(because you pay for WAY more than they tell you, including your own drinking water daily using your food budget. I had 4 countries that had water brought in and one that filtered their water, but deliveries might be slow, they might be out, you leave for the day and will want to refill at least twice, and might not be sleeping anywhere near that water. Trust me when I say that you pay for water and you could carry extra Nalgenes, but who wants to carry that weight? My rule for myself was 3 before 3pm. The first $1 to $3 on a $4 per day budget (if you’re lucky) is gone due to water before the day begins. Namibia was the only tap water I drank after being in India, Nepal, Cambodia, and Malaysia. Transportation is only paid for if for the team, while doing ministry as a team. People have birthdays. Wifi requires the purchase of a drink most days. A day’s food budget is gone in one meal in some countries. Unexpected “things” come up before your food budget is given to you, lowering it for the whole team. AC is often not free. You will want to do adventurous things. Souvenirs for family, friends or supporters along the way will happen…and at least 2 items per country will probably be purchased for yourself. You want money to bless and others can bless you TO BE a blessing…so invite them to)
* Journal on more than the notes app in my phone…(You will want a journal and mine fell apart month one)
*Find creative ways to invite the kids of my friends into my experiences monthly… (because parents let their kids watch your videos and look at your pictures, but I would make fun challenges or share recipes to help them learn the culture)
* Look at my route but probably leave my tennis shoes/hiking shoes at home. My Ahnu hiking sandals and Haviana flip flops are all I wear…(You will need to look at your route because 5 months in Asia and I wore hiking shoes/tennis shoes one time)
*Buy my headlamp and reusable dishware later on the race…(I only used my headlamp in month 6 and haven’t ever used my dish ware)
*Contact my parents daily unless I didn’t have wifi…(A simple message is a gift to more than just you and doesn’t make you any less present. Anyone is welcome to disagree)
*Pack ONLY 1 pair of Capri, 1 below knee dress, 1 below knee skirt, 2 t-shirts that go with everything and one being less casual than the other, 3 tank tops with at least one used as an undershirt for another tank top, long sleeved If You Have Nothing shirt from the Aim store, 3 bra and only 1 sport, 9 underwear ,(Mamma Mia one size fits all boy shorts that look like jeans because you will want to sleep in these and a tank most nights), 1 pair of socks, 3 reusable pads along with the regular supplies, swim suit, and 1 pair of shorts…(Why so little? You will want to buy clothes in every country and in India you literally have to buy a new wardrobe to cover yourself)
*Wouldnt even consider going on birth control…(I chose not to and never had a problem. People in other countries get their period too and racers tend to panic in the what ifs. Be prepared in your walk)
*Not disqualify anyone from the possibility of a long lasting friendship…(I did this at Launch)
*Pray over sick teammates more often recognizing attack and distraction from ministry…(Your teammates will get sick and you may too, I just never have faced illness or injury on the race)
*Listen not more or less but differently…(You will find that everyone communicates differently)
*Leave my rain jacket at home and just carry a $1 poncho…(You may use yours but I didn’t need mine and you can purchase one in any country)
*Not supply for the daily unprepared, to empower them and help them to become responsible adults…(You will want to carry toilet paper, plastic bags, snacks, and hand sanitizer, but only supply the occasionally forgetful)
*Tell every racer to buy Easton Compression sacks (all three sizes), Eagle Creek mesh bags (all three rectangular sizes), REI chair, Osprey Aura 65 liter bag, 46L Gregory Mountain pack Or 2 46L Gregory packs, a hanging shower tote with holes, a mesh soap holder, a small face loofa to exfoliate, nail clippers, at least 2 hair rubber bands, at least 3 buffs, a polar fleece jacket, a Light Fuel external battery charger, extra camera battery, a headphone splitter, a 2TB external hard drive by Seagate, a Big Agnes Mountain Glo tent, a large hanging laundry bag, a Rainfly for each pack (multiple uses), a Kavu Rope Bag, 3 rolls of toilet paper if starting in Asia to start off prepared, USB chargeable headlamp, 2 laptop covers 11inch and 13 inch, water bottle, all necessary copies of documents, closable Bible, 3 Visa cards: debit/credit/Charles Shwab, Bububibi diaper wet bags to hold meds and cards from home, snacks, Blue Field shoe bags, Jungle Snugpack sleeping bag, Static V Sleeping Pad, CoolMax sleeping liner navy blue, Sho Pillow, Grizzly Pillow, and 2 Go Toob bottles…(You can’t go wrong with this list)
*Begin every day listening to worship music, delight in Him throughout the day, dig into God’s Word, celebrate something in a teammate audibly, never cease praying, audibly thank God nightly and pray for and with my team… (You can’t possibly know the impact this can have)
* Fight for breakfast and lunch to be alone time with team dinners and one on one dates at night…(If you are very much an extrovert, you will see an increase in need for alone time)
*Check on and pray for and with my team leader…(Leadership can be lonely and stressful. Celebrate and pray for yours often)
* Pack a second external hard drive…(If you aren’t a photographer you might not require backup for your backup)
*Fight for feedback to be organic 98% of the time…(This started month 6 and it has been a race changer)
*Ask my teammates what they have been reading…(You grow and sometimes convict in the asking)
*Check to make sure all teammates not only are heard but feel heard… (You will fail at this weekly. There’s grace for that …again over communicate)
* Find little ways to bless our ministry hosts daily…(We seemed to bless last minute)
*Make more voice memos…( I often let kids and young women leave goodbyes, sing songs, pronunciations of words, kept a log of names, or recorded prayers and special moments at church)
*Bring a decorative notepad for writing notes to people I minister to, to leave behind or encourage teammates along the way…(You can’t regret packing a pad of paper)
*Take the shower caps, shampoo, and conditioner in the hotels…(You or your teammates will get lice)
*Fight to pray as a team before beginning ministry every day…(You should pray claiming Luke 10:23 or another)
*The number one thing I would do differently. Call my dad…(IF you have a dad you should call him. I spent my whole race distancing myself from or avoiding calling when he might be home, because I went my whole race without a penny to my name and every penny came through the hands of His people. I didn’t call because I didn’t want to talk about the money I don’t have, the bills I can’t pay, the decisions I had to make, and uninformed decisions made in the past. I said goodbye to a 721 credit score, deferred my student loans, made a decision that would impact more than myself in order to get out of credit card debt, and knew I could lose my house and car. I wanted him to ask how I was and the few times I did talk to him money was either not mentioned or he simply let me know what was happening at home with bills I couldn’t pay and then said he hoped all was well with me and wanted me to tell him about that nation I was in. He cried when I said goodbye, keeps my route on his phone, and proudly tells anyone where I am and what I’m doing…and yet I don’t want to call him)
***and nowhere on here will you see me saying to leave your cell phone behind. Set boundaries! You’re an adult. I used mine to take pictures, write notes, make voice memos, create videos, disciple young women after leaving their country, message on Viber, Line, and What’sapp former contacts, friends and family, research for my team when lost or traveling to new places, journal, send emails, and daily as a flashlight and alarm clock.
That’s probably the short list…but I have 5 more months.
