I’ve been trying to write a blog for the past hour, sitting on the Houston airport floor, that would give you guys some insight into where I’m at in this journey and what my life has been like preparing to move out of the country. And after an hour, I haven’t been able to figure out how to explain where I’m at, but I did realize I have now been to Texas about 11 times, and have yet to leave an airport here.
Currently we are waiting to board our flight to Guatemala City, so by lunch today I’ll be with our host in Guatemala. I don’t know what life will look like, but it will be drastically different, no doubt. For example- it is a travel day. We got up at 2 am, it’s now 10:30 am in Texas (but we’re on 11:30 Georgia time), and we’ll be in Guatemala in about 3 more hours. That’s about 12.5 hours of travel. And we have $5/person for food for that whole time. Yay budgeting! But really, it’s so cool and stretching and growing to get to humble ourselves and realize that we have so much extra, and we can survive with way less than we have.
For the past few days I’ve been in an Atlanta hotel with 300 other people my age preparing to launch all around the world. We sat in information sessions, trainings, and worship, and while this transition is kind of whacko, being in Atlanta was so sweet and reassuring. This (World Race, this community, not in the U.S. culture) is where I need to be so badly.
The past weeks between training camp and launch were really rough, as I battled and distanced myself from God in fear of how He is going to change me. It’s so backwards for me to be afraid of this and living in fear of change, because I signed up for this change and I want to change. I want to gain a new perspective and focus solely on people and serving and loving. I don’t have an agenda or a designated role and that is hard for me. I can’t tell you what I’m doing tomorrow. But I can tell you that this REALLY is where I need to be. By the time I got to launch five days ago, I was numb to what I am doing. I wasn’t sad to say goodbye to anyone, and I wasn’t excited about what’s ahead of me. The whole thing just felt normal. I don’t know quite how to explain this. But over the past few days, the conversations and moments of rest laying in a plush hotel have restored in me a sense of purpose. There is a part of me that didn’t recognize myself over the past month and a half, as I sat around waiting for this moment to come. During the race, I have so many areas I want to change and grow in, and I’ll spend more time going over those later (when I haven’t gotten up at 2 am and am having my FIRST coffee of the day 9 hours later….). But most importantly, this year I want to create life long habits that build me into a life-loving, thankful, God-fearing person every day, so that I can be more like love.
This is a strange and new season, but I’m so ready to see how I will be personally grown and changed. I’m so excited to live in this community and learn from everyone around me. And I’m so excited that I get to share it all with you. Thank you for supporting me and reading this!! And please, continue to pray and donate, as I am still fundraising! For any future racers who are wondering about time between training camp and launch- remember who you are, what fills you up, and dive into that. I struggled, and that’s okay, because I know that they have been growing struggles. And I’m here! I made it!
Off to Guate! See you in 9 months U.S.A.
P.S. For those of you wondering- no, I did not fit my tent into my pack. BUT, I did clip it to the outside, so I could have it for adventure days.
P.P.S. Chick-fil-a minis. Would recommend. Wow. They’re good.
