Recently my mom came out on the field to get a taste of the World Race experience. This is what she had to say!
God is so good and He is sovereign!
As a Christian woman in my 50’s I know this beyond of shadow of a doubt, but sometimes it takes removing the familiar to see and feel His presence fresh and anew.
Last month I had the opportunity to experience five days of the Unscripted World Race with Cari in Mijas, Spain. The Parent Vision Trip was more scripted than their usual weeks, but still the parents were able to reconnect with our kids and experience the journey they have walked these last nine months.
Friends have asked what the highlight of my trip was. It’s impossible to choose! So many experiences and adventures. The first is just planning an international trip by myself. I planned to arrive in Madrid a day early so that I’d be rested and ready to take in every minute with Cari and her squad. That first day was my own little “Amazing Race”. Amtrak to Philly, Flight to Madrid, AVE train to Malaga, local train to Torremolinos and then a hike up to a hostel. I made it! Thankfully I had two other moms to share the experience of that night and the next morning. It was a wonderful welcome to Espana!
Finally the time came to meet the other parents and travel to Mijas. Squad leaders Kate & Kylee met us all at the airport and we again took a train and bus to Mijas. All the parents were meeting for the first time – all thrilled to hug their kids for the first time in 8 months. As we drove into the village toward the bus stop I saw a yellow sign in English and I realized, the kids are here waiting for us!! Behind that yellow sign was my Cari Grace!!! I really didn’t think I was going to cry, but I did. She looked so great! Not all the racers’ parents made the trip, but many of those “PVT orphans” were in the group to greet us too. In the midst of squeezing Cari, I saw her teammate Tanner watching the welcome from the sidelines – “I need to go hug Tanner”. After watching this journey online for months, I loved all these kids. (I keep saying kids, but you know they are all adults.) Of course, then there were hugs all around and lots of happy tears! It was such a gift to be welcomed into this family. One of the biggest highlights is just getting to know the squad and some of their parents, from all over the US and New Zealand!
Now the the meat of the trip and some things that I learned:
Listening prayer is a big part of the World Race. I think the longer we are away from the familiar, the easier that becomes. Each parent with their racer practiced this in a simple way on the first full day. We each had a cold water bottle and we prayed for God to show us who to give it to, to initiate a conversation. Cari and I prayed, and she felt led to go back to the town bus stop. I felt led to share with someone who is serving and often overlooked. Obviously a bus driver came to mind. As we made our way down the hill and saw a tour bus, we attempted to share with that driver, but he thought we were trying to get a ride, so we continued on. Down at the bus stop Cari approached a driver and in perfect Spanish offered him her bottle. He accepted, but didn’t really engage with us. I spotted a leather shop nearby and we headed over. The shop keep made eye contact and greeted us – in perfect English, so he was an ideal recipient for me! I had my own full Hydroflask, so I showed him I had an extra water bottle and I wanted to give it to him. He gladly received it, which opened the door for great conversation.
We spent an hour talking to Mohammed, a Muslim who had just moved to Mijas 6 weeks ago from Morocco. Cari and I were really trying to get to Morocco on our free day so we had plenty to talk about. It’s such a natural thing to talk about the Lord when we explain why we are there in this little town of Mijas. Cari and I tag teamed as we talked about Jesus and listened as Mohammed talked about Islam and what he believed about Jesus. We really enjoyed our visit with him and told him we’d be back every day! Each day we stopped there on our way to other places and each time he would initiate the conversation about our faith. We didn’t even get a picture with him, because we were so focused on the conversations.
I’m sure in the traditional mission trips, people want to come back with stories of how they led people to accept Christ as their savior. Mohammed was not one of those stories. But I pray that he felt noticed, accepted, and loved by a follower of Jesus, so that he realizes that he is seen and loved by Jesus as well. We played a role in sharing the gospel with him, and I trust that God will bring others to continue to minister to him. And I will continue to pray for Mohammed – I even have a small purse from his shop to remind me!
