I have no idea how time flew by so quickly.
I remember the first day in the village in India, my very first ministry day on the World Race. Pastor Shamson asked three of us to go to a birthday party, so Luke, Kim, and I went along for the ride. We were kind of taking it all in but then Pastor Shamson asked me to come to the front. He gave me a gift, or at least I thought. He spent several minutes trying to tell me that I was supposed to give the gift to the birthday gentleman and pray over it and bless it, and then give it to him. It was a group effort between Luke, Kim, and I to translate it, as he was speaking to me in Telugu. And then we had birthday cake! We were so excited for cake, but Indian birthday cake isn’t really anything like American cake at all.
When I think back to that day, I want to live my life like I did in India. No care in the world, laughing through the confused moments, and being up for anything, without having to have a plan or always know what is going on.
That first month consisted of going to peoples’ homes for church and preaching to them and praying for them and worshiping with them.
This last month in Colombia, we partnered with a church and went with them to a remote island to be the Church with the people there.
I have love seeing how people get together in other countries anyplace anytime. They don’t have to have some fancy building or be all dressed up or for the weather to be perfect or the best instruments and band.
They just get together and worship the Lord and spend time together, and they truly love one another.
That’s what I have loved the most overseas. Being a part of that community.
The closeness. The deepness.
That started in India, kept going in Nepal, lived it every day in Thailand, lived it in Rwanda, and in Ecuador, and we finished with it in Colombia. It’s a beautiful picture of church community.
A way of life.
It’s simple and ordinary.
Because that’s where God works. In the ordinary. Loving who you’re with, no matter where you are or where they’re at.
I know each of you could write so many stories as well. God is doing so many small things all over the world. It’s choosing to see them. And share them.
I’m excited to join in all the small things God is doing back home. We can share with one another all that God is doing.
I’m currently at final debrief, the very last day of the race. This week with Wonder Church, we have gathered together, worshiped together, and celebrated together. It’s been a beautiful picture of what we have done the last year in being the church and living as the church.
Worshiping with my Wonder Church family has been my favorite thing. It’s given me a deeper love for these wonderful friends each time we gather together and worship.
Worship has made me realize that life is too short to have anything but love for the ones you do life with. Life is too short and not that serious to hold onto unforgiveness and bitterness.
About a year before I left for the race, God specifically gave me a verse for the situation I was walking through, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” James 1:2-3
That next verse says this, “And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
The race has been just that for me. Letting steadfast have its full effect, that I may be perfect and complete. He has been perfecting me. He is teaching me every day, usually through my own mistakes, how to be steadfast. And Wonder Church has helped me with that and worship has shifted my perspective whenever it is in need of some shifting.
When I think of Wonder Church, I think of the verse from Psalm 126:5, “Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.” I read somewhere one time that the ability to cry is a sign of health, because it means your body and your soul agree on something, and that what your soul is feeling, your body is responding to.
There have been a lot of tears throughout the last year, and a lot within in the past couple of days. Each time we sowed with tears was because we love one another. I love these precious and dear friends. And last night, we reaped with songs of joy.
We ended in worship last night.
The perfect ending to the perfecting year.
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21
We have two squad songs we sing at the beginning and end of every debrief that represents our squad scripture, Psalm 27. It was an honor to be able to sing it with Wonder Church last night for the last time. One of my friends got a video of it. I hope you can worship right along with us.
P.S. If you would like to get together and catch up at some point in the near future, please reach out to me and I would love to get together!
