I would like to think that my World Race adventures started
off this last weekend, even though I am still very much in the US of A at this
very moment. It was definitely reminiscent of college adventures, where nothing
was decided for certain until people randomly showed up and said “Oh,
let’s go and [insert activity here].”
off this last weekend, even though I am still very much in the US of A at this
very moment. It was definitely reminiscent of college adventures, where nothing
was decided for certain until people randomly showed up and said “Oh,
let’s go and [insert activity here].”
Like going to Tucsonin the first place. It was something that had been under discussion for a few
weeks but wasn’t for certain until Thursday night that I would be going. After
getting off of work on Friday (probably for the last time this decade), I
jetted off to the airport, jumped on a shuttle, and made my way down, where I
was met by the ever so lovely Smith sisters (Alissa & Amy, pictured to the
right), who provided food, transportation around the city, and a place to lay my
head to sleep the two nights I was there.
No, there was no hike through Sabino
Canyon Saturday . And no, we didn’t
break into any of the dorms on the University
of Arizona (U of A) campus
(although we did walk by Alissa’s dorm room). The adventure was the not knowing
what we were going to do until we were finished with what we were doing. It was
in the mini-hike down from the Smith house to the library branch nearest their
house and impromptu visit to their favorite store of all time. It was in the
wandering around the union building at the U of A campus (which confuses the
living daylights out of me) and, in finding almost everything else shut down,
wandering around the top floor of the bookstore. It was in the visit to a
coffee shop where we ran into a friend of Alissa’s and found ourselves randomly
invited to wander Winterhaven that evening, the meeting afterwards and prayer
over me and my travels on The World Race, and the phone call from Jill (pictured with me to the left) just as
we were getting out of church Sunday afternoon that resulted in the best ever
last two and a half hours of a visit anywhere – as Amy, Alissa, and I would
say… Jill just makes everything better. 😉
Canyon Saturday . And no, we didn’t
break into any of the dorms on the University
of Arizona (U of A) campus
(although we did walk by Alissa’s dorm room). The adventure was the not knowing
what we were going to do until we were finished with what we were doing. It was
in the mini-hike down from the Smith house to the library branch nearest their
house and impromptu visit to their favorite store of all time. It was in the
wandering around the union building at the U of A campus (which confuses the
living daylights out of me) and, in finding almost everything else shut down,
wandering around the top floor of the bookstore. It was in the visit to a
coffee shop where we ran into a friend of Alissa’s and found ourselves randomly
invited to wander Winterhaven that evening, the meeting afterwards and prayer
over me and my travels on The World Race, and the phone call from Jill (pictured with me to the left) just aswe were getting out of church Sunday afternoon that resulted in the best ever
last two and a half hours of a visit anywhere – as Amy, Alissa, and I would
say… Jill just makes everything better. 😉
If there is one thing I’ve learned about adventures, it’s
this: you can’t really plan those kinds of things. They just have to
happen.
this: you can’t really plan those kinds of things. They just have to
happen.
If I’d put this weekend together back in October, pinpointed
every single person I might want to see who could possibly be in Tucson this
past weekend and filled every minute trying to get from one place to the next
trying to see them all, then about the only two things that probably would have
been the same as the weekend I did have were seeing Jill, and seeing Alissa and
Amy (although who knows about the quality of said visits).
every single person I might want to see who could possibly be in Tucson this
past weekend and filled every minute trying to get from one place to the next
trying to see them all, then about the only two things that probably would have
been the same as the weekend I did have were seeing Jill, and seeing Alissa and
Amy (although who knows about the quality of said visits).
Everything else about it would likely have been completely
different. I can’t say any better or worse, but I wouldn’t have had the
opportunity to share about The World Race with people I don’t know before
Saturday evening and let them pray over me after no more than five minutes of
me sharing about what I would be doing on out in the field. I wouldn’t have had
time and space to start processing my last day of work and that sudden launch
into the final two weeks of preparation before leaving. The conversations that
needed to happen might never have taken place, and I wouldn’t have had this
vital time to rest before the holidays and the last minute rush to get me
launched.
different. I can’t say any better or worse, but I wouldn’t have had the
opportunity to share about The World Race with people I don’t know before
Saturday evening and let them pray over me after no more than five minutes of
me sharing about what I would be doing on out in the field. I wouldn’t have had
time and space to start processing my last day of work and that sudden launch
into the final two weeks of preparation before leaving. The conversations that
needed to happen might never have taken place, and I wouldn’t have had this
vital time to rest before the holidays and the last minute rush to get me
launched.
Believe me when I say I like my schedules. I like my plans.Everything about knowing where I’m supposed to be, when I’m supposed to be
there, how I’m supposed to be dressed, what I’m supposed to bring with me, etc…
I love me some details. The last few years, though, God has been bringing me to
a place where, in certain settings, I can be okay with the unknown, the
unexpected, spontaneous, and largely unplanned.
Because that’s what
He’s asking of me now. To let Him show me the types of adventures where I
need to be stretched, broken, or plucked out of my comfort zone. As I keep on
reading in the blogs by past and present World Races, He’s not so much interested
in my comfort as He is in my growth.
He’s asking of me now. To let Him show me the types of adventures where I
need to be stretched, broken, or plucked out of my comfort zone. As I keep on
reading in the blogs by past and present World Races, He’s not so much interested
in my comfort as He is in my growth.
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So far I’ve raised $6,202 (between one time gifts and pledges) out of the $13,800
necessary to complete the journey. Out of that, approximately $4,127
is actually in my support account. The
next goal that has been set for me is to have $5,500 in that account by
December 29th. Personally, I’d like to see that blasted out of the
water, and am praying for $6,000 there by that date. If you can be a
part of me reaching that goal, then just click here. And if you are planning to be a part of that on a monthly basis, then shoot me an email here so I can count that into my fundraising totals!
necessary to complete the journey. Out of that, approximately $4,127
is actually in my support account. The
next goal that has been set for me is to have $5,500 in that account by
December 29th. Personally, I’d like to see that blasted out of the
water, and am praying for $6,000 there by that date. If you can be a
part of me reaching that goal, then just click here. And if you are planning to be a part of that on a monthly basis, then shoot me an email here so I can count that into my fundraising totals!
