The other day I was walking in Panang and some backpackers had some trouble moving their things. I walked up and grabbed their packs and began to gab. They asked me what I was doing there and I said, "I'm a missionary."
They both stopped dead in their tracks: "Really?" said the man, "You don't look like any missionary I've ever met…"
Being a missionary has never looked like I thought it would. After seeing someone healed at training camp right before my eyes, I was ready for that to happen everyday on the field. I imagined hospitals being emptied in the name of Jesus. Instead God brought me down a different path.
He has lead me:
To people worshipping God with thanksgiving in garbage dumps.
To orphans and feeling the anger of injustice because they do not have families.
To eyes full of dispair that become filled with hope when the Word is preached.
To break dancers teaching me that I wasn't as much of a "gringo" that I once thought I was.
To seeing the joy of a child that gave me his only toy, a plastic coffee cup lid and a stick, and seeing his face light up when we both rolled it down a hill.
To seeing two distinct sections of a Romanian city become united in via worship, English lessions, and evangelistic dramas.
To Ukrainian tents filled with awesome kids who have shown me that being on the debate team in high school can be used to the glory of God.
To realizing that, no matter how hard I fight it, I cannot skip the process that leads to the end result.
To investing in good community rather than good fences.
To realize that joy is a choice (Given, somedays a harder choice than I'd like.)
To see that I am far more broken than I thought and that God is far greater than I ever have known.
To see that I cannot throw money at a problem and expect it to go away.
To see that I really don't need all that much to thrive.
To know that there are things worth getting angry at: poverty, injustice, abuse, and hate are some of those things.
To know that there are something things not worth getting angry at: Politicians, breaking technology, and differing opinions on petty issues are some of those things.
To know that I need to pray to God to know the difference between the two.
And finally, that after the World Race, my Race is not over.
I want to lead people into spiritual development, and I really need your help doing it. I have been accepted to the Center for Global Action. It is a program designed for specifically for World Racers to train them up and to find where God is calling them after the Race. It is a one year program for that costs $300/mo. I have already received a scholarship for the first month and really need your help.
Please consider supporting me in this adventure!
chaseglantz.theworldrace.org
