In Madagascar, our squad met together for a meeting. Our squad leaders announced a change of plans in our route. Instead of going to China and Mongolia, we were now headed to Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand.
Plot twist – not all the teams would go to Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
For the first time in World Race history, a squad was given the option to go to either one of them, meaning that our squad could potentially be in 2 separate countries ! This would also be the first time World Racers would come to Sri Lanka. So we would also be pioneering this new country! R Squad was asked that each team pray about where the Lord was leading them.
Sri Lanka or Indonesia?
My team decided Sri Lanka and so did three other teams. The rest of the teams were led to Indonesia. Now, God could have easily led all of us to one country but he didn’t. On April 20th, four teams set out for Sri Lanka while the others made their way into Indonesia. Pretty cool huh?
So here we are.
I must admit, the first week here was hard. I felt this spirit of uneasiness here. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it but it was unsettling. I prayed to the Lord, “God why did you lead us here?” Being in Sri Lanka triggered a lot of things that I had been struggling with. My team and I tagged along with another team of women ( Ignite) into Sri Lanka’s capitol Colombo. During our time there we were being gawked by the men in the streets. Every where we turned, the men were staring our way, cat calling and whistling over to us to get our attention.
My initial response was to react. To just look at them in disgust and retort something that would get them to feel ashamed for their behavior. But that wouldn’t have worked because they wouldn’t have understood me otherwise. I became super defensive and super cautious over myself and the girls. While on the bus, I had a man touch my chest after a bill that had fell on it. I also had a man on a bus stare at me for the entire trip. No matter where I looked he was staring at me with lustful eyes. Immediately I felt uneasy. Sitting on the bus, I had a man tap my behind as I went to take my seat. My response was to wack his hand but I didn’t. I don’t think I could here without some kind of repercussion.
So I just sat. Feeling violated.
“What the heck God? Why would you bring us here?”
(Mom and Dad if you’re reading this I’m ok !)
The reason I am writing this is not to alarm you ( even though I know some of you probably are). This is also written not to speak poorly about Sri Lanka in anyway, but to shine a light to what is really happening here. The reason I am writing this is because God turned what I thought would be such a horrible month into a good month!
The reality is, that we live in a fallen world. Period. I’ve had guys back at home do the same to me, so there is no difference. The point is that this is what God wanted me to see. That there is brokenness here. That people are in need of his love. That he is just as in love with those men as he is with me.
I know that’s hard to take in. Trust me, I’ve wrestled with God about this several times. This is not a pass for men to make women feel inferior or to be disrespectful to any woman (Men don’t try it). This is to say that God still protected me and my team. God is still in control. While writing this, God gave me this verse in Romans 10 that talks about how beautiful it is for people to bring good news. The sad part is how will someone know the good news if they’ve never heard it ? The people in Sri Lanka need the gospel just as much as the people back at home do. They need to know that there is a God who loves them, who died for them, who rose again for them and is coming back for them too !
“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!'”
Romans 10:14-15
During our time in Sri Lanka, we have stayed in a little tourist town called Mirissa. We have been living in a guest house owned by the sweetest woman and her husband. Her name is Banduwathie but we call her “Mama.” She’s embraced us and made us feel right at home. I’ve had the priviledge cooking with her some awesome Sri Lankan food. Boy, she can throw down in the kitchen! In exchange, I teach her English.
In my last blog, I explained how this month we asked the Lord to lead us where he wants us to go. Being in a predominantly Buddhist country, it was somewhat discouraging to not be met with any kind of local ministry or a church for that matter.
My team prayed for God to show us where to go. Each one of us didn’t have a clue what we were in for, but that’s where he asked us to trust him. Personally, my prayer was that we meet a Christian. At least one. I asked that God would lead us to a church. I asked God to give us a ministry here. I asked God that we would be able to connect with some of the women here in Sri Lanka. I asked God to lead us to people that can translate for us. “Is that really too hard to ask, Lord?”
Well, that’s precisely what he did.
Let me tell you what God has been doing with our team. It’s so cool because he’s answered every single one of our prayers. Right down the street from our guesthouse, there is a market we go to regularly. The owner’s are Christian! They told us about their church in Unwatuna, about 45 minutes from where we stay. That Sunday we went to visit the church.
They are an Assemblies of God Church. We met with Pastor Rasika, who is such a powerful, humble man of God. He prays earnestly for his church and for Sri Lanka. The entire church works tirelessly to ensure churches are being planted throughout the island and that the gospel is proclaimed in this nation. He asked if he wanted us to help him around the church and with ministry. OF COURSE WE SAID YES. During the week, we’ve traveled to temples and prayed over in Jesus name that people would come to know him. We’ve gone to a rehab center, heard testimonies of recovering addicts, helped clean a group home for men, taught swimming lessons , and hung out with some kids at the beach to surf ( SURF MINISTRY IS SO DOPE). We also got an opportunity to meet with the women at the church and pray over them. We had a chance to serve them by washing their feet and reminding them how strong and beautiful they are in Christ. Oh, and we have about 4 translators! Pretty sweet, right?
What’s funny, is the majority of the time we have been working with men. Godly men. They have become like our brothers. They pour into us, they pray with us, they taught us how to surf, they make sure we eat ( which is always a great thing), and that we take the right bus back home. They’re super protective of us as well. They helped changed our view of men here.
All this to say, God led us to Sri Lanka to not only find this church but to teach us that we can trust him.
Sri Lanka was a challenge because we had to literally trust God for every single thing. Food, lodging, transportation, ministry, our joy and our peace. Every day God was asking me to choose joy. To choose to see his heart for the people of Sri Lanka than my own perception. To choose him over the experience. Everyday my team and I had to choose to trust him even if we didn’t see the road ahead of us. I know some personal things resurfaced for me during our stay here; Things I thought I’d already settled with the Lord before the race. When I spoke to my team about this, they also felt like God was asking to deal with some things as well. So I wasn’t alone.
I asked God again, “Why Sri Lanka?”
God’s response was “So that you may BELIEVE that I am good, even when you can’t see my hand in it. To trust my heart over your own.“
Yup, God never ceases to blow my mind.
Tomorrow is our last day here and we’re heading off to Thailand ( so amped !). However, I won’t forget the people I met in Sri Lanka or the experiences we had here. God is here and he is on the move in the hearts of the Sri Lankan people. I am extremely grateful that our squad was able to pioneer this new country for future racers to visit. In the end, God gets all the glory.
Please pray for mercy travels tomorrow for all of our teams heading out to Thailand on Sunday. Thank you again for all of your prayers !
Blessings xoxo
