Coming into the world race I thought that I knew so much of what was going to happen. I thought I knew the in’s and out’s because I have had two friends who did this before me. I asked all the questions and heard all the stories. I prayed about this trip every day and studied each of the blogs that were written. To me these people who were on the race were heroes! I wanted to be like them, traveling the world and having a new adventure every day. I felt like there was no way I could ever do something like this, but a girl sure could dream.
As I applied for the race and got accepted, my next thought was ‘how could God ever provide all that money for me to go’ and I didn’t know how I was going to raise it all by the deadlines they gave. The truth is I made it all about me instead of about God and the miracles He provides for us daily.
With only $2,000 left to raise I am officially on the mission field doing exactly what all those before me talked about in their blogs. I’ve had training camp and travel days and I have officially been a part of two different ministries, one in Thailand and one on Cambodia. But honestly… It’s so much harder than I thought. With only traveling to 2 countries so far, I have traveled approximately 73 hours with the addition of a one day layover in Siem Reap before making it to my ministry site in Kompong Chnnang, Cambodia.
It’s true that you get to see and try new things at times. I have gotten to experience some cool stuff from here to there myself like cliff jumping from a 50 foot cliff (and severely bruising my tailbone), going to Angkor Wat, eating Rotee and the most amazing Korean dessert, shopping at night markets and some other fun stuff. But I have also had hard days and have been tired, hot, drained, sick, sore, sad, homesick, without any internet, tired of the food, broke because my bank card doesn’t work at a particular ATM, dirty and so much more.
They weren’t lying when they said that the race would be hard. I am quickly learning that this life isn’t for everyone. God never calls you to do anything more than you can handle, but the life of a World Racer is not for the faint of heart. If you you aren’t willing to get your hands dirty, go days without showers, go a week or longer without contacting your family and friends, eat the local food even when you have seen what it looks like before its prepared, trust God or work through the things that He is trying to teach you over an 11 month time span then this trip is not for you.
If you can handle all of that and more while going through some of the hardest days of your life, sign up for this journey now! If you truly feel like God is saying “go” then definitely listen to Him because He knows what He is doing. Don’t worry about all the details. He will provide every single thing you need. Instead, focus on your relationship with Him and prepare your heart for a long, hard, tiring, beautiful year of learning who He is and what plans He may have for you next.
I may not be in an ideal situation at the moment, but God is showing me things that I would have never seen if I wasn’t exactly where He wanted me to be at this time.
Thank you for the constant support and prayers!
Love always,
Danielle
