I want to start off by saying that I asked both my parents to write blogs about what they are going through back home without having me there. How it has affected them, how this journey has caused them to have a journey of their own. When You ask your parent to write something for you, well at least in my case, I never know what I am going to get. The following story is what my mother, Diane Hertlein, sent to me. She is an amazing woman and an even better mother. I couldn’t ask for anyone better.
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“When we first found out about David going on the World Race, he contacted us by phone while we were on a trip in the Smokies over spring break. I remember him being so excited about signing up for a mission trip. And of course my first response was ‘Wow, God is on the move and my son has been listening.’
Then when he told me about the trip – 11 countries in 11 months – and a cost of $18,000.00.
Well, then it became a different story for me.
David is the youngest of 4 children – the older 3 siblings had been on short term mission trips, of which, they were gone about 6 weeks. With David, being the youngest and never really wanting to venture too far from home, I was deeply concerned about a long term trip, let alone going across the ocean and around the world.
But God is much bigger than my fears and David was able to raise the support needed before his start date!
Our Church and family came together in such a big way for David and before we knew it, he was funded. What a blessing we have experienced watching the Lord provide!
When my son went to training camp in Georgia, driving himself there and back I knew he was not my little boy anymore and it was time for me to let go. Then going to the launch weekend and just listening to everyone talk about different aspects of the trip, which was very well planned out by the AIM leadership, and seeing how excited David was to go and experience what God had in store- It really gave me a peace to know that my son was in the best hands ever – the Lord’s! This is right where he needs to stay.
But I have to be honest here, telling him goodbye was one of the hardest things I have had to do in my life.
Needless to say it was a very long trip back to Ohio that day. I had to really pray about the fear in my heart and TRUST – oh that word – the Lord keeps that word before me – Trust frees us from fear and allows us to surrender our desire for control and our need to take matters into our own hands. Something I have to do daily is trust the Lord to keep David in His care and protection. God is so very good and I know he is doing an amazing work in my son’s heart and just helping him grow by leaps and bounds.
Our Church at Martinsville has hung up a very large world map up in front and we have marked all the countries David will be going to and we have moved his picture along to the different countries. We are also doing a Christmas dinner at Church and having each family decorate a table for one of the countries and bring food accordingly. It is a wonderful thing for our Church back home to be involved in as well.
So I am trying to stay busy and not let my fear take over but keep trusting that the Lord has him in the palm of His hands.
One thing I am busy with is journaling about events and things taking place back home and writing devotional thoughts and prayers along the way in a journal I purchased at the WR Launch and then I will be giving that to David when he returns. I am also doing a yearlong devotional and knowing that when I get close to the end of it – David will be stepping off a plane in the states.
I still have moments where I cry from missing him, and that is just part of being a mom, but it truly helps to talk about him and what he is doing and knowing that our great God is in control and sovereign over all things. I would like to encourage all mom’s of current racers, or even mom’s of future racers to just continue to have faith and trust in God our father. Know that his ways are not our ways.
If God has called your child across the world, he will provide and he will protect.”
