If you found this blog, you are likely a person who already knows me. But just in case you don’t, here is a quick introduction: Hi! My name is Debbie. I’m a 27-year-old kindergarten teacher originally from central PA but now living in northeastern PA. I’m really short and I like to play the clarinet and read.
Ok! Now that you know all of the essentials, here’s to the main part of this post: What The World Race Is And Why I Am Doing It!
The World Race is a mission trip run by Adventures in Missions in which young people ages 21-35 go to 11 countries in 11 months. You have a squad of about 50 people that you travel with from country to county and then out of that squad you have a smaller team that you live with and minister with in each country. There are 5 different squads that leave in September 2015, which is when I am going. Right now, I’m at the top of the wait list for Route 5, which goes to Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, India, Nepal, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. If no spots open up on this trip, I will be placed on another Route also leaving in September. There are a number of reasons why I am hoping to go on this Route: I have a friend doing the Peace Corps in Uganda, a sponsored child in Rwanda, a school building in Cambodia that was funded by my home school district, a sister in Guatemala, and I’ve wanted to go to India ever since I watched The Little Princess as a child. Even if I don’t have the opportunity to see these people or places while I am in the countries, I still feel like I have a connection with them. However, I am trusting God that whatever Route I end up on will be the Route that He had planned for me all along, and that it will all work out the way that it is supposed to!
I first learned about the Race probably about five years ago, in 2010. I don’t exactly remember what I was doing, but I know I was on the Adventures website and stumbled onto The World Race. My first reaction was somewhere along the lines of “this is completely insane.” But I was also intrigued, and I never forgot about it. At least twice over the next few years I started to seriously think about applying for The World Race. I was applying all over the state for teaching jobs and getting nowhere (there is no shortage of elementary certified teacher candidates in Pennsylvania!) TWICE, I had experiences where I would be thinking about applying for the Race, and then the next day there was an article in the paper about someone local who was going on the Race! But it was scary, and looking back I know that I wasn’t ready. So I kept subbing, taught preschool in Philly for a few months, and applied for jobs, and in 2013, after four years of searching, I finally got one! So for the past year and a half I have been living this dream of being a full-time teacher in a school district that I love. And everything was finally settled!
Except that it wasn’t.
Back in November, my pastor preached a sermon that ruined my life. It was about King Saul, and how he failed to follow God’s instructions to destroy the Amalekites and everything that belonged to them. Instead, he spared the Amalekite king and some of the best animals, saying that he intended to sacrifice them to God. Because of his disobedience, God rejected Saul as King. Pastor Jamie talked about how we too rationalize our disobedience. We can do good things, but if it’s not what God has told us to do, we’re not allowing Him to be King of our lives. One example he gave was: God calls you on a short-term missions trip, but instead of obeying and going, you provide funds for others to go. Not a bad thing in and of itself, but if it’s disobedience to God, then it is bad.
I felt very convicted by this sermon and once again The World Race was at the forefront of my mind. So I finally applied, halfway hoping they would say “no” and I could say, “Well, God, I tried.” But the other half of me started to get excited again about the possibility of traveling around the world, ministering to orphans and widows and school children and the destitute and the lonely, and spreading the Good News about the Kingdom.
The door swung wide open on February 2 when I got the call saying that I was accepted to go on the Race! And I’m sort of ashamed to admit it now, but my first reaction was panic! For a few weeks, I alternated between feeling worried, excited, overwhelmed, and also feeling like it wasn’t even real. But the more I started to talk to people about it, the more real it became. One night, I told my Bible study group about how I was accepted to go on the Race. I explained about how I was excited but also fearful about losing my job. I said something along the lines of, “I guess I’ll know that I’m really committed when I start asking people for money.” One of the men in my Bible study promptly pulled out his wallet, took out all the bills inside, and handed them to me. It was $33. But it was everything. I had $33, and I was going!
And God had a surprise for me. I requested a leave of absence for next school year, and this past Monday the board voted to accept it! Which means that not only do I now get to go on the Race, I also can come back to a teaching job the next year. I get to have my cake and eat it too! 🙂 This is a Blessing!!
And this is where YOU enter the story! Obviously going on a trip like this costs money – $16,257 to be exact, plus the cost of travel gear, spending money, shots…it’s expensive. Will you consider joining with me as I walk down the path to which God has led me? You can donate by clicking on the “Support Me” button to the left of this page. Please be aware that there is a 2%-3% processing fee for donations given by credit or debit card. I will soon be sending out support letters as well. If you prefer to give by check (there is no processing fee for checks), please send me a message with your address so I can be sure to send you a support card to include with your check. My e-mail address is [email protected], or you can find me on Facebook. Thank you for joining with me as we all together minister to our neighbors around the world!
