The Many Roles of a Racer

When you are on the World Race:
 

You become a trainer; We are commonly placed in situations where we are to train and disciple not only teenagers, but also adults with years of experience on us. I have been put in the position to teach people how to pray, how to teach, how to be a good pastor, and how to hear the voice of the Lord.

You become a performer; It is naturally assumed that you have many talents when you are on The World Race, and it is just assumed that preforming at weddings is something  you commonly do. So being the head performers at a wedding is not unusual.

You become a traveling worship band; Singing at every church survive is a must. It doesn't matter if no one on your team can play an instrument, or can even sing. You are the worship leader AND band every week.

You become a councilor; Just this week our pastor approached us and asked which one of us were councilors. We all kinda mumbled something and I said that being on The Race really makes us all councilors. She then proceeded to tell us that one of us needed to inform a little 10 year old boy that his father had passed away the day before.

You become a teacher; Now I have been teaching English on and off all year. In Cambodia we would all teach three small english classes. This month is a couple steps up from that. This month we are teaching everything. We are spending the month in a primary and secondary school, and every day we pick a class and go ‘visit’. visiting usually results in you teaching half the class. Yesterday I taught chemistry and agriculture at a high school level, and today I taught English, social studies and bible at a middle school level.

You become desirable; Nearly everywhere I go I have one boy or another asking me to marry him. Being from America makes you desirable. Who would have thought.

You become the exception; When there are 50 people traveling together, things happen that wouldn't normally happen. Like an entire plane will wait over an hour for you all to get through security. People at border crossings will just stamp your books to get you through faster because there are so many of you. And there will be special people from the airliner sent to wait for you at you arriving gate, and will lead you through the airport to the departure gate; taking you through secret doors and passages to get you through faster.

You become a professional painter; Paint entire buildings? not a problem. Paint huge murals? Got it.

You become a brick maker; We got put to work making clay bricks when we were in Uganda. It was hard work, and amazingly messy, but oddly satisfying.

You become a small group leader, photographer, bible study leader, role model, cinematographer, mentor, coffee shop worker, writer, web designer, guest speaker, the list goes on and on.