What do six days in Hyderabad what does it look like? What does Launch look like? What does this whole World Race thing look like? Welllll. . .
My World Race experience began at JFK airport Sunday evening. We flew twelve hours from New York to Qatar and then another six hours from Qatar to Hyderabad, where we arrived on Tuesday. I’m still not sure what happened to Monday. . .
We arrived at the convent on Tuesday morning where we were greeted by the rest of our squad who had arrived the day before. Team leaders, finance and logistics people, and AIM staff had all left on the first. The next three days made up Launch, the official term of the beginning of the World Race. If you think we sat for three days and were told details of what our lives would look like for the next 11 months, not so much. I’m still getting used to the concept of “you’ll find out a few hours before it happens.” Loving it.
No, Launch consisted of worship, teaching, exploring Hyderabad (pronounced sort of like “hydra bad”), getting used to living out of our backpacks, enjoying cold showers, and processing what this looks like.
If there’s one word I would use to describe this experience right now, it would be ADJUSTMENT. Living in community is a blessing and a challenge. Put 42 very different people together, and then group them into teams of 6 or 7, and you’re going to have adjustment. I love my teammates, and I love how we are already learning to read each other’s personalities and adjusting to full-time life together, which is going to go into overdrive very soon (more on that in a moment). I realize I did not put a blog together after Training Camp about my beautiful team. I decided I needed more time to get to know them. And by “more time,” I mean that I put it off until now.
ONE: I have been called to be here. I cannot imagine a better season for me right now.
TWO: I have to focus on the big picture. I’m going to 11 COUNTRIES IN 11 MONTHS! Whoa!
THREE: This is a growing experience. If it’s not hard, where’s the growth?
Okay, so my team leaves in three hours for a bus ride to Vijawada, where we will spend the month working with a brand new WR contact. We’ll be working with another team (Team Fugees – check out their blogs!) at an orphanage. Hopefully we’ll have some internet access and I’ll be able to let you know what we’re doing. Up to this point, it’s all been about adjusting and processing and preparing. Starting tomorrow, we’re doing this! Bring it, India!
Check out this video by Team SOR11. All teams were assigned a video project to the prompt “What does it look like?” This was our response. Enjoy!
