Ok folks – here it is….the good, the bad and the ugly!
So much of the time, I feel like friends and family back home only see the good, happy, beautiful parts of the Race. They see the pictures full of smiles and precious kids. They hear the incredible ways God shows up through blogs and Facebook posts.
When it comes down to it, that really is what the Race is all about! BUT it comes with a price! There are a lot of struggles and difficulties accompanying the smiles.
I wanted to share some of the things that, in my opinion, make the World Race so hard. To avoid making this a completely morbid post, I have also included the lessons I have learned and how I have found beauty through each of these struggles!
1.) Missing comforts
Home, family, friends, nice clothes, a comfortable bed, a dresser, being able to drive, going to the refrigerator whenever you want, enjoying a walk by yourself, baking cookies, straightening your hair…whatever it is, there are those little things from home that you take for granted…until they are taken away! The Race is good for stretching you and getting you out of your comfort zone, but there are plenty of times when you simply just crave a little piece of home.
*Finding the beauty:
I’ve found that not only do I appreciate the little gifts and everyday things that I normally take for granted much more now, but I also find special gifts in the everyday things I DO have. Living out of a spirit of thankfulness becomes key during the months on the Race (and really life in general!) You start to gain a different perspective on what really matters in life and there’s nothing that can replace that!
2.) Eating healthy.
If you are a fellow enthusiast who loves to live a healthy lifestyle at home, you might find it to be very difficult to maintain on the Race. Some months we are surprised and thankful for an abundance of fruits and vegetables…..other months we smile and are thankful for the over abundance of rice, white bread, rice, potatoes and more rice.
*Finding the beauty:
I’ve found that when you do the best you can, it’s not worth it to worry about anything else. You learn a deeper level of trust in the Father when He says He takes care of the sparrows and will take care of each of us. He gives us our daily bread and whether it is literally nothing but bread, or a table filled with exquisite cuisine, He provides for all our needs. That doesn’t diminish my excitement for elk steak, kale chips and smoothies when I get home, BUT I’ve learned to be content with what I have…to gratefully accept the cow tongue, pig ear, octopus legs, and tofu with a humble heart full of gratitude. 🙂
(For the record – the aforementioned foods are not the norm on the Race – usually they are cultural delicacies offered to us every so often. Please do not think you will only be eating cow tongue for a year…that was a one time thing!)
3.) Change.
Life is full of change, no doubt. But a year on the Race has proven to be packed full of more change than I have ever experienced in such a short amount of time. Team changes, leadership changes, ministry changes, constant schedule changes, country, culture and continent changes….if there is one thing you can fully expect on the World Race (besides God showing up!), it is change. Let’s be honest here – we are creatures of habit. Change is hard sometimes…most times. The exorbitant amount of change we go through in a year is exciting but can be demanding and wearisome. Sometimes you just long for something to be constant and consistent!
*Finding the beauty:
Although it may be hard to see in the moment, change is so essential for growth! Looking back I can see how it is through the script of change that transformation takes place. And if there is one thing I have realized through it all, it’s that God is both constant and consistent!
4.) Feedback.
Feedback is a huge part of the WR community. We sit down every day and give each other positive and constructive feedback. Even when it is coming out of a place of love to help another person grow more like Christ, sometimes giving and receiving feedback is HARD. Sometimes taking extra brain space for even thinking about feedback to give someone after a long day of ministry is even harder.
*Finding the beauty:
When it comes down to it, feedback is a selfless act of love, intended to build up and encourage others to become more like Christ. After ten months of giving and receiving feedback practically everyday, I can honestly say there are many areas of my life that I was previously unaware of but am now growing and working to become more like Jesus. It is simply due to the fact that my brothers and sisters cared enough to pour into me and as a result have been sharpening and refining me in the image of Christ. I am so thankful for the way others have invested and loved me through feedback, and I have also gained an understanding of what it means to love others into the greatness Yahweh has created them to be! Feedback…yep, just embrace it!! 🙂
5.) Personality differences.
When you think about it logically, becoming best friends with 45 people at once is just not practical. There are many different personalities, opinions, backgrounds and diversities among a squad and to be completely honest, many of your squad/teammates may not be the “type” of friends you would necessarily consider hanging out with at home. Sometimes navigating how to edify others, work through differences and living in a state of peace and compromise is easier said than done. Creating a healthy, loving atmosphere in a team takes a LOT of work!!
*Finding the beauty:
Because you are living, working and in the presence of your team 24/7, many of your own selfishness issues are brought to light. Given the circumstances which force you to work through problems instead of ignoring or running away from them, you have the beautiful opportunity to overcome your self-centered desires and love well in spite of differences. You learn to prefer your teammates. I have found that when you are operating out of a state of Christ-like love, beautiful friendships can form even in the midst of differing personalities!
6.) Slow pace.
Contrary to what many may believe, the Race is not go, go, go all the time! Many of us are so used to having instant gratification, schedules, consistency, and working off the clock – whether it’s having a car to get somewhere quickly, or high speed internet, having a slow paced lifestyle can be a rude awakening. It’s not hard to guess that instant gratification does not exist on the Race: there are numerous areas where we walk at least half an hour if not more to get somewhere. We rejoice when one picture is uploaded within 2 minutes. Many months we have to factor in time to plan, buy, prepare and cook meals for ourselves which can be a painfully slow process trying to be creative and stick to our $5 a day budget for food.
*Finding the beauty:
Whether it is a slow, difficult day of ministry, or you have to use your own two legs to walk from point A to point B, or you are waiting for a few hours for your ministry host to come pick you up because you are on “African time”, you learn to slow your spirit down as well and allow time and space for God to work. You learn to stop and enjoy the flowers on your walk. You learn that deep conversations can be had while waiting for your ride. You learn that unity is brought through the common goal of eating that night. Take advantage of the opportunities you have through extra, unexpected time given you!
7.) Lack of corporate worship.
I didn’t think too much about this one before leaving for the Race, but those who love worshiping in a large group setting might start to feel a little starved while on the field. Aside from debriefs, most of the worship you will experience will be in a different language.
*Finding the beauty:
I have found that even when I cannot understand the words, my spirit still shouts out praises with all my heart to the Living God. There is something truly supernatural when you experience many different groups of people worshipping the same God in different languages.
As a side note, you realize that your iPod truly is a gift from above for not only being an avenue to fill you up with worship music in English but for the long travel days when you just want to be alone with the Father for awhile! He will meet you there, whether through your own music or the worship in a concrete church in another language.
8.) Sleeping situations.
“Sleep is spiritual”…to this day, I continue to pass on this treasured piece of knowledge from an old friend. As much as I wholeheartedly agree with the statement, acquiring good, consistent sleep on the Race is usually extremely difficult. Sometimes your bus may not show up and you have to spend the night on the floor of the bus terminal. Sometimes you may wake up to a flooded tent at 2 a.m. and have to move everything you own in a thunderstorm to the nearest shelter, cramming eight girls +backpacks into the bathroom to sleep on the floor for the rest of the night. From the 30-40 hour bus rides we frequently take, to sleeping on the floor for months on end, to noise, roosters, popped sleeping pads, to slats (that hold up the mattress) falling out numerous times every single night for a month…good sleep truly is a gift to be found.
*Finding the beauty:
When your room is so small and there is no floor space to even put your pack down, you learn that some of the best memories are made when you have to store everything on the top bunk and two people share a twin sized bottom bunk for a month. You also come to realize that for those wanting to eventually be parents in the future, the Race is good training for having a newborn baby when it comes to lack of sleep!
9.) Bugs!
Cockroaches on the overnight train, bed bugs, lice, mosquito larvae in your bathing water, unnaturally huge spiders, ticks, scorpions crawling out from under your backpack, ants absolutely everywhere, weird looking unidentifiable critters…all part of the World Race experience right?! Well if you are a mountain girl like me who lives at 9,000 feet and doesn’t necessarily deal with an abundance of creepy crawlies in everyday life, you might also find the Race to be full of unwanted visitors around you more often than not.
*Finding the beauty:
Basically….there is none………you just gotta learn to deal!! Hah I mean if you want to get all spiritual and say how beautiful and intricate God’s creatures are, go for it! I’ll just continue to flick them away and be on my merry way.
10.) Saying goodbye every month.
I’ve always heard how difficult it must be for our ministry hosts when we leave every month. The kids at the orphanage, the good friends you make at ministry, or the amazing host family you stayed with….it can be extremely sad for people remaining in a country who think that we are just a stop and are then headed to our next ‘adventure’. I do not want to diminish their pain at all, and I fully recognize how difficult that must be. My point, however, is unless I am not recalling something clearly, I have not heard much at all about how excruciatingly painful it can be for a racer to say goodbye every month. Let me paint the picture – after building close friendships, investing your heart and soul into ministry, pouring into people for a month and then having to say goodbye not only once but eleven times…..THAT is HARD!!
*Finding the beauty: As much as I wish I could have more time with many people on the Race, I have learned to be thankful for the time I do have – for the special memories, the lessons learned, and the beautiful encounters God does bring into my life through them. Sometimes God puts people in your life for a season, sometimes for a lifetime – either way they are ordained and wonderful!
11.) Life goes on.
This is probably one of the most difficult to swallow for many racers. The fact that life will not stop at home while you are on the field is truly a struggle that arises more often than not. There have been many racers on my squad that have had family/best friend weddings, nieces or nephews born, grandparents pass away, families moving, and many other special/big life events occur while they are away. Sometimes we just wish time would stop at home so we wouldn’t miss out on so much! Nobody ever said following God’s call on your life would be easy. It takes a lot of sacrifice. “Yeah but it’s only for a year” you might think. Trust me….a lot can happen in a year!
*Finding the beauty:
Time is a weird thing – the months crawl by slowly but surely and at the same time, they are gone in the blink of an eye. The good thing is, with as much change that happens with everybody at home, racers are not left out in that category. We experience an enormous amount of change spiritually, emotionally and mentally while on the Race. Thankfully we will be able to come home and celebrate in the goodness of change with family and friends back home knowing that it is according to the Father’s good, pleasing and perfect will. That alone, is enough to make the time away bittersweet, but mostly sweet.
