“Did you stretch?” “Have you stretched today?” These were questions I heard when I was little and still hear today. Being a high school athlete and very active, my parents always made sure that I stretched and stayed healthy. This question was asked of me so many times that it eventually became a joke. When I had a big test in college, my parents would jokingly ask, “Did you stretch beforehand?”
Well little did I know how vital and important stretching would become in my life. As I began this journey called “The World Race” I thought and pondered the amount of growth and stretching that would occur over the year, however I underestimated it MAJORLY.
I have been stretched and grown in so many ways and its only the ninth day. I have learned how to love and live with 49 other people. I have learned how to effectively communicate with those 49 people so that we can travel the world, love others, and better love each other. I have learned how to use a bucket to take a shower. I have learned how to pack my life into a 60L pack. I have learned how to barter and wave down tuktuks. I have learned how to speak another language…well a little bit. I have learned how to go with the flow, when plans don’t always go the way you think they will. I have learned how to wait, wait on the Lord, and wait on airplanes.
It is really difficult to be in the airport, having gone through security and checked your baggage with 49 other people and then find out your flight has been cancelled. But, when I’m in a difficult situation, Ive learned I must stretch and adapt and cope with what is reality. So that is what we did. We stretched and waited for plans to be made and cancelled and changed and we adapted. In the moment we were all very disappointed and a little upset because we were ready to go! But, the ways in which Jesus works are amazing. We were able to meet new people, have new conversations, and pray with strangers. We stayed the night in The Renaissance and had lots of free food and it was good. It wasn’t very difficult to stretch into that. haha But the next morning as our day hung with a lot of question marks, we stretched ourselves in the waiting and anxiously awaited the call for our new flight. We received it shortly after noon and were so pumped to get on our way to India. Thankfully on the plane, I got the exit row seat and was able to actually stretch during our 14 hour flight. We arrived to India and have done orientation. I have stretched and adapted into the Indian culture and it is great.
But, anyways, I have stretched and will continue to stretch because it is in the discomfort that we truly grow into the person we are supposed to be.
One of my favorite songs says, “So take courage my heart, Stay steadfast my soul, He’s in the waiting, He’s in the waiting, And hold onto your hope, As your triumph unfolds, He’s never failing, He’s never failing…”
My triumph will unfold. I will wait on the Lord and stay steadfast. This year will be full of stretching and growing and loving and learning and I am ready.
Please keep praying for me and my team! Here is a picture of us with our TukTuk drivers.
Love,
Gabs
Travel Update: We are headed to our ministry in southern India tonight on a sleeper bus. We have been doing orientation in Hyderabad, India the past 2 days.
Ps. Yes, Mom I stretched 😉 Love you!
