I have said it myself…I’m going on the adventure of a lifetime, which is true. But shouldn’t each day of our life be an adventure, discovering what God has is store for us? I’ve also said the the World Race is an awesome mission trip, but I was wrong!
The World Race is not a trip at all. The World Race is life. I didn’t just leave my life for a year to go on this ‘mission trip’…this trip is my life. For a normal mission trip you are gone two weeks or maybe a month to another city, state, or country. During this time you further God’s kingdom and most people normally return home on a spiritual high which normally dull after returning to their regular life.
The World Race is different though. On the World Race you are living life, but your life is dramatically different. Normally I don’t sleep on a concrete floor in an 8×8 room with 6 other girls, but on the World Race I am this month. Normally I don’t take cold showers or eat things that I have no idea what they are, but on the World Race these things are actually enjoyable most of the time. In normal life work ends and I go home, but there is no going ‘home’ on the World Race because home is a different place each month and many times even at home there is still ministry to do.
The World Race is life and it is life where incredible growth occurs in your personal and spiritual life. Never before has there been a time in my life where I get to devote myself solely to ministry for 11 months. The awesome thing is that this ministry is different every month and it’s stretching as I’ve never before had experience in disaster relief or digging a hole for a septic tank or much experience in prison ministry. New ministry brings new growth, but growth has also come by surrendering myself solely to God for these 11 months and diving into reading the Bible, praying, fasting, and just needing God to be the source of my strength so I can minister for His Kingdom. Personally, I’ve grown in the depth of relationships with my teammates and many of my hosts. Three of my teammates and I have been together the whole Race, since September, eating, breathing, sleeping, ministering, and living together. We’ve laughed together, cried together, ministered together, cooked together, and lived together creating a bond and deep relationship that I didn’t know was missing from my life. I can’t wait to dive deeper with people when I get home from the Race.
For future racer, be prepared to be changed. I thought I was just coming on the Race to minister and I’m sure God laughed when He heard that because He has changed me so much. As a racer you have to dive into ministry and life and challenge yourself to be changed.
For family and friends of racers, remember your racer will come back changed 110% guaranteed. They will have experienced life in new and stretching ways which will have changed them. They may now like different foods or clothes or music. They will probably want to have deeper relationships and more intimate conversations. Racers priorities and worldview are likely to have changed and their relationship with God probably has a new level of intimacy. Remember racers all change differently because each racer’s World Race is different.
