The World Race:
I’m writing this blog while riding on the 3rd airplane in a row, and I have one more to go. I have been awake for over 40 hours and have been to 3 different countries in that time. And my final destination is by far my most important yet. Home. It’s been nine months since I’ve slept in my bed, hugged my father, and streamed Netflix. I’m not sure if it’s all of the emotions rushing through me or just my complete exhaustion, but this whole “going home” thing feels like a dream. During my lay over in Los Angeles, Matt and I went to In n Out Burger right after saying goodbye to our squad of 30 brothers and sisters. It was clear while sitting there that we were in shock of what we just finished.
270 days, three continents, six countries, and countless amazing relationships have been such an unbelievable gift. I never imagined that I would be building houses in Guatemala, serving kids there only meal of the day in South Africa, walking hours in the mountains to go preach to shepherds in Lesotho, seeing lions and elephants with my Mom in Swaziland, sleeping on the wooden floor in the 100-degree heat in Cambodia, or crying as hard as I did saying goodbye to my brother Ron in Thailand.
I remember when I was little and I used to ask my mom if I could get a brother so we could fight back against my three older sisters. And I always knew that it wouldn’t happen but I would wish and think about it. Something I’ve learned on my journey is that blood does not make family… My mom isn’t my mom because she gave birth to me, she is my mother because she nurtured me, cared for me, loves me unconditionally, and has installed Christ like values in my heart. My dad isn’t my dad just because he lets me sleep in his house or gives me food, he is my father because he has actively pursued a God centered relationship with me throughout my whole life. Tim Phillips is my father because he used to come in to my room before I fell asleep and told me stories about “jack the cowboy” and would take me to play golf, not to train me, but because he just wanted to spend time with me. He, to this day, still pursues this relationship and is the father that the Lord trusted him to be when he was given three girls and a boy to look after. And after 19 years, I realize that the same applies with so many more people. I don’t share blood with Matt, Brandon, Nathan, Max, Joey, Sam, Austin, Ross, and Ronny but you can be sure as hell that they are my brothers… by so much more that blood, but by our deep love and desire for the Lord Jesus. Nine months with the same men has been a brotherly experience that I could never had wished for or ever imagined.
I’m sitting here in seat 27F right now trying to comprehend all that I have learned throughout my time gone. And I think I can really identify these next few things as the most important and long lasting lessons. I will forever hold these in my heart for the rest of my life.
- Living with Community. This sounds like a simple thing but when I was in Guatemala, our team really struggled genuinely loving each other. We have been taught over many months on how to love our communities well even if we don’t initially observe them as deserving. A valuable part of this is learning how to give feedback in the moment, which basically means that you are secure enough in your relationship and are genuine enough as to where you can call your brother or sister out for doing something either great or something they need to work on. I will be able to use this in every relationship in my life moving forward. And I believe that 30 of us men and women learning this has the potential to save marriages, child/parent relationship, and churches.
- Religion is dead. Religion is tradition, a routine we fulfil do to social obligations. Christianity isn’t this big complicated philosophy about attempting to be perfect and giving to the poor. Christianity is about two incredible simple commands. They are so basic that people often don’t identify them. They are to Love God and to Love people. Christianity is about genuinely carrying about your neighbor more than yourself and caring for your relationship with the Lord above anything else. The key word in this passed sentence is “Genuine” which really speaks about the true intent of your heart. Work without faith is meaningless.
- Identity. Which sounds like a very simple idea but when you really look into it as who you identify as and what you put your heart into, it gets complicated. Over the past nine months of my life I have really just been able to surrender and allow the Lord to tear me down in order to build me back up as the Man he wants me to be. I think the craziest work that Jesus did over the last year was allowing me to identify only in him… When I left for the Race I was Jack, the football player, with a big circle of friends, who loved to party, and by the way.. is also a Christian. Now after returning from my adventure I feel as if I can confidently say that I am Jack, the Christian, who loves to hang with friends, play sports and is firm and confident in who he is and his beliefs and love the Lord Jesus.
I am writing this next part after being home for a little over a week…
My first day’s home were amazing, I was able to have such sweet reunions with family and friends that I missed so much. Everyone was so encouraging and loving. I got to have some of my favorite foods (steak, potatoes, and pasta). It quickly began to become challenging though being home.
It has been so difficult to come back to my friends as a different person. I feel as if I spent the last nine months of my life just allowing the Lord to truly wreck me and tear me down in order to build me back up as his own, but I can’t help from thinking that people still view me as the same “Jack” that left home back in August.
Coming back to America where everything is so fast paced and I feel like there is so much to do, so many people to talk to, with such little time.
The Lord has begun to start to open doors though, in church, with a new community, and new discipline opportunities. This is so encouraging because I was definitely afraid of coming home and having nothing I knew but the Lord is truly so faithful and has just given me this overwhelming peace and joy about being here and adjusting back to life.
Thank you so much to everyone has loved and supported me financially, spiritually, emotionally, or in any other way!
Thank you and God Bless,
Jack Phillips World Race Gap-G 2017
