The term sacrifice is nothing new to us Christians, as Jesus constantly reminds us of the great sacrifices we make to follow Him. It isn't easy to go about doing, and it isn't always easy afterwards.
As me, and I'm sure the other member of U squad are realizing, there is a lot of sacrifice in preparation for the World Race. Did I know there was going to be sacrifice before I actually started preparing for this trip? Of course, but the real magnitude of it hit me when I started doing it. Time, money, energy, closeness, it all gets focused on this trip. It consumes my thoughts at times. Planning can cause stress. how do I pack my life into a bag? How am I going to raise 15,500$? What if members of my squad think I'm a dweeb? What do I do if I get constipated in Uganda?
Sacrifice isn't necessarily easy, but I've learned that it can be a freeing experience. So far, I haven't had to give up much outside of time and thought, but the little that I have, while hard to let go of, has given me sort of a peaceful feeling afterwards. Knowing that the money in my bank account is going to something more worthy than it used to is a great feeling. It really gives me motivation to work – the thought that the money I labor for isn't going to something in vain.
On a side note, there is a country that I have a newfound interest in going to, Of course, I'm excited to go to all 11 countries, but in comparison to some, I have put a few on the backburner, so to speak. But since moving onto night shift at my workplace, I've begun talking to a co-worker who has been to Ukraine. He tells me how great it is, the people, the land, the culture. Even his wife is from Ukraine, and he will be going back in July. It's really gotten me excited to go there, even though beforehand I was much more excited to go to other countries.
