The first time I remember hearing about the World Race was at the beginning of my college career.
I had heard that a girl who attended the church I went to when I was in junior high was going to be a part of mission trip called the World Race or 11n11.
Eleven countries in eleven months.
WHOA.
And that was the end of that.
I didn’t think about the World Race again until about a year and a half ago when I learned that a close friend of my college roommate had signed up for (and has since been on) the World Race, a student who was in my Launch group when I was a freshmen orientation leader was making preparations to go on the World Race, and a staff member from Camp War Eagle was planning to go on the Race.
Suddenly, the World Race was back on my radar.
As adventurous as I am, I still didn’t think much of it because I’m now a teacher, and I LOVE what I’m doing, so the World Race just didn’t quite seem to fit the plan.
At least, it didn’t seem to fit the plan until the plan was shaken a bit when I was presented with the opportunity to teach at a school in North Africa.
If you read my previous blog post, you learned about my struggle to decide whether to go to North Africa or to stay in Missouri.
Though I decided that particular opportunity was not for me, I did feel that I was being led to go somewhere overseas, but I wasn’t sure when or where.
As I began praying about what God was calling me toward, I remembered the World Race.
Wait, that could be it. That could be what I need to do.
I began to fervently research and pray about the World Race.
Eleven countries in eleven months. Living life in community with a team of people while serving and ministering to people all over the world. Sharing the Hope of Jesus and shining His light everywhere I go. Learning the process of self-denial while living in less-than-glamorous living situations. Building relationships with individuals from eleven different countries, learning their stories, and gaining exposure to the struggle and beauty of ways of life that are different than my own. Experiencing God and learning to rely on Him in ways that I’ve yet to experience after growing up in a middle-class family in a first-world country.
I’m down with that.
After consulting a World Race representative about the types of work in which World Race members participate and the organizations with which they partner (as I’m often a bit wary of short-term mission projects due to a number of reasons) and feeling sufficed by the answers I received, I decided to apply to the World Race.
And in July, I was accepted.
So here’s what I’m doing–next summer, I will be joining a team of individuals with whom I will spend eleven months residing and working in eleven different countries to live out the World Race Mission: “…to share the love of Jesus and serve others around the world.”
All I want in life is to love Jesus, to share His love, and to love and serve others.
Needless to say, I am PUMPED about this experience.
(In reference to my previous blog post, I suppose that I’m technically leaving teaching, but it will be for a short time, and I have no doubt that I will be able to use this experience to enhance the lessons taught in my classroom for many years to come.)
I have so much more to share with you, but this is only the beginning of this journey + blog, so I’ll save those thoughts for another time.
Thank you for being a part of this journey.
Xo,
Jami
