Training camp was an awesome experience, but before we leave for the nations we are sent home for about 6 weeks to be with friends and family before we say goodbye for a year. In all the preparation for the Race, this was the most difficult time for me. It wasn't that I had to say goodbye; I've traveled enough to be used to it, and I said most of my goodbyes before training camp when I graduated from college. What made it difficult was to have faith and trust God.
It started with my dad having a mild stroke. I was the only one home with him, so I felt responsible to take care of him. I wasn't too shaken up, but I definitely wasn't planning on spending time visiting my dad in the hospital before I left to travel for a year. Praise God he was able to return home fairly quickly and has been improving steadily!
Then I had passport issues. This threatened to shake me to the core. I had to apply to get a visa to enter India month 4. In order to do this I had to mail my passport to the Indian consulate in Texas. I got approved for the visa just fine, and my passport was sent back to me. FedEx lost the package that contained my passport. I emailed FedEx, visited 2 locations, and called them 5 times (well, I called once, my mom called them the other times so I wouldn't start crying or screaming at the people on the phone. Thanks mom!!). Ultimately I found out that the package was lost, we had to file a claim in order for them to research it, and I found this out for sure about 15 minutes before heading to the airport to go to Atlanta. I struggled with not having it for at least a week, wondering why the tracking hadn't been updated for 2 week, and the phone conversations were over the course of about 3 days. I knew that God had called me to this trip, this route at this time. I knew that He is faithful to bring me all the way through the trip. With that knowledge I had hope that FedEx would miraculously find my passport and deliver it to me right before I left for the airport. I ended up making a call to my mobilizer my voice starting to crack from tears welling up saying that they told me to just get a new passport while a FedEx truck drove by my house.
So, I sit in the airport waiting to board my flight to Atlanta, close to tears wondering what God is going to do. I chose to step out in faith by getting on that plane, but I couldn't see how it would work out. Then I got a voicemail that gave me hope. Apparently there is a passport agency in Atlanta close to the airport. As soon as I landed I was able to head there and find out about getting a new passport. Long story short I was able to apply and receive a new passport all on Friday! Even before I had my passport on Friday, I found peace knowing that there was a way for me to get a passport.
I would love to be able to say that I had no doubts about God following through, but I can't say that with complete honesty. I was definitely questioning why this happened to me, and why would I come this far to not be able to launch on my trip. But despite the questions and doubts I stepped out in faith and chose to trust God. He didn't let me down, and now can fly…to Albania!
