I am excited to announce I am writing a book on all my travel experiences while I am on the World Race! This will include some of my prior travel experiences (such as teaching overseas in Asia) as well as my life journey and what God is teaching me and what God is doing in my life.
It has always been my dream to write and publish a book. I have always loved to write and have written stories and novels in progress before. I completed my first novel when I took part in National Novel Writing Month, when I wrote a book in a month along with others around the world.
It is my desire to glorify God with the gifts He has given me, as He leads me. I would like to share a sample chapter; some excerpts from my book I am currently writing this year on the Race.
Without further ado, here are some excerpts from what I have been writing and experiencing:
God’s Calling
I knew I would not quit. I was determined to follow what God had called me to do. I knew He had called me to go on the Race, that was certain. I just didn’t know when. I wanted the support of those who cared about me. That mattered to me because I cared about them and valued their opinions, but if they did not agree, that wasn’t going to stop me from obeying what God had called me to. This was more than a dream. It was my calling, my destiny, if such a thing ever existed. I would get encouraged when God reminded of my calling, when He spoke to my heart that He called me to this and He would provide. He gave me confirmation again and again when I asked Him. I knew in my heart it was certain. And the times when a friend would encourage me in this, I felt so affirmed and loved and supported. It gave me more courage to keep going even when it looked impossible. What the world calls impossible does not matter, because with God, anything is possible.
Swim or Die
We were told to go wait down by the body of water we would be swimming in- a lake in mid October in Georgia meant freezing temperatures. We would need to swim very far out to where there was a buoy and then all the way back, run across the beach and up a steep flight of stairs to finish the final leg of the Squad Wars, the grand finale.
We braced ourselves. It wasn’t so much the freezing water that scared me. I would be able to get used to that. It was the distance and not knowing what shape I was in and if or when I would finish. Especially since I found out I would be going against former competitive swimmers who had been on swim teams or had been divers.
I did not want to let down my squad. They were there on the sidelines cheering for us. We had to wait until the runner from the race before us arrived and ran down the beach and tagged our hand before we could start. Our runner was quite fast and he arrived first thankfully, giving us a much needed head start!
We jumped into the water- the race was on! I went as fast as I could without totally exhausting myself right away. It was a far distance and I kept going, just thinking one stroke at a time. Soon enough I became exhausted and tried to mentally psych myself up to keep going, to try my best.
It got harder as I kept swimming. I worried about how close the other swimmers were and looked behind me to see where they were. I got a little disheartened when others started to pass me around the buoys. I was halfway there.
Could I finish? I honestly did not know if I would be able to finish or when I would. It soon became a matter of finishing just to get out of the water and finish the race even though I was out of strength. Stroke by stroke. Try to breathe. Just keep going. Finish the race. You can do it. I was exhausted and it felt like swimming through quick sand. One stroke at a time. I hoped I would finish.
Swim or die. I knew I would finish at some point, I just didn’t know exactly when. It could be ages. Just keep moving forward. It felt like I was in the water a long time and could not swim fast enough.
Soon I was almost out to the end. My teammate encouraged me to keep going, that I had it, we were almost there. She swam with me to encourage me to keep going. She told me when it was shallow enough to run. Then she ran with me the rest of the way through the water, cheering me on and helping me to go forward to finish the race. She was like an angel, cheering me on and willing to go the distance with me.
I still had to run across the beach and up the steps, which might as well have been up a mountain range. I felt like I could not even move my legs. Exhaustion overcame me and my legs felt like lead. My squad cheered me on, screaming and pushing me forward, chanting encouragement to me and giving love with their hands as I fought my way up the steps, completely and utterly exhausted. I felt like I could not walk, let alone run.
My squad leader ran up next to me and helped me run up the rest of the way, running with me and cheering me on to finish the race when I was almost too exhausted to take another step. She finished the race with me. She gave me the last iota of strength I needed and we were up the stairs. It was like a miracle! I had finished the race, I had ran the rest of the race and had completed it!
It was one of the hardest physical things I had done and I had done it. Praise God! It was a miracle and a strong personal lesson to keep going, to be encouraged by those around you helping you and cheering you on to finish your race. Not to look back and worry about others catching up to you or to worry that they sped past you. But to look straight ahead. Focus on your own race. Run, swim, or walk your race the best you can to complete it for Christ. He will help you the rest of the way and will give you new strength to finish. He will give you the courage, the very breath you need when you feel it’s too hard or impossible to take another step. And He will walk with you the rest of the way when you cannot do it on your own anymore.
We finished 4th out of 6, which was a huge victory for me. It was a victory to finish the race. It was a victory that our squad worked together to complete this race. We didn’t leave anyone behind. And we came out ahead!
God showed me that He will give me the victory, even when I worry about being dead last or not finishing at all. The victory is in Him. He gives us new strength to complete this race or any race we could imagine, even if we didn’t expect it or if we could not imagine finishing the race at all. He carries us through until the day of completion in Jesus Christ. Soon I would train in other ways in which I would learn about persevering and going on until the end.
I am still fundraising and am about $3500 away from my FINAL deadline to stay on the Race, which is due in a month, at the end of April. I’m almost there!
Please pray, share, subscribe, spread the word. If you can prayerfully consider if you can give a gift towards keeping me on this Race, I will be so thankful. I need you to keep going and to stay on the Race!
Thank you to all who have already shown so much love, support and generosity. I appreciate you and thank God for each of you! You can give here or by clicking the Support Me tab at the top of the page.
