Well I’m actually here. I’m on the World Race! Say what!?!? After all the build up, it’s crazy and hard to process that I’m actually here in Belize. My team and I are staying with Pastor Jerome and his wife, Miss Diana, who are two of the kindest people ever. We are staying in their church which is called Independence Church of the Nazarene. Miss Diana has helped us with everything and anything. She’s already taught us to cook a few Belizean meals, showed us the best stores around their village, and cooked a lot of food for us. We really couldn’t ask for a better host family. We also have already met a ton of people who attend the church, and everyone is so so kind. I genuinely love them all. My team and I have attended a women’s bible study, choreographed a dance that we will be performing for the church, learned a skit we will be performing for the youth ministry, and painted a bunch of furniture in the church’s preschool. It’s been a whirlwind but I wouldn’t have it any other way. The Belizean people we’ve met so far are all very friendly and funny! It’s nice because their first language in English (they also speak creole). Their culture is pretty similar to ours besides they live a slower paced lives than America. But hey, I’m not complaining! I’m not a fan of the crazy busy lifestyle that most Americans face.
When we arrived at our host’s church and they started showing us around, some anxiety started creeping in. I had almost 100% only felt excitement leading up to this point, but now I was feeling overcome with worries and expectations I had set on myself. I was struck with the reality that the comforts of America would really be gone for 11 months. Even heavier on my heart was the weight of everything I wanted to accomplish this year. Some of my expectations for the year are to grow a closer relationship with God, be able to more clearly hear God’s voice, help to guide people to Christ, be able to better understand my specific calling, and developing my spiritual gifts. That same night, we attended a women’s bible study (which was more like a church service because a pastor preached and men were there). He was teaching on 2 Kings 4. In the story, there is a widow with two sons and she has a creditor threatening to take her sons as slaves. She cries to Elisha, a man of God, for help, saying she has nothing but a flask of olive oil. Elisha tells her to borrow as many jars as she can find, go into her house, fill the jars with olive oil, and set them aside as they are filled. When the widow reaches the last jar, she still has oil left over. Elisha then tells the widow to sell the jars of olive oil, pay her debts, and that her and her two sons will be able to live off of what is left over. Through this sermon, God spoke to me and showed me that I was not going to get anywhere by trying to accomplish these goals on my own. He told me that the only way to do all these things was to stop trying and to surrender to Him. So right there, on the first night of the world race, after 30 hours of traveling, I again (it’s a process) surrendered my life to Christ. Surrendering it all to the Lord is the only way I will get the most out of the world race and the best way I will be able to spread His love to others. Ultimately, it is His power moving through me. I am just blessed to be a vessel.
