What is it like? Many of you are probably wanting to ask me what is it like being away from home for 9 months, starting with a group of strangers only unified by the power of Christ. These “strangers” are now some of my best friends that I have loved doing so many things with. First off, it is pretty normal. I have found that when I am living in a country for a couple of weeks, things get normal. I start living just as if I were back home, but of course in a different culture. The atmosphere of the place becomes welcoming just like the States and I enjoy just hanging out and talking to friends. At the beginning – like training camp beginning, I thought it would be the most scary thing I would ever do and one of the most unpleasant things I have ever done. It was, and it has been. Yet at the same time, it has also been one of the most awesome things that I have done and most beneficial things. With stepping out of my comfort zone, I have seen myself need to step up to the hard challenges in my life. I need to choose what my attitude will be, even when I am not feeling it at all.
I believe that there are so many misconceptions of what the Race is like. First off, it is not just a perfect vacation-like time traveling the world. It isn’t all fun, adventurous activities that I do to “escape” normal life. This isn’t a “best day ever scenario” that plays out over the course of 9 months. Although I have done several things with adventure and a lot of fun, cool things, this doesn’t show the whole part of what the Race is really like for me.
There are hard days, disunity, misunderstanding, no desire to talk or be in the presence of others. There are days where I am feeling so out from being homesick, that all I want is to be back with everything I knew in the States. There are days that I don’t enjoy what I am doing for ministry, tired, and ready to make it to the weekend.
As you can see, the Race is like regular life in the sense that there are good days and there are bad days. I think the biggest thing that I would say to someone who is thinking, considering, or doing the Race is; Don’t come with preconceived notions about what it will be like. Don’t base your expectations off of what you hear from previous Racer experiences. My experiences are not your experiences. The ministries I am blessed to be a part of will be different than what you will be blessed to be a part of. So in the grand scheme of everything, approach your Race with the mindset that things will be new. So in the newness, let God use you all the more.
