Family & Friends,
I write to you from Doha International Airport in Qatar. It is 3:00 a.m., and I’m waiting to board my flight back to America in the morning. I have chosen to leave the race four months early.
This is something I have been dealing with/struggling with for four months. I do believe God called me on The World Race, but I also sit here believing that I’m not a quitter. I may be leaving the race, but I’m going to keep on keeping on. I’m going to continue journeying with the Lord. Why have I made this decision? I do not want to say anything negative about Adventures in Missions or The World Race, because for some people, this journey is exactly what they need. For me personally, I have been unable to grow spiritually in this environment. There is nothing worse than being around people 24/7 and still feeling the loneliest you’ve ever felt. Also, I need the freedom to live outside the bubble, to live outside the box. I found myself making decisions based off of what AIM’s guidelines were, not based off of my relationship with Christ. I found myself trying to be everything I thought my team needed me to be rather than just being the person God created me to be. I found myself exhausted rather than just resting in Jesus. I’ve found myself becoming someone I don’t want to be, when I truly just want to become the best version of me. I’m confident I’m doing the right thing. I need to be around the people who know me the best and know my story, because those are the people who can keep me accountable and encourage me and love me well right now. I also desperately want to be present within my family and friendships back home. I want to pour into them and love them well too. These past seven months have not been a waste. I have changed and grown and learned and made so many unforgettable memories and have walked away with friendships that will last a lifetime. I firmly believe that God puts different paths in front of you at different times throughout life and that sometimes there isn’t a right or wrong path to take. Sometimes he really does give you the freedom to make a right or right decision for yourself. So I’ve made my decision. And I’m excited to journey back home with him!
I just want to say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for all of the support each of you have shown to me throughout this journey, whether it was through encouraging words, financially, or prayer, I’m forever grateful. I could not have made it this far without you all! This journey has made me realize just how much I am loved, and it is because of the love you have shown to me that I will be able to return home knowing how to love people better.
In Him,
Kadie
