I’m a huge Harry Potter fan and I must say, there are quite a few things in Harry Potter that perfectly tell the story of life on the race.
From Book #1
“‘It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.'”
This is a motto that we sort of all adopted when we came on the race. It is also something that we remind ourselves of constantly when we are missing home and forgetting to stay present here.
“There are some things you can’t share without ending up liking each other, and knocking our a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.”
While the troll takedowns have been minimal on the race, there have been plenty of instances where we have bonded as teammates over the ridiculous things we have done. From climbing through the window of a door to get to the washing machine to sharing a room and one bathroom with 6 other females, to 30 hour bus rides and crazy travel days, it is impossible not to end up liking your teammates and squadmates.
From Book #2
“‘It is our choices Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.'”
Every day on the race, we have to choose into community. We have to opt in to being vulnerable with our teammates and loving them well. We choose to have good attitudes towards ministry and our hosts even when things don’t end up how we expect. We all have different abilities on this squad but it is how we choose to live on this journey that makes the greatest impact on our experiences and the experiences of others. If we don’t choose wisely, then our abilities, no matter how awesome, are just wasted potential.
From Book #3
“‘Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times if, one only remembers to turn on the light.‘”
We are currently serving in our second closed country in South East Asia. Closed country can be very spiritually dark. In these countries, we pray against spiritual warfare constantly and we remind ourselves that the Holy Spirit is living inside us. That spirit is a light that has the power to overcome any amount of darkness- we just have to remember that we do have that power within us. Even in countries that are not closed, we often find ourselves in dark places where we can be a light to help bring others out of darkness that may seem impenetrable.
From Book #4
“‘No I’m fine,’ said Harry, wondering why he kept telling people this, and wondering whether he had ever been less fine.”
A huge part of the race is being vulnerable with your team and squad and letting them know how you are really feeling. Often when “how are you?” is asked, the answer “I’m fine” hangs in the air for a few seconds, the question asker and answerer make eye contact and then sometimes one or both burst into tears. We are growing in this incredible community and realizing that these people are people who truly care about us and want to know what is really going on beneath the surface.
“‘If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.'”
On this journey, the Lord has called us to love the least of these time and time again. I have seen teammates press in and love on the homeless, the blind, and orphans. I have watched my squad reach out to the lost and broken in airports and coffee shops. Time and time again, I have watched these incredible people stop for the one and let him/her feel known.
I have also seen this from everyone in a leadership position on this squad. Our Team Leaders lower themselves below everyone to push the rest of the team up and our Squad Leaders are constantly striving to understand what we need from them and how they can best support us. It truly is an incredible community to be a part of that values servant leadership and is full of humble leaders.
From Book #5
“‘I DON’T CARE!’ Harry yelled at them, snatching up a lunascope and throwing it into the fireplace. ‘I’VE HAD ENOUGH, I’VE SEEN ENOUGH, I WANT OUT, I WANT IT TO END, I DON’T CARE ANYMORE!’
‘You do care,’ said Dumbledore. He had not flinched or made a single move to stop Harry demolishing his office. His expression was calm, almost detached. ‘You care so much you feel as though you will bleed to death with the pain of it.‘”
I’d be lying if I told you everything about the World Race is awesome and you never miss home or have bad days. You do. We are normal people, I promise- just because we are on this trip doesn’t mean we are these incredible people who never struggle or have meltdowns out of frustration, anger, or hurt. And when you have your meltdowns and decide that you hate everything and just want to go home, your teammates are there to help you pick up the pieces and figure it out.
We often try to shield ourselves from pain or heart break by avoiding hard situations or acting like we don’t care but this is usually not the case. The race has a ton of goodbyes and difficult situations that really pull on your heartstrings and they all affect us differently. At different points on this journey, we have all been Harry we have all been Dumbledore in this situation. It is amazing what a calm and steadfast Dumbledore-esque presence can do when you are struggling.
From Book #6
“‘And now Harry, let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.'”
Well the organization isn’t called “Adventures in Missions” for nothing. We have all gone on some crazy adventures, whether they be planned adventure days, crazy bus trips, or part of our ministries. I think all of us have a bit of an adventurous spirit and love exploring and adventuring together.
From Book #7
“‘Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all those who live without love.'”
On this journey, we have met so many people who are hurting or broken. They are living without love. Our goal is to show them love and, if given the opportunity, to tell them about the even greater love that they can receive through Jesus Christ. We pray for the people that we meet along the way, especially those who do not know the Lord because they are living without the greatest love in the universe.
