4 Days Left…!

It’s hard to believe that in
four days I will be on a plane on my way to the States – specifically Ft. Lauderdale
where I will meet up with my parents and see them for the first time in 11
months!  It hasn’t sunk in yet and
probably won’t hit me until it happens.

This has been a crazy year
of fun, adventure, tough times, hurt, growing, learning, loving, eyes being
opened, loneliness, fullness, full reliance on God, coming together as the body
of Christ…and so much more that I can’t put into words!

God has revealed things to
me about myself that I never saw before, both good and bad.  He has taught me more than I ever thought He
could in different ways than I thought He would.  He has stretched me in ways I never
imagined.  He has opened my eyes and
heart to things I was never open to before. 
He has given me a desire to be more like Him out of love and not
obligation.  He has loved me
unconditionally through the learning process…when I failed; He picked me up so
I could try again.

These eleven months have
benefited me more than I ever could have benefited those around me in each
country.I have been there for a short season
in each person’s life along this race…people in Thailand, Cambodia,
Philippines, China, (Hong Kong), Swaziland, South Africa, Costa Rica, Panama,
Guatemala, and Nicaragua.  He has broken
me and then molded me.  He has allowed me
to meet many people I had to say good-bye to. 
All along the way, God used me to be an encouragement or speak truth or preach
or sing or just hold someone.  HE used me
to get a task done, such as painting, or to bless someone by serving.  He used me to pray or feed or share God’s
word or pray with someone.

This year God has shown me
things about myself I didn’t like and gave me a desire to be more like
Him.  He has used my teammates, His word,
my family, my friends, my church, my experiences, His people around the world, and
His voice to teach me His ways.

*Each country God taught or
showed me something different.

• Thailand: the same needs that are all around the world
  are at home too, they may look at little different but they are all still
  there and too many are forgotten
• Cambodia: pray before everything, over everything,
  living in community is difficult, working things out is essential, I am
  His beloved-a child of the King
• Philippines: I owe love to everyone all the time no matter
  what, God’s creation awes me, how to deal with and live with what I’ve already
  seen and experienced in three months, desire for God to give me His eyes, how much I need His strength,
  there are poor people-but God provides even in those situations, joy isn’t
  in stuff, pastors and families we met have little but have so much joy and
  a wonderful attitude and strong desire and passion to serve God, peace
  about speaking in front of church/people
• China: power and importance of prayer (especially for individuals), more
  team dynamic struggles and without internet realizing I have to rely on my
  team not people back home and it’s important
• South Africa: peace, freedom in Christ, no condemnation, BE
  in God’s presence (be in the doing), serve team
• Swaziland: patience with team, God will work even if
  other people not listening to God, gave me heart for the land of Swaziland
  dying of AIDS, the Holy Spirit moves in ways I’ve never seen
• Costa Rica: patience, endurance, full reliance on Christ
  and not everyone else around me, power of prayer (again)
• Panama: die to self, even littlest thing can make a
  difference
• Guatemala: so many people lost (even tourists where we
  were at), there are less fortunate and forgotten people in the states
  (handicapped especially)
• Nicaragua: thankful for differences, go-with-the-flow,
  serving others, patience, value of relationships (with our contacts), pick
  your battles, end well

God taught me so much more
than is listed above; more than I have processed yet and more than I can put
into words.  I have met people all around
the world.  Some people I will never see
again.  Others I will one day visit
again.  I have had conflicts with
teammates in ways I never thought, but I’ve also seen awarding resolution and reconciliation
– something that brought us together closer than before, to an understanding
never felt before.  I have seen many
different cultures.  I have seen the way
people worship God all around the world. 
I have seen the poor and the rich, the safe and the dangerous, the joyful
and the bitter…I’ve seen so much, yet there is so much more God wants to show
me in the future.

This year has been an
amazing adventure, not always easy, but all completely worth it.  This week we are taking time to process this
year.  Someone asked me today, “If you
knew then (before the race) what you know now, if you knew it would go the way
it did, would you have gone on the race in the first place?”  I hadn’t been asked that before, but my
answer is most definitely a resounding “YES!” 
The things I’ve seen and learned far out-weigh the tough times or anything
else that happened that I didn’t expect. 
This is an opportunity and experience not many get to have, and God has
blessed me in amazing ways to allow me to go on The World Race.

My view of things now is
different than before.  I’ve changed.  This experience is forever a part of my
life.  It is not a trip I took and I move
on and leave it all behind.  It goes with
me.  As I go home and figure out how to integrate what I’ve learned, how I’ve
changed, what I’ve seen, and what I’ve experienced, into my life at home, I
know God is going to show me the next step. 
One thing God has taught me that has remained is His peace…truly a
peace about my future that passes all understanding.  God has it and I don’t have to have the rest
of my life planned out.  I just need to
have ears open, take steps of faith when He calls me to, and obey.  It’s exciting.  Life really is an adventure, in an of itself.