The World Race. Just a few ice chips off the iceberg. 11 months, 11 countries, one squad, one team, and how am I supposed to fit into all this?
I’ve got red mud smeared on my face, words written on my neck in purple marker, teammates I’ve known for three days sitting around me and typing away. At this moment I’m feeling pretty exhilarated, having just completed a decently hard-core game of 3-way Capture the Flag involving many thorns and much sneaking, recalling my middle school years. But this sure as heck isn’t middle school anymore.
Already the World Race is beginning to change me. Wait, no—the Lord is changing me; he’s using the World Race, my teammates, my coaches, training camp, rain, sun, getting lost, laughter, mud, cheers, bird calls, singing, a giant world map, the BIBLE, PRAYER, worship, teaching…the Lord uses it all.
I’m safe here. Safe in the arms of my Father God, safe in the realm of Adventures in Missions, safe in the knowledge that my teammates have been chosen by GOD to race out this journey together. It’s not that I’m not safe at home, or with my friends, or at work at Samaritan’s Purse. But there’s definitely something here that the Lord is using to wash over my soul and spirit, to focus my heart and my mind, to draw my entire being in to His arms, to prepare me for 11 months of the most extreme traveling, ministering, praying, asking the Lord, living in community, loving on people and being His hands and feet to the nations.
I can’t really say much more about these first few days at training camp, other than that the Lord is doing something here, within me, within my teammates and our team as a whole, within Adventures in Missions—all within in order to go OUT.
Thank you for participating by reading this, and by supporting me through prayer and finances if you have done so (if you haven’t, do consider it J). Next time you check back, I might just be able to introduce you to the amazing people that I will be with 24 hours a day, 7 days of the week, 4 weeks of the month, 11 months of the year. Starting July 1.
Reporting live from Adventures in Missions training camp, this is Katie Rowland signing out for the night. Talk to you soon.
