I can still remember feeling the butterflies I had when I boarded the plane to set off on The World Race. They weren't so much butterflies as they were giant birds flapping around all over the place in my stomach. Just 24 hours earlier I had sat in a courtroom and heard the judge officially announce that my marriage was over. Thoughts ran through my mind as I was boarding the plane "am I crazy for doing this?!". I felt like Indiana Jones in The Last Crusade when he has to step off a cliff and trust that there is something there he can't see that his feet will land on.
In the first journal entry that I wrote on this trip I said this "I'm leaving behind alot, but I'm gaining so much too." When my marriage came to a crashing halt, one thing that God promised me was that no matter what, He would make something beautiful, whether it was in restoring my marriage or giving me something new. And so I knew that in all the craziness I was stepping into, that God had something to show me, something to do in me. Sometimes it takes breaking us in order to have something new and better take place. This trip has been a beautiful picture of that – of how God takes the mess and the filth in our lives and turns it into something far better than we could ever imagine. Every day of the trip was a chance to see God's reckless faithfulness. What He promised is what He gave.
Going through this 11 month journey of transformation wasn't easy. Trading the comforts of home for a backpack sounded way more glamorous before finding myself in the hot, dirty African bush with no running water and a spider-infested outhouse . I had many moments where I wondered what Iwas doing or if this was real. And moments when I had to remind myself that I had signed up for this. It tested me. It tried me. It completely wrecked me. But it was worth it. I met a whole world of people and experiences that my heart will never forget.
I went into The World Race with the mindset that this was my big, once-in-a-lifetime moment. It was my time to make a difference in 11 different nations. To tread on 3 different continents with the hands and feet of Jesus. I've since realized that this was just the beginning. I have more waiting for me. And if there's one thing I learned on this trip, its that the more I'm willing to take those steps off the ledge into the unseen, the more I'm able to experience the wild, amazing plan that God has for me. He's got so much just waiting for each of us, it's just a matter of trusting Him.
God has been preparing for me a new adventure back here in the states. In the fall I will be starting culinary school at Oregon Culinary Institute in Portland, OR. I want to be able to use my passion and love for cooking to serve the least of these. God has even blessed me with a summer job in Alaska that will provide for all my needs in getting there. Even here at home God is proving that His faithfulness is limitless.
Really the most humbling part of this whole journey has been the support I have received from family and friends. I can't thank everyone enough for supporting me financially and prayerfully. It was a constant encouragement knowing that I had so many people right next to me spurring me on. It has been a joy being able to share this journey with all of you!
It's not over yet though. I've still got more miles to walk, so stay tuned…..
