What is the World Race?

Hey guys! Thanks for stopping by! In this blog, I will be answering some of the frequently asked questions I have received about the World Race. If you have further questions feel free to message me (:

So…What Exactly is the World Race?

“The World Race is a program of Adventures in Missions (ADV or AIM). It is a journey to 11 countries in 11 months to serve the forgotten within real and raw community. It facilitates discipleship through the process of discovering the abundant life God promised. It births partnerships with ministries around the world.” Additionally, Adventures and Missions founded in 1989 is an interdenominational organization that has sent over 110,000 people into the mission field. The World Race seeks to serve and minister to the ‘least of these’ on a year round basis. Specifically, the World Race exist to mobilize a generation of radical Christ followers, training them through discipleship to grow and establish the Kingdom of God.

Is it Safe?

I realize for many of you that safety is a big concern. While the living conditions will be different and the food and water could also be a possible risk, traveling to developing countries can of course be uncertain at times. The World Race, has long established safety protocols for many situations. For example, if a country I am traveling to becomes a greater risk because of health reasons or political unrest, the World Race will assess the situation and take the necessary actions in order to avoid any problems. In some cases, the World Race, will send squads to a different country.  However, although I am aware of the possible dangers, I am confident that if God is calling me to abandon my comfort zone for His sake, that He will protect and guide me. Additionally, AIM has partnered with an insurance company called MissionSafe that will cover any medical costs needed on the field. This insurance will be required of all racers and will be included in the fundraising cost. Here is a link to the safety protocol video for further information and details.

I appreciate all the love and concerns! Prayers will be needed and welcomed!

How did I first hear about the World Race? and;

What was my journey to figure out the WR was right for me?

I first heard about the World Race during my Sophomore year of college. A girl I had met during sorority recruitment had taken a Gap Year with the World Race and I followed along with her journey via social media. I thought it was the coolest thing ever and even showed my mom the promotion video, only to be told “maybe after school”. Ever since then, the World Race has continued to cross my path. During my senior year while I was in the process of searching for jobs and trying to figure out my future, I began to think about the World Race again. I even started an application but became discouraged by societal pressures to follow the status quo and go to graduate school or find a job. Eventually I cancelled my WR application and began to apply for Grad school. After returning home I was accepted into the International Studies program at Oklahoma State  but knew I had to find an assistantship in order to pay for tuition. By this time, it was about the middle of June and I realized many of the assistantship positions had already been filled. Luckily, I managed to find one open spot in the residential department. I had an interview and optimistically waited for a response. Three weeks went by but nothing. I continued to call and leave messages, but came to the realization that the door was probably closed on this one. Sure enough, after calling enough times, I received an email saying that they were not going to fill the position due to the limited time to train someone. To be honest, I wasn’t that bummed, I had already began to feel less excited about Grad school but was unsure why. During the waiting time of my interview response I was working out at a golf club and had a lot of time on my hands. One day I found myself searching social media and wanted to follow up with a friend from church who had just gotten back from the WR. I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, just curious to see how he was doing. Soon enough though I found myself reading others blogs, watching videos, reading everything on the WR website and then I asked myself why? Why does this program keep crossing my path? Why can I not get this off my mind? Is God calling me or is this just a personal desire? I fought with myself for a long time before bringing it up to my parents. After praying, researching, and reading a lot I felt a peace and so did my parents. There was a passion in my heart and you could tell. God was telling me to go.

Are you scared or nervous?

If you know me, I have a very spontaneous soul and in many ways, an extremely fearless attitude. In the beginning I was very gung ho about the whole thing like many people are when starting a new adventure! Overtime however, anxious thoughts have begun to enter my mind. Of course I have concerns and doubts at times because of the uncertainty. Yes I am nervous to leave my family behind, yes I am scared of being robed, yes I am nervous about traveling the globe with 30 people that I don’t know, and yes I am scared of catching Malaria. This however, is teaching me to draw closer to the Lord and trust in His plans. It is a process that many of us go through when we give our life to Christ, called “surrendering”.  Much of these thoughts I believe are coming from Satan trying to discourage me. I am still super excited though! Everyday I am working on preparing for the WR spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

Please pray for me and my anxious heart.

Why do you feel called to do this?

Not only am I passionate about humanitarian work, but my international mission experiences have led me to develop a heart for serving the ‘least of these’. During my time in Haiti and Guatemala, I was humbled by the people and the work I was doing. If you know me or perhaps keep up with my social media sites then you may pick up on my materialistic lifestyle. This is something I continue to work on, but when you’re surrounded by a culture that says it’s acceptable, even encouraged, it’s hard to let go. Going to Guatemala and Haiti forced me to let go of certain things that were tainting my focus on the Lord. If you’ve ever been to a developing country and served, you may have noticed the spirit of those who live there. Often times, I have found that even though many of the people in these countries and communities lack some of the very basic needs that we take for granted here in the States, they have a spirit like no other. Their overwhelming joy is contagious and at first it really puzzled me. How could they have so little but also be filled with so much happiness. The answer was Jesus. Although this is an answer I have personally developed, I truly think it is a genuine reason. Because they have so little, they are compelled to put their trust in the Lord. Everyday may seem like a battle for them to survive physically but their relationship with God continues to fill their spiritual hunger and thirst. This really stirred my heart, and I fell in love with abandoning everything to follow Christ. Even when I know I have everything I could ever want or need I somehow still feel empty without a relationship with Christ. This, long story short, is why I wanted to go on the World Race. Growing up, I have always gone to Church and believed in Christ, but it has taken me a while to realize what it means to walk with Him. Although I have grown in my relationship with Christ over the past couple of years, it has not been a priority of mine. I have put focusing on my relationship with the Lord on hold for too long and my greatest desire now is to be absolutely filled and on fire with the spirt. I believe that God has called me to join the World Race because He has continued to place it on my heart. As I really began to pray to see if this journey was right for me, God revealed through many different signs that it was in fact a calling. God wouldn’t continue to deceive me and place this in my path if he wasn’t truly calling to me.

What will you be doing?

The ministry will differ month to month based on the country and community needs. Attached I have provided the link of my route that gives more specific details about each country and the work we will be doing.

How are you going to fit all of your belongings for 11 months into two backpacks??

This question makes me excited because I have already started to gather stuff for my trip. This past weekend I went to an REI garage sale and bought a barley used 65 Liter Osprey backpack for $95! This will be the bag I use to store most of my belongings, along with a smaller day pack that I will cary on the front of my body. Only having two backpacks for 11 months is going to be hard for this overpacker… buuuuuuttt I’m excited for the challenge. Although I’ll be limited on the amount of clothes I can bring, I will be able to pick things up in different countries as I need them. I’ll also be living in a 2 person tent most of the time. Crazy I know lol. I’ll be doing a more in depth blog about this topic in the future as time gets closer to my trip. For now, if you have anything you would like to donate and think I might need… message me and I’d be happy to take stuff off your hands! Keep in mind that I will be carrying these backpacks for 11 months, so the less it weighs the better. For example, a 3 pound 2 person tent would be better than a 5 pound two person tent.

Why and How did you choose your specific countries?

I choose January 2018 Route #1 (Haiti to Uganda) because I was interested in the list of countries the most compared to the other two routes. I have been to Haiti and the Dominican Republic before, I have always wanted to go to Thailand, Nepal really interests me, and I have a really good friend from Uganda and I would love to meet her family if possible while I’m there.

Will you be able to see your family at all?

During month 8 or 9 my parents will have an opportunity to participate on what’s called a Parent Vision Trip. This allows parents to come and visit their racer on the field and participate in the ministry for about 5 days. While my parents and I have talked about it briefly, we have not made any decisions on whether or not they will be coming. Additionally, every once in a while, my squad may have a layover in the States, in which I may attempt to see my family during that short time.

How much will this trip cost?

Rounding up the trip will cost approximately $20,000. This may seem like a crazy amount for many, but when you think about food, housing, and travel for 11 months to 11 different countries, it’s actually pretty cheap. Although I will be paying for a portion of the trip cost, I will definitely need fundraising help.

How do I support your trip?

You can support my trip by staying updated with my blog, praying for me on my journey, and contributing financially if you feel led to do so. I will be posting a blog sometime in the next week about fundraising and more specifics. Always grateful for the support and encouragement!

***Below I have also provided some Common Terms that I will be referring to a lot***

• Squads are the larger group of about 40-55 Racers who travel together on the same Route. Squads are made up of smaller teams, who will sometimes go to different ministry sites within each country. For example, your squad will all travel to Thailand together, but teams will spread out to ministry hosts between the cities Phuket, Bangkok, and Chiang Mai. For each team, we will select one person as the team leader.
• Team leaders are selected by staff at training camp. Team leaders are still peers — equals — but who we simply ask to have an extra level of responsibility. There are other team leadership roles you might be asked to fill to serve your team as well. These include finances, storytelling, logistics, and other specific ministry roles.
• Squad Leaders are World Race alumni who have “been there and done that” who serve as Squad Leaders for each race squad.
  • For 11-month World Race Squads, Squad Leaders will travel with your squad for the first few months on the field, training team leaders and helping your squad learn the ropes of world travel. Then, these alumni Squad Leaders raise up new squad leaders from among your team leaders about half way through the Race. While alumni Squad Leaders continue to lead remotely, the raised up Squad Leaders have a chance to grow as they provide field leadership.

• Admissions Advisors are based in our home office in Gainesville, GA. They help you get all the stuff together to actually get on the field! Passport and visa needs, flights, fundraising help, etc.
• Squad Mentors lead your squad from a mentorship position. They are the primary liaison to the home office for your squad. They spend a lot of time on video and phone calls with the squad overseas, and visit Racers on the field during debriefs.
• Squad Administrators handle the logistic components for your squad. They are also based out of our home office in Gainesville Georgia and take occasional trips to the field.
• Squad Coaches offer spiritual guidance and prayer support for your squad. Coaches are usually a married couple with a lot of wisdom to offer and a desire to pour into the next generation (usually in their 50’s). Coaches meet you at Training Camp, follow and comment on your blogs to keep you encouraged, are available to chat as needed. They travel to the field multiple times to debrief with your teams in person.
• Coaches: Coaches are married couples and parents who have experienced life and who bring wisdom and vision to the squad. We are a multi-generational organization that believes in discipleship and evangelism. Because of this, we deem coaches a valuable part of the mentorship all World Racers receive during their journeys. Coaches travel to squad debriefs throughout the 11 months.
• Debrief: occurs 3-4 times over the course of their time on the field that the entire squad comes together for 4-5 days with staff and Coaches for intentional processing, debriefing the experiences from the previous months, and building relationships with other Racers, staff, and their Coaches.
• Financial Goal: each Racer must meet certain fundraising goal deadlines. If a Racer does not meet his/her pre-Race financial goals, he/she will often delay to a later route. If a Racer fails to meet a financial goal while on the Race, he/she may be sent home. Fundraising goals and funding deadlines vary according to WR program and Launch date. Your Racer has been given all amounts and deadlines that apply to them.  Note: The cost of travel health insurance is added to the base fundraising goal.
• Training Camp: a period of instruction and preparation, usually about four to eight weeks before Launch, and a time for Racers to officially meet their squad, leaders, and coaches. Squads launching on the same date attend training camp together. Training Camp is in essence the final interview for the World Race. Team assignments are made toward the end of Training Camp.
• Launch: a few days before a squad’s departure from the States, the squad typically reunites in Atlanta. They spend time hearing from World Race leadership, worshipping, studying, and preparing for the rest of the Race before leaving for the field.
• Ministry: a team’s assignment for the month. This will vary from country to country and can even vary day to day while in country. Examples of ministry opportunities include working in orphanages, mentoring street kids, befriending those trapped in human trafficking, door-to-door outreach, manual labor, teaching English, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, healing the sick, and so on.
• Mobilizer: prepares Racers to leave on the mission trip. A mobilizer ensures all needed information is entered into each Racer’s profile and sees that financial deadlines prior to Launch are met.
• Parent Navigators: (a parent ministry term, not a World Race term) a group of alumni parents who commit to walking with World Race parents throughout the Race. Parent Navigators encourage, support, and pray for parents as well as help facilitate the parent Facebook pages.
• Route: an itinerary of a given WR squad. Each squad’s route is unique and subject to change.
• Racer: a participant of the World Race.
• Kingdom Journey: A physical journey that revitalizes our spiritual journey with God. This is what the disciples did when they took up their cross and followed Jesus.  Read the book Kingdom Journeys by Seth Barnes (Founder of the WR) to explore more.

I have also attached a link to the Home Page of the World Race website if you are interested in knowing more information.

If you have any more questions let me know! Sorry this was long hopefully it is beneficial though!