Why the World Race??

It’s time to get vulnerable….

Today my squad and I were informed that we will be launching from Atlanta, Georgia on January 7^th or 8^th of 2017. It hit me today as I read the email that January 7^th is barely over 5 months away, 165 days to be exact. That’s 165 days to raise a little over $17,000 to fund the trip itself. 165 days to raise enough money to cover my gear & vaccines. 165 days to raise enough money to cover my other living expenses while I’m away. 165 days to cherish every moment I get to spend with my family and friends. 165 days to take in all of the baby giggles and toddler cuddles that I possibly can. 165 days to enjoy the comfortable and predictable day to day lifestyle I currently lead. 165 days to pray for people I have yet to meet and places I have yet to see. 165 days to focus on financial, spiritual, emotional and physical preparation and the growth that God has prepared for me.

Before we continue on this journey over the next 165 days followed by the next 11 months there are things that I must share with you first. In order to do that I am going to have to get vulnerable and share parts of myself and my life that are pertinent in order for me to answer a question that every donor wants to know – “Why the World Race?” So as I share my story with you I pray that you read this blog with an open mind and an open heart. I know that God is calling me to do BIG things among His nations – and in order to do so I must get vulnerable in new ways to seek His kingdom first!

 

May 26^th, 2013.

My fiancé and I along with all of my other State Farm co-workers were at the Outer Banks for a team travel trip we had earned based on the production during the year prior. It was a Sunday morning and since no one else was up I chose to spend my morning in the Word. I spent the morning reading and rereading Galatians & specifically chapter 5.

^“13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. ¹⁴ For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”¹⁵ If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

¹⁶ So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

¹⁹ The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

I had never remembered reading this part of the chapter before and if I did it had never weighed so heavy on my heart. I concluded my morning of reflection and began to get ready to head to the beach. The guys were going to play golf and one of the girls decided to sleep in so myself and another female co-worker decided to head out to the beach by ourselves. In all honesty we weren’t that close to each other. Which is what makes what happened next even more bizarre.

We were settled on the beach relaxing and chatting about random things that all girls chat about when I looked out into the ocean and saw a pod of dolphins swimming around. It was beautiful and in that moment it was as if time stood still. God followed that moment of stillness with a punch right the gut. In that moment the Holy Spirit revealed to me that I wasn’t supposed to get married. WHAT? I am a few short months away from my wedding and now God tells me I’m not supposed to get married… this couldn’t be. Maybe I was misinterpreting the Spirit. I decided that I would discuss this moment with my co-worker (even though we had never had conversation about Jesus, much less one that determined the course of my future). Over the next hour God used her as the affirmation I needed to confirm that I needed to trust the Holy Spirit. 3 days later when we arrived home I called off the wedding. I don’t know how many people call off their weddings because of a gut check from the Holy Spirit but I can tell you it took more blind faith than I realized I had at the time to do it. A long story, many tears and lost deposits later I can tell you that God knew exactly what He was doing.

July, 2013

Each year I take my youth group on a mission trip to Western North Carolina with an organization called Carolina Cross Connection. I had recently gotten back from this mission trip where I learned that Carolina Cross had expanded its ministry to the country of Honduras. As soon I heard this news my eyes lit up like Christmas morning and I began asking questions about who, what, when, where & how. Unfortunately, all of the trips were booked solid and there wasn’t any room for anymore participants. I shrugged it off because I was still going through some transitions with my fiancé/ex fiancé at the time. Besides I didn’t have the extra-vacation time. Mine was practically all used up, or so I thought.

In July of 2013 I received an email that Carolina Cross Connection was going to send a college group/young adult group in December. I about jumped out of my seat with excitement when I read the email. Multiple thoughts immediately went through my head (1) You don’t have a wedding to plan anymore (2) You aren’t taking a week and a half off for your honeymoon anymore, so you have the vacation time (3) You have always wanted to explore the possibility of overseas mission work (4) Do it!!!

Within the next few days God confirmed in my heart that this was a part of the plan He had for me. Within the next few weeks I was accepted and my trip was fully funded through members in my community and Mt Olivet United Methodist Church. I can honestly say that if I hadn’t listened to God on that Sunday morning in May – I would have gotten married and my first trip to Honduras would have never come to fruition.

Honduras – December 29^th 2013 – January 5^th 2014

In order for me to describe this life changing experience I would like to share with you a sermon that I lead on Valentine’s Day Weekend following my return to the States. It is the only way I can accurately described the experiences I had and why without this trip you wouldn’t be reading this blog today.

 

My love story begins in the Charlotte airport at 4 in the morning. I was to report to the United terminal along with 26 other individuals who I didn’t know from Adam other than a few conference calls and emails back and forth. My mom dropped me off at the door once I saw Rachel’s familiar face. I got out of her Element grabbed my bags and walked into to the airport… Ready or not Honduras here I come. I was scared out of my mind. 1) I am petrified of airplanes 2) I have barely been above the Mason-Dixon line much less outside of the country and 3) I don’t speak a lick of Spanish… hola… como estas… donde esta el bano. Yep that’s about it. I thought to myself “God I don’t know what plans you have for me but I pray I have the strength to complete your good works.” By the time we made it to Houston we were all laughing and sharing in fun conversation. You see these 26 individuals weren’t strangers at all. We were brothers and sisters in Christ and that made us family. We loved God and God loved us and although we didn’t know it yet there were countless children waiting in Honduras that loved us before we even stepped foot inside one orphanage. We had spent months praying over each other, praying over Honduras and praying over the children waiting on us as we entered the beautiful city of San Pedro Sula.

 

Although it is a very large piece of me I feel that this love story would not be complete without sharing how we spent our first night in Pena Blanca at Camp Jerusalem. We had spaghetti and meat balls for dinner and boy were they delicious. After a delicious lunch at Power Chicken in the city I was starting to wonder where this delicious food was in the States. After dinner we all worshiped together. This night was probably one of the most important nights on the whole trip. Our leader Brittany spoke to us about expectations. She asked each of us to write down the expectations we had for the week and what we needed to surrender right then and there to allow us to be the hands and feet of Jesus this week… We wrote ourselves a letter… that letter that was given back to us t the end of the week… a letter that I will forever be grateful for writing to myself.

 

You see I truly believe that none of the experiences would have been as great as they were without that first night focused on surrendering myself to God. Because of that night I was able to be-all-in… I didn’t hold anything back. It reminds me of the new song “Oceans” … where Hillsong praises “Spirit Lead me where my trust is without borders, let me walk upon the waters wherever you may call me.” I want to ask each of you as you hear the rest of my story to think… where is the Spirit calling you? Because I promise you he is calling each and every one of us for one purpose or another.

 

The first morning in Honduras we woke at 5:30 a.m. and breakfast was at 6. This would be the pattern throughout the week. We ate a delicious breakfast of beans, goat cheese, avocado and eggs, read our morning watch and prepared for the day. This would be our first day in Casitas. Casitas is a public orphanage in the city of San Pedro Sula. We loaded the bus and headed to our destination. I wish I could explain how beautiful the country of Honduras was. Pictures simply don’t do it justice. When we got to Casitas we were all a little nervous… we had no idea what to expect & I can honestly say that even if someone told me to the extent that my life was about to change I would never have believed them… We walked through a manned door to enter. Casitas was enclosed by brick walls with barbed wire at the top. I would soon learn that this was the case for all of the orphanages. Casitas was home to girls between the ages of 10 and 18 I would say… We were greeted by a group of special needs girls who instantly came up and loved on us. Once we met our interpreters they took us inside nd this is the part of my story that becomes hard to share. There were around 40 girls in this orphanage they stay in a solid cinderblock building about 1,000 square feet. They weren’t able to leave this building unless they were going to eat or to do laundry. Many of the girls would tell you “you had to be privileged to go on the outside.” The conversations with the girls all started the same… hello… how are you… how old are you and how long have you been here. It was where God lead the conversation from there that I was never prepared for. The first two girls I met when I entered Casitas was Erica and Lesbe. Erica was 14 and has been in Casitas for 9 months. She is there because her father raped her. She tried to tell her mother once but she wouldn’t believe her. A family friend brought Erica to Casitas for her safety. Her father is a very powerful man and sent men with guns to Casitas to threaten her. They harmed her while they were there and she is still in fear for her life. Her father told her that if she told anyone what he did to her he would do it again and then he would kill her. Other than her mother I am the only person she has ever told. Lesbe’s story is a little different and it literally broke my heart. When I first met Lesbe she had a smile that I swear you could see for miles…. When the first day became overwhelming I would look to Lesbe and see her smiling and it would bring me back to where I needed to be. The second day at Casitas she wasn’t smiling and it took me half the day to figure out why. Lesbe was 12 years old and had been raped by a man… The second day we were at Casitas Lesbe was supposed to be picked up by the doctors so that they could run tests on her because the man who abused her had diseases and those diseases take time to show up. This little 12 year old girl was tormented not only by the things that had been done to her but by the unknown of the things that were yet to come. Obviously I required and a translator for both of these stories and I can tell you that even though I don’t speak much Spanish it broke my heart to watch these girls tell their stories Marcella there was so much pain and hurt & I felt that for them in the days I was at Casitas & even now. I have been on mission trips before and as a youth leader my job is to make sure everything is done correctly and efficiently… it soon became clear that God wanted me to work in a different way at Casitas. I loved on girl after girl who have experienced more pain and suffering in their young years than I have my whole life. Diana shared her painful story in boughts tears and fear. He mother almost beat her to death at age 7 and at age 8 forced her to into prostitution. She lived with her mother, both grandparents and uncles… none of them worked. Diana was expected to do the work… Diana is now 11 was sharing her story with me of things she has experienced in the 3 years that she has been working to pay her families bills. At this point it is hard not to become angry… who could do such things to these precious girls. As I sat there holding Weeping Diana I looked around the room. There were young girls with down syndrome cuddled in the crevasses of the walls, there were girls with no shoes, special needs girls screaming and hollering doing what they could to communicate but without the proper assistance like we see here in the states it was hard to get them what they needed. I was so blessed to have this group of 26 people working long side of me. I will never forget looking over and seeing Edna a child with down syndrome smiling up at Mary Alice… smiling!!! It was so beautiful. In a place where every single one of these girls was abused and mistreated in some way shape or form you may be wondering “what kind of love story is this.” You see these girls don’t just have abuse and pain in common and although most of the girls don’t get along… but who would if you were stuck in a 1000 square ft building with nothing to do or play with unless group comes to visit… you see they had love in common. Many groups travel to Honduras to teach Jesus to these girls… I am here to tell you that there is no teaching necessary. I met a girl name Kayla… she actually spoke perfect English. She said “I know that all of the things I am going through are just tests. Tests so that when God is ready I can be prepared to be his hands and feet.” How beautiful is that… the epitome of James chapter 1; Consider it pure joy, my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so you may be mature and complete not lacking anything. “

 

The two other orphanages that we visited were called Hogar Emmanuel and Nueva Esperanza. My experience at these orphanages were a little bit different. The girls and boys in these orphanages that we interacted with were much younger. I loved on new born children left in dumpsters by their mothers. I loved on a toddler named Yani and her brother Victor… Yani at the age of 5 watched her mother at the age of 4 kill her father and now her and her brother were at Hogar Emmanuel waiting to placed in another orphanage. I loved on this sweet little precious girl Emily who by the end of the day was calling me mom. She was found at the age of 5 caring for her 2 younger brothers. They were all three at Nueva Esperanza, a private orphanage with excellent amenities where they will stay until 18. These 3 orphanages have forever changed my life. I dream of seeing those children’s smiling faces again… Someone asked as I showed them my photo album if I even picked up shovel or hammer while I was there and I can assure you despite a bought of heat exhaustion and dehydration our team put down the foundation of what will be the special need girl’s showers at casitas and built the children at Hogar Emmanuel beds to sleep on. But building things is not what God brought me here to tell you today. God brought me here to tell you this… “Blessed are people who are hopeless, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Blessed are people who grieve, because they will be made glad. Blessed are people who are humble, because they will inherit the earth. Blessed are people who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, because they will be fed until they are full. Blessed are people who show mercy, because they will receive mercy. Blessed are people who have pure hearts, because they will see God. Blessed are people who can make peace, because they will be called God’s children. Blessed are people whose live are harassed because they are righteous, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.” Matthew 5: 3-10. Blessed could be replaced with Happy, but blessed is more than a good feeling- it is a lasting moment when we are in right relationship with God and we have decided to follow him fully. Some of you here today may not be at that point and that’s okay… that’s why this is my story… my love story. I once was blind but now I see. I see that there is so much more to this world than my job, my dream home, my dream husband, my dream family, the clothes that fill my closet and the brand named purses that I carry to remain a respected young female in the world of business. These children, this country… it changed me. I grew up thinking that as I graduated college and pursued my career that I would be entering the real world… well I’m here to tell you that I entered the real world on December 29^th 2013. When I came back to the states on January 5^th I was in a constant state of culture shock for about 4 days. I love America and everything that we stand for and everything that our troops, my friends fight for… but I also love Jesus and he fights for us too each and every day. John 15:12 says “My command is this: love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one that this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus gave his life for each and every one of us. He died on the cross for ours sins so that we can live. You may believe that or you may not… and again I am here to tell you that that’s okay. But as Valentines weekend comes to close I want you to think of the love that a mother has for her daughter and the love that a father has for his son. The love that a husband has for his wife…. That love does not compare to the love that God has not only for us but for the children of Honduras. No what abuse, hate, fear, neglect or any other lack of love those children receive they stand firm on the fact that God loves them and will get them through anything. So thank you so much for sending me to Honduras to hug and love on those beautiful children. It changed my life.  

 

What Happened Next …

I came back from Honduras with a fire in my heart that I couldn’t contain. I knew now that God created me to do mission work in other countries outside of the United States. I began to pray that God would reveal His purpose to me and that if mission work abroad was where He wanted me that He would reveal to me the need for me to go! In 2014 I was called to go on two more mission trips. God guided me every step of the way. He worked out all of the kinks and made what seemed impossible – possible. I spent 3 and a half weeks in 2014 doing mission work and even that still wasn’t enough. I wanted more!!!!! God gave me the tools to do His work and as I reflect back on that year it is truly amazing to watch God’s plan unfold before you.

Mission trips in 2014 seemed to come so easy. Waiting for the next mission was nerve racking. I was never very good at being patient but in this moment I knew that God wanted me to wait. In early 2015 I received two emails mid-day. One was from Carolina Cross Connection that there were a few spots left during the summer trips to Honduras with a cost of $1600 and the next was an email containing a donation of $1,600 for my next trip. WOWW!!!! If that wasn’t God moving I don’t what is. My second trip to Honduras was even more amazing than the first. The trip was followed immediately with a trip to Western North Carolina on a building mission trip. Once again I couldn’t get enough. I wanted more!!!!

Flashing forward to 2016 here I am completely supported by my State Farm Agency and God is giving me more, much more! God is calling me to go and I am answering His call. There are so many options when it comes to mission trips. There are needs here in Winston Salem, needs in North Carolina, needs in other states and needs in other countries. God just so happens to be calling me to serve His nations!

The night that I knew!

I have never been a dreamer. The spirit has blessed me with many things but dreams have not been one of those gifts – that is up until a few weeks ago. It was Thursday July 7^th. Two things happened on this day that threw me into a spiritual dilemma and I didn’t know which path to take. (1) On my lunch break I got a phone call that I had been accepted to the World Race. (2) When I got back from lunch my office manager informed me that my Paid Time Off to go on a mission trip to Cuba with a local church here was approved. Later that evening I had dinner with one of my best friends to discuss these options and how I could possibly go about making this decision. We went round and round for a few hours. I remember saying “I just wish God could come down here and tell me what he wants because I am completely confused.” Her response was “Hearing you talk I think you know what you’re supposed to do, it’s just not an easy decision.”

While I was sleeping that night I had a dream… I was older and I had passed away. I was walking up to heaven’s gates when I saw Jesus waiting for me. Except He was sad, really sad. When I got up to Him I asked Him what was wrong? He told me that although I was a sinner there was one sin that stood out above the rest. He told me that none of my sins bothered Him as much as me saying NO when He told me to GO! He told me that He had a big plan for me and He never got over the fact that I didn’t trust him enough to go. I woke up the next morning and called Ricci and told her that I was going to accept my acceptance. I felt so at peace after the decision to go on the World Race. I had never been so sure of anything in my life. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I couldn’t say no. Taking this huge leap and trusting God’s plan was and sometimes still is overwhelming but since accepting the World Race I have been surrounded by more love and support than I knew was even possible. God it putting the pieces together one by one and I am loving every step in this journey. God is moving in big way and I can’t wait to see what he has left up His sleeve.

 

I truly hope that this blog has given you the answer to the question “Why the World Race?” I didn’t know where to start so I just started from the beginning. This is me; raw, bold, beautiful me! I am becoming the person God created me to be – day by day, step by step. However, I need your help to continue on in this journey. I ask that if you feel called to do so that you forward this blog to your friends and family or anyone in your community that you feel could support me; spiritually or financially. Every prayer counts just as much as every dollar does!

I love you all!

Thanks for taking to the time to dig a little deeper into who I am and why I am traveling to 11 countries in 11 months sharing the gospel with men, women and children… fathers, mothers, daughters and sons… the rich, the poor, the abandoned and the oppressed! My name is Kayce Clodfelter and I am going to do BIG THINGS for the kingdom of God!