It is not hard to see the impact that the Race has on the Racers. There are differences in blog posts from pre-race posts to more recent ones, and from Training Camp photos to month 9 ones.
But how does our work impact the ministries we partner with?
Are we leaving the communities in a better place than before we came?
The work of the World Race is to come along side pre-existing missionaries and support them in their projects for almost a month. WR talks about how it’s not about us, racers — it’s about the Kingdom. Yet, their new promo video speaks of “a generation of radicals whose heartbeat is to see a changed world.” These are all great things! But sometimes I think the significance we have on the countries we visit is lost in the mix.
In the Dominican Republic, all of Y Squad spent the month at H.O.P.E. for DR, in the mountain city of Lajas. The first few days we were with the Dominguez’s, they signed the documents to purchase the land they were staying on. They have a vision of hosting missionaries for respite and starting an orphanage.
While we were there, our 45-racer squad made paths on their property out of rocks and cement. We dug a 12-foot deep pit that would be used for a septic system for a multi-toilet/shower bathroom (our entire squad had one toilet/shower combo to use for the month). These are things that they could have done, in time, and they would have had to rely solely on their supporters in order to make it happen. A few months later, they hosted a new squad who was able to take advantage of the work we did on their property.
For the first six months of the race, there was only one ministry that had hosted a WR team before — my team was the first one at the rest of the ministries! Can you imagine the influence we had on those hosts? (:
Month 6 in Costa Rica, we worked alongside Glenda and Rolando who were starting a Community Garden and Restoration House for the people of Puerto Viejo. A team of Racers were doing Unsung Heroes, which is a whole month devoted to following the Holy Spirit to new ministry hosts, and found Glenda and Rolando. A few months later, we were sent to help them build their ministry.
Their dream was to have a place for people to seek guidance from the Lord and refuge from the things that plagued their small beach town. In the backyard of this dilapidated house, a jungle was to be transformed into a community garden. That month, we painted and did our most “professional” job fixing the house into something beautiful. Glenda brought us to different organic farms in the area where we got new plants and learned about how to plant and care for them.
We moved countless coconuts from one corner of the yard to another, and picked an infinite amount of glass and garbage out of the packed dirt. We prayed and sang songs of worship to our Creator in the house. Even before we left, we saw the vision of the Restoration House come to life — men of the community were coming for rebuilding. They were rebuilding the House while the Lord was rebuilding them.
During many of the months, we worked with churches. There were some months that had a church service once a week, and some months that had church services at least 5 nights a week. Unless we understood Spanish or there was a translator, there was little we felt we were doing. But the last two months especially, we kept hearing over and over how we were there to encourage the people of the church.
It wasn’t because we came and sang a song. It wasn’t because we shared a testimony of the power Christ has had in our lives. It was because the Spirit of the Almighty God was inside of us. He told us to leave everything behind and to visit this small town in Bolivia, in Nicaragua, in Honduras. Our presence tells them that He still loves them with His whole heart, and He hasn’t forgotten them.
There is only so much our hands and feet can do in one month — but His Spirit will remain with them.
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. — John 14:26-27
