50 pound backpack, Nalgene water bottle in hand, and no expectations. I am finally a World Racer. Yep, I am now actively a part of the amazing organization of Adventures in Missions. I no longer need to read other people’s blogs longing for their stories to be mine. I am now the person posting the blogs and experiencing the stories first hand.
Being on the World Race has taught me how to live in community, be generous with what I have, eat new foods, and love on people around the world who have never experienced the love of God. That love looks like giving hugs to filthy children who live at the dump, painting fingernails of little girls, having a piñata party in a poor community, letting school kids take pictures with my camera, making tortillas for kids to have something to eat, playing jump rope at recess, and holding a widow as she cried while I prayed for her. Love even looks like washing the dishes of my teammates, shoveling chicken poop out of a pen, and being knee deep in a swamp shoveling mud into bags to make a dam.
This love that I am striving to live out daily is what I believe Jesus would do if He were here in each country that I go to. I am learning how to live in a way that puts others as my first priority instead of myself. In the process of serving others I have experienced many blessings. There is a certain joy that comes from helping others that money can’t buy. During ministry I have been blessed by the people we came to serve whether it is a chair to sit on when going into someone’s home, a cup of hot coffee, a handmade bracelet, or even an unexpected meal prepared for my team.
I have been learning how to live with less and be happy with more. I am still in the process of appreciating the things I have instead of focusing on the things I don’t. It is easy to default into having a bad attitude when I am sweating all day long with no running water and ant bites all over my body. These are the times I try to focus on the things I am thankful for and the things I have instead of what I don’t have. I am learning to be thankful for uncomfortable situations because these are the times where I will grow the most.
I am learning about the goodness of God and how I am meant to rely on Him to meet all my needs. When I trust God to do things His way the outcome will be so much better than if I was to try to do the same thing on my own. Being in Central America for three months has challenged me and made me grow but I know there is so much more growing that needs to happen during this year. You can learn more about what I have been experiencing and feeling by reading my blog at kelliverhoeven.theworldrace.org. I still need to raise $6,000 to be fully funded and stay on the race. I know this amount is nothing for God and He will provide so I can fulfill what He has called me to do. If you feel led to support me on my journey on the World Race you can donate online through my blog.
Thank you for your prayers and support; it truly is a blessing to know I have such a wonderful support system behind me.
