I’ve been asked a lot recently what life has been like since returning from the WorldRace.
I’ve kinda been quiet on the subject, because frankly I wasn’t quite sure.
I can tell you that going to church is hard for me, because my heart misses the passion of the mud hut churches in the bush of Africa. I can tell you that shopping in Wal-Mart overwhelms me, because there are endless isles of things I learned to live without. And I can tell you that going out to eat stresses me out, especially when there are 10 paged menus filled with expensive items. I can tell you that I miss nothing more that holding an orphans hands.
However, all those things seem relatively unimportant right now though.
While I was in Guatemala, during my Month 4, God told me that I’d be doing something after the Race that I wouldn’t be aware of until the end. Something I wasn’t expecting. And boy, was He not kidding.
I imagined getting home, speaking at my church, meeting with supporters and friends, and eating a lot of food. But then things changed.
While I was in Cambodia during Month 11, I found out that my mom has cancer. Immediately after landing in America, I rushed to her. He miraculously provided free airfare to get to her home in Hawaii, and only 3 days after staying God clearly told me that this was my Month 12. He told me to quit my summer job, and stay for the entire summer with her. He told me that this was the thing I wasn’t expecting.
Being able to pray with her, laugh with her, and encourage her has been such a gift. It wasn’t how I imagined spending my summer after returning, but it’s exactly how God knew I’d spend it.
Something I learned on the Race was how to adapt.
I learned how to go with the flow, and how to expect the unexpected. I learned how to walk by faith, and how to trust God in the circumstances that were clearly out of my control. I learned that regardless of where I am, what my situation is, or how scary tomorrow looks, God is still SO good. He is still loving, He still gives us hope, and He still fills me with strength and peace beyond my understanding.
Because I obeyed God’s will to stay here, He has begun reconciling me to family members I haven’t seen since I was a kid. I’ve met aunts and uncles I’ve never met, I’ve taken my family members to church, I’ve built community in a few short weeks, and my mom and I are closer than ever. I’ve gotten to share the love of Jesus with her. These are ALL prayers I’ve been radically praying for years. Literal years. And now He’s answering them in a way I never expected, during my tough but amazing Month 12. His plan is harder than mine, but so much more rewarding. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else; His plan for me this summer is so much sweeter than anything I imagined. His plan is perfect. He really does work everything out for good.
Update on my mom: She’s had surgery to remove the cancerous tumors, and is recovering! She’s feeling significantly better since getting all the yucky stuff removed! She will be starting chemotherapy in about 4 weeks. Until then we are eating candy, and going for walks on the beach 🙂
Prayer requests:
Healing for my mom
Salvation for unsaved family members
A car! Quitting my summer job hurt the finances for saving for one!
Strength and peace during the harder days
