"Do not have expectations about the World Race."
I have been told this by my mobilizer (the person who helps me in every aspect of preparing for the Race) and previous Racers over and over. It is easier said than done! It is hard not to imagine what life will be like on the Race. I have been preparing for the World Race every day since I was accepted. Praying for the trip, getting to know my squadmates through Facebook and video chats, writing blogs, studying WR info, researching the countries we will go to, looking for the equipment I still need, and fundraising are all important parts of the weeks leading up to the Race. It is time consuming and overwhelming at times, but I am enjoying every bit of it!
For a life-altering event like this, some expectations are unavoidable. I cannot help but anticipate being a witness to the kind of faith-building experiences I am sure to encounter. This isn't a bad thing, but I also have to allow God to work in ways I do not anticipate, and be willing to adjust according to His plans. Many times on the Race, plans change at the last minute and amazing things happen because of it. I am ready to give this year entirely to the Lord, and am praying I really can step back and let Him grow me and lead me beyond where I can go on my own. I realized I haven't explained very much on my blog yet about what the Race will be like. Let me tell you what I know so far.
In just a few weeks, I will be going to a week-long World Race Training Camp. There I will meet my squadmates in person. These are the 40-60 other people who will be going and serving in the same countries I am at the same time. Sometimes we will all be together, traveling to our next country or even working in a ministry as a group the entire month. Often, however, after we enter a country we will split off into smaller teams of 6-8 to work with different ministries. My teammates are the people I will be spending every single day with for the entire Race. I can't wait to see the team and squad God has chosen me to be a part of, and what plans He has in store for us! I expect to learn and grow from the people He places in my squad, and to build and encourage them, too. He is choosing exactly the right imperfect people like me to fit perfectly into the plans He has for our Race.
At Training Camp, we will be learning how to live in and deal with various situations we could come across on the field. We will live in our tents for the week and use our packs and other equipment for the Race. Adventures In Missions volunteers will recreate foreign marketplaces and transportation situations to practice coordinating travel and living in the mission field. We will also be given some safety training and of course Biblical training. I am looking forward to being surrounded by people who have made the commitment to live each day for the next 11 months in service of the Kingdom. What an uplifting week it will be!
In early July 2013, my squad (T-Squad), along with 120-180 people in three other squads, will leave the USA and head to our first countries! T-squad will serve in Romania, Ukraine, Ireland, India, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia. (It won't necessarily be in that order, though.) Besides Ireland, I have never been to any of these places. I am interested to see what cultures and beliefs we will come across.
Everything I need for the next year I will have to either pack into my Kelty Redcloud 80W backpack or buy along the way. It's easy to feel unsure about the availability of items I may need in some of our more remote destinations, but I have been told by many Racers that you really can find most items, at least in the bigger cities we'll pass through to get to our ministries. As one alumni Racer put it, "Other countries have soap, too!"
Right now I don't know exactly what types of ministries we will be serving in. We will learn more information as we get closer to Launching, but plans often change along the way, too. It is not uncommon for a team of World Racers to arrive at a ministry one morning having been told they would be doing one thing and then discover they are actually needed in an entirely different way. Challenges and changes of plans like this are part of being on the Race. God uses opportunities like these to teach Racers to depend more fully on Him. As long as we have Jesus, we will see that we can go anywhere and do anything, and to His glory!
I have seen squads minister in many ways. As World Racers, my squadmates and I could be working in orphanages, doing manual labor of all sorts, spending time with women trapped in prostitution, reaching out to people on the street or door to door on behalf of a local church or ministry, serving food in a soup kitchen, teaching English, and many more things! We will also be teaching and worshipping with our Christian brothers and sisters who live in the areas we stay in. Everywhere we go we will be seeking opportunities to build relationships with people and tell them the Good News of Christ. We will be concious of the effect our actions and attitudes will have on our witness, and will work hard to live accordingly, even outside of our specific ministries. (We will need plenty of prayer for strength, patience, and wisdom!)
This kind of 24/7 ministry can be exhausting, so World Racers are given some days off during each month. Some of this time will be spent building relationships within the squad, encouraging each other through struggles and sickness. Some of this time will be spent "recharging our batteries," and just spending time alone with God. Some of this time will be spent going on extra excursions and experiences we could not (or perhaps just would not) do anywhere else. I have heard of World Racers rafting the Nile, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, bungee jumping in the middle of rainforests, dancing on the Great Wall of China, and visiting many well-known sites while on the Race. I wonder what opportunities for once-in-a-lifetime experiences my squad will encounter?
In many of the places I am going I will likely have access to clean water, electricity, and even Internet. I will be able to keep up with my blog regularly (as much as circumstances allow). There may be a month or two where I will not be able have contact with home. Happily, though, I will have the excellent opportunity to relay much of what happens on the field to you at home through this blog! I can only imagine the incredible things I am going to see God do (some of it through myself, which blows my mind!). It is certain I will grow throughout this experience, probably even in ways I do not expect.
I can't wait to get going! "Here I am, Lord, send me!"
PS – Here's a link to a video from some World Racers currently in the field. This is from their month in Nepal. Although I won't be going to Nepal, it's a good example of the experiences I could have on my Race. Enjoy!
