Well….. I don’t think there is actually such a thing as a perfect Race. But I sure did learn a lot last year and here is just a little advice and encouragement if you’re thinking about doing the Race. And even if you are called to a life in America I believe that this can play apart in your walk with The Lord too.
I arrived home back in America from the World Race on December 2nd 2014. Last year was the longest yet the shortest year of my life. I remember training camp and asking myself, “what in the world did I get myself into?” Now I look back on this last year and see how the Lord used me and His love for the nations and can’t imagine how different things would be if I didn’t go and serve.
1. Dream with God. This year you are going to see things that you have never seen before. Things that will make you upset, confused, joyful, angry and so many other emotions. You will be put in situations you have never been in before. There is nothing too large or too small for The Lord. Pray BOLD, SPECIFIC prayers and watch how God shows up. BE EXPECTANT when asking God for things. He wants to give them to you. Watch your faith be built up and your love for your Father increase.
2. Have grace. For your teammates. For leadership. For your ministry hosts. And don’t forget yourself. Because when it comes down to it, it’s because of God’s grace for us that we have been saved.
3. Thank your supporters, friends, and family back home for this experience. This mission trip is something that very very few people will get to experience. Soak up every single day. The present, current day on the race is the most important day of your race. There is no time to worry about the future or regret and live in the past. Live every single day with everything you have. Be sure to invite the people who financially and are prayerfully supporting you on what God is up to in your life and the lives of 1000’s across the nations that you are ministering to.
4. Press into pain. Our past baggage, trauma, and experiences aren’t fun to re-live. However, in order to bring freedom into those areas you have to address them and bring healing to your life. Process the chains and burdens that you have been carrying and let yourself be ministered to. Let The Lord take away anything that is keeping you from freedom. Your past alcohol addiction, consistent lying, or obsession with perfectionism doesn’t define you. Your testimony is yours. No one can take that away from you and that is a gift that God is going to use in so many lives you encounter.
5. Pour into your squad and receive what they have for you. No matter how weird they seem at training camp or how completely opposite they are from you, don’t give up on them. You will spend just as much time with them as married couples and they will drive you crazy sometimes but I promise you they will become some of your best friends that will forever and always encourage, challenge, and love you.
6. Be open to everything. Yes I mean anything and everything. Whether it is ministry, food, people, schedules and just life in general, be flexible and have no expectations. Easier said than done I know… but I promise that you will have an easier time when you can come into situations with an open mind and heart. Sometimes you will absolutely love ministry and sometimes it will be a challenge for you. Just know that you are the hands and feet of Christ. He is using you to bring people into His Kingdom. So it’s not even about you. When ministry is hard you will have to pray through it and rely on the Lord and His strength.
7. Your voice counts and you have things that people want and need to hear. The Lord is going to put people in your path to learn from and they will learn from you. Whether you meet those people one time or you are with them everyday for eleven months. Be bold and confident in yourself. The Lord will give you words when you have none. He will give you actions when you don’t know what to do. Trust Him. Listen and obey Him.
8. Do scary things. Bungee jump off of a bridge, eat a spider, give really hard painful feedback, preach a sermon for the first time, give the random stranger a word of encouragement that the Lord gave to you for them, worship in front of a whole church, or pray for complete and full healing for someone who has been disabled their entire life. Through that vulnerability and boldness you will see God move in your life and the lives of others more than you ever have before.
9. The Lord is faithful. He has more promises for you than stars in the sky. Hold tight to His promises and remember His love and faithfulness when you feel far from Him.
10. Your identity is in Christ. More than anything in this world remember who created you and that your purpose on Earth is to worship and live for Christ. Our citizenship is not on Earth but instead in Heaven. With Jesus! When you feel lost and not secure in your identity always bring it back to the creator of the world and His love for you.
11. When you get malaria for the 3rd time and are put in quarantine and held hostage in a Malaysian hospital for nine days thank the Lord for friends like Beth and Nico, a generous British man, kind hearted Asian women who bring you soup, parents who are worried but also filled with trust and hope, and a community who support, pray, and love you thousands of miles away. Just kidding… This probably isn’t going to happen to you but after this year you will have story after story of The Lords sovereignty, love, humor, holiness, and mercy.
This is a year for you and The Lord. And after the race it doesn’t end. The Race is just the beginning. The beginning to a beautiful, messy, unknown journey with God.
Thank you to everyone who followed and supported my race this year! The prayers and encouragement mean more to me than you will ever know. For the next 3 months I am leading a Passport trip (18-22) yea rolds to Peru. I would appreciate the continued prayers and always feel free to message me prayer requests of your own. I love you people!
