1. Actions speak louder than words
I have found this very true in Malaysia. A lot of times I see myself getting frustrated because I feel that I’m not getting to share the gospel in the way I want too. The Refugees were the hardest for me. I just wanted to wrap the Muslim Refugees up in my arms and tell them how much God loves them and how worthy they are of freedom and something better. But I couldn’t. In the moments when you feel like you didn’t make a difference, you have to remind yourself that you did. It’s hard to see the fruit from it. But God taught me that it isn’t always about sitting down and sharing the story of Jesus. It’s about living and breathing the story of Jesus everywhere no matter if you speak His name or not. When you realize that God starts to reveal the fruit of His work.
2. I can’t save everyone
Every Wednesday night was out reach night at the Kawan Center. There were nights we went and talked to the homeless or just walked around and prayed but there was a few nights we got to talk with prostitutes and sit across the street and pray for them. One Wednesday night we went to the hotel, ordered some cokes and started to pray. There were 2 ladies dressed up right outside the hotel across the street waiting for customers. I set there and my heart sunk every time a male would come up to them and they both walked into the hotel together and then 15 or 20 minutes later she would come back out again and wait for another one. I set for 2 hours. I just set there. All I could do was pray. I couldn’t save her. I couldn’t tell her how much more she is worth then selling her body. I couldn’t share the love of God with her. I couldn’t say the things I wanted too. In those 2 hours I felt like the Lord was letting me feel a little bit of what he feels for them, my soul was hurting. It was crushing me and there was nothing I could do. There is hope and it’s all in Gods timing.
3. Relationships are crucial
We changed teams right before I came to Guatemala and I did NOT like it. I didn’t like the people. I didn’t like that I had no friends on my team. I didn’t like that I was on a co-ed. And the funny thing is, is that no one else liked it either. We called our team the left overs because it didn’t make sense. But dang. God showed me how wrong I was about my team!! I never knew I’d love them so much.
It took a few weeks maybe even a month to start warming up to each other. We slowly starting building personal relationships between one another but never as a whole. It didn’t change until debrief when a new leader came in and one of our teammates switched. After debrief was when we put effort into the team as a whole. We had bible studies, we had hard conversations, we had family dinner nights and we had team time every single day. And that’s when we started making sense, when we started fighting for one another and poring into our team. It helped me realize that relationships are crucial. You need people. God didn’t create man to be alone.
4. Prayer is important
I always thought prayer was light hearted or just not a big thing. But it’s huge. My friend got into a a Bon Iver concert for free because she had faith and prayed all day that God would provide a way and he did! I know it sounds silly, that’s just an example of God wanting to spoil his daughter with something as little a concert. I prayed that He would reveal to me how he sees me and the next day he gave me so many beautiful words through all sorts of things. God provides and he wants you to be relentless with your prayers. Ask and ask and ask and keep asking, have faith that he will come through.
“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” John 15:7
5. I’m not saving the world
The World Race has changed my life. Not because I’ve traveled the world. Not because I’m “saving so many people’s lives”. But because I simply said yes to God. I said yes to forgiveness. I said yes to freedom and I said yes to surrender. All things I could’ve done at home. All things anyone can do. I didn’t have to travel the world for this. But I am, it’s been awesome and that’s the cool bonus that the Lord wanted me to have.
I haven’t healed anyone. I haven’t seen someone rise from the dead. I haven’t saved anyone. I have simply shared the love of God. The people in Guatemala and Malaysia have changed me more then I have ever changed them. They changed my heart and opened my eyes.
I am Kenzie, just saying yes everyday to the Lord.
