9/10/2013. Exactly one year ago today, I left America with a group of crazy strangers who shared a common interest: Bring Kingdom. Our first stop, Guatemala. I’ve known from the beginning that The World Race was just that, only the beginning. I knew that I was embarking on a life long journey, and 9/10/2013 was simply the start of something great.
Now, here I am one year later, and that crazy group of strangers are now my crazy group of friends – actually, they’ve become my family. They’ve loved me, challenged me, ministered with me, and ministered to me. They sought me out and encouraged me to be bold. Most importantly, they taught me how to love and be loved. Dub Squad: I love you, I miss you, and I’m extremely honored to be a part of your family!
It’s been great to have a little down time to grieve what I’ve lost. It’s nice to reflect on the past year, the memories, the love/hate relationship that I had with community, and the inspiring people that I met. Not a day has gone by that I haven’t glanced through photos and wished I could return to a particular place and revisit a particular people. I understand that it’s good for me to reminisce about the past year, remembering everything that the Lord has done in me. Ask any missionary or anyone at Adventures In Missions and they’ll tell you, ‘You must grieve past seasons in order to move into the next season’. But you can’t grieve forever … At some point, you must move.
Everyone’s re-entry looks different, so if you’re an Alumni Racer’s loved one please remember and honor that it really is a culture shock! My shock was the fact that everything seemed NORMAL!! From the moment my parents picked me up at the airport to the time I stepped back into my church in Atlanta, it was freakishly normal. I’d finally gotten accustomed to the constant change and grown fond of the chaos. The order and sensibility of life in America was a lot to take in. I began questioning a lot of things.
Had I really been gone for 11 months?
Have I changed at all?
Is it possible for me to go back to “normal” too?
I Facebook stalked old friends and went to my old house. Then I stared at my new budget, new mode of transportation, and new cell phone plan (which didn’t take long because I was lacking all three!) and wished that I could be normal again. I wished for my old life, the easy life. I wished for no worries and fun summer vacations. I wished that I couldn’t feel the pain of others. I wished the memories of my World Race away. For the first time in a long time, I cried in grief. I grieved everything and every season, the good and the bad. After the tears, I realized that it was time to move on, once and for all. I had to let go of my past in order to grab hold of my future. I’m never going back to my old job. I’ll never live the simple, easy life. I won’t take pleasure in the same sinful acts. I can’t just wish The World Race away … it happened and I’ll NEVER be normal again.
While the World Race was undeniably one of the greatest experiences of my life, the World Race is undeniably now over. One year ago, I entered a wonderful season of brokenness and growth. In two days I am entering a new season, a season of refinement and breakthrough! The Lord reminded me that He will turn my temporary losses into eternal gains! In two days I am moving to Gainesville, GA to join Adventures In Missions Fellowship program. You can read my blog on The Fellowship to learn more about how the Lord invited me into this season and what the program looks like.
The World Race wasn’t just a phase, it was a step into my destiny. It ignited a fire within me and opened my eyes to the world of missions ministry. I have a passion to spread hope around the world. I have a nagging desire to show young women that there is a God who can fill them completely with joy, peace, and an overflowing confident hope that can’t be found in the world (Romans 15:13). I have a destiny to change the world and show others what true freedom looks like. The Fellowship will help me get started in making my dreams a reality. It will give me tangible resources and exclusive insight in what it takes to do missions ministry full time. It’s no longer 9/10/2013 – it’s time to move!
Whether you’ve been following my journey or just stumbled across this blog, I’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! I want to know how you’ve been touched, inspired, affected, or angered. I want to hear about your struggles and victories. Most importantly, I want to know how I can be praying for you! We’re family now, and I’d like to support you the way you have supported me. So leave a comment or send me a direct message, your words encourage me to keep pushing!
I still need to raise a little over $5000 for The Fellowship. I appreciate all of my prayer supporters and monthly donors. When you agree to support me, by whichever means you can, you become my PARTNER in missions. I don’t take your sacrifice lightly or for granted because I know that you desire to see lives changed just as much as I do. Without my supporters in the body of Christ, I am paralyzed. So THANK YOU for your part in keeping me functioning and mobile.
If you would like to donate (I’m in need of monthly partners), you can do so directly from my blog by clicking the “Support Me For The Fellowship” link. You can choose to give a one time donation or become a monthly sponsor through DynaPay, there are no transation fees when giving through DynaPay.
Alternately, you can mail a check (for one time donations) and bypass the credit card fees associated with giving online. Make checks payable to:
Adventures In Missions
P.O. Box 742570
Atlanta, GA 30374-2570
