Brought to you by a special visit from Mom and Dad in the field, here is my mommy’s guest blog.
“But How Will I Dry My Hair?”
I really had no desire to go to Swaziland, and if you had asked me last year at this time, I would have said that the possibility of my going to Swaziland was next to none. But I DID want to see my daughter Lauren. I DID want to share some time together with Lauren, as well as her teammates and their parents, and I DID want to learn a little bit more about this life that they call ‘The World Race’.
Once the invitation was received, there was never any question as to whether my husband and I would do everything possible to make the Parent Vision Trip a reality for us. That particular question was easily answered…however there were so many other unanswered questions that the list seemed endless. One big question was whether the trip would even come to fruition, since Adventures in Missions didn’t have the required number of parent participants when the deadline approached. Once we did have the official ‘green light’ and the packing list was given, I began to second guess the whole thing when I read that we were required to pack everything in just one piece of carry on luggage, and that I shouldn’t even pack a hair dryer!
Well guess what? We were being well groomed for the World Race lifestyle…it is quite simply one uncertainty after another. It involves so many unknowns, so many mysteriously undefined situations, and yet so many opportunities for growth all at the same time. Somehow this mysterious and vulnerable life of the kingdom seeking World Racer is actually perfectly orchestrated, it all works like a fine tuned universe, and it works quite well. The reason it works is because it’s foundation is built on ‘Trust in Him’. These Racers never seem to question God’s great plan for their lives and they know that they have everything they need, because they have God. It involves a great deal of maturity and courage to accept the unknown, to accept everything without asking questions, to live with discomfort, and to realize that you have a greater purpose amidst all of that unknown. I was humbled to see the spirit of discipleship within our Racers who have aligned their hearts with God, and who know that He provides in powerful and abundant ways.
Our group of 22 parents and 15 Racers spent the week together at El Shaddai Children’s Home in Swaziland (quite honestly I didn’t even know where Swaziland was, aside from being in Africa). It is probably one of the most breathtakingly beautiful places I have ever been. El Shaddai sits atop a mountain that overlooks a repetition of endless mountains, and for added beauty it sits above the Maguga Dam on the Komati River. From that vantage point the evening sunsets are simply frosting on this deliciously sweet cake that God created! You really can’t even begin to imagine how high up we were, but let me tell you, it was quite an adventure to travel straight up a mountainside on roads that would put any roller coaster to shame.
Upon arrival I quickly learned what it means to live in community. We were assigned a shared room with another married couple, each having our own set of bunk beds approximately three feet apart. There were three adjacent rooms in our building with an open ceiling across the top, so as you slept there was a symphony of snoring from every room. The bathroom was outside at the end of the building and it was shared by 12 of us. I quickly learned how to quietly climb down from a squeaky bunk in the dark, grab a flash light, and walk out into the dark to the bathroom in the middle of the night. I learned to take a shower with less water pressure than my kitchen sink, and a few times it was either all hot or all cold. I learned that my hair actually will dry without a hair dryer. I learned that when you drop your toothbrush on the floor of the bathroom, there is no such thing as the 30 second rule (luckily I had another one). And I learned that bugs WILL crawl on you while you are sleeping, as I woke up one night with one on my hand.
There are so many things that I learned during our week together living in community. We shared preparation and clean up of meals as a large group. Team cooperation worked efficiently and it was actually quite fun. I learned that you can make 25 forks and 25 plates work for 37 people, that you can eat dinner with a spoon, that you will survive after washing dishes in cold water only, that clean drying towels are a luxury, that paper napkins are non existent, and that water is your main drink of choice with every meal.
When we arrived at El Shaddai I immediately knew it was a special place. There are 65 sweet children who live there, and each one captured my heart. In a country that has the highest incidence of AIDS anywhere in the world, many of the children are HIV positive. The children are either orphaned or have been rescued from abuse or neglect. These children are a special group of God’s children and they taught me so much more than I could ever teach them. I learned that human interaction is craved and I saw how these children care for each other. I learned to recognize that they have a strong and powerful sense of faith at a very young age. Together we played games, sang songs, read books, made toys out of water bottles and rocks, and viewed photos on my phone (which was one of their favorite pastimes). The baby house became my favorite place…a place where I spent time holding children who loved the attention, wiped their runny noses, played pat-a-cake, gave them wet wipes for their boo boos, pushed them in swings, and prayed for their well being.
Yes, I learned a lot in a very short amount of time. I learned that you can experience more emotions within 24 hours than you would normally experience in a week. The World Racers are living this life day after day for 11 months, and they are doing it with total surrender and trust. I will be the first to admit that I was very unsure about my daughter Lauren giving up a good job, leaving a comfortable living situation, selling many of her possessions, and venturing into the unknown for 11 months to travel 11 different countries with a total group of strangers. Well admittedly, I was wrong to doubt the power of God. Leaning into discomfort and uncertainty have given her a fullness like no other. It is the kind of growth that most people will never experience, and to witness her fine character and big heart is truly amazing and gratifying.
I have a newly transformed faith as a result of watching these World Racers and sharing in a small part of their lives as Racers. They are changing the world more than they will ever know, impacting a multitude of lives. Living with constant uncertainty has forced them to depend on God, and God hasn’t failed them. My experience as the parent of a World Racer has stretched me further than I thought was possible…and I wouldn’t change a thing, not even for the convenience of a hair dryer!
