A couple of days ago, I was on the phone with a friend back in the States and she asked me, “what’s the hardest part of the Race right now?” And I thought for a second and while probably a dozen different things popped up in my mind, I ended up saying living in community. She then asked me, “what’s the best part of the Race right now?” Without hardly any thought, I said the community.
And I’ve been thinking about that conversation ever since. How can the hardest thing be the best thing at the same time?
Since being on the Race, living in community has been a constant. I’ve been living with anywhere from 40 people to 20 people at all times. In Swazi, I shared a room with 15 other girls. In Myanmar, I lived in a room with 4 girls while sharing a twin bed. And in Thailand, I share a room with 13 other girls. I can’t go anywhere without at least one more person with me (formerly known as “the buddy system”). Ministry is with my team of 7. We eat every meal together.
Needless to say, I haven’t been alone in 6 months. And while the introvert in me is a little overwhelmed, I’ve never experienced a community quite like this.
A community that fights for each other, day in and day out.
A community who’s first instinct is to pray.
A community that choses to sit and have hard conversations with each other.
A community that spends Saturday nights worshipping.
A community that intercedes for each others families back home.
A community that cries together.
A community that rejoices and celebrates hard.
A community that edifies the Body.
A community that is inviting to outsiders.
A community that tangibly carries the presence of the Lord.
A community that meets people exactly where they are.
A community that does everything in the name of Jesus.
A community that is the Church.
A community that lives out Acts 2:42-47. “They devoted themselves the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
It baffles me to think the Lord invited me into a community like this. What an honor and privilege it is to serve and live alongside 40 incredible women of God that continually point me back to Christ.
And yeah, not being alone gets hard and frustrating. But nothing compares to looking around and seeing girls fight and pray for each other instead of gossiping. or sitting with a friend as they open up about what they’ve been struggling with. or standing in a kitchen of a hostel and worshipping for hours. or having your friends get baptized in the Indian Ocean, proclaiming victory. or breaking bread in the middle of Swazi together. or spending New Years Eve together interceding for the party culture back home. or walking an hour together just to go to church in Swazi. or sitting under the Milky Way, talking about the things of this world that break our hearts. or seeing your friends sit with strangers and pray for them. or having your friend give away her favorite stuffed animal from home at the Thailand border to two girls she just met. or eating with friends that pull up a chair for strangers. or watching friends surrender their entire lives to Jesus. or experiencing your friends embody Christ-like Love to everyone they meet.
The atmosphere is different here. And I’m humbled to be invited into it.
