Over the past month or so I have been learning what sacrifice looks like, especially sacrifice to the Lord. I have seen this in so many ways on the race, and I have realized situations back home that people around me walked in sacrifice. In families in every country, moms and dads sacrifice every day to put food on the table for their children. They sacrifice to have money to pay for them to get an education. They sacrifice their time to make their children feel loved. I have seen children sacrifice for their family by working to make money. I have heard so many testimonies where an older sibling sacrificed time, comfort, and the direction of their life to support and take care of their younger siblings. In some of these cases, people were forced into sacrifice because they had to get things done because their survival depended on it. But, I have also worked with so many people who sacrifice because they have been called by the Lord. I have seen all of our ministry hosts bend over backwards for our squad, our team, and me daily. Every host I have had on the race has shown us love through their servitude in so many ways.
Being a host for a World Race team wouldn’t be the easiest task. They have 5-55 people take over their homes for 1-3 months. Most of my trip, my food has been prepared for me, which if any of you have helped during a Wednesday night supper you know what it’s like to feed a small army. They cook, serve, clean, and most of the time come and do ministry with us. A team takes up most of their time, but somehow they all manage to get what they need to get done as well. Not only do our hosts sacrifice for us, but so do their wives and families. Most of the time the women of the household have been in charge of the cooking, even the daughters are roped into helping cook and clean the house too. It’s not just a task for one person but a commitment from the whole family.
In India, our whole squad lived in a compound so our hosts would sacrifice most of their weekend to take us out to the ocean or a restaurant because we weren’t allowed to leave the walls alone. The sweetest women worked in the kitchen, cleaned the bathrooms, disposed of the black beetles, and made us tea all day long. They were up before the crack of dawn and didn’t go to sleep until everything was finished. The women were probably paid, but most of our hosts were there because they had seen God work in their lives. Our pastor and his wife opened up their home to us to take naps and drink chai when we were tired or ministry was quiet. On top of running and planting many churches, they had time for us and our lives. Many had been persecuted but continually found freedom in the Lord.
In Nepal, our host Deepak, his wife, and his nieces sacrificed their basement for 13 of us to live. The girls woke up so early to make breakfast and would cook throughout the day to make a hot lunch and dinner, too. Deepak and his niece, Pobitra, sacrificed the comfort of a bed, sleep, and their home for two weeks as they took us into the jungle and the Himalayas. They all made us feel like family by hiking with us or joining in worship. Also, they had a pug who was hilarious.
In Zimbabwe, my team literally became part of a family. We got to eat dinner around a dining room table, have little siblings climbing all over us, and watch movies in the living room. Our hosts, Abraham and Anna, had just had a newborn baby so not only were they cooking and taking care of 6 other people, they were taking care of a two week old plus two rambunctious girls. I know they sacrificed sleep for us and little Karl. They sacrificed their bedroom privacy because all 5 of them slept in one room for a whole month. Although it was loud and crazy sometimes, my team loved this month, and I truly believe our family and other ministry hosts at Scripture Union loved it, too.
In Zambia, we lived at a YWAM base. Once again, our hosts cooked for the whole base each meal. This month my host took Stella and I to the doctor so many times without complaining. They did everything to somehow help us feel better. They worked with our team when only four out of eight people were well enough to attend ministry. They sacrificed to drive us places on the weekends and even let us use their clothes pins for our laundry.
In Malawi, our hosts sacrificed their house. Two of our teams lived with a family of four in a very small house. We cooked for ourselves, but Sharon, Faith, and Grace, the women of the household, would wake up and clean every morning. Grace would come and unlock the gate at 5:30 so Sydney and I could run or prayer walk. Our drivers sacrificed so much of their time to be ready whenever we needed them to go to the clinic, the grocery store, or to refill water jugs. Even if they could’ve made more money doing normal runs throughout the day, they would come as fast as they could every time they were called. This family was truly a blessing, and to see how much outreach each member of the family did was inspiring.
So many people on the race, in America, and around the world sacrifice. Toward the end of my season in Malawi and beginning my season in Ecuador, the Lord was calling me to sacrifice, too. Throughout the whole race, I have never had to worry about not eating enough food, having sufficient nutrients, or even not being able to find a sweet treat. The Lord has called me to live uncomfortably in this world race season, but I didn’t believe I was uncomfortable enough, which is kind of funny because in many situations I am uncomfortable in some way. After praying about this decision and what He was calling me to step into, I decided to do a 30 day fast with my teammate Sydney. It was the 30 days leading up to PVT (parent trip), and I only ate veggies for the first couple days, then I added in some nuts, then I added in some fruits, and it wasn’t until the end when I had to add in basic grains. This was probably one of the toughest sacrifices I made on the Race and even ever, but the Lord was sweet with His rewards.
During the days when I could spend more time in prayer and just sit with God, I felt so filled spiritually, emotionally, and physically. I felt a deeper and stronger energy that was more than food could provide. I also pushed for a closer connection to the Lord and His voice. In the beginning, I knew the Lord wanted me to change my posture towards Him spiritually but also physically. If you’ve ever read the book, The Circle Maker, the author talks about changing your posture with prayer and fasting when you need His intervention. I did have certain people I was fasting and praying for, but I was also fasting to open up and pursue a deeper relationship with the Lord. By physically praying on my knees or taking time with Him while others ate, I felt the Lord continue to wash over me, fill me up, and speak to me. He reminded me how pleasing my sacrifice was to Him.
At the beginning of Ecuador, we had the Awakening which is a spiritual renewal conference within three different squads. It was such the pleasure and opportunity I had to fast during this time. I think fasting was one of the things the Lord was using to draw me to be in the intercession team. He used fasting to push me and actually prompt me to step out of my comfort zone because I was already seeking a deeper prayer life and pursuit of His voice. During these three days, He gave me peace about situations and words for other people, which is always something that excites me to do for others.
Although there were so many great things that came out of fasting, it was difficult. In the days where I tried to rely on my own strength, it was hard and my heart wouldn’t be fully in it. Also, God made food because as humans we need food to survive. There were definitely days where I felt tired and hungry, even days when I wondered if this was actually what the Lord was calling me to do. But in each of those moments when I learned to turn to the Lord, He met me in that time and struggle. He told me I was strong enough to do it. He gave me the strength to do it.
Overall, fasting was a sweet time. One of the biggest things the Lord taught me through it all was that it’s not a set plan you have to follow or a specific fast you have to do, it looks whatever way you and God want it to. My fast started off as only veggies, but I quickly realized that wasn’t possible for me to do. I couldn’t hurt my ministry because I wasn’t eating enough, and ministry is what I knew primarily that the Lord was calling me to do. Therefore when I became too weak and tired, I had to make changes. Also after we left Malawi, our hosts started to cook for us, and I didn’t want to be a burden for their cooking so it changed for the last week and a half. When we began teaching every day, we started to eat basic grains because we needed energy to be where our feet were, and even though I didn’t finish the fast the way I started, I still was fasting and sacrificing for the Lord and that was pleasing to Him. Sometimes He calls you to fast a specific thing because it might become unhealthy or an idol, but I learned that it’s so personal between you and Him that it could look different every single day. Each day He is still happy with you, His child, and each day your relationship is growing deeper.
Fasting was a tough time, but He asked me to do a hard thing so I could completely and utterly say that “All I needed was Him.” I encourage you to think about something to fast. Maybe you just finished your lenten fast, and if that’s the case, pray and think on it once more about the things you learned and how you grew. But if you’ve never fasted, pray about it. He might be calling to to give up an hour of sleep, an hour of screen time, social media, or literally anything else. Make it personal and allow Him to be your guidance and strength. You can do hard thing through Him who strengthens you.
