World Race Gap Year Squad V may go down in history for having the WORST travel days possible.
I mean yes, taking 40 college age students to 4 different countries over the course of 9 months on a missionary budget seems difficult in itself. For most Racers, 6 hour layovers and 4+ connecting flights to get across the world is normal. Maybe a delayed flight every once in a while, maybe a night on sleeping pads on the airport floor. Training Camp prepared us for all of that.
But what Gap V has been through, Training Camp could not have prepared us for.
For a few examples:
Sitting in the gate that was announced in English as the plane (almost completely booked by your group) takes off without you in a separate gate announced in Spanish.
OR
Planning for an easy bus ride to mid point debrief but actually being dropped off at a dock as the bus driver asks you when your boat will pick you up.
OR
Expecting to land in Mexico City and finding yourself landing next to the beach in Acapulco as your connecting flight to LAX takes off hundreds of miles away.
As fun as it sounds to get stuck in Bogota for 48 hours or ride a boat across a lake, it is not as fun to bear the burden of thousands of dollars and expectations of a large group of Racers (and their worried parents) and having to wrestle with airline companies speaking different languages. I have the most respect and admiration for my SQL’s (Aly, Jackie, and Stephen) and Logistics (Kori and Philip).
The tears are real, the fear is real, the STRESS is REAL.
Where most would find shame, anger, and resentment, these people stay rooted.
While I don’t know what’s going through their heads I’m there to hear the over flow of their hearts.
These people find patience.
They humbly sit and wait for returned phone calls. Their voices hold authority AND kindness as they negotiate. They show grace when we take bathroom breaks and forget our bags momentarily.
These people find joy.
They laugh at the ridiculousness of how much harder it is than it should be sometimes. They rejoice in exploration of new cities and exciting layovers. Their spirits are lighter than a worldly mindset could ever allow because they walk in immense amounts of trust in their Good Father.
Our squad is led by a team who walks through the fire without even the smell of smoke.
And so our squad is enabled to walk through fire after fire, or missed plane after all-nighter after 3 mile hike, without even the smell of smoke.
Just as my people are faithful to their Father, so much more is their Father faithful to them.
I think of the Israelites leaving Egypt.
I can’t imagine the fear and the stress that must have hovered over the people as they prepared and carried out their own “travel day” so to speak.
All of the work, the suffering, the pain that they must have felt as they struggled to break free. The possibility that the Egyptians change their mind and that true freedom might not be attainable.
But how FAITHFUL was God to split the sea and bring them not only freedom from the Egyptians but freedom from any fear of being re-enslaved by the same people.
And so, God has been faithful to us.
As we missed our flight out of Colombia to Guatemala, it was 100% our fault.
BUT THE LORD PROVIDES! The airline gave us new flights for free! Melissa’s family had a place for us to stay for free! We got a whole free day to explore Bogota and get to rest before arriving in Guatemala!
As we missed our connecting flight to LAX, we also missed our chance to explore Los Angeles and meet up with nearby friends.
BUT THE LORD PROVIDES! We found new flights that get us to LAX in time for our next two flights! My team got a connecting flight through Dallas, Texas MY HOMETOWN! Chooch got to see her dad for the first time since leaving for the Race! His police buddies to escorted us through the airport and we made it to our 3rd flight exactly on time! My mom found a way through security to see me before heading to Cambodia!
Gap V may suck at Travel Days but thanks God that you redeem all things.
