Well, here I am going on the World Race. You may be wondering how I got here. I’ve wondered the same thing.
Allow me to start at the very beginning.
I was a senior in high school and facing the the giant monster of applying to colleges and figuring out life. At that point, I had my heart set on becoming a travel journalist. I knew that I was made to wander this earth and refused to settle for anything less. But there was a slight, uneasy feeling stirring within me.
“This is not what I have for you.”
Paralleling this scary time, the Lord was drawing me closer to Him in ways I did not even realize. For the first time, faith was taking hold of me and opening up my eyes to the potential of a life alongside my Savior. A life set apart for His purpose.
“I have more for you.”
…
It happened during worship. In the midst of a retreat. Atop the spiritual mountain. As I cried out words in English, they began running through my head in fluent Spanish. My four years of French contested and told me it wasn’t possible. That I had to be hallucinating.
“You will take My name to the nations.”
What, God? No. I am just starting to figure out this whole thing with you. Excuse me while I pull a Moses and beg you to pick someone else. Someone more qualified. Yeah, I know I said I wanted to travel. But, come on. Sure, that week in Costa Rica was fun and cool, but for the rest of my life? This was more than I bargained for.
…
Costa Rica. Dominican Republic. Costa Rica, again. Nicaragua. I was hooked and in love. The Lord shook me of my fear and awakened a passion within me. That’s what He does, you know. He pokes passions until they wake up and transform our lives.
I love Latin America. So much. The depths of my heart have been whispering Spanish lullabies to me for years now. The people radiate warmth that just makes you want to draw near and know more. The culture is vibrant and bright and alive and invites you to come and revel in it. The Lord loves those people in a special way. And they are snapshots of his zeal for life and love.
“There is brokenness everywhere.”
…
Asia. A different animal entirely. The Lord called me, and seeking both adventure and obedience, I followed. There is a certain darkness that lingers there. The strongholds on lives are powerful. There is a desperate need for Jesus. From the echoing calls to prayer to the no religion policies at universities to brightly painted stairs as an act of worship. I felt burdens there that weighed heavy on the heart. The people are quirky and loving and wonderful. The culture is strange and intriguing and full of chaos. And I loved it. In the strangest way.
…
I remember a time last year when I was standing on top of a parking garage, looking out over campus. I was going stir crazy in school and my heart was itching to go and do what I knew the Lord had ultimately called me to. I asked the friend with me questions that have haunted me since. “How do I know where the Lord wants me to go? Is it the place I am in love with? Or just wherever He sends me, whether I like it or not?”
I didn’t have answers. And I didn’t try to seek them out because I was scared of what they might be. I suppressed my own love and desires and passions. I stopped listening to Spanish music. I stopped letting Latin America woo me when there was a very real and present possibility that I would never return. I tucked it away. Like a favorite book on the shelf that you always hope to go back and read again while it slowly begins collecting dust.
…
In one of our last weeks in India, my team was crammed into an auto (Indian taxi) and going back to our flat. We spotted a white, chaco donning leg hanging out of an auto up ahead. After climbing the high wall of language barrier, we convinced our driver to pull up beside them. Inside were two American guys who told us that they were on the World Race. My heart leapt.
I am going to pause and explain what the World Race is for those who may not know. The WR is an 11 month mission trip where you travel to 11 different countries and participate in different ministries each month. There are different “routes” you can take that allow you to travel to different countries and continents. You live out of a backpack and alongside a team who becomes your family. The Race has been a dream of mine for years. But for whatever reason, I never thought I would ever get to do it.
One of my best friends sent me the link to a WR route a little while ago. It sounded awesome, but unfortunately, would have cut my final semester of grad school in half (which didn’t sound too bad), so I had to rule it out. It did, however, get me on the website.
I teared up as I read through the lists of countries and ministries that were only a click away. My heart ached to go. Which was when it dawned on me…if I was ever going to do something like this, now would be the time. The Lord had not opened up any other door. So, I began looking into the routes that were feasible. Then, with a rather “what the heck” mentality, I decided to apply.
I flipped through the August 2016 routes. Ruled out a few. Kept moving down the list. Immediately the words “Expedition: South America” caught my eyes. Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope. Can’t do it. It would be selfish. I would love it too much. It would be too good to be true. Surely the Lord wouldn’t let me do that one. And I didn’t even open it to be tempted.
I settled on a route that would take me back to India. It seemed best. It would most likely be the one God would want, right? But I could not stop thinking about the possibility of the other. The “what if” that hung in the air would not go away. But I was sticking to my guns and was not going to give in.
“This is not what I have for you.”
I caved. I looked. I cried. It didn’t feel selfish. It felt like peace.
“I have more for you.”
I was struck by the description….
- World Race Expedition: South America is unlike any other Race route in history. For the first time, we will share Jesus with an entire continent.
- It will cover more countries than any past route – traversing all 12 countries in South America.
- You will pioneer ministry for the Race in 6 nations, traveling to areas as remote as the Amazon Jungle and as busy as the streets of Rio de Janeiro.
- Will you abandon everything you know to spend 11 months following Jesus through an entire continent?
…
“You will take My name to the nations.”
My no quickly turned to an adamant yes. This was it. If the Lord was ordaining this for me, that was the route He wanted me to take. Upon deciding this, however, I was overwhelmed with guilt. What if it was just a selfish decision? What if this was just me trying to get back to the people I fell in love with so long ago?
My friend Melissa has a great way of talking sense into me. She told me, “Madison. You love Latin America so much and have such a heart for those people. Why wouldn’t the Lord call you back there?” Mmmm, yep. Good point, Mel.
…
I (too) often get stuck in the mindset that the Lord will never fulfill my desires simply because they are my desires. How could something that my lowly human brain could dream up and long for ever compare to the greatness that He offers? The truth is that it never will. But He was the one to plant the seeds of desires, water them with passion, grow them into dreams, and harvest them into realities. Which is exactly what He did.
He never does anything by accident. From the Spanish lyrics running through my head to the Racers in the auto next to mine. He ordains. He nurtures. He allows us to love something deeply, and cherishes us enough to let us have it. He is good.
…
So, here is the news. I am officially going on the World Race Expedition: South America route in August 2016. The gravity of this has not fully struck me, and I am not sure when it will. Perhaps when life slows down enough to let it hit me. To say that I am excited would not even begin to cover it.
I’m going to finish with a quote from my favorite book, Love Does by Bob Goff, because I think it applies.”Every day God invites us on the same kind of adventure. It’s not a trip where he sends us a rigid itinerary, He simply invites us. God asks what it is He’s made us to love, what it is that captures our attention, what feeds that deep indescribable need of our souls to experience the richness of the world He made. And then, leaning over us, He whispers, ‘let’s go and do that together.'”
Alright, Lord. Let’s go do this together.
