When I was accepted to go on the World Race, many people's reactions to the news sounded somewhat like this:
"Wow! That is amazing! How are you going to raise $15,500? Are you really going to be gone 11 months? Are you sure this trip is safe? Are you going to have to eat weird foods? How in the world are you going to pack for that long?!"
When I told people about what I would be doing for the next 11 months there were many different responses to the news, but the main question people wanted to know was why exactly did I want to become a missionary?
Now as I am going into my 6th month on the race I sometimes find myself asking this question. Why the heck did I sign up for this?!
Did I really sign up to take 20+ hour bus rides? Did I actually sign up to shovel dirt all day long? Did I really sign up to share a bathroom with 50 other people? Did I really sign up to have no control over where I sleep, what I eat, or what I do? Did I sign up to spend 24 hours a day, 7 days of the week with people and have no alone time to myself? Did I sign up for eating food I don't necessarily like and eating less than I would perfer? Did I sign up to walk 2 hours just to arrive at the ministry site and find out there is no ministry? Did I really sign up for people to call out the negative things in me that I never even realized were there? Did I sign up to be challenged and broken in areas God needed me to be? Did I sign up for constant vulnerability and not running away from my problems? Did I really sign up to take a 15 passenger van and be squished against the window with 30+ people?
There are many times during the race when you do not get what you thought you signed up for. Yet the beauty of it all is that I am so glad I signed up for all of this! I am truly blessed that I get to die to my flesh everyday and serve God in ways I never thought I would. I signed up to be a missionary because it is what the Lord called me to and everyday I thank Him for it. Life on the mission field is far from easy, but I would not have it any other way. I signed up for the World Race because I love God with all of my spirit, heart, and mind and I wanted to serve Him above all else.
I love the fact that the World Race is nothing like I thought it would be. Life on the mission field is greater than I ever dreamed it would be and I love all the good, bad, and ugly parts of it. Everyday I get to invest my life and time to serving the Lord and spreading His love throughout the world.
This is a priviledge that I hope to never take for granted.
