Adventures WorldRace SethBarnes Sponsorship Giving

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What a whirlwind life has become as our traveling evangelism tour continues.



 

   As of yesterday, we are back in Diriamba – our original ministry “siteâ€�. At my last blog, I left you in Ometepe Island. We have since traveled from that city, but our time there definitely set the tone for this whole month…beautifully challenging.


 

   On the Island, we lived with a precious family that seemed to grow with family members daily. We never fully knew how everyone was related, but they loved on us unconditionally and served us more rice and beans than we could ever, ever eat. Our contacts, Pastor Alberto, Lionel, and Manuel traveled with us, and each day we would take the “chicken busâ€� (aka old, falling apart, colorfully painted school bus) to a near-by city to walk door-to-door, sit on the porch with whoever let us in, and share the Good News of Christ and pray with them. At night, we would go to church and one of us would preach. Everywhere we went people loved on us, fed us un-godly amounts of rice & plantains, and welcomed us like we were long-lost family.

 




This culture is absolutely beautiful.

  


    This month has also challenged me more than I expected. I think God is breaking down my idealized and romanticized perception I had of the World Race. Before coming, I watched the videos, read the blogs, and cried every time I saw a little malnourished African baby. I longed to do the things I watched and read about. Traveling, adventure, orphan babies, telling people about Jesus and witnessing miracles….too good to be true, right?! Don’t get me wrong, the Race is definitely all those things, but it’s also tough; the best way I know how to capture this realization is to share with you my journal from last Thursday.  

 


   Flash back with me to 7:30 am, November 18th. My teammate Rebecca kindly wakes me up, informs me that we need to leave for evangelism in 30 minutes. She later returns, and upon seeing me still in my tent asks,  


 


“Hey Mary, How’s it going in there….�


“Hey. I’m battling it out with God�










 

November 18th. My tent. 8am…

It hit today.

 


God, I need an attitude check. I do not want to do this right now. I’m hot. I smell bad. I’m tired, sticky, and my head feels stuffy.  I’m the only one on my team who hasn’t showered in days and I do not want to take another bucket shower. I know I sound like a winey baby right now but I don’t care. I know doing evangelism is why we are here, but what am I doing when we go door-to-door to those people’s houses? It feels like nothing…God I’m so tired of feeling far away from you. I so sick of being caught up in my thoughts from home. God, I need you in the deepest parts of me right now. I need a big time life check. I need to take off these oversized grumpy-apathetic pants I’m wearing and get over myself. God, I don’t want to go door-to-door and I hate that I feel that way. I need to care. Jesus, I pray for a burning desire to see these people come to know you. Geeze that is why I’m here! For this moment: to get up, get out of my tent -even when I desperately don’t want to & would rather do my own thing, and share your gospel and love your people. There is absolutely no way I can go throughout this day on my own. I desperately, desperately need your grace this morning.


 


   I would love to say that at the conclusion of that journal entry the Holy Spirit came down, changed my heart, and a fire roared to life within me, but it didn’t. God allowed me to go through a truly tough day of ministry. But man, in His beautiful faithfulness, He gave me the grace and strength to press forward when I honestly had nothing to give.  


 

I am so thankful for that day.

I’m thankful it was hard and took off my romanticized veil of this year.  

I’m thankful God is stripping me to the core.

I’m thankful I had to get over myself. I’m glad it not about me.  

   

  That is one (out of so many) things God is teaching me right now. That following Him is not the easy road. It will be hard and there will be days that the only thing that gets me through is His strength and grace.


 



God, thank you for never giving up on me. Thank you that despite my selfish, whiney-baby days, your love doesn’t change. You see me as your beloved, clothed in the righteousness of your son, Jesus, not the sinful, messy, ball of clay you hold in your hands.