A few months ago I was walking in my favorite park with a dear friend. On that sunny day we stumbled upon one of her friends sitting on a bench who just so happened to be a previous world racer. The race had been on my mind a lot lately. I found myself reading blogs and daydreaming about life as a world racer. Since it had been a dream for so long, I never thought it could be a reality. Then I met Katie.
Katie talked with me about the race with a sense of normalcy that made it seem like not such a crazy idea. Don’t get me wrong, she still spoke with a passion that set my heart to beating double time, but she painted a picture of a logical passion.
I went home that day and applied.
Why?
Because I am desperate.
Desperate to leave everything I own, sans what can fit in a backpack, and have only the Lord as my source of comfort.
Desperate to enter into spiritual battles with a team who will combat them with me.
Desperate to give the Holy Spirit free reign to use me in impossible situations.
Desperate for a reminder that the Lord is all I have and all I need.
Desperate to become immersed in the ways cultures worship the Lord, and how vast and different his creation is from what I know.
And yes, there is a selfish part of me that would like to travel and see the world. But this route is not my plan, and it is not about where I want to go.
When I originally signed up, I chose a route that included India- a country I hope to live in one day. I was excited for the chance to finally experience it!
Then our route changed, and the Lord told me to wait for India.
I was strangely comforted by the change in plans. Because I knew the Lord was asking me why I was truly going- to fulfill a dream of going to India? Or to serve him wherever he would call.
These are the communities the Lord is calling my team to love, and I know he is already preparing the road for us.
So why would I chose the World Race, and not long term missions?
You know, I’ve asked myself that same question. I believe I will end up doing long term missions work, but I passionately believe in the work Adventures in Missions is doing.
Adventures in Missions LOVES Jesus and they LOVE people- they believe in people finding the love of the Lord and boldly ask young people to go and tell people, because they are desperate for the world to know.
More than door to door evangelism, Adventures in missions believes in discipleship and working alongside people and the local church. It seeks out the people most shunned by society and gives them a voice, and it advocates for sustainable change.
I read a blog once that mentioned two racers who would boldly pray for a certain street in a red light district to be shut down. Seeing no change during their month of Cambodian ministry, the girls left discouraged. Years later they heard from current racers that the street had turned into a ghost town.
Short term missions can be beautiful, and I am like a small puppy who just discovered his tail, excited to see the ways the Lord moves in these 11 countries.
Why not do that here?
My hope is I’m leaving my Michigan communities with the knowledge that they are loved by myself and by the Lord. If I haven’t, let’s have coffee, friend. I still have a whole lot of love to leave behind.
We should probably have coffee regardless, because I love coffee, and would love to share a cup with you
