Today is one year since my life changed forever. One year since the day that I launched from America to this crazy journey called The World Race. And in honor of today, here is this blog, which will also be my last ever WR blog. That makes me sad. But I am really happy that today is the 11th.
(Each month of 2013. Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Romania, Ukraine, South Africa, Mozambique, Swaziland, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, then heading home)
This is the blog that I’ve been absolutely dreading having to write. But it’s also the one I’m most excited to write. It’s the weirdest combination.
This is the blog that I’ll share the answer the question I keep getting:
“How was the world race?”
It’s amazing to me how often I get asked this. And it’s even more amazing that it’s taken me this long to be able to sum it up into a nice, brief, condensed nutshell.
Simply put, 2013 was the best year of my life.
I am still in complete awe of the goodness of God. I’m blown away by experiences He allowed me to have; with friends, with beautiful people around the world and with Him.
On the race, a foundation for my life was established. It was the first time that I was living my whole life for Jesus and actually understood what it meant to love and follow Him with every part of me.
It was also the first time (and honestly, probably the last) that I was living in 24/7 community. It was a huge blessing and the best way I could have lived. Though it was hard at times, so much great fruit came from it. I developed vital communication skills, learned to handle conflict and most importantly, discovered how to truly love people well. I experience family, and I will always be forever thankful for each and every one of them.
On the race, I was privileged to see that the world is a beautiful place. To some surprise, I also saw that the world is a broken place. The world is indescribable. It’s so much more than I imagined. There is so much more of it that I want to see. There is so much of it that I want to love. I didn’t think I’d fall so in love with the nations, but I did.
Other cultures are so thirsty for God and that’s something that I have applied to my own life, no matter what country I live in. I have learned my need for Jesus so much deeper than ever before. I have seen the power of His name and the faithfulness of His love. When you’re taken out of the daily go-go-go of American life (that I was living, at least) you find that nothing is sweeter than spending time with Jesus and loving God’s children.
Another big thing that I discovered on the race is who I am. Yeah, at 24, I figured out a lot more of who I am than I had ever known before. And it’s because my identity was IN Christ for the first time ever. I learned that I am His daughter! I felt what that meant. I felt immense love that I hadn’t ever known before. I discovered a lot of passions, gifts and talents that God has given me. I stepped into this identity that will forever shape the rest of my life.
That leads to my favorite thing about the World Race. I was able to seek looking more like Jesus and less like myself. I realize that this is a lifetime pursuit and therefore, I will keep striving. I remember saying this at launch (which, beautifully, was exactly one year ago from today. January 11, 2013):
“What I want to get out of the race is to be unrecognizable at the end of it. I want to look more like Jesus and less like myself.”
I am beyond happy that I think that happened. Anyone that knew me before probably can testify to this. I am a new creation. I have changed tremendously and feel so much more alive than I ever have before.
This is the best way to end this last season of life.
And the best way to start the next.
So, thank you, World Race, for officially rocking my world and changing everything.
And thank you, Jesus. For being my everything and loving me like crazy.
On the race, I also fell in love with blogging. I discovered my passion for creatively expressing myself through art and writing. I am very excited to announce that I will continue blogging! I am finishing a few details and then will hopefully have a new site up and running. If you’d like to find out more about this new site let me know. If you’d like to be subscribed to it and receive my updates in your inbox, that would make me totally ecstatic and I can add you no problem. Click the “Contact Me!” tab on this blog and send me an email with your email address.
Thank you for all your faithfulness in following my journey. Thank you for all your support and love. You have no idea how much you’ve affected me and I am so blessed to have you all in my life.
lovelovelove,
Mel 🙂
