THE WORLD RACE –
The World Race is a Christian organization that allows young adults from the ages of 21-35 to serve as short-term missionaries. More specifically, participants in the World Race serve in 11 different countries in 11 months to share the love of Jesus Christ and serve others in many ways all over the world. Beginning on January 3rd, I will join the World Race and serve on Route 1 which includes the countries of Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland.
The purpose of this short-term mission is to serve alongside ministries already established in each country. The World Race partners with more than 1,000 ministry partners in 79 countries to better serve the unreached, orphans, sex-trafficking victims, prisons and the malnourished.
The vast majority of the World Race mission will be supporting a long-term ministry worker or organization in each country. These ministry partners will have a long-term vision for the ministry they are doing and World Race participants like me will come alongside them to help with their ministry. Through these partnerships the ministry I will be doing will include teaching English, reaching sex-trafficking victims, leading worship, praying for the sick, and serving those in need.
WHY NOT? –
While that is a short description of the World Race ministry, I also want to share with you why I feel led to serve in this capacity.
When discussing the World Race ministry with a friend and mentor, she asked me the question “why not?” And initially my response was you’re absolutely right, why not?! Then the more I thought about it, there are exactly 18 reasons why I shouldn’t spend a year doing ministry internationally. It’s selfish, financially irresponsible, I’m not qualified, and I’ll miss milestone birthdays and weddings. What if I forget how to drive? What if I miss the Vikings winning the Superbowl? Every single one of these reasons to not go has actually crossed my mind even though financially irresponsible and lack of stability causes much more concern than forgetting how to drive or the Vikings actually winning the Superbowl.
These doubts are real; however, why I desire to go trumps every single “why not”.
WHY? –
The three reasons I feel called to go on the World Race are to serve, to live a questionable life, and to grow in my relationship with God.
To serve –
My desire to serve in other countries began after teaching English in Thailand last summer. God continues to create a desire in my heart to serve those different than myself. To serve those in need, to build relationships with those different from myself, and to be a blessing to others is what I am most excited about on the World Race.
To live –
The second reason is to live a questionable life. I don’t want to just exist for God. I want to live for God. And living a questionable life for God means people turn their heads and wonder. They have to think and reflect on why you act the way you do because it’s not expected, easy, or typical. Leaving the comfort of home, living out of a backpack, and abandoning stability all to serve God is not the norm.
Yet, by telling people this is what I will be doing for the next year, creates people to question why I would do such a thing and open the door for more in-depth conversation about God.
To grow –
And finally, the third reason I desire to serve on the World Race is to grow in my own relationship with God. While I am most excited to serve others, I know this is also an opportunity for me to grow closer to God and how I choose to live out my faith. And because helping others into a growing relationship with Christ is a direct by product of our own relationship with God, it is refreshing to know my own relationship with God is a priority on the World Race.
THE WORLD RACE –
That is a quick overview of what the World Race is, how I will serve and why I desire to serve through this ministry. In order to pursue this ministry, I need to raise $18,000 of support. The funds raised with your support will cover all my field costs such as flights, housing, food, etc. for all 11 months of the ministry. Those are the tangible things your donation will help support. In reality, your donation will support so much more. It will support church planting in unreached areas, prayer for the sick in hospitals, and ministering to children who have been victims of sex-trafficking.
I ask that you prayerfully consider giving to this ministry.
But in closing, I want to leave you with this. There have been so many people who have directly and indirectly played a significant role in my journey with God. God has used students, families, mentors, Godly men and women, and friends to impact how God continues to call me to serve. And because of this, I can’t thank those enough for being a part in building me up and sending me out to further God’s kingdom.
To donate to this ministry you can give online at www.missyleuthold.theworldrace.org or checks can be sent directly to Missy Leuthold at 196 Lakeview Drive Apt. 8, Spicer, MN 56288
