When I was interviewed for World Race, the very first question that my interviewer asked me was,
“So why did you choose January Route #3?”
I was a little taken aback by the question since nobody had asked me before and I hadn’t yet had to articulate why i chose my route. I’d had to do plenty of talking about why i chose the Race, but now I was being asked to talk about my route. And honestly, I hadn’t really thought too much about it so I wasn’t sure where to start or what to say, but somehow the words just came flowing out of me. It was as if the answer had been deep inside me all along unbeknownst to me. I replied with this:
I’ve had a love for Latin culture for as long as I can remember. Whether it was Spanish, Mexican, Afro-Caribbean, South American, Central American– if it was remotely Latin, I loved it. I studied Spanish for 6 years and loved it. The first international experience of my life was when I went to Spain when I was just 17 years old. My first mission trip was in Costa Rica…. I absolutely love Latin culture and their food and their language(s). So initially, Jan. 2015 route #3 was NOT my first choice! I wanted to do route #1 which is ALL Spanish-speaking countries! It seemed like such a perfect fit! But then I read Luke 10 and everything changed haha.
In Luke 10, it describes how Jesus sent missionaries out into the field. He told them, “The harvest is truly great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.” (Luke 10:2-3)
And the part that I’ve bolded above, the part where He says that the missionaries are gonna be like lambs amongst wolves!? Yeah… that totally shifted my perspective. He wasn’t sending them out into the mission field to be comfortable or safe or to feel normal… He sent them out into a world where He knew they’d feel the opposite! And so as I read that scripture and unpacked it and prayed about it, it became very clear to me that my world race route, should I be accepted, needed to be one in which I would feel uncomfortable, out-of-place and scared. So I began to look through all five routes again, really studying the countries involved, really praying about which one I should apply for, and I kept on going back to route #3. I loved that it had some Spanish-speaking countries and I loved that it had Haiti (because I’ve wanted to go there for years).
But what I didn’t love so much was the fact that it went to Malaysia, Thailand and Philippines. It just made me uncomfortable. I don’t know what languages they speak, I don’t know anything about their cultures, I have a slight idea bout the food they eat… but that’s it. I’m pretty much lost when it comes to Asian countries. And the same goes for the African countries that were on the route as well. Route #3 was a route that would allow me to spend some time in the communities and lands of culture I loved but it would also push me beyond my comfort zone by having me spend the majority of my 11 months in countries where I feel a little intimidated and ignorant.
I want to feel uncomfortable. I know the ‘lambs amongst wolves’ thing is more literally about being around evil people and people who would mock and murder Christians. But figuratively, that verse really showed me that, on every level, serving the Lord and following after him without reservation is a journey of suffering, discomfort, and uncomfortableness (yes, I made that word up). And the journey results in me growing, maturing and understanding where real joy, comfort and happiness come from. I don’t feel like I’ve articulated myself too well here, but if you take nothing else from this post, take this: I chose my route because I’m excited about getting uncomfortable; I’m ready to go beyond the borders and lines my heart has drawn. I want to see how Jesus is worshiped in every nation, tribe and tongue, not just the ones I’m familiar or comfortable with.
“For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.”
1 Peter 2:21
:: Selah ::
