The World Race isn’t always fun. You might think it is if you peruse the #11n11 hashtag on Instagram, but behind all the filters and spiritual captions are early mornings, long travel days, and hard moments. You’re not always witnessing God’s miracles. Some of the teams on my squad have, but I haven’t, and sometimes I don’t want to walk in the spiritual authority that I’ve been given through a life with Jesus.
You won’t always love your team. Living in community is not always easy. There are disagreements, there’s tension, and sometimes all you’ll want to do is stare ahead blankly and exit the conversation.
You’ll take cold showers, and eat things you really don’t feel like eating, and sleep in cold attics. You’ll have to stay up all night making sure babies aren’t crying, and you’ll get spit up on when you’re feeding them. You’ll get your hair pulled by children; you’ll get stared at by locals wherever you are.
You’ll look at a calendar and say, “I have….how many more months of this?” You’ll look at pictures from back home. You’ll miss the past season and look forward to the next.
BUT.
The World Race is a once in a lifetime experience. You’ll stop where you are and say, “how is this my life?” You’ll witness the love of Jesus through the service of people across the world. You’ll feel His love for His children when it’s 5am and you’re trying to get the baby to drink more milk. You’ll be affirmed in your identity as a chosen, sacred, beloved daughter of the King over and over again.
You’ll have so many laughs with your team. So. Many. Laughs. There will be days and you’ll say, “how can I possibly hold more love for these people?” You’ll walk in vulnerability and trust and have amazing conversations where you feel seen and known. You won’t want to go to bed because all you want to do is hang out with them and pick out Disney spirit characters.
You’ll see how people live with close to nothing, and you’ll appreciate your showers. You’ll be fed more than millions of people across the world. You’ll sleep in cold attics and be given wool blankets by your host and read through a book of the Bible before bed with the team members sharing that attic. You’ll be asked to read a book in English by a twelve year old girl who doesn’t even understand the words- she just wants to hang out with you. You’ll want to adopt every orphan you fall in love with and your heart will break because you’re just a single, 23 year old girl who can’t. You’ll be greeted warmly by locals and they’ll play American music just to make you feel welcomed.
You’ll look at a calendar and say, “how has it already been 3 months?” You’ll look at pictures from your life right this second and be in awe of the beauty of the world. You’ll know that the Lord has led you to this season for specific purposes, and you’ll look forward to the rest of this crazy adventure of a year.
