So Nic, tell us why you wanted to go on the World Race or rather, how did you end up on this adventure of the World Race?
Well, it started a few years ago, I first heard about the World Race from another student at Olivet and then throughout my last couple years I kept on hearing about it from other Olivet students who had gone on it. It was always something I considered doing after I graduated from college but I never truly felt called to it and doors were opening up for other opportunities. For example, I came back to Olivet to pursue my Master’s because I felt that God was not done using me in the Resident Assistant (RA) ministry and I had a great RD and a great team of RAs. Plus, I still had running eligibility and I love the cross country/track teams at Olivet, not to mention I paid very little for my first year of grad school because of various scholarships. It just all fell together and was a very beneficial year.
But you’re not done with your Master’s degree, correct? So why the World Race now, why not finish your Master’s and then go on the Race?
That is correct, I am still in the middle of my Master’s program. However, Olivet has it set up that the 2nd year of the program you are in a full-time ministry position for the long-term (whatever “long-term” looks like in ministry) and I looked into a few options to fulfill that 2nd year of the Master’s program but they all fell through. The thing was, God was calling me to the World Race for this time, not a future time. I don’t know what God has in store, but it was confirmed by many people over a couple months that the World Race is where I should be. I don’t like leaving things unfinished, but God has a plan and the education I received this past year will be very beneficial on the Race and in the future.
So, tell those of us who don’t know, what is the World Race?
The World Race is an 11 month mission trip, though it’s more like a mission adventure, where you really give up all of yourself for the sake of the Kingdom. You go to a different country each month (so 11 countries, 11 months) and participate in God’s work in that place with local people and local missionaries. It is also a ministry really grounded in prayer, praying for team needs, praying for the needs of the people where we are at, praying for just everything and fully relying on God over oneself.
What countries are you going to and what ministry are you doing?
Funny you should ask that. The World Race has lots of routes to choose from each year (they send out around 20 teams a year) and each route goes to different countries, so naturally I chose a route with countries that interested me, but God changed those plans.
My route has been chosen to be used to do a documentary about the World Race and just how God is using young adults to help transform the nations and really give up themselves for the sake of Christ. Therefore, my route got changed because of various things with the documentary (countries willing to be filmed, getting equipment in, etc.).
Currently, we have been told of 9 out of 11 countries that we will be going to on the “updated” route (though these are even subject to change). These countries are…
Guatemala, Nicaragua, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand/Burma (the team might split between the 2 countries for the month), India, Nepal, Botswana, and Swaziland.
The ministry we do in each country will be unique and could literally be anything. It could be street evangelism, work with children, work in sex-trafficking areas, literally anything, but it will be the work of Christ.
Changing gears, what are you going to miss most while on the Race?
I mean, I’ll miss friends and family, people I’ve relied on for the last 23 years, maybe some modern comforts (the World Race involves giving up a lot of amenities we take for granted in the US), possibly the food (though I usually love foreign food, so probably not), but really just family and friends. However, knowing I am where God wants me and doing His work, while I will miss people, I will have a great family that I am becoming a part of, my World Race team. They will be my family for the next year and I am excited to get to know them and go with them on this journey.
Finally, what can those reading this do?
Well, first you can pray, pray, pray. I have training camp in less than a month and leave for the Race in about 10 weeks! So it is coming up fast, with lots of stress of preparing, lots of good-byes, lots of chaos.
Second, you can continue praying! haha
Third, you can follow this blog. This will be my primary (possibly my only) method of communication before and during the Race, so you can follow my journey by following this.
Lastly, you can donate. If you feel called to support me in this mission and the work that Christ will be doing through me, find the link at the top that says “Support Me”, click on it, and then follow the directions from there. It will be greatly appreciated, though all your prayers will be appreciated even more.
One last thing, if I want to ask a specific or personal question, how can I contact you?
You can either Facebook message me or e-mail me at [email protected] and I will get back to you ASAP. Or you can send me your phone number and I would love to call you and chat about the World Race, it’s something I’m very passionate about (I just don’t want to put my phone number on this blog. haha)
