Here’s a glimpse back at month 8 on the Race. This month was far different from another other on the Race because we stayed in a closed country- an area of the world where it is illegal to practice or share Christianity.
For the safety of where we stayed and those we worked with during the month, I will not be sharing information about our exact location or ministry specifics. If you’re interested in hearing more about my experience walking out my faith in a closed country I’d love to share more detailed stories when I get home!
I’ll be the first to admit that I was pretty nervous about heading to Southeast Asia for the last four months of the Race. The spiritual warfare and cultural changes hit me pretty hard at the start of the Race in India and Nepal. Well, per usual, God showed up in big ways this month, showing me that He is bigger that my hesitations and that His glory shines through the darkness.
This was a bizarre transition month for our squad-the men were grouped together for a second month of “manistry” and the ladies were placed in one month teams. Team Hype was a blast!They helped make every ordinary task memorable and fun. These girls quickly went from teammates to close friends. I was blessed to spend this middle chapter of the Race learning, growing, and laughing alongside these girls!
A few aspects of ministry throughout the month included painting projects and assisting with pre-school. One of the greatest challenges I’ve faced this year is language barriers everywhere we go. This was just as true, and sometimes more frustrating, while at the pre-school. These sweet little kids would look up at me, gabber away, and never quite understood why I couldn’t answer them. I so badly wanted to know what they were saying and wanted to say things back to them. However, through this experience, and many similar experiences this year, I’ve learned the power of unspoken languages. Big smiles and lots of hugs are universal, they speak volumes.
A portion of our month was spent on a “prayer adventure”. I say adventure because we left our hostel with a general idea of where we wanted to end up and nothing more. The rest of our trip was guided by the Holy Spirit- where to walk, where to stay the night, who to talk with, when to go, and when to stay. Since we weren’t able to openly share about the love of Jesus we blanketed the country with prayer. This month also taught me the power of prayer. We walked, rode, and hitchhiked our way through a region of the country praying that the Lord come to this area of the word.
A huge THANK YOU for supporting me throughout this year. I’m so excited to share that I am fully funded. Whether you have partnered with me through prayer, finances, or both, thank you! Many of you know from my past blog posts that I almost didn’t come on the Race because of finances. God is so much greater than our fears.
I share this for future Racers who currently feel the stir in their heart, but are hesitant. If the fundraising number seems too big to overcome, if you’re afraid of leaving for so long, or have any other fears looming in your mind, push them aside.
If you feel a call go to on the Race, or if the Lord has laid anything else strongly on your heart, I say GO, LISTEN! It seems crazy at first, but when we step out in faith and obedience He always provides a way.
