This past weekend, I met up with some of my fantastic squad mates for a camping trip in West Virginia. Meeting even a small portion of my Z squad family was even better than I could have anticipated.
If I’m being honest, before this weekend I was starting to lose some of my enthusiasm for the World Race. It’s hard to maintain the kind of excitement that I initially felt for this adventure when it still seems so far away after so many months of preparing. I’ve been excited for so long that I had forgotten what I was supposed to be excited about in the first place. The vision of what the World Race is actually going to be had been lost somewhere between fundraising, planning travel details, and worrying about which shots to get.
Camping with my squad mates showed me a little glimpse of what the World Race could look like and reminded me that we’re not just preparing for a year of backpacking around the world; we’re preparing for a year of serving Jesus and growing closer to Him within a Christ centered community. The weekend was filled with the joys of hammocking, hiking through rivers, cooking over the fire, and supporting each other with prayer and encouragement. These people are adventurers, brave followers of Jesus, and walking stories of God’s goodness. I cannot wait to meet the rest of my Z squad family and am so grateful that I get to go on this journey with these people.
Hearing testimonies from my squad mates, showed me how incredible it was that Jesus brought us all to this thing called the World Race. We all had very different journeys to get here, yet every single one of us loves Jesus and has said yes to serving Him around the world for 11 months. This year on the Race won’t just be about loving people of different cultures that we encounter. One of the greatest displays of God’s love will be the way that we learn to love, support, and encourage our squad mates in the truth and love of Jesus.
Jesus said “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:35 ESV
So maybe I didn’t raise the rest of my money, or finish buying my gear, or finally decide what to do about malaria meds, but camping this past weekend was probably one of the most important things I’ve done to prepare for the World Race.
P.S. I am 84% funded and so incredibly grateful for all the support I’ve received so far. Please consider supporting me and help me be fully funded before I leave in September! Thank you all!
photo credits to the lovely Ashley Spriggs
