Twenty-somethings Embark on Journey of Self Discovery and Service
Gainesville, GA – In January, 2008, a group of twenty-somethings are leaving the comfort of their homes and possessions for a year, in search of a life filled with adventure. They’re calling it a pilgrimage – an opportunity to find themselves and experience the Third World firsthand.
The group’s adventure, called the World Race, was conceived and birthed by Seth Barnes of Gainesville, GA. He designed a trip that would remove young people from their comfortable lifestyles for a year to see the world.
“This is a commitment to a transformational discovery process,” Barnes says. “The World Race taps an ancient human compulsion to take a spiritual pilgrimage.”
Participants travel to 11 countries in 11 months, spending 30 days in each location. They volunteer their time and talent in the communities they visit, caring for orphans, rescuing prostitutes from the sex slave trade, visiting refugee camps, and much more.
The nearly year-long trip contains a competitive edge: Teams race from location to location and are rewarded for the races they win. But the majority of time spent in each place is focused on serving the local people and building relationships with them.
The first year of the World Race had roughly 30 brave souls pilot this unprecedented trip. The second year drew more than 100 competitors, and the third will see double that much at least. But as the adventure spreads by word-of-mouth and the momentum builds, thousands more are expected to participate in the coming years, says Barnes, founder of Adventures in Missions.
He predicts: “Thousands and thousands of young people are going to eventually embark on this pilgrimage around the world, because it provides a context in which they can discover themselves… and how they fit in the world.”
With nothing but a backpack, these young travelers live simply. They travel from place to place in hopes of discovering something that is authentic and vibrant. They post blogs and videos on the internet of their new experiences so friends and family back home can hear the stories.
“Most young people have more questions than answers… and what better place to find answers than on this pilgrimage around the world,” Barnes says.
Two World Race groups are in the field right now, one has just returned, and three more are scheduled to leave in 2008. Each group relies on the hospitality and generosity of strangers – whether this means living in a tent in a farmer’s field, staying in an urban shanty, or enjoying the rare comfort of a warm bed. Through their experiences, World Racers learn the interdependence of humanity. They also learn to care more and live with less. It’s a journey of self-discovery and worldview – a chance to explore life in a whole new way.
