We are currently finishing up our squad debrief in Istanbul, Turkey. Every debrief we have seems like a time when I, and most on the squad, hit a spot where we desire to totally be in the will of God. Ever since the beginning of this Race we have been told that we are going to reach a place of total abandonment. I realize I have left behind my family, my friends, the jobs I could get with a college degree, my car, and every other comfort that I normally experience in everyday life. Is this total abandonment? Not yet. This is the longest I have ever been away from home, but I have been able to have communication with everyone back much more than I ever expected. This has been great, but I think God is now showing me that I have just been taking baby steps and now is the time to take the great leap. The last few nights several conversations have been had about taking that leap. How we are going to get to a point somewhere in the Race where we are going to hit that wall with full force where we don’t have any choice but to look to God for comfort. I have definitely said to myself, “why now” and “why am I doing this during the holiday season.” During the next month, while these thoughts are running through my mind, I am going to abandon my electronics. This means my cell phone, computer, and iPod. This also means that I will not have any form of communication for the next month. Once a week I will write a blog and it will be the responsibility of my team leader to post it on the website. I apologize in advance if I don’t immediately reply to your emails or comments, but one of the reasons I came on the Race was to grow in my relationship with God, and the only way I am going to do this is to leave everything and follow Him. There is no doubt that this is going to be a difficult season for my family and I, but the best thing you can to do is to lift us up in prayer.
