As the title says, I just want to emphasize that the World Race did not change my life. God used the World Race as the tool that was going to put me in a season of undivided focus to receive revelations and healing to allow me to step into my true identity. I could have had the same realizations and growth at home or through another season, but it was selfish desires and ignorance that led to Him using this program.
At our final debrief, we created this thing called Life Markers. Essentially are events and moments that have left a mark on my life, specifically in this season. While we filled these out, I got super overwhelmed as so much came back to mind. Like wow God has done so much in the course of my life in this past year. It can’t be summed up in a “how was your trip?” or a one sentence response. This season has had ups, downs, emotions and feelings just like any year. Here’s what I’ve gathered to break down this year and give you a small glimpse into what has actually happened.
Month One- Cambodia
The first month was probably one of the hardest months for me. I came onto the field with expectations to how I thought this journey would go but had to immediately throw those expectations out the window. It was all squad month so I was living with all 50 people and 40 of us girls were sleeping on the floor of a very sweaty, small room. I felt insecurity in who I was and fell into comparison a lot. I wondered ‘How the heck am I going to do this for 9 months?’ I got Dengue Fever when my biggest fear was getting sick- but haven’t been sick since then so PRAISE GOD. My team loved me well through me feeling deathly ill, and the Lord used it to show me His perfect timing and that He is good despite my circumstances. I got to teach English at Ezra with Grace, ride bikes through the pouring rain, and go to Thailand for a weekend with my team.
God broke me down this month to prepare me to get built up in Him.
Month Two- Cambodia
This month our 6 teams split throughout the country, 3 teams including mine went back to Battambang. I had relief to be living with only 2 other teams; I thrive so much better in small groups, and peace about the remainder of my time in Cambodia. I got to be on the cooking team with Gabby and Victoria and make some dank potato soup, went to a $2 movie theatre way too often for A/C, danced in the rain, watched sunrises on the rooftop, went to the capitol to eat American foods and my team had our day with the men’s team which consisted of a waterpark, worship and feet washing. God used this day with the men to redefine sacrificial love to me. We also celebrated Thanksgiving! God worked in my heart to reconcile things with my Dad.
God showed me His love for me so I could go love others.
Month Three- Cambodia
This month was so fun but also hard! I worked at the buddhist school and it was so difficult to make it through ministry each day but God totally used it teach me new revelations everyday and also where I got to share the gospel in new ways. I also helped at the trauma hospital and got to be super intentional with one of the volunteers, Rachel. I became best friends with Chhady, basically our house mom. I ate way too much ROTI, O’Chaya, and $0.75 coffee. I finally shared my testimony to my team and experienced so much freedom. I let go of shame and clung to my true identity. Our teams experienced a lot of spiritual warfare in our home and relied on prayer.
God showed me that I can walk in freedom and that my identity is found is Him, not people.
Month 4- Ethiopia
Arriving to Ethiopia, I immediately felt at home. My team finally had our own room that we used for so many movie days/nights. The fields, mountains and peacefulness mirrored God’s creativity. My team painted a training center and I taught with Grace again. We had a Christmas Eve candlelit service and then walked outside to the most insane stars I’ve ever seen horizon to horizon. I got to talk to family on Christmas Day and cried because I was so homesick. I had to learn to make God my family and rely on His comfort and peace. I also had to trust Him with the unknown because I had no way of knowing what was actually going on outside of where I lived.
God showed me how to trust and rely on who He is as a Father.
Month 5- Ethiopia
This month we started a new year with new goals and intentions. We reconstructed a road, made bricks, picked weeds. This month was full of healing. We had a girls night which brought lots of freedom, Luke proposed a healing night as a squad which allowed us to step into authority and prayer, we witnessed healing with Robira, the little special needs boy who came to the orphanage who was growing leaps and bounds from his start condition. I embraced simplicity and joy and ate so much bread.
God showed me the power in prayer and that He is a healer.
Month 6- Ethiopia
This month I grew in a lot of intimacy with God. I spent more time with Him because there was nothing else to do. I heard Holy Spirit’s voice so clearly. I got to help with water distribution and at a reforestation site, visit a village and got invited to a hut, rode a donkey, got a village named after me, had so many fun nights with my team, ate a lot of popcorn and injera, spent every free moment with the children, and got to celebrate my birthday with my amazing team. This month was one for the books and filled with so much joy in the simple moments. I felt His presence in everything. I had to leave this month saying the hardest goodbyes I’ve ever had to say.
God showed me the fruitfulness of spending time with Him.
Month 7- Nicaragua
This month was a lot of change. I came back into more western culture which felt weird and kind of guilty to go from such simple days in the middle of Africa to getting wifi in the city. My team no longer had a room together which resulted in much less unity. We had 5 am prayer 3 times a week and I would walk through the lime fields with Jesus. We spent a lot of time in the community doing prayer walks and house visits and made relationship through that. God healed an amazing woman’s stomach. I got to see my mom and do ministry with her as well as just share how God has grown me. I had a little friend named Genesis who I spent a lot of time with on the farm. It was a harder month because of my team being more disconnected and not feeling like I had my community anymore, but I had intimacy with God like never before.
God showed me that He just loves being a part of my day, no matter what that looks like.
Month 8 and 9- Costa Rica
My team got a room together again. We spent our first week in the mountains at La Montaña Christian Camps where we got to serve campers and become friends with the staff; also happened to be one of my favorite weeks. The next week I got to serve at a daycare and work in the garden with Luis- a man of incredible faith who later invited us to his home for a barbecue. I got to teach a cooking class with Grace. Most of our afternoons were spent doing ATL- ask the Lord. Through this we passed out notes to strangers, did things for the base staff, met people at Walmart, went to the park, etc. My team got to work with prostitutes loving on them and also becoming friends with the staff of this ministry. Ministry was so much fun and I loved having such variety. I got to go to a beautiful waterfall in the jungle, go to 3 different beaches, and hang out with our local friends.
This month God fulfilled so many desires and gave me family.
So there it is, a semi-breakdown of this season. God did so much and it blows my mind to think that every interaction and opportunity has been because of Him. I’m leaving this season full and whole. So thankful for the ways I’ve been wrecked and renewed and even though this journey is coming to a close, its only the beginning to the rest of my life chasing the Lord.
