Parent vision trip—“Oh, so that’s what you’ve been doing all these months!”
When Seth began the World Race, I knew it would change his life and his relationship with God. I knew he’d grow, mature, receive direction, learn to play well with others—all the things you hope for your child. But it wasn’t until I went on the Parent Vision Trip that I “got” the World Race for what it really is.
Even before we came to Launch in September, we were restless. Both kids out of the house, past the halfway mark in life, been in the same place for over 15 years—we were ready for new challenges. Both of us have very fulfilling jobs and ministries, but you get to where you’re wondering, “Is this all there is?”
Launch not only helped us feel totally secure with Seth traveling with Adventures in Missions, but also showed us that this restlessness was something that many people of “a certain age” begin to feel. As soon as we heard about the Parent Vision Trip, we knew we wanted to go. We didn’t much care where it was going to be, we just wanted to go. Of course, we wanted to see our child, but we also wanted to experience a taste of the Race.
The location was announced, Swaziland. We received great emails from the Adventures staff and joined the Facebook group. The closer the day to depart came, the harder it was to imagine that we were going to be able to leave town. I told a co-worker, “God must really want us on this trip because Satan really doesn’t.” Until we pulled out of the driveway headed to the airport, I wasn’t sure we were actually going; there was just too much to do.
But . . . we went. I left frazzled and stressed to the max. I arrived feeling raw—too many hours on a plane, too much emotion, too little sleep, too many time changes. But, when we began to meet fellow Racer parents, things began to change. We didn’t know each other and were from very diverse areas of the country, but our love of our kids drew us together.
We finally began our trip on a bus crammed to the gills (no, not Racer-style crammed—we’re not ready for that) headed to El Shaddai Ministries, but we didn’t know where it was, how long it would take to get there, what the conditions would be—we didn’t know any of the things we usually know before we take a trip. We just had to just sit back and enjoy the ride. I discovered that’s a good thing for people of “a certain age,” not necessarily a comfortable thing but a good thing nonetheless. It’s part of what being a Racer is about—going with the flow, taking things as they come, never getting so married to an itinerary that you leave God out of things. I began to get that being a Racer would break you from dependency on “to-do” lists and anything else of that nature.
We arrived at the base of a mountain and picked up four more people, two Racers, our PVT leader, Glenn Steers, and Rachel, a former Racer who serves at El Shaddai. We were officially over the legal limit on the bus, but up we went. The roads were just what I expected—rough. We climbed for what seemed forever and finally came to El Shaddai. And then we saw our kids—it was overwhelmingly good. I couldn’t stop hugging him, and he’s not even a hugger, but he let me hug him a lot. Seth had lost about 50 pounds, not in the sickly way, but in the, “Hey, you look great!” way.
It was shortly thereafter that the awe of what my child had been doing for so many months set in. I watched and saw how the Racers lived so close to each other (Can you say “No personal space?”); heard the camaraderie, the shared experiences, in their voices, saw it in their interactions; sensed the intimacy. They weren’t all best buddies or anything, they just “got” each other. They accepted each other as they were—it was the Body of Christ just as Paul described it in I Corinthians 12, and it was beautiful. Not in the perfect, photoshopped to remove the blemishes sort of way, but in the way God intended it to be—a community of imperfect Believers giving themselves totally in pursuit of a Perfect God.
The time with everyone was amazing. We ministered together—gardening (We were very impressive gardeners, just ask us), roofing, visiting in the surrounding area, teaching children, cooking, washing dishes, holding babies, watching the sunset. We worshipped together and supported each other and got a taste of the community that the Racers live within. We marveled at the Godly, mature adults that all our children are. The roles were reversed—they led us, and we benefitted from their leadership.
Am I glad I went? Emphatically “yes!” I needed to see Seth and the other Racers “in action.” It was like observing a rare species in its natural habitat only my child had become the rare species. I needed to experience the healing of being in community with other Believers with no agendas, no preconceived ideas, no judgment. I needed to get a glimpse of what the Racers’ journey has been, so that we could understand a little of what Seth will feel when he gets home. I wondered, and still do, how Seth will ever come back and be comfortable here or anywhere outside of that type of intimacy.
Saying goodbye was bittersweet. Yes, it was hard to leave him, but I knew exactly where he needed to be. He has found his “sweet spot.” And, for a few days, I “got” the World Race, and I’m glad I did.
