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11 questions. 11 answers. When I tell people I am going on the World Race, I get a lot of questions as well as many different responses. In case I was not able to answer all of your questions, hopefully this will help! What is the World Race? The World Race is an eleven month long missions trip to eleven different countries to serve “the least of these” It facilitates discipleship through the process of discovering the abundant life He promised. It births partnerships with ministries around the world, while requiring Luke 10 like faith. It calls Christians out of their comfort zones and gives them exposure to what God is doing in the world before continuing life living the American Dream. It enforces biblical principles and reminds us, It is not about us but kingdom advancement. Who is in charge of this thing? The World Race is a program of Adventures in Missions, a missions organization based in Gainesville, Georgia. Adventures in Missions partners with short-term missions, churches, missionaries and organizations around the world. They focus on sending teams to serve in the work that is needed to each specific country in their local communities. So, why in the world are you doing this? I am going on The World Race because it is what the Lord has called me to in the next season of my life. I am trusting in His vision for me, because I know His plans for me are better than any I could ever fathom. I keep coming back to this verse: Matthew 19:21 “If you want to be perfect, go sell your belonging and give to the poor and you will have treasures in heaven, then come follow Me.” I feel the Lord is calling me to be the hands and feet of Jesus and I have every intention of fulfilling that call. Gods kingdom multiplies when his children obey Jesus’ command to “Go and make disciples”, to pour themselves out to others. He is calling me to empty me of myself just as Jesus emptied himself for us. Who are you going to be traveling the world with? I will be traveling with a team of around 40-50 young adults. This large group of people is called my squad. Upon arrival in each country, we will be split up into teams of around 8-10 people each. Each team will be doing different ministry work throughout the month. These people will be my family for the next year. We will pour into each other, pray for each other, encourage each other, and together bring heaven on earth to many countries. Where all will you be going? For the duration of my trip I will be going to: Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, The Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. What are you going to do in each country? It’s a mystery! What I do each month will vary based on the ministries my team is sent to, and ultimately I won’t know until I get there. Typical World Race activities include teaching English, loving on orphans, volunteering in hospitals, doing construction work on houses, churches and schools, ministering to victims of the sex-slave industry, doing door-to-door evangelism, and teaching bible lessons. In every location, we’ll be working with the impoverished and neglected populations where the need is deepest. I’m going to build relationships, love people with Christ’s love, and share the Gospel. Let’s be real here, what will you eat and where will you sleep? Once I leave for the World Race, I will be carrying my clothes, sleeping bag and other necessities all on my back. “That’s crazy, how are you going to fit everything you need into one big backpack?!” That is the response I usually get from people on this question. Oddly enough, I couldn’t be more excited. In all reality, we really don’t need that much on a day-to-day basis. Accommodations will vary month by month: sometimes I might be in a church basement or a ministry contact’s spare room, and other months I might be tent camping in a mango grove. My team will have a small food budget, but the way it’s spent will also vary. We may be cooking for ourselves, buying meals at local markets, or eating with our ministry contacts. What about your job, family, and belongings? My faith in this journey has already been stretched. God surely does not call us to comfort zones. For a long time I was hanging on so tightly to things of this world. My job was my security and for a while my possessions defined me. I will be putting in my two week notice in June. I will be hosting several garage sales between now and my launch date, and I will sell most of my belongings with the exception of some clothes and memorabilia. My family is important to me and will be in my thoughts and prayers daily, however I cannot put off Gods calling on the count of missing my family, or worldly possessions. God has given me an amazing life but he promises life more abundantly. I have no certainties in coming home next year to a job or a place to live, but as I radically abandon my life and the American dream I am reminded He who starts a work is faithful to complete it. Luke 12:48 “much will be required of those who have been given much, and even more will be expected of the one who has been entrusted with more.” How much does this all cost, and who’s paying? Additionally, how can I get involved? This mission is fully support based. The cost of the trip will be $16, 257 which covers oversea medical insurance, travel, lodge, and food. I often struggle with this large amount and wonder how the funds will be provided but God is faithful. He is not limited by my resources, and if he calls he will provide. After much research and playing with numbers the consensus is the average American spends about $20,000 dollars a year to live on. So in the grand scheme of things $16,257 is plenty to cover my expenses for a year. I will just be a little more resourceful and frugal than usual. I have specific fundraisers set up with different people and organizations to raise money for World Race. Some of which include, Yard sales, Bake sales, car washes, a 5K run, a T-shirt drive, and a gear party which will provide my basic gear for the trip. I have also prepared and mailed 200 support letters. I am doing the small tasks I can to prepare for this journey and solely relying on God to meet my needs. Do you have any specific prayer requests from now until you leave for the Race? Oh my goodness, YES! Pray for continuous trust in the Lord. Although that may sound like the easiest thing to do, sometimes it gets hard-that’s just the truth. Pray for my squad that I will be going on the World Race with-for their hearts and trust in saying “yes” to the Lord’s calling. Also pray that we become a family, a body of believers that are so deeply rooted in Christ! Pray for as little worry as possible. It is so easy to worry about every intricate detail in life. But in Philippians 4, we are told not to worry about anything, but instead, pray about everything. Pray for the lives of the people in the countries we will be visiting, for their hearts to be softened and their lives to be transformed. Pray for guidance, willingness, obedience, and for God to speak with clarity. How awesome! This sounds like the best year long vacation I could imagine! Thanks! But thinking of the World Race as a vacation, though a common misconception, misses the heart of this ministry. I’m not going on the Race to postpone starting a career or to escape from “real life,” because I love to travel or because I think it’ll be easy and simple. In absolute honesty, I hope and expect it will be one of the most challenging years of my life. Ultimately I’m going because the Lord has called me to do this, and I want to follow Him wherever He leads me. I pray that God uses this year to break me and mold me more to the image of His Son. I anticipate growing in my faith in ways unfathomable. It won’t always be easy or fun, and there may be times when all I want is to quit. I will be stretched and challenged physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, but I pray for perseverance and that I return transformed, ready to radically pursue the Lord wherever He would call me next. This isn’t a vacation: It is life. Jesus has invited me to go on this crazy adventure, and I’m saying yes. |
