Over the last few months, I’ve been asked many questions about my upcoming year. As much as I love answering your questions face to face, (really, I do! 
) I decided it might be helpful to cover a few of the common ones I’ve heard.
Q: What, exactly, is the World Race?
A: The World Race is an 11 month missions trip, during which each month will be spend in a different country.
Q: What countries will you go to?
A: I’ll be going to Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia in Africa; Philippines, Thailand and Cambodia in Asia; and Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Chile and Argentina in South America.
Q: Do you go with other people?
A: Yes. I’ll be traveling with my squad (Squad D), which is made up of 36 people. Our squad is broken into six teams of six. The whole squad will travel to each country, but we will divide into our teams to spread out within the country and work with different ministries.
Q: Do you know the people you’ll be travelling with?
A: I do now. I met them all last month at training camp. It’s amazing how quickly you can bond with complete strangers when the occasion calls for it. I am so excited to serve alongside these amazing people!
Q: Where will you sleep?
A: That will vary from month to month. We each bring a 2 man tent to use. If the ministry host has accommodations, we will use those. Hostels are also an option. It will really just depend on where we are and what’s available, but tenting is always an option.
Q: What kind of ministry will you do?
A: This will also vary from month to month. The first month, my team and I, along with another team, will be working in a boys home in Maputo, Mozambique. The goal of this ministry is to teach the boys life skills, how to live in a family and how to grow to be men of God. We will be teaching and helping out around the home however we can. Each month we will receive information regarding what we will be doing the next month. Beyond January, I really don’t know, specifically, what I will be doing. It could be anything from helping with Bible School to ministering to sex trafficking victims. No matter the task, it will require constant reliance on the Lord to grant strength and wisdom in order to carry out His purpose.
Q: Is this just about meeting physical needs? What about spiritual needs?
A: It’s really about meeting both physical and spiritual needs. Often, sharing Jesus’ love with people will involve meeting physical needs. Our ultimate goal is to share the love and hope that we have in Christ with all of those we come in contact with.
Q: What about safety?
A: Just as in any situation, there is no 100% guarantee of safety. However, we do have certain protocols in place to keep us as safe as possible. There are active forums in place where we, as well as people who have gone before us, can leave notes and comments on certain cities and ministries. This is helpful in educating us on an area before we get there. We will know if theft is an issue or whether or not it is safe to go out for a run, etc. One of our best resources, as in many things, is common sense. While I won’t have a personal cell phone, each team will have a phone that can be used to contact the necessary people in case of emergency.
Q: When do you leave?
A: On January 7, (That’s in 46 days!!
) I will head to Atlanta. I will spend just a couple days there in training before flying out to Mozambique.
Q: Are you nervous?
A: Surprisingly, no. God has given me a beyond-my-comprehension kind of peace. Excited is the only word I can think of to describe how I feel about what’s coming. I’m excited to see those faces searching for hope. I’m excited to witness miracles. I’m excited to see people healed, physically and spiritually. I’m excited to go deeper with my Jesus. I’m excited to go deeper with my team and my squad. I’m excited to live fully dependent on God.
Mark 16:15-18
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. “These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
If you have any questions I haven’t addressed, please ask! I’d love to chat about it.
