Anna Primrose and the rest of the September 2012 I Squad are only in their first month of the World Race. But they have already felt the profound impact that each parent of a World Racer has had on the world. Anna wrote a beautiful letter to the parents of every World Racer expressing the gratitude we all feel for the sacrifice they made to make our journeys possible.
Dear World Race Parent,
You are in a class of your own. Right now, your child is in Africa, the Dominican Republic, Australia, Ukraine, or somewhere else thousands of miles away from you.
We wouldn’t be here without you.
Whether you were absolutely thrilled to be rid of us (which I doubt, right?) or you were about ready to chain us up in the basement the night before Launch, we are here changing the world because of you.
It’s true.
Your love, your support, and your prayers have shaped us so profoundly over the course of our lives that we decided to give these lives away for Jesus.
Your love for God has spurred us on to love him with everything we have, and your love for us has given us the courage we needed to embark on this adventure.
You took your own step of faith in letting us go. We may never know the extent of the sacrifice you have made as our parents, but know this:
We are grateful beyond words for your sacrifice.
Like Abraham laying Isaac on the altar, you have placed us at the feet of God in obedience, and we are already seeing the fruits of that obedience.
Because of you, there are AIDS orphans who know the love of their father God.
Because of you, there’s a former atheist in Ireland who finally gave his heart to Jesus.
Because of you, there have been healings and miracles and salvations scattered like precious jewels across this great big world you released us into.
Your legacy will carry on across the nations and through eternity.
We promise, even though it might be scary, and sometimes you don’t hear from us for weeks on end…
We are in good hands. You know, the hands that crafted the universe? The hands that are putting this broken world back together piece by piece? Those hands are holding us and allowing us to be a part of his story–because YOU trusted him enough to not chain us up in the basement.
We are happy and healthy, and if we’re not, we’re embracing the process he has us in and do not want you to worry! We are growing closer to God and to the people he’s placed us with. We love you very, very much and thank God for the gift of you.
We bless you and encourage you to live out the adventure he has for you in this season, to keep stepping out in trust, and to keep saying “yes” to this amazing God who you taught us how to love.
We are so proud of you.
We are who we are because you loved us first.
Thank you.
If you are a parent of a current Racer or a World Race alumnus, sound off in the comments section with encouragement and advice for the parents of future Racers. How did you decide to let go of your children and send us to the nations? Was it worth it? How has your family changed because of your World Racer’s experience?
Parents of future World Racers, welcome to the family. We’re thankful for you. If you’re looking for more advice about letting go of your children, check out this blog from a former World Race mom.
