The World Race is an 11-month long mission trip to 11 different countries through Adventure in Missions (AIM) to serve the “least of these” while living in real, raw community. I will leave with my squad of about 60 people in September. We will travel to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Botswana, Swaziland, South Africa, Turkey, Albania, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. I will have a backpack and anything I can squeeze into it.
For those of you that will be following my journey please bear with me, my mind moves a lot faster than I type, especially when I’m excited. So there is a solid chance that my thoughts may seem a little scattered but I’ll do the best I can.
As I think about the World Race I feel equally terrified and excited. Terrified because I would be leaving everything I like and have grown to depend on (family and friends, warm showers, American food, make up, flat iron, PLANS…) and trading it for the unknown (unknown food, people, places…). Everything about me is screaming that the World Race is nothing I would ever want to do, and to be honest, a year ago I would have laughed if anyone told me I would be doing it, especially that I would be excited about it. Because I am, despite all the reasons I could convince myself not to go, all the people and life events I’ll miss at home, I am beyond excited about going to 11 countries in 11 months. Cold bucket showers and foreign food and no plans, I want it all. I know it won’t be easy. I know that there will be times that I miss my family and friends and comforts of home so much that I won’t be able to stand it. But I also know that if I didn’t go, I would have to sacrifice so much more. Without a doubt, I can feel God’s hand in the process. He has used sermons and mentors and pastors and friends to encourage me when I might otherwise start to believe doubts that enter my mind.
I have been praying for 3 things the last few months.
1. That I would be completely broken by God, so that when He puts me back together I might look a little more like Him.
–In my Bible Study we recently went through James, and asking for brokenness is one thing that came out of it. Which really does sound kind of stupid, who wants hard times?
–In my Bible Study we recently went through James, and asking for brokenness is one thing that came out of it. Which really does sound kind of stupid, who wants hard times?
Count it all joy, my brothers when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. -James 1:2-4
2. That I would be used.
-to be specific I want to be used in big ways, ways that point directly to the Lord because without Him it would not be possible. Furthermore, that I would have the strength and faith to go wherever He wants, whether or not I would pick it for myself.
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” -Isaiah 6:8
3. That my desires would line up with His.
Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. -Psalm 37:4
Well now I am adding a 4th to the list, my hope is that you would begin to pray for this as well….
4. That stay in the present.
I plan, I love planning, and I am becoming worried that I will be so focused on the 11 months that begin in September that I lose focus of here and now. I am scared that I will be so wrapped up in the World Race that I ignore the mission field I live in everyday. I want to enjoy every moment leading up to it and the process of getting there. I want to remember that there is more to life than what is happening next.
Pray. Give. Share.
