You know, before the World Race began, I honestly believed that this journey would turn me very specifically into a backpacking, hippie-like missionary. I imagined that when I returned to the United States, I would be this eccentric adventurer who wore her clothes twice before washing them…
Well, it’s Month 3 already, and I still wash my clothes after every wear. I suppose some things never change.
Instead, what has changed is my perspective towards this journey.
In the beginning, I expected the physical aspect of the Race to be extremely challenging. I thought that I would always be in the middle of nowhere, living in my tent, never showering, eating bugs or other strange things.
But, that hasn’t happened yet.
These past three months, I’ve slept in bedrooms, showered every day, and eaten no bugs. It’s true that I slept on the floor all last month and that sometimes showers have to be taken in squatty potties, but overall, my life on the World Race has looked very similar to my life at home.
The only physical difference is that instead of going to work every day, I spend that time buying groceries for widows, teaching Bible stories to village children, praying for the sick, and sharing the Gospel with those who have never heard it.
The World Race is my everyday life—but with a different focus and purpose.
Before the Race, I went to work with the purpose of making money. I went to the grocery store only when I needed something. I avoided hospitals. I had no clue who my next-door neighbor was.
My focus was on myself.
However, in His graciousness, the Lord has given me this year, this journey to change that focus. These first three months on the Race, He has made my living situation to resemble life back at home in order to teach me what it means to live everyday life with the purpose of spreading the Kingdom of Love.
The World Race isn’t a one-and-done experience; it’s the training ground for the rest of my life.
So, even though I still have eight months before coming home, I’m excited by the prospect of buying groceries for widows, praying for/encouraging hospital patients, and getting to know my next-door neighbors wherever I am in the United States—and wherever the Lord takes me.
