Two Weeks Till Launch!

Hello Friends and Family!

I wanted to jump on before our launch and give a little update before I head to training camp and the mission field! I leave Tri-Cities on January 17th for this adventure! We will have two weeks of training camp in Atlanta, Georgia, with our squad (about 10-15 people), as well as the other squads who are all going on semester trips to different areas of the world. This time will be spent being equipped and challenged in our faith as we grow closer to the Lord and to one another. Then each squad will head to the different areas that God has called us to! Each World Racer has a blog, and my hope is to update you all regularly on what we are doing on the mission field through this blog. Most importantly how God is working through and in our team in South Africa! Anyone is welcome to subscribe and feel free to send this blog to your friends if they’re interested. Subscribing will allow you to be notified via email when I post!

Again, thank you all for your encouragement and love to me in prayer, support, and fellowship over the past few months as I’ve been waiting to leave for this trip! It was a blessing to fundraise so early on because these past few months have been relaxed in just working together the logistics of packing, medical details, flights, etc. And praise be to God, He worked it together and gave me the blessing of starting college at WSU Tri-Cities this past fall for a teaching degree! I’ve been working, doing school, getting involved in ministry at my church, and attending a couple young adults groups! But ultimately, God has blessed me greatly with deep relationship in Him and with other believers!

As I’ve been looking back on this season of waiting, preparing, and trusting, I’ve realized that God hasn’t just been getting me ready logistically—He’s been shaping my heart in very specific ways. I want to take a moment to share some of the lessons the Lord has been teaching me and I hope they will encourage you!

“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 This passage has stuck by me this year! I’ve been learning God brings things into our lives what we may view as either good or bad. Ultimately, even in the trials of this life, we can walk in authentic and real joy, knowing that God brings good out of all things—especially through the sanctification of the believer who seeks Him in the midst of it. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28

“But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” – John 4:14 God and God alone satisfies! Of course these truths are easy to accept on paper, but we know that our actions often do not display a heart that believes this. Over the past few months, I’ve seen time and time again that when we fully surrender everything to the Lord—our dreams, hopes, plans, and even our idols—and truly turn to Him to fill us, He is faithful to do exactly that! It is a daily battle to surrender, but it is God who satisfies us in the morning with His steadfast love, so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days! (Psalm 90:14)

God really does know best! This will be my last simple but hard truth to genuinely believe. I’ve been learning that we can boldly ask the Lord for our desires, while ultimately always praying His will would be done. Remember Jesus’ prayer, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”- Luke 22:42. Throughout our prayers and thoughts, we should continually be seeking to have eyes shaped by the Lord! We should be asking the Lord to make our will conformed to His with eyes fixed on the purposes of eternity: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” – Matthew 6:10. We can pray for what we desire, but if the Lord says no, He has a better plan!

This was a bit of a longer blog, and most probably won’t be so lengthy, but I wanted to share just a few of the ways I’ve been blown away by how good our Heavenly Father is! I’m excited to keep you updated on how He is working at training camp and on the mission field! Thank you for your support and making this trip possible for me! Love you all!