“Adventure is worthwhile.” – Aesop

Where Did My Expectations Go?

Once accepted on the World Race, one of the first subjects we are asked to write about on our blogs is our expectations. What do we expect to encounter? Do? Gain? Experience? Whatever our expectations, we are encouraged to share them, though, not required.

This is a snapshot of what I expected from my time on the World Race. Now, I will admit that I was an avid WR stalker. I had read many a blog from Racers on the field, getting ready for the journey, and back home. I had a pretty good grasp on what to expect, and that was to expect nothing and everything. When it came down to it, though, I knew I had expectations for the Race and myself.

I look back on this post now almost two years later, post Race, and I can see how God truly did bring each of this expectations to life, sometimes by seemingly tearing them apart. I expected a lot from God, because I knew He was bigger than any expectation I could have, and He met those and even went beyond them.

So now, in this moment I pose a few questions to...myself.

Where have my expectations gone?

Where is that spirit of expectancy?

Here I am seven months off the World Race with no sense of expectancy of the God I saw work mightily for the past year and a half. Oh, yes, I know He is working, and He is going to do amazing things. That's not the expectation I am missing.

Every expectation I had for the World Race was so big, yet He them in a way I couldn't imagine and so much better than I dreamed. I am amazed as I remember, yet also dumbstruck. Not a single one of those expectations is limited to the World Race. Those can still be realized right now, in the everyday American life.

Why haven't they happened yet?

The answer is, because I no longer expected and searched for God to move in the every day.
My God is still the same. He is still able to do whatever needs to be done (and sometimes what wants to be done) for His children and His church. I think it's time I stopped filing things away to pull out and remember later, and put my expectations back on the table.

Starting now I am laying out my expectations once again. I expect God to continue what He has already begun, because that is who my Jesus is. He is a fulfiller of promises, and He finishes what He starts!

November 11th

Today is a special day. Some people know what today is. It is a day to celebrate one thing. Well, today is actually a day to celebrate three things. Two of them are for all Americans and the last one is for a certain set of people around the world. What could these be? I'm glad you asked.

November 11, 1620
A great day in history, especially American history. Just two days before (Nov. 9th) the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock. Before disembarking the people of the ship, who were not all there for the same reasons, realized that they were not where they should have landed and therefore were under no set government. William Bradford and several other men realized this was no way to start a new settlement and on this day 1620 the Mayflower Compact was drafted and signed by the whole ship's company.
Today marks a great day in history. Though still under the reign of the king of England, this was the first form of self government written in the US.

(Video) The Mayflower Compact

November 11
First set apart as being the day World War I ended, sixty years later it became what it is now. This is the day we honor all veterns of every war. This is the day we specifically set aside to say thank you to every life lost and life lived for our freedom. It definitely should not be only one day out of the year, but even so, make sure to remember and thank all those who have fought and are fighting now. They are the people who make this nation great.
There is a new campaign to turn on a green (the color) light today and keep it on for all veterns as a way to say thank you. While it should not be a replacement for an actual "thank you", I like the idea. As the ad says, our veterns are most camouflaged when they are at home living their lives. Let's show them our gratitude.

11/11
Like I said before, only a select group of people will know today in another light. Those that can be called "the Wild Ones" that have left a  life of normalcy to journey deeper into the heart of God. These Wild Ones have heard a call and answered it. Today is not so much a celebration or memorial of a certain day in history for these people, but it is a reminder of the call they answered. Today is World Race Day. The World Race is a program of Adventures in Missions in which you travel to 11 countries in 11 months (11n11) doing missions. It is so much more than a mission trip, though. The World Race is a challenge to go with God on a specific journey around the world and deeper into His heart. Only a few are called to it, those can tell you that it changed them in some way. Those "Wild Ones" may not celebrate this day, but my guess is that when they catch a glimpse of the date at some point, they will remember and perhaps have their own quiet rememberance.

Am I Part of Something?

I have been home from the World Race now for four and a half months (WHAT?!), and I often find myself wondering what exactly I am doing here.

On the Race it's easy, sometimes, to say I'm part of something more. Even if it was setting stones for a path in a camp in Bolivia or allowing a child to "fix" my hair in Zambia or just showing up at a café in Vietnam to say hi to a lady we had met earlier in the week, I always knew that God had me in that moment for a reason. Here in Georgia, USA I find it a bit harder to see how I'm part of the bigger story.

These days I'm teaching in a preschool and once a week attending a Bible study. My life is routine and pretty normal compared to a World Race life, and I have gotten lost in the routine. It took a conversation with a former squadmate to inadvertently remind me.

What I'm leaving out of the story is that God placed me here. God knew that I would be teaching three year olds letters, numbers, school manners, and more. He knew that I would be attending a Bible study that is actually the start of a new church. This life may not be as in my face as the World Race, but I am still very much a part of God's story.

God used a squadmate to help me see that but it was a journal entry from Zambia and the conversation He and I had following my reading it that helped me understand. On the Race I was actively pursuing "deeper depths" with God and He was constantly showing me something. After reminding me of that He asked me why I would not pursue those deeper depths now. I walked in faith; I allowed God to take me deeper into His heart then; why not now?

It doesn't matter where I am, what I'm doing, or who I am with, God is still God; He is still writing this story, and He is still using me- even in the smallest part. He still desires to take me to deeper depths.

I am part of God's Kingdom.

Support Letter for the World Race

Dear

For many years my heart has been burdened for missions.  God began working this into my heart after my first trip to Romania in 2006.  A few months after returning home, I felt God’s call to surrender completely to missions. At the time I wasn't sure what that would entail, and after a few years I believed I had lost the passion I once felt. In October of 2011, God began to reawaken that call. Last year I was able to go to the Ukraine on two separate trips. One was a work trip on a home for graduated orphans, and the other was to help host a camp for orphans. Both trips solidified my desire for missions.  This year, I was able to travel with my church (joined by my mom and brother for their first trip) to Belize and minister to other missionaries there.

I first became aware of The World Race through a friend,  and about a year later I came across a newspaper article about a young lady leaving for the Race. At that point I began researching and reading about the program, but I had to trust God’s timing for when I should go.  After another year, the World Race was again brought to my attention.  This time I began seriously praying and felt it was time for me to step out and take the leap of faith. 

The World Race is an eleven month journey around the world.  In those eleven months I, with my team, will visit eleven countries and team up with ministries already in place to reach that area for Christ. What we will be doing will look different country by country, day by day. Some days we may be in the streets ministering, hosting VBS, or working in construction. Other days may simply encompass the daily grind of grocery shopping and caring for those on my team.  Every day will be full of prayer.

So why go? Ultimately I have been asking God for a long time what I’m supposed to be doing as a twenty-something, and this is an opportunity for me to step out in the call I believe He has on my life. It is a journey to minister to the least, lost, orphans, widows, and poor.  I don’t take this call and trip lightly.  I am essentially committing two years of my life to this endeavor with the hope of making a difference for Christ and being fashioned to look more like Him. With everything surrendered to God, here I am preparing for another, very different, mission trip.

I have signed up to leave in September 2014 for eleven months. Not only will I need a lot of prayer, but I have to raise all financing for the trip.  I will need to raise $15,500 plus $764 for insurance. That is a bit overwhelming, but that’s why I am trusting God and asking if you will partner with me.  Would you consider a monthly donation?  Or even a one-time gift?  If you can help in any way it will be much appreciated.  As I have heard often (and believe) “little is much when God is in it.”  Thankfully, I don’t have to have all of the funds all at once. Here is an actual break down of my financial needs:

§  $150 Deposit - Due 11/11/2013 (2 weeks after your acceptance date.)

§  $3,500 - Due 6/28/2014 (2 weeks before Training Camp)

§  $7,500 - Due 8/18/2014 (2 weeks prior to your trip)

§  $11,000 - Due 12/1/2014 (End of 3 months on the field)

§  $15,500 + $764 (*Insurance) = $16,264 - Total Due 3/1/2015 (End of 6 months on the field)

I cannot begin to thank you enough for taking the time to read this letter, and for your prayerful consideration of helping me reach this goal God has given me.

You may feel free to contact me or check my World Race blog: http://brookeconn.theworldrace.org/.

Through Christ,

Grand Announcement or Life is About to Change...a lot

Just a few days ago I got a call that I had been praying about for a few months now.

"You've been accepted!"

What!!!!...

Okay, let me back up.

At the beginning of this month I applied for a mission trip called The World Race. I wasn't really sure what I was doing, but I knew that God was asking me to take a step of faith (remember this post?).  So I stepped out and waited to see what God would do (here).  Little did I know this is what would happen.  I was hoping but...

So as it stands now I will be leaving in September 2014 for eleven months and each month will be spent ministering in a different country.

Here is my tentative route. To learn more hit the banner above.

Haiti




Bolivia




Peru




Ecuador




Malawi




Zambia




Zimbabwe




Thailand




Malaysia




Vietnam




Cambodia

To say I'm excited is an understatement!

I am still in shock at times and yet my brain has kicked into overdrive. Yes I have a year but that's really not all that long to get ready for a whole year of travel!

I wish I could say more but time constrains me at the moment.  I will say that in the coming days I will begin blogging on the World Race site.  As soon as I get that set up I will post the link here so you can keep up with me.

For now I ask for your prayers as I start this process.  I do, as any other missionary, have to raise my own support.  This trip will cost roughly $16,000 plus the gear I will be needing. And I know there will be a lot of changes in store for me and those around me.

I cannot wait to see what God does in the coming weeks and months!

Through Chirst,

Lady B

(Brooke)