How the World Race Changed My Life.

How did the World Race change my life? 

Oh, hey there! I am writing this blog from the U N I T E D   S T A T E S !! HOW CRAZY IS THAT?!

It’s honestly a little daunting to try and sit down to answer this question. So many memories, ministries, cultures, new families & friends, teams, moments of overcoming, moments of struggle, celebrations, joys, experiences, and revelations that are too many to encapsulate in one blog post. So, what I am going to attempt to do is recount each country and in doing so, write something that I learned from the culture and then a personal heart change the Holy Spirit did in me!

GUATEMALA:

• Through the culture & people of Guatemala, I learned about …. HOSPITALITY! While In Guatemala, I met some of the most generous people I’ve ever known. Many had little to give tangibly, but they gave everything they had. God showed me the beautiful heart of a cheerful, generous giver.
• During my season in Guatemala, God refined me by… teaching me to rely on affirmation from God, not from people. My time in Guatemala was largely influenced by stepping into a Team Lead role in the first country on the Race. I quickly learned that I would need to seek God, hear from Him, and seek approval from Him to lead the team well. This was instrumental in my walk with the Lord this past year. I learned to seek God and be satisfied in Him alone.

ROMANIA:

• Through the culture & people of Romania, I learned about … BOLDNESS! Many of the people in Craiova (southern Romania) were bold about their opinions. The Lord allowed me to learn how to grow in boldness with my faith so that I could share the good news of grace & forgiveness in Jesus Christ to a people .
• During my season in Romania, God refined me by… teaching me how fasting and prayer produces FREEDOM! My time in Romania was one of the hardest on the race. I was plagued by insecurity and my identity was under attack from the enemy’s lies. As The Chameleons (my beloved team) brought in the new year, we prayed and fasted. It was then that I experienced true FREEDOM. Like, a physical weight lifted off my shoulders. It was the moment I realized that the Lord has been fighting for my freedom for so long. This was a moment that God unlocked the spiritual discipline of fasting!

ALBANIA:

• Through the culture & people of Albania, I learned about … FRIENDLINESS! Much of my experience in Albania was at the top of a church building outside a small village. But toward the end of my time in Albania, I had the chance to live in Tirana for some days. I learned just how friendly the Albanian people were. It was in the casual wave, the Përshëndetje (“hello!” in Albanian), and the smiles that showed me a glimpse into the sweetness of being in friendship with the Lord.
• During my season in Albania, God refined me by… teaching me about His character of provision! The team I was journeying with (STCKD) went on a trek down the coast of Albania with our big packs, no plans and just our World Race budget. God provided in AMAZING ways! From meeting the Whitehead family who took us in for a couple nights for free, to meeting Kyle & Lacey who also took us into their rented airbnb a couple nights, to meeting random people on the coast of Albania asking us if we wanted fruit, to the ways God stretched our budget to afford a place to live in Vlore…. GOD PROVIDED!!!

TURKEY:

• Through the culture & people of Turkey, I learned about… GENEROSITY! I am so thankful I was able to spend time in Turkey during Ramadan. This is a month long period of observance for Muslims in the form of prayer, fasting, reflection, etc. The Lord taught me a lot about His love for the people here, and my heart is so heavy for this people group. But, during this time, the Lord taught me about generosity. With free Ramazan pidesi (bread), many open invitations to Ramadan meals, and sweet extensions of generosity often over meals- this was a sweet way of seeing how generosity can lead to further friendship and opportunities to share the free and gracious gift of Jesus’ salvation!
• During my season in Turkey, God refined me by… increasing my comfort level to have conversations with those who believe differently than me. Turkey was one of the most special countries for me because of the friendships made. The Gospel of Jesus Christ stood contrasted to the message of Islam, and the message of grace shined brightly in this place. The Lord really increased my compassion for my Turkish friends and He gave me the comfortability to read the Quran and open up conversations I never thought I’d have. God forever changed me in Turkey and I am so thankful for this refinement!

JORDAN:

• Through the culture & people of Jordan, I learned about… COMMUNITY! My time in Jordan was very different than the rest. It was a more private country and my time there was less than a month. But, in this time, I observed how tight knit families are in this country. Families were prioritized in culture, which is a sweet glimpse of the Father’s heart of community for the people of God!
• During my season in Jordan, God refined me by… reminding me of the power of prayer and the importance of intercession. I wrestled with feeling ineffective in Jordan because I wasn’t able to openly share Jesus with others as freely here. But the Lord reminded me of my privilege to pray for the people in Jordan and those who are doing the work of the Lord there, even long after I leave the country. How cool is that!

THAILAND:

• Through the culture & people of Thailand, I learned about… GENTLENESS! The people in Thailand are so so incredible. They are gentle and kind, never looking to provoke another. What a sweet glimpse into God’s character of gentleness, from the way they bow to show respect, to the gentle way they communicate with their words, to their soft smiles they give. Thai culture is gentle!
• During my season in Thailand, God refined me by… showing me His heart of long-suffering. Thailand was a really sweet country for so many reasons. During this time, I also wrestled through some challenges that helped me understand the Father’s patience, long-suffering, compassion and love even greater. God’s love is SO great and I have been able to understand this part of His heart in a new way because of this season of leadership!

This blog is just a couple bullet points, but this in no way encapsulates all that God has done this year! He has done SO much in my life and I am convinced He has in yours too. I am looking forward to sharing stories, testimonies, and lessons learned over this year and really excited to hear all of the stories, testimonies, and lessons from you all from this past year. And, I am so excited to hug you all so soon!

I love you! I am hoping to continue posting on here about stories and testimonies from this year so that I can continue to make His name famous on the Earth!

Love, Katherine