Posted in Pre-Race by Jeremy and Toni on 5/10/2012
As a team, we put together a list of things that have happened to us as a result of preparing to launch in July. For your reading pleasure, here are a few of the quaky, crazy, and out-of-this-world things we're experiencing as we prepare for this epic journey...
YOU KNOW YOU'RE PREPARING FOR THE WORLD RACE WHEN....
1. You have dreams about actually picking one of the Malaria medications and getting the prescription filled.
2. You send up little prayers of thanksgiving every time you take a hot shower or use a western toilet.
3. You can say the countries in your route in order faster than anyone can understand. (THIS IS SO TRUE FOR US)
4. You seriously consider applying for a job at REI because of how much research you have done on the different kinds of camping equipment.
5. You earnestly pray for teammates, whom you have never met, on a regular basis.
6. You have “practiced” setting up your tent, sleeping pad, and sleeping bag in your room for the night to try them out.
7. You used to get excited to live out of a backpack ... now the thought of packing it is a source of anxiety. (AMEN)
8. To pass the time, you try to think up more words that start with your squad letter. (OURS IS "F")
9. Google hangouts are as close as you can get to meeting your team before Training Camp.
10. Instead of buying things, you are trying to sell everything you own.
11. You have two full time jobs- 1. A "real" job or school and 2. Fundraising (MOST DEFINITELY FEELS LIKE IT A LOT OF TIMES)
12.. You no longer hate using port-o-potties because you know that these will soon be luxury.
13. You try to hangout with your friends ALL THE TIME before you're gone for a year.
14. You ask God over and over and over for trust, and continue to ask!
15. You eat basically anything you want, because food will no longer be the same over there.
16. You become good friends with your local travel clinic nurse.
17. You don't care when you get extremely dirty at work, because you know that it's good practice for times when you won't be able to bathe.
18. You're starting to get used to the idea of body odor, knowing that that will be a REFRESHING smell in just a few short months. (OH, HOW TRUE THIS WILL BE)
19. If you decide to get new clothes or shoes, your deciding factors on whether to buy them are: a) will this be functional for the Race, and b) how small can this pack? You get funny looks at the store when you are trying to roll up a pair of jeans as tight as they will go, make some kind of sound of affirmation, and unroll them.
20. Your time on the internet is filled with reading blog after blog, watching video after video, researching countries, ministries, and gear.
21. You begin living with other people, even if you're married, in preparation for what it will be like on the Race. (CURRENTLY LIVING THIS ONE)
22. You start getting used to the idea that you'll have to live with spiders, even though they're your greatest fear (MOST DEFINITELY!!!)
23. You started saying your "goodbyes" months ago as if you'll never return.
24. You're already living out of a suitcase because everything else you own is packed away for the next 15 months.
25. You relish drinking water out of a faucet knowing that it won't happen again for almost a year. Water bottles will become our new best friends.
SO. CAN'T. WAIT. FOR. THIS. ADVENTURE! 51 DAYS!!!!!
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Posted in Fundraising by Toni on 5/10/2012
7 months. Approximately 210 days. That's how long ago we started our World Race journey--the day we were accepted. That's how long we've been fundraising, updating our blog, sending out update letters, planning events, and getting to know our July 1 teammates. And that's how long I've been
UNGRATEFUL...
....that's a long time. A lot of complaining and grumbling. A lot of questions, a lot of disappointments. 7 months ago we felt God call us to the World Race to fulfill the next chapter of our lives without so much as an inkling as to how He was going to do it. And in 7 months He's provided more than our minds could fathom. Yet I'm ungrateful.
Let me explain. I grew up learning to appreciate everything I was given because it was never much. I'm almost postivie that "thank you" were two of the first words uttered from my lips as a child. God says to "Give thanks in everything" (I Thessalonians 5:18) because they are blessings from above. This is truth. But for the past 7 months, I've been less than satisfied. I've been ungrateful.
Rewind to today: God has provided $22,500 in support thus far. In only 7 months. That's a huge deal. He's allowed us to speak at a church that was incredibly giving, and we've received TONS of donations for the garage sale we're having this weekend. Yet I look at all this and complain. "Why hasn't He provided MORE support?" or "There's WAY TOO MUCH to organize in this sale!". It's unending. It's sad, really.
I've been chatting with a fellow teammate about my struggle. It's a harsh one with which I need to deal harshly, with which God needs to deal harshly. I have a feeling I'm in for a rude awakening on the trip coming up in less than two months. Jeremy and me both. God is going to skake our cages and make us realize that we, hands down, have it made here in the U.S.of A. and there is absolutely about which we should be complaining or ungrateful.
To those of you who have donated financailly and prayerfully, I apoligize for being so ungrateful. To those of you who donated towards the garage sale we're having this weekend, we appreciate everything you've done. And to Jesus, we are SO THANKFUL for every penny of support you've poured into our account, and we'll praise You for what's to come yet.
From now on, I will look at our account and dance for joy at what He's given. I will go to the garage sale with a smile on my face, glad for all the things left to organize. We could, after all, be sitting in an empty garage this weekend with nothing to sell. I will sing praises to Him, for He is good. He doesn't have to provide all these things, but He does anyway. He's a good God.
He's a good God, and I relearn that every single day. He wants to give us the desires of our hearts, so when He grants them, thank Him. Be unbelievably grateful, for one day you may no longer have that blessing. I'm preaching to myself, too.
Thank You, Lord, for your soft spoken words to my heart lately. They are so good and ever-present, just as You are.
****All donations we receive(d) between April 24th and June 1st will be put into a drawing (to be announced on June 2nd) to win a small package from every country we visit on the World Race!
****(update: for those of you who guessed a finish time for my half marathon that I was not able to compete in due to a fractured tibia, you will be put into the drawing for a prize alongside those who donate(d) between April 24th and June 1st).
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Posted in Pre-Race by Groff on 5/3/2012
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." -Romans 8:28
Training is a hard thing to do, especially when you're starting out as a "baby". When you're new to something and you begin to train, it's painful. It's stressful. You'll probably cry when you feel like giving up. That's how I've felt for the past 5 months of training. For the past 5 months, I've cried. I've sweat. I've been in immense pain. But it's been worth it because the end goal was a half marathon, something the enemy has been telling me I cannot accomplish. Little does he know. I have Christ on my side, and through Him I can do anything; I can do all things.
I've never been a runner. Sure, I ran in high school, and I was actually good at it, but I've always hated it. When Jeremy and I got accepted to the World Race back in September, I decided to start training for an actual race, one that would be feasilbe for me to do in the alloted time left in the states. In November I started running, a little at first, then more and more. My goal? The "From the Heart" half marathon that is to take place on May 5th in Owatonna, MN. I've been excited. I've been scared. I've cried thinking, "What did I sign up for?". But I've known all along that God would see me through it as long as I was deligent in my training, which I have been.
A few weeks ago, my ankle started hurting when I ran. It was a little at first, but the pain seemed to get worse every time I ran. I shrugged it off and decided it was just a sore muscle from the excessive training I was doing (yes, because I'm a doctor...). However, this past weekend I was in Wisconsin visiting Silver Birch Ranch (our home away from home) and I ran while I was there, getting my last few days of training in before the big race on Saturday! The terrain is much different there than it is here in Rochester. Afterwards, my ankle hurt a lot more than usual. I half-heartidly asked God to make it feel better until after the race so I could run without pain. However, quite the opposite happened. It started hurting a lot more. I figured it was because of the "intense" hills I was running while in WI that I wasn't used to running here. But the pain has persisted, so today I went to the orthopedic doctor. When describing to him the pain, he said it sounded like a fracture, and "felt" around a bit. He called for some x-rays, which I felt were just a waste of time since it was just a "sore muscle". I was hoping he'd tell me to wear an ankle brace and take it easy after the race.
Much to my dismay, he came back into the room after the tests and shared that I have a fractured tibia and that I can NOT run in Saturday's race. Um, what?! You're joking, right? But I've been training for FIVE MONTHS! The race is in TWO DAYS! He apologetically told me that he advises me NOT to run in the race. If I were to run, it could mean a lot more than just a fractured bone.
"God, what are You doing here?"
I called Jeremy, crying, and told him the sad news. He expressed sincere compassion in my situation, and then expressed some amazing encouragement. Maybe it was never about the race. Maybe it wasn't about me knowing that I could run 13.1 miles in a race and finish. I've already proved that I can do that. Maybe it was about God preparing me for THE RACE, the World Race, instead. I always had that in the back of my head, which is part of the reason I decided to do this in the first place. "Maybe He had you train because you'll be used more effectively now than you would have had you not trained". He was training me for The Race, not the race. Make sense? The World Race vs. half marathon race.
For the past five months, He's put into my heart to memorize Scripture as I ran. He's asked me to listen to sermons, encouraging music, and reminded me that He and He alone is my source of strength. He's the reason I began this training anyway. He's the one that will use it, and better than that...He'll use it to bring glory to Himself. This training is not in vain. It honestly feels that way right now, but He'll use it. He always does. This is a bad thing (at least to me), but He uses those "bad things" to make good things!
As for me, I'm currently wearing a boot, or as I like to call it a "moon boot", that I'll have for the next month. Yes, that means wearing this hideous thing at training camp. THAT should be fun. I'm just so grateful that it happened NOW and not on The World Race. I'm not even gone yet and I'm already so grateful for the amazing healthcare we hace here in the states. It's something we take for granted way too often.
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Posted in Fundraising by Toni on 3/26/2012
"Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."
-Pslam 37:4
A month ago Jeremy and I decided to issue a "Dollar for Dollar" challenge to our supporters: any support we received within a month, up to $3,000, we would match. Our desire was that we would reach the $3,000 mark in order to raise an additonal $6,000 in only a month! This seemed like THE challenge of all challenges. It's a lot of money in one month. Up until this point, we hadn't raised that much support in a single month. We prayed and prayed, and felt condident in the number we issued. We want our supporters, family, and friends to know that we're working to put support towards this trip as well, which is why we issued the challenge.
Within the first week and a half after the challenge we received half of the support. We were blown away at the ways God was providing for not only the NEEDS of our support but also the desires of the amount allotted for this challenge. After that the support slowed down a bit, and we continued to pray. We've been hesitant to check our support account because we didn't want the number to rule over our emotions and feelings on the support given, as it has done in the past. We knew that God would provide. That's what He is; He's a PROVIDER! There was never a doubt in our minds that He would provide all the support we requested in order to fulfill this challenge.
Last week we checked our support account one time, and we weren't even close to the $3,000 mark. We were a little disappointed, but decided that we'd wait until today to check it. Within this time we've prayed, and prayed, and prayed. We know that prayer is essential to everything, even desires. This weekend at a wedding we had a few people give us a bit of support, which we are so incredibly thankful for, so we added that in just as a last minute "maybe we need this" sort of thing.
This morning I checked our support account, but before I did I prayed. I prayed that there would be an abundance of support in our account and that we would have exceeded the $3,000 mark in order to match every single penny. As I typed in my password, my heart raced. I was eager and anxious all at the same time. Once I got to my "homepage" for my profile, I paused. I took a deep breath, and clicked on the "Support" tab on my profile. What I saw was overwhelming. I stared at the page as tears streamed down my face. This couldn't be real. Was it? IT WAS! Of course it was. It's GOD. He provides. He gives us the desires of our heart when they align with His will, and this desire was all up in His will. In the last month, since we issued the challenge, we have received close to $4,000 in support for The World Race!!
My heart is still beating a little fast as I type out these words and tell you about God's amazing provision. He's done so much since the beginning of all this, and He's only getting started! We are so overwhelmingly blessed by His love, provision, grace, and will for our lives. We're honored to walk this journey for His glory, and we're honored that you're all a part of this journey. The desires of our hearts are to live a life pleasing to Him. Our desires are to go on this trip, as He has called us to do, and share the amazing story He's written out in our lives, and tell people about His unconditional love. We're getting closer each and every day.
As of right now we are at $14,642 in support raised. We're at 47% funded! It's mind-blowing that we're almost halfway through this. With that said, we still have a long way to go! God isn't finished yet, and neither are we. Thank you ALL for everything you do.
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Posted in General Posts by Toni on 3/7/2012
I'm sure that by now you've seen or heard about the Kony 2012 video that's spreading like widfire across the internet. It's all over the place in my World Race group and on facebook and Twitter. Invisible Children is an organization that advacates for those in Uganda that are abducted and made either into sexual slaves or child soliders. It's something that's been happening for 26 years, and it wasn't until about 8 years ago that word really spread into the outside world about this horrific act. My sister has always been passionate about this cause, so when she told me about it a few days ago, I couldn't resist learning more. I would encourage you to watch the video below and GET INVOLVED!!
On April 20th, after sunset, hundreds of thousands of people across America will be "blanketing" the country with fliers, posters, signs, and bracelets about Joseph Kony, the "ring leader" of this devesation in Uganda. He is the leader of a group called the Lord's Resistance Army, or LRA and will stop at nothing to make sure he stays in power.
If you can't afford to buy a kit and spread the word, at least share the video and tell EVERYONE YOU KNOW about this cause. The goal is to have him captured by the end of 2012.
While on the World Race we will be in Uganda for a month in the spring. What a joy it would be to be in the country as they celebrate the capture of one of the world's worst criminals!!!!!!
Information on Joseph Kony: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Kony
The video: http://vimeo.com/37119711
Please, please get involved somehow. Even though Jeremy and I will be in the car most of the evening of the 20th, I WILL be taking part as soon as our vehicle stops at our destiation.
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Posted in Fundraising by Jeremy and Toni on 3/1/2012
When thinking about how we could ever possibly thank everyone for supporting us and loving us through this journey, we know that we'll never be able to give out enough "thanks". We are so overwhelmingly blessed by so many incredibly amazing people in our lives. It's unbelievable that God blesses us so...
A week and a half ago we issued a "Dollar for Dollar" challenge to all of you: for every support donation we received in our account, up to $3,000, until March 20th, we'd match. That was only a week and a half ago. Jeremy and I felt confident in this number knowing that He will provide all $3,000 for this challenge. In the last week and a half, we have received
$1,596 in support. Just in the last week and a half!!!!!!
Words cannot, nor will they ever be able to, express our gratitude for all you've done for us. Because of you, we are matching $1,596, and the challenge isn't even over for another three weeks!! Every day we feel that we receive confirmation that this IS EXACTLY what God is calling us to do. There's no doubt in our minds. And because of you, we are able to fulfill God's incredible call on our lives. Because of you, we'll be able to share Jesus' love with the lost, people will come to know Christ as their Lord, orphans will feel loved and wanted, prostitutes will leave their old way of life and seek God, ministries will grow, and so much more. And that's only the tip of the iceberg!
Thank you to all of you for all you do in our lives! We know we say it all the time, but we couldn't do this without you. You are all a part of this incredible journey God has us on. You're all a part of The World Race.
We will keep you updated as the next three weeks progress. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
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Posted in Fundraising by Jeremy and Toni on 2/20/2012
**The "Dollar for Dollar" challenge is about matching every dollar in our support for The World Race, NOT Threads of Hope bracelets.**
This past weekend we had the opportunity to sell Threads of Hope bracelets at Disciple Now, the annual student retreat at our church. It was a great success! Halfway through the retreat we issued a challenge to the students and leaders: for every bracelet we sold, we'd match the profit dollar for dollar. We'd already sold about 30 bracelets, and then after the challenge we sold an additional 78 bracelets, and at $3 each, that's a grand total of $234! And with us matching that, we made $468 this weekend for our trip! We are so grateful to all of you that have bought bracelets, not only to help us, but to help mothers and fathers in the Philippines who are otherwise struggling to provide anything for their families.
So, we had a thought: Why don't we issue a "Dollar for Dollar" challenge to our supporters? So, here's the deal! From now until March 20th, for every dollar we receive in support for our trip, up to $3,000, we will match! Yes, you read that correctly... for every donation we receive to our World Race account, it will be doubled. We think it's a fun, and challenging, way to keep everyone motivated. And we want to reassure everyone that we, too, are working hard and contributing towards our support. So far we have raised $7,854!!! We are so thankful for all the love and support we've received through this trip. We cannot even begin to express our gratitude for all of you!
So, will you help us this month? We could potentially make $6,000 more for our trip just this month. When you contribute, you are helping make many things a reality: going to 11 different countries and sharing the endless, matchless LOVE OF JESUS with the lost and broken; loving on orphanes who may not otherwise receive love, preaching the gospel; telling women in prostituion that there's more to life; leading people to the Lord; bringing light to dark places.... all of this and so much more.
Thank you in advance for your contribution to the Kingdom work. Your hearts are not taken for granted! We love you all!
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Posted in Pre-Race by Toni on 2/5/2012
I've always found it funny that when we ask God for things and He actually does it, we're surprised. As we get older, that sheer surprise doesn't change, no matter how mature we are spiritually. I remember growing up begging God for certain things, and with a child-like faith believing He would do it. Sometimes He didn't, and for some reason, THAT never surprised me. But when He DID, it stumped me.
It says in Psalm 37:4- "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." That seems simple enough, yes? I guess it's not really as simple as we'd sometimes like. Making the decision to venture out onto The World Race was not an easy one for either of us. It took years of praying, begging, fighting, and heart-changing to come to the point of saying "yes" to something so seemingly insane.
Let me share this story with you:
Jeremy and I met in August 2007 at a tiny little school in Northern Wisconsin. From the get-go I knew that he wanted to one day become a youth pastor and he knew that I one day wanted to pack up all my belongings, move to a foreign country and NEVER
LOOK
BACK, really to share Christ's love with the lost and broken of the world.
Fast forward a year and a half and we're engaged. Jeremy is in the homestretch of his schooling to receive a degree in youth ministry and I'm working at a camp in Wisconsin. Still, the plan was for Jeremy to finish school and start looking for jobs. *as a side note, I find it funny that we so often plan out our lives without REALLY asking God what He wants* So anyway, we get married at the end of summer in '09 and Jeremy is still in school, working his tail off and I'm now working as a nanny. The plan was for him to finish school, find a job, then I'd go back to school. By every account it's a wonderful, logical plan, right? Okay, now here is where it gets tricky. After Jeremy graduates in '11 (finally!) he's busy looking for jobs. I'm still working as a nanny and loving it, yet knowing that he'll probably find a job soon and we'll have to move to somewhere new. But that's exciting because now I can finish my schooling and get a degree in Sign Language Interpretation!
Fast forward a bit more to August '11. It's early evening, Jeremy is in the office getting into the Word and I'm on facebook checking out an orphanage in Haiti I had recently visited (I have a huge heart for Haiti). I see a post from a girl who says that she was just in Haiti on The World Race and she's talking about how blessed she was to be a part of the ministry there. OF COURSE this peaks my interest as my curiosity is struck by all things world-travels related. I google The World Race (gotta love the internet, right?) and the first thing that appears is, naturally, THE World Race. I read and read, and I fall in love. It was almost as if, in that moment, God quietly spoke to my heart and told me that this is what we were going to do next. I'm pretty sure I laughed to myself because Jeremy would NEVER, EVER go for something like this in a million years. However, just for kicks, I went into the office and asked Jeremy what he would say if I told him I felt like we may be called to a one-year missions trip around the world. His first response? "How much does it cost?" I was so furious by his response that I left the room and didn't say a word to him. A few hours later he asks me about it, and excitedly I tell him what I found. But, he brushed it off and told me to forget it because it would never happen. He goes on to explain that he went to college for youth ministry so that's what we're gonna do. I mean, I did know all this before we got married, so I better not be bringing it up now. A few days go by and I poke and prod at him about it and he gets annoyed. Unfortunately, it caused a few unnecessary fights between us (mostly my fault, honestly). I just couldn't understand how this was my deepest desire and it seemed as though what I wanted was being flushed down the toilet. Of course that wasn't what was going on. But c'mon! I'm a girl. I over-analyze EVERYTHING! After about a week of my annoyance, we're about to head to North Carolina to visit my family after a hiatus in my parents' marriage, and I continue to bug Jeremy. Finally he says that he'll pray about it, and he'll sincerely pray about it, not just asking God for a big sign, but for something much deeper. I was relieved, though for some reason scared, too. I remember while in the car on the way there (yes, we always drive all 1,028 grueling miles), me saying something to Jeremy like, "I know this is what God has for us. I'm just waiting for Him to make it clear to you." After that, we didn't speak about to one another for 6 whole days. I wanted to try and give him a sound mind (after all the nagging, it was the least I could do). The entire week, however, I'm praying like crazy for God to make this evident to Jeremy.
On the way home a week later, we're driving through the night--our usual tradition--and I'm sleeping in the back seat while my sweet is driving and listening to Jesus Culture--also usual for us. Something stirred me awake, so I sat up and, while still half asleep, asked Jeremy where we were. I have no idea where it was, but that didn't matter. He tells me that, against all odds, he feels confident that God is calling us to this and that we're going to do it. Since I was basically just talking in my sleep, I didn't comprehend what he was saying. The next morning, however, I realized what he had told me. We were going to apply for The World Race!!! I couldn't believe it! But wait, hadn't God TOLD me we were going to do this? Why was I so surprised? This was my heart's true desire, to travel the world and share God's love with the "ends of the earth", yet when He made it clear to both of us, I was shocked. Really? When I asked Jeremy how he came to that conclusion, his response to me was that he felt like God had been telling him for the majority of the time since I mentioned it to him, but he wanted something more. He asked God for a desire for this, because he had none. He didn't want to do. It's not his passion. It's not his life's dream. It's mine. And once again, I'm surprised when I hear my husband say that God did exactly that. He gave Jeremy a
DESIRE
TO
BE
A
FOREIGN
MISSIONARY.
Are you serious right now? Of course it doesn't make sense. Jeremy's always been one to send the check so that other people, including me, can go do that. He's always been comfortable here, the place he's always known. Home. But honestly, this is completely God ordained because there is NO WAY that he would have agreed to do this were it not for God putting an immense desire in his heart. God did it. He did it all. We would not be where we are right now were it not for Him fulfilling the desires of our hearts. And yes, like I've said, this is my dream: my dream to travel the world and share Jesus' love with every culture to whom I come in contact. My dream to leave America and never look back. My dream to experience life as its never been experienced. My dream to become a foreign missionary. My dream that my husband would have the same desires as me in ministry. And even if it's just for this one year and then we come back here and become youth ministry people, I will know that God has fulfilled my dream because He says that He would. God did what? He fulfilled a dream, and He continues to fulfill dreams
EACH
AND
EVERY
SINGLE
DAY.
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Posted in Pre-Race by Toni on 2/1/2012
Just about anyone who knows me (Toni) knows that I'm a nanny. I love children. My life basically revolves around minors anywhere from 3-years-old to seniors in high school. I nanny the three most amazing kids on the planet. So, I may be a little a lot biased, but I believe it to be true. Mateo is the quirky, genius 7-year-old. Seriously, I am constantly stumped by his sheer knowledge. He's currently reading the Harry Potter series! Julia is the gorgeous, fun-loving, 5-year-old (and only girl). She always makes me laugh and has a way of bringing peace among the siblings. And Nico is the funny guy of the bunch, 3-years-old. That kid can get me to laugh at anything....and he has the BEST facial expressions of any child I've ever met. I've had the honor of being their nanny for just over two years now, and I've seen total change in all three of them over the past 2 years. It's hard to believe that they're growing up so quickly (I can only imagine how their parents feel).
Today I picked the kids of from school as I always do when I work and Julia told me she wanted to get ice cream. She's always asking to get ice cream, so I like to take them every once in a while. At first I asked her if maybe she would be willing to get something a little healthier as a snack, and her response? "Toni, ice cream will only make you a little fat. It's okay." WHERE in the world does this sweet, innocent little girl get stuff like this?! I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Nonetheless, I couldn't help but chuckle at her humor. I mean, she's only 5. I don't think she quite gets what she's saying. So, I gave in. On the way to Flapdoodles (best ice cream in Rochester), she asks me if they'll have ice cream in Kailand (she meant Thailand but can't say it). She asked me one time where I'll be on her next birthday, which is in September, and we'll be in Thailand on The World Race. I laughed and told her that they probably did. "Good, because I'm going to mail you some if they don't". Shes too kind! I love that little stinker.
Some of the kids' famous quotes:
Julia: "Toni, I like picking my nose."
Nico: "Toni, you silly goose."
Mateo: (in reference to the Harry Potter books) "These books are too predictable for me."
Julia: "My booty only smells a little bit funny."
Nico: (knocks himself upside the head) "Ow. That hurt. No! It was funny."
Mateo: "When I turn sixteen, I'm going to paint my car like a rainbow."
My heart is sad to know that I only have 4 months left with them, but I knew that this job would end one day. I think they understand that I won't be here much longer, and they are always asking me questions about all the places we'll be visiting. That's a good sign, though, right?
Julia and Nico on a photoshoot we had last summer. <3
Julia and Mateo. Such sweeties.
All three of the wonderful kids I nanny.
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Posted in Pre-Race by Toni on 1/16/2012
It's 12:15 am and I can't sleep. I find myself wide awake staring at this massive "To Do" list I've created and wonder if I'll actually ever get it all done. It seems that there are more things added than there are crossed off. It's never-ending, or at least it feels that way. I'm sure there's an end in sight...somewhere.
We have less than 6 months until launch. When you really think about it, that's not very long at all. And we have a ton of preparation yet. Most of my "To Do" list consists of things for The World Race. Currently, if I'm being honest, it's a bittersweet feeling to know that we're leaving every comfort we've ever known for an entire year. It's exciting, don't get me wrong. But, hey, I'm American! I live in luxury; too much luxury if you ask me. My mind is racing with dozens of "what if's" lately. I'm sure it's some distasteful tactic the enemy is using to have me second-guess what we're doing. After all, it is a bit crazy. But isn't crazy good? That's what I've always been told, anyway. If we can't be crazy, what's the point? It's an adventure! It's a once-in-a-lifetime adventure! But more than that, it's what we're called to do: go out into all the world and preach the gospel. We're fulfilling the great commission to the fullest extent of the command. In today's society, though, that's about as crazy as one can get, eh? It's not very logical to pack up everything we own, stuff it into a tiny storage unit, stuff a year's worth of clothing into a backpack and head off into the great unknown, all for the sake of sharing Christ. It's not logical to quit our jobs, spend our money, and "forsake all" to share Christ. It's not logical to WANT to do these things, is it? Well, at least that's what they say--those people who don't understand what the Great Commission is all about. But who ever said that living ones life for Christ was logical? Didn't Christ tell the disciples to leave all they knew to follow Him? And in return He made them "fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19). According to the "American Dream", forsaking all isn't exactly the right thing to do, right? But if that's all there is in life, what kind of life is that really? It's no life at all! We were created for so much more. We were created to "forsake our all" in order to pursue Christ to the fullest extent of it's meaning. True, I am spoiled. I am among the 1% of the world that has everything, in retrospect. I enjoy my recliner and a flat screen t.v. that I can watch my movies on. I enjoy a comfortable queen size bed. And I find comfort in knowing that my car probably won't break down on the way to work in the morning. But if it's getting in the way of my life's purpose, wouldn't it be better to have none of it? Wouldn't it be better for me to throw away the "American Dream" if it meant truly living my life for the reason God created it? No, going on The World Race isn't logical. It's expensive. It will be hard. There will be days when we'll want to quit and go home. But Christ never gave up. He KNEW His end result and still He persevered. If I can't do this, what can I do? THIS is my life's purpose, so I'll hold onto the things that aren't logical. I'll give up everything if it means pursuing oneness in Christ. And if I come back and I'm "homeless" and "jobless", well, that's okay. Maybe it'll be good for me. Christ never complained, and He didn't have anything. Besides, this isn't my HOME anyway. This is only a temporary resting place until my Maker decides to call me home.
I'm scared. I'm excited. I'm anxious. I'm eager. I'm jumpy. But I'm called, and that's enough for me.
My new American Dream is this: where ever Christ calls me, whatever He calls me to do, I'll do it. There WILL be bumps along the way. There will be people who will tell me it's not a good idea, or that we won't make it. There will be moments when everything seems to have fallen apart. Finances will almost seem hopeless. And the enemy will try to destroy me. But HE has already won the victory, and with that, I fulfill my purpose in life. CHRIST IS MY NEW AMERICAN DREAM!
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