Why the World Race?

Hello brothers and sisters in Christ,

Caroline here from South Carolina. Born and raised in a small but mighty community, one that will be hard to leave come January. Where Sundays are the best days, and days spent outside are days well spent (despite how the humidity sticks to your skin like peanut butter to your mouth or how the mosquito is the state bird). Haha, all jokes aside, the people here are some of the best you’ll ever find. Without them, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.

A little background about who I am and who you will be supporting throughout my journey. I would say I had a very “typical” Southern upbringing: God, family, and sports. I was raised to go to church, love my family, and work hard. I grew up with two older brothers and wanted to do everything and anything they did. Which at the time was baseball. I started playing at the age of 4 and didn’t stop until 22. I played softball as long as I could, all the way to the collegiate level. I’m not going to lie. After college, I was a bit lost. My whole life, softball was my identity. I hate to say that, but I know what you’re thinking “God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit should have been her identity!” yes, well, you are correct in thinking that. Jesus has always been my identity spiritually, but I cannot honestly say He has been my number one priority physically here on earth. So yea, I was lost without being told by a coach my every move. What to do, wear, and eat? Softball gave me a sense of purpose throughout my entire life. I never really had to think about “what next” because I always knew another day meant another practice, workout, or game. With a blink of an eye, it was all over. It was so confusing moving back home. Sports were in the past, and now I have a diploma in my hand but with no knowledge of what to do with it. College doesn’t prepare you for this. What am I supposed to do now? Is there a course for this that I missed? What is my purpose?

-You cannot be found until you’re lost-

I knew I always felt led to travel. Ever since I could remember, I just knew deep down as a kid there was more to this world to see. I always knew this world was so much bigger than myself. I just didn’t know why God set this urge in my soul to travel.

I left college, got a “big girl job’, and started going through the motions of life. Go to work, go to the gym, go to church on Sundays. I suddenly found myself on the conveyer belt of life. I knew there was more to life, and I knew this wasn’t who God called me to be. But, “This is what I’m supposed to do, right”? Go to school, get a job, settle down? This Is what the American population is told from an early age. These things were the keys to success… right? It didn’t feel like much success to me. So, I started praying. I asked God to show me the path He has for me because I was unhappy, and I knew He had something more significant for me than this.

Unfortunately for me, my calling didn’t come with a violent wind or tongues of fire. As Christians, don’t we wish our path could be that clear?

However, God spoke to me in other ways, through a feeling, a book, and people.

First, I’ve always felt a calling to serve others physically with hard work. I’m the type to show you, not tell you. Since I was a teenager, I’ve loved Salkehatchie. Salkehatchie is a once-a-year service (or twice a year if you’re crazy), but after the week, you go home to your normal life. That always saddens me. I don’t want to leave. I always want another week, another month to serve. Last year at camp, we had the opportunity to meet John Culp, the founder of Salkehatchie. After his speech, I intended to just go over to thank him for his speech and get on with my life. But then, he asks about my story and my Salk background—nothing too in-depth. But then I say, “I love Salkehatchie. I wish I could do it all the time”. Rev. John replies with three words that hit me deeply. He goes, “Well, why don’t you?”

After that, I still moved on with my life, doing minimal research on trips. Telling myself full-time missions are not for me. You know, “I have a degree; I need to use it.” Type of talk to myself.

Then the second sign came into my life;  a Beth Moore devotional book from the women’s small group I am involved in at my church. Everything was all fine and dandy until we got to week six, named “mobilized ministry.” Reading this chapter made my heart start pounding and my palms sweaty. I knew God was talking to me. She says in the book, “Singleness – hindrance= a gospel globetrotter.” She’s talking about everyone not being able to be a world missionary. But if you’re single and you like to travel then it just might be your calling. That is if you let go of yourself or your hindrance and follow Him. Now you see why my heart started pounding? She also says “Adventure awaits us, and Jesus is looking for people to share in it.” It felt as if He wrote this chapter for me. And I knew He was calling my name.

Again, I looked up mission trips. This time an expedition called the World Race pops up. I look at the price tag. I Laugh. Close my computer, and I get busy with life again. I use money as an excuse.

My third sign was at dinner with a childhood pastor of mine and his family. After dinner, he said, “Stop and listen to hear God’s voice to see what he’s calling you to do.” Then he said, “Once you’ve heard your calling, you can’t turn your back” I felt as if the Holy Spirit was talking directly to me through my pastor that night.

This time God was saying no more excuses. You can’t turn your back.

So immediately after I got back home, I started to buckle down and did more research. I asked my current pastor, another local pastor, and another missionary about trips. But the one that kept coming back up was the World Race.

And that right there sums up my life in a couple of pages and my journey into finding out about the World Race.

I’ll be honest. The world race scares me. It’s not my “typical mission trip.” The mission trips I usually go on are like 90% work and 10% talk. You might have to be out of your comfort zone twice the whole week. But with the world race, we will be evangelizing, praying over people, and put in just uncomfortable positions for an entire year. And that scares me. That is why I need prayers from you to prepare me for this journey Jesus has for me.

This mission trip is not free. If you feel led in any way to donate, please do. It is with help from people like you that allow the Word of God and the love of Jesus to be spread throughout the world.

-Mark 16:15-

                                                                                                                                  over and out

                                                                                                                                                                   love,

Caroline