One thing I have asked of The Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.
PSALM 27:4
the world race.
what is it? The World Race is a Christian mission trip where you travel to 11 countries in 11 months and partner with different ministries in each country. I was on a squad with a little over 40 amazing men and women of God. We did everything from working in the red light district in downtown Bangkok to preaching in house churches in Rwanda to teaching English in a little village in Bolivia. It was truly the adventure of a lifetime, and it sparked my love for overseas missions EVEN MORE. |
India. Nepal. Thailand. Cambodia. Vietnam. Ethiopia. Rwanda.
Bolivia. Peru. Ecuador. Colombia.
^^this is where my squad went!
Bolivia. Peru. Ecuador. Colombia.
^^this is where my squad went!
what did I learn? identity. intimacy. love.
identity.
Coming onto the Race, I thought I had it all together. Boy was I wrong...in many ways, I was walking in the power and authority of Jesus, but I was also ignoring some deep rooted issues of pride, approval, and fear. Throughout my 11 months, I was broken down more than ever, but God was so faithful and gentle in the process of growing me more into who I am today. A lot of these moments of finding my identity came from daily feedback that we would give as a team. Thanks to some bold friends stepping out and calling me higher, they helped me to start to break down these sins, AND encourage me in who I am and the unique gifts that God has given me. The World Race gave me space to learn who I really am, what I stand for, and find joy in who God created me specifically to be. I started to become more confident in who I am rather than trying to be who everyone wanted me to be. It was SO FREEING!
intimacy.
From the start, the Race was a time for me to go deeper in my relationship with the Lord. My relationship went from scheduled quiet times before the race to random, spontaneous worship sessions and prayer walks and listening prayer. I believe that our relationship with the Father grows the more time we spend with Him. Just like a friendship, when you spend more time with your friend, you start to know his/her voice better and understand more qualities about him/her. It's the same with God! With so much space to spend with Him on the race, I feel like I started to really hear His voice more and more clearly. And the more we hear His voice, the more we fall in love with Him. It was truly a sweet journey.
love.
This one was huge for me. Not that I didn't love people before the race, but before the race, I was very independent and didn't often do things for other people unless there was some personal gain involved. I had never really experienced the joy that comes from sacrificially loving the people around you without wanting anything in return. Although living surrounded by people 24/7 has its downsides, one of the BEST parts of community living is the way you get to see people truly loving each other. I was blessed to live with some amazing girls who showed me what true, sacrificial love looks like. I remember one morning in Vietnam, I was spending time with The Lord and one of my teammates walked upstairs with a fresh cup of coffee that she made me. She woke up extra early just to make me a cup of coffee. AND on top of that, she was doing a coffee fast, so she didn't even make any for herself. That kind of love baffled me...and walking with these girls in the months to follow really showed me what love looks like. Love isn't about being best friends with everyone around you; love starts with loving the one that He's placed in front of you. It's about seeing the value in each person that you encounter. Love breaks down walls, love restores, love heals.
identity.
Coming onto the Race, I thought I had it all together. Boy was I wrong...in many ways, I was walking in the power and authority of Jesus, but I was also ignoring some deep rooted issues of pride, approval, and fear. Throughout my 11 months, I was broken down more than ever, but God was so faithful and gentle in the process of growing me more into who I am today. A lot of these moments of finding my identity came from daily feedback that we would give as a team. Thanks to some bold friends stepping out and calling me higher, they helped me to start to break down these sins, AND encourage me in who I am and the unique gifts that God has given me. The World Race gave me space to learn who I really am, what I stand for, and find joy in who God created me specifically to be. I started to become more confident in who I am rather than trying to be who everyone wanted me to be. It was SO FREEING!
intimacy.
From the start, the Race was a time for me to go deeper in my relationship with the Lord. My relationship went from scheduled quiet times before the race to random, spontaneous worship sessions and prayer walks and listening prayer. I believe that our relationship with the Father grows the more time we spend with Him. Just like a friendship, when you spend more time with your friend, you start to know his/her voice better and understand more qualities about him/her. It's the same with God! With so much space to spend with Him on the race, I feel like I started to really hear His voice more and more clearly. And the more we hear His voice, the more we fall in love with Him. It was truly a sweet journey.
love.
This one was huge for me. Not that I didn't love people before the race, but before the race, I was very independent and didn't often do things for other people unless there was some personal gain involved. I had never really experienced the joy that comes from sacrificially loving the people around you without wanting anything in return. Although living surrounded by people 24/7 has its downsides, one of the BEST parts of community living is the way you get to see people truly loving each other. I was blessed to live with some amazing girls who showed me what true, sacrificial love looks like. I remember one morning in Vietnam, I was spending time with The Lord and one of my teammates walked upstairs with a fresh cup of coffee that she made me. She woke up extra early just to make me a cup of coffee. AND on top of that, she was doing a coffee fast, so she didn't even make any for herself. That kind of love baffled me...and walking with these girls in the months to follow really showed me what love looks like. Love isn't about being best friends with everyone around you; love starts with loving the one that He's placed in front of you. It's about seeing the value in each person that you encounter. Love breaks down walls, love restores, love heals.
Thx for reading! If you want to read more about my trip, check out my World Race blog: mikaylahartel.theworldrace.org
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