Today is our second to the last day of planned ministry before we pack up (Friday) and head to Florida (Saturday – Sunday) for debrief (Monday – Saturday). It is crazy to think this journey on the world race is truly almost over. (I say this because the first time we came home from the race I did believe we were going to go out again in some form but didn’t know how, now we are officially done with the eleven months we were given).
I want to say too this race and community has not always been easy.
There have been times even recently that I just wanted to escape, find a place where I could have some alone time and not feel the tension in the room and everyone else’s feelings. Living in community so close can be hard sometimes, we all have such different personalities that it can be a lot to handle sometimes. Each one of us are also working on different things with the Lord (none of us are perfect) and learning how to address those problems in a healthy way (learning which means sometimes we fail).
Even with all of this though it is hard to think we are all going to be separated in a week and a half…
In those hard times we have grown in sharing when we are struggling and challenging one another in how to grow and become more like Christ. We have learned about one another and our different strengths and weaknesses. We have grown in the different spiritual gifts the Lord has given us and been able to teach one another and impart gifts to one another. All that to say, understand when I do come home even if there were some hard times and it maybe wasn’t perfect, the Lord really showed me some good and hard things through it. Also that even if I am missing my past community I am still thankful for the gifts of space and my family (my next community).
Community may be hard sometimes, but it is worth it! It’s an everyday choice of choosing into your community, and I am thankful for having this community to choose into.
I also have not shared with you all that one of my squadmates tested positive for covid and then another squadmate tested positive after him.
We have all tested negative for covid now, praise and thanks be to God!
This scare though caused us to quarantine for the past three weeks here in Texas. What does this look like? Going out for prayer walks (with social distancing) and learning to be resourceful and creative in how to go about with ministry doing live streams and writing letters and encouragement videos to those we know.
If you could all be praying that we continue to stay negative in our covid test before leaving for debrief and all throughout debrief that would be greatly appreciated!
More to come about what I have learned and our last month here, but wanted to share this perspective for you in that I am thankful for this journey and it’s crazy the reality of it all coming to a close so soon.
This is just a chapter in each of our stories though, this has been an intense and hard year for each one of us for different reasons. Some having harder experiences than others, but I hope in this time of Thanksgiving and Christmas we each remember the good things and the growth each one of us have had and focus on those in the hard times.
Prayer Requests:
- We make it to debrief and are able to finish out this journey together and have time to go through all we have learned this year and what to take with us when we go home.
- All continue to stay healthy and do not get covid
- Many of us (and I’m sure you too) have family and/or friends that tested positive for covid: healing and rest for each person
- Preparation for a good transition home for the holidays
- A past host of ours has a herniated disk: healing and rest for him and rest for his wife
- A couple that is past world racers (past squadmate of one our leaders) got into a very bad accident a while back and still have a lot of healing to go, read their story here: Go Fund Me Blog
- Those who have lost a loved one recently or are still grieving as they go through the holiday season.
Looking forward to sharing more before I get home and when I get home as well!
Let me know how my team and I can be praying for you as well.
With much love,
Bethaney
