Why the World Race?

I’m not going to lie. I’ve been procrastinating this post because it’s another step that makes the World Race so much more real. The more real it gets, the more I realize what I’m leaving behind. I grew up moving around a lot, and Boulder’s been the first place that’s ever felt like home. So with every step that I take to leave it, my heart hurts. It’s been good though because along with the hurt has come a long list of memories of all the ways God’s shown up for me here, and it’s given me the courage and excitement to keep charging forward. 

So why am I leaving everything and going on the World Race? Well, it’s a mix of dreams and obedience to God. 

It all started with discovering my calling

You see, in the stillness and quiet of 2020, I realized I’m called to be sent, to go and take everything I’ve learned about God and bring it to people who haven’t encountered Him yet. 

As I’ve been working through this calling with God, I remember this moment in the middle of summer where I told Him, “Before I settle anywhere longterm, you know what would be awesome, God? Going all around the world and sharing Jesus with people from different cultures. It would also be cool to work with existing ministries and see how they operate and make a difference in their part of the world.” In all honesty, I was mostly just having fun dreaming with Him and wasn’t really expecting it to go anywhere. Also, at this point in time, the World Race was nowhere on my radar. 

For the rest of the year, I didn’t think about being sent or traveling the world until an early morning in December 2020. I’d been in a season of living in the uncomfortable and was taking a moment to reflect on all the ways God had been growing me. In the middle of it all, I heard Him whisper the uncomfortable was about to lead into the impossible and the impossible was going to be my theme for 2021. 

Where the World Race comes in

I remember laughing to myself—the kind of laugh Sarah from the Bible probably gave when she first heard she was going to have a son—and thinking, “Uncomfortable has already been so…well… uncomfortable. Now it’s time for the impossible? What kind of path are you leading me on, God?” But after a few minutes, I told God I was in. Then, I asked Him, “What does living the impossible even look like?” He immediately responded with three things: Surrender, belief, and World Race. 

The first two made a lot of sense. They seemed like the kinds of things I’d need more of to make room for the impossible in my life. The last one I had to Google. When I first landed on the World Race home page, my heart leapt out of my chest with delight, and I thought, “No way?! This is exactly what I had in my heart this summer.” After I read all that there was on the website, I also knew it would be impossible to do on my own—perfect for my 2021 theme. 

But wait…I’m going to have to give up everything 

Then I thought through what I would have to give up to do the World Race—my job, my church, my cat, my family and friends, my car…everything. So I decided to take a month to ask God for some more details about why He wants me to do this. 

In that month, He told me He wants to use the World Race to: 

• Teach me what it means to only have Him and know that I already have everything. 
• Show me how big and limitless He really is. 
• Take me deeper in my relationship with Him. 
• Prepare me for what’s going to come after, even though I have no idea what that is. 

How could I say no to any of that? 

Through Acts 4:13, God also helped me see that taking 11 months to dive deep in my relationship with Him was THE best thing I could ever do to prepare for whatever is ahead:

“The council members were astonished as they witnessed the bold courage of Peter and John, especially when they discovered that they were just ordinary men who had never had religious training. Then they began to understand the effect Jesus had on them simply by spending time with him.” (TPT)

So here I am, preparing to launch on the World Race this August. Since I’ve put my deposit down, God hasn’t stopped telling me how excited He is to do this with me, and every day I believe a little more that what’s in front of me is greater than what I’m letting go of. 

You can be a part of it too

I’d love for you to partner with me in what God is going to do all around the world in the year ahead. Here are a few ways you can join in the fun: 

1. Pray for my team and I that we use the time we have left at home wisely and that Jesus remains the center of it all as we fundraise and prep for what’s on the horizon.  
2. Give towards the funds I’ll need while I’m on the World Race. Donate here. 
3. Share my story with your friends and family. I hope God uses it to encourage you and everyone who reads it. 

However you choose to be part of the ride, I’m so grateful to have you on my side. Stay tuned for more updates, and I hope you have an amazing day! 

Cheers!

Natalie