Two weeks ago we launched our latest three World Race squads.
As the parent of a World Racer, you are part of a growing community of people who discover that the Race is not just about what God wants to do in the Racers. It can also be a life changing and transforming adventure for you as well. As you "let go", as your kids grow up, and as you read the stories from the Racers, we hope your heart will be stirred in deep ways.
The Racers will be experiencing a strong sense of community. But what about you? Not too many people know what it is like to be a World Race parent. Many of you may be experiencing a wide range of emotions - maybe some excitement, some sadness, some uncertainty about finances, perhaps some fear. Eleven months can seem
like a very long time!
As we spent time recently with some of the parents from the T, U and V squads, they expressed two main desires - a wish that they had been connected to each other during the race and a desire to be available to future WR parents. You'll hear from some of them in future blogs.
We're looking into the best way to connect those of you who would like to get to know each other. In the meantime, welcome! Feel free to introduce yourselves here and suggest things that would be helpful as you begin your own journey. If you are an "alumni parent", offer your words of encouragement to those just starting out.
Finally, if
you would like to talk to parents who have already been through this, we have
some parents who would love to talk to you. Please email Betty Means (bettymeans@adventures.org) for their contact info.
I know that so much of the World Race is learning along the way, but if you are a future or newbie racer and want to make things a little easier on yourself (and your teammates), here is my advice (some of these won't make sense until you've been to training camp or launch).
One of the most common objections to the World Race is: "Does it do any long-term good?" People want to know what happens after an amazing year of adventures around the world.
In fact, that was one person's comment on a recent World Race update: "How many go into full-time mission work when they are done?" To be fair, that's not the easiest metric to track or measure.
For some, the World Race is a seed planted, an investment into a
kingdom lifestyle that takes years to harvest. For others, the fruit is
immediately measurable. Nonetheless, we're seeing the Race have a
tremendous impact on those who leave their comforts for a year to get
initiated into God's kingdom.
As a microcosm, Racer Hope Mendola
provided this list of what she and her squad mates are up to. I think
that it speaks for itself (note: these are all participants from one
squad that got off the field just this summer):
Jodi Greenlee - has already returned to the Philippines to open up a rehabilitation center for young inmates Michelle Johnson - interning with an anti-sex trafficking organization in Los Angeles Brandy Chaffer - creating a ministry that combines her corporate experience with my ministry life Melanie Dodson - just got a job with International Justice Mission Ken Virzi - already moved back to Turkey to do ministry there Anthony Ardino - interning at Mars Hill Church with Mark Driscoll Geoff Shepard, Adam Coleman, Don Brensinger - working toward being youth pastors Austin and Monica Anglea - already working as youth pastors Marissa Villa - using her journalism skills to tell the stories of those who are unheard
Emily Gearhart - working toward opening a school in Africa Holland Cox - interning with the World Race Beks Casanari - an Invisible Children roadie Halley Power - director of Missions at a Christian camp Robin Barnes - getting her doctorate in audiology to work with kids who have severe hearing loss Priscilla Cheng - getting her Masters in counseling Shannon Morgan - working toward ministry among Muslims (overseas or in America) Anna Notario - bringing revival to Austin, Texas through her business Ashlee Hilis
- currently volunteering at a college campus ministry as well as
starting a nonprofit organization concerning malaria awareness Aubrey Rainbow - currently studying sign language in order to do art therapy with the deaf population
Hope Mendola - pursuing a teaching job in a low-income community through Teach for America
WR parents often see what their children are accomplishing around the world and ask the question, "How can I impact the world in a similar way?"
After hearing of their children's experiences
on the World Race, Sue and Don Brensinger and Donna Morgan felt the call
to come to Haiti on an AIM short term trip. The hope and passion of
the Haitian people impacted these three, encouraging them to impact
their communities back home in America.
I just got off the phone with a potential World Racer who's struggling with what their parents think about the World Race. The risk factor is an issue; they are worried about their children being thrown in harm's way.
I wanted to throw this out to the group:
What would your response/advice be to parents who are worried about their child's safety while on the Race?
My wife, Kathy, and I have been married nearly 29 years. We have three
sons ages 22-25, they are all in the middle of pursuing God's plan for
their lives.
It often feels that their walk into destiny is actually a walk away
from us. A recurring thought I've had as we raised our sons was that
they were trying to move away from us. See, when they crawled, they
crawled away; when they walked, they walked away; when they ran, they
ran away. We taught them to ride bikes, they peddled away, they got
their licenses, they drove away. Now we see them in pursuit of
independence and finding their voices. The problem we are having is
they are fighting to get independence from us and their voices rarely
sound like us. It's a painful job this calling to be a parent.
It's getting more painful all the time because the world is getting
scarier and increasingly unsafe. On top of that we are the generation
that has over-indulged and over-protected our children. We have cared
more about their comfort than their character development. We have
done everything we could to keep them from pain - every sharp corner
covered, every outlet protected, "baby on board" signs in every
minivan. We haven't wanted them to feel the pain of losing either, so
now every sports participant gets a t-shirt and a trophy for just
showing up. We call their bosses if they get harsh evaluations at
work. I recently heard a professor interviewed and he said "parental
intervention is getting out of control". He was further quoted as
saying "that for the first time in 30 years he was having to regularly
defend grades to parents of undergrad and grad students a like".
We must stop the madness of constant interference. These young people
are actually God's plan to bring in the next great harvest. The work
is going to be hard, painful, lonely, humbling, and even dangerous. We
can't run behind our children any longer with pillows trying to soften
the pain that God himself may be orchestrating.
Our young adults need an alternative to our interference. They need
places that will offer initiation into adulthood. They need places to
find their voices and independence. They need places to be exposed to
real pain and have the Holy Spirit ask, "What will you do about it?"
They need places with close community that will challenge the behaviors
and attitudes that we have previously excused. In short, they need
places to grow up and grow away from us.
The World Race is one
of these places and it provides this kind of discipleship. It offers
ministry in tough places internationally while bringing ministry to
tough places internally.
Real discipleship should offer real ministry while providing a real invitation to real maturity.
The world needs our kids and we need to let them go!!!
I've been blogging here since July and with Thanksgiving arriving, I'm ready to take a break. It may be an extended one.
The reason I started the blog was an observation: I watched many of you parents "go along" with your son or daughter on the race. As the parent of two, I knew what you felt from the inside out. And I wanted to help you gain insight into your process as much as possible. It's a scary thing watching your child go around the world, taking risks that you'd never let them take and then letting you know about it long after the fact. And at the same time, the vicarious experience is a stretching, growing time for many of you.
I've also wanted to get to know more WR parents and to help you get to know one another, so this has been a venue that I'm hoping will turn into something of a community.
We've had a number of you who have written very heart-felt guest blogs and I've been very appreciative of those of you who have commented along the way. I want to say thank you and I hope that you'll send more along. I also want to say thank you for those of you who have given us the benefit of the doubt as we've tried to help your children grow. Our WR staff is often incredible, but sometimes messes up and needs your grace.
I guess for this blog to continue, it's going to need other people to step up. I'm that some of you will self-identify. We need writers, editors, and counselors. We need those who will get other parents involved and help them along the way. Please email me using the "Send an Email" link on the left if you'd like to volunteer or make a suggestion.
In the World Race, we say to you parents, "You've given it your best shot for all these years, if you trust us with your children, we can't always guarantee their safety, but we'll return them home better than when they left." And for some of you, that is tough.
Actually, we usually do much more than that. More times than not, we really help racers discover their identity in Christ. We help them them eject all the junk in their lives that they've taken on over the years. Even the best of you parents are swimming upstream against a lot of junk in our society, and many of you have inadvertently have engaged in counterproductive behavior, delaying the maturation of your child.
Too many of us fathers have abdicated our God-given
authority role. And when we do, who can fault our wives for stepping into the breach and doing what good
mothers do - protect and nurture?
Without realizing it, parents have become chauffeurs and concierges for
a generation of children that bounces from Game Boys to soccer practice
to Nintendo and in the process came to assume that life owes them a
good time.
Many parents identify so thoroughly with their role that even
after their children leave the nest, they are incapable of releasing
them to feel the consequences of their own actions. Enmeshed as they
are in an identity validated by living vicariously through their
children, they helicopter in at various points to rescue their children
when they are in peril.
Of course such a situation is absurd. God never intended for
parents to live this way. He delegated authority to fathers as
providers and protectors. He set it up so that "it will go well for
you" if you obey your parents.
With things so far out of whack, is it any wonder so many children
struggle to trust and are looking for community - a place to belong and
recover a sense of safety they never had growing up? The irony is that
they test the fences around them so much in part to validate that they
can be trusted. When parents give into their kids, the kids actually
feel less, not more, secure.
As difficult as this may be for some of you, those of on staff working to make the World Race a life changing experience want to thank you for your trust. We believe there is no better experience or training for helping your child become the man or woman of God that is their destiny.
When your child signs up for the race, you may think their experience is going to be primarily about developing a world view and missions. At least that's what I thought when I first conceived the race.
What I learned in that first year is that too many racers are still struggling with identity issues for this to be the primary focus. Until they've wrestled through some foundational questions related to identity, all the missiological training and experience in the world will be wasted.
So, we've modified our efforts, not to cater to a racer's narcissism, but to help them get out of the way so that they can begin to work toward understanding what God is doing in the earth and how they can join them in it. The video below by Ashley Higgins explains the sorts of issues that many racers are struggling with even as they go around the world seeking to bring hope.
If you're interested in learning more, let me encourage you to read any of my blogs on the subject.
This Video is dedicated to all the staff at the EuroClinic. Thanks for being there when I called you. S.O.S.
After 35 days, I left the Hospital. Fresh Cold Air
in Bucarest!!! I was taken to the Popa's house where I will be living
for the next two weeks (then Mom and I fly to Phoenix the 13th). What a blessing when Mom and I walked into our new home:
What an amazing family. We are so blessed to be
here. I had a lovely dinner (thai curry with different toppings) with
the family and some students of Bucarest Christian Academy. We had a
great time. It has been fun to spend time with the girls (in order from
left to right in the picture), Lexi, Noami, and Daniela. We made some
peanut butter chocolate chip and M&M cookies!!! Yum. God knows how
much I love baking and cookies. I am so thankful.
I know that so much of the World Race is learning along the way, but if you are a future or newbie racer and want to make things a little easier on yourself (and your teammates), here is my advice (some of these won't make sense until you've been to training camp or launch).
I've been blogging here since July and with Thanksgiving arriving, I'm ready to take a break. It may be an extended one.
