We’re going on the World Race in August 2024! The World Race is an 11 month mission trip with a strong focus on discipleship. We will travel to six different countries where we will partner with several existing ministries and organizations to bring the good news of the Gospel to people!
I’m sure the question everyone’s thinking is, how and why did we decide to do this thing called the World Race? Well we’re here to answer that question!
Adrianna: Those that know me are aware that I’ve always loved serving through missions work. I felt a distinct call from a young age. Over the years I’ve prayed a lot about what God wants for me and how I can live out this calling. In college, when I was looking for different mission opportunities, I stumbled across the World Race. I had considered an option like this (a year long missions opportunity) between undergrad and grad school but God had ultimately led me in another direction. Funnily enough, this is when Adam entered my life. As Adam and I started to date, we talked a lot about this. I actually was working for a missions organization for the summer when we first started dating.
In October 2022, I got to go on a mission trip to Costa Rica with Adventures in Missions (AIM). This was the first missions-related opportunity I had in over 4 years. On this trip, I was reminded in a new way of the passion and desire to share God with all people that He had placed on my heart a long time ago. Shortly after that, I had the opportunity to lead five short-term mission trips with AIM over the spring and summer of this year.
During this time, we had been praying for a way for Adam to join on a trip or for us to go on a mission trip together so he could experience it too. Due to last minute situations, Adam was able to join me on my last trip of the summer on a mission trip to Fort Apache, AZ! It was such an answer to prayer in a very unexpected way.
Shortly before that trip, when talking to a friend about missions, she posed the question, “I wonder what it would look like for you and Adam to do the World Race.” A thought similar to that had actually crossed my mind before she mentioned this, so when she said that, something within me changed and I seriously started considering and praying about it. I brought it up to Adam and we began praying and talking about it together.
Adam: When Adrianna first discussed the idea of the World Race to me, I felt a sense of peace about it. In fact, I was surprised that an amazing opportunity like this even exists! Now if you know me, this response may surprise you. I grew up disliking nature hikes, bike rides, and camping. I have always enjoyed technology and even made a career out of it! So with all that, why would I want to volunteer to travel the world in uncomfortable situations, surrounded by nature, while immersed in foreign communities? Because thankfully God has changed my heart. He has given me a heart that desires him and desires to love others better. Ever since college, I have enjoyed nature and pushing myself to grow in different ways. I have a long way to go, but I feel honored to grow with Adrianna in learning how to obey God better, how to preach the gospel, and how to rely fully on God.
Throughout our entire relationship, especially in the last year, we struggled to understand how God might use our individual gifts as a collective team in His kingdom work. Adrianna has had a clear calling for missions, yet I have never felt passionate about those things. They felt intimidating and uncomfortable. I have come to realize (through prayer) that I haven’t really had much experience in those areas so of course I was unsure! In addition, I have a very real passion to teach and mentor people of all ages and have recently discovered that I love conversing about God and the Gospel – especially with others who have differing perspectives. I believe that God can and will use both of our giftings together in a way that we never thought possible, which is why I’m excited to embark on the World Race.
For the first time, I feel like we have a clear vision of where God is calling us and it has never brought me more confidence. When you are working towards a shared goal, it’s amazing the ways you can see God moving and growing you closer to Him and together.
Ultimately, after several months of prayer and discussion we started to take steps towards committing to the World Race. As we went through the process, it became more clear to us that this is exactly where God is calling us in our next season of life. When specifically looking back over the past year, we can see the many ways in which God has been preparing us for this journey before we even realized it ourselves.
We’re confident that this experience is going to grow us in our individual walks with the Lord and together in our marriage. We are hopeful that God will provide more clarity about the role of missions work in our lives together. Most importantly, we have full trust that we will be better equipped to reach people with the Gospel wherever it is that we end up – whether on the international mission field, as an engineer and SLP, or something else – as a result of this experience.
We’re so excited for this journey and that we can share it with you. We can’t do this without our friends and family partnering with us in prayer and through financial support. We hope you will pray about your role in partnering with us!
Sending love