Q&A: What is life like two weeks before the Race? (Me: baptizing my entire family, frequenting the travel clinic and praying I get these last minute items taken care of!)

The main answer: exciting!

Since I’ve made it back home to Ohio life has taken on a healthy ebb and flow of crazy and calm. I spend the days writing to-do lists to get ready for the Race and trying to do as much on them as possible.

I’m addressing hundreds of mailing envelopes with my mom and grandma like we’re a UPS assembly line. 

I’m wearing shiny bandaids after getting vaccine after vaccine and becoming besties with the people at the pharmacy window. (Direct quote from the guy today: “Weren’t you just here yesterday? Why, yes. Yes, I was—see you tomorrow!!)

I’m looking at my 70-Liter backpack and laughing out loud.

I’m planning a “launch party” with my mom (the night of Saturday August 30^th, in Centerville, you’re invited!)

And in the midst of the doing, which I do enjoy so much because I love what I’m preparing for, I’m reminded that the most important thing I can be doing at all is spending time with the Lord. So I lay down in the grass in the backyard and just breathe and be with Jesus. And I think, every time, yes, this is the most important thing. This is the only thing. 

I am reminded that the Lord has good and perfect gifts in store. He blows me away. Everyday I can choose to look to myself to get things done, or I can choose to look to the Lord. I can choose to look for the Lord in the midst of everyday musings. And when I look for Him, I see Him everywhere.

In the little red airplane that flew over our house recently and drew a heart in the sky.

In sharing a bowl of ice cream on the porch with a best friend.

In the Pilipino woman who helped us carry our groceries to the car and taught me how to say “beautiful” in Tagalog.

In putting on a big band record and dancing around the living room with my little brother.

In the newly engaged couple I met at house church who are so in love I could watch them giggle together for hours and never get sick of it.

And most of all, in the baptism—the profession of faith and new life in Jesus–of my brother, my mom and my dad. A family pursued by the Lord, enamored by His beauty and redeemed by His Son. What a gift that I got to witness and be a part of this before leaving this September!!! What a gift that the Lord works in families and saves whole households.

The end of Psalm 23 says, “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” 

This is a statement I want to dwell on this coming year.

God is Love (1 John 4:8). I can never be apart from Him (Romans 8:38-39). The Lord goes before me and will be with me (Deuteronomy 31:8). He envelopes me and hems me in. (Psalm 139:5). Every good and perfect gift comes from my Father. (James 1:17).

I pray that now, and on the Race, I will be able to look in front of me and know that the Lord has already been there, wherever that may be—preparing the way; and to look behind me and recognize the trail of goodness and love that is always following close behind. 

And now….the Packing Frenzy—a two-week count down!

If you want a real, nitty gritty inside look at some of those to-do lists I mentioned, here’s one for ya! These are items I know I still need to purchase for the Race—and I’ve got two weeks to do it! These came from a shopping list I just made with my mom to help us get organized. If you’d like to sponsor part or all of any of these items or randomly have something to lend/donate/recommend—PLEASE let a Racer know 

(PayPal donations are easy and super helpful! Under email [email protected]. Sponsoring any of these items by making a match financial contribution is probably the best way to go since we’re getting into time crunch zone! Just holla at me if you have any questions!). (By the way, you’re the bomb for reading this far into this blog…I should be buying YOU something because you’re a champ!) Haha thanks again and lots of love. More exciting news coming soon as we get closer to launch!

 *I put everything in categories with highest priority at the top of each one, #organization #FunForMe.

The-still-need-to-get-list….. 

Priority #1’s Video Needs-

– Final Cut Pro X editing software – $299 – This item is a really big deal and really close to my heart, as something I want to do on the Race as a ministry is create videos for the ministry partners we work with! If you know me, you know I’m passionate about creating videos that help other and glorify God. Right now, I just don’t have all of the tools to do so on the Race. I got to create this video in the Dominican Republic for a nonprofit school I worked at–this is the kind of stuff I want to be able to do on the Race! Check it out! Having video editing software for my laptop will allow me to tell more stories like this from the field!

*Having this software will help with the World Race documentary project as well!* If you want to help sponsor this important item, let me know!!

– Two External hard drives (As part of the World Race documentary project, I’ll be helping to gather footage on the race with my DSLR! I’ll need a reliable place to stash it all. The video producer for AIM suggested having two EHD’s so you can back up your projects/footage in the event one drive gets lost/stolen) – $65

– Magic Mac mouse (for video editing on the field) – Refurbished on Amazon from $40+ 

– Mac mouse pad, something like this, $10 PURCHASED 🙂

– 2 new pairs of earbud headphones (apparently they get lost/break quiet often!) – PURCHASED 🙂

Clothing

• Sneakers! Something for running, comfort and the occasional ministry month involves manual/outdoor labor (anyone have any recommendations?) Size 9. Probably $60-$80 – PURCHASED 🙂

Living

• Big Agnes pad Insulated Air Core pad – at the recommendation of my beautiful squadmate Beth Milam! Regular Size, $72 – PURCHASED 🙂
  

Miscellaneous

• Smaller “travel” Bible PURCHASED 🙂
  
• Extra US ($200+) cash hidden throughout my luggage for emergencies
  Suggested by the World Race ***$1,500 spending money for the year–extra for weekends off, food, snacks, health emergencies, and anything not provided by AIM. Note: any funds donated to me personally via PayPal, or personal check, can be allotted for this need!***