Hello everyone. I’m Rachel Brenner and it’s a pleasure to meet you!
So the big question of the day is, “Why the World Race?”. Well, if you already know me, I’m sure you have heard me talk about the passion I have for foreign missions. If you don’t know me, well… you’re about to hear me talk about the passion I have for foreign missions. But FIRST, I want to give you a quick overview of the World Race and what it will look like for me when my trip begins in January 2023 🙂
The World Race is an 11 month mission trip with the mission organization Adventures in Missions. Adventures in Missions has many different trips to choose from depending on age, location, and time frame, but the World Race is a specific trip geared towards young adults ranging from 21-35 year olds. On the World Race we will expect to travel with approximately 30 other participants, backpack through different countries, partner with different churches throughout the world, and work along side those churches in their ministry. Specifically, we will be involved with children’s ministry, church planting, and community outreaches. The World Race cultivates an environment that promotes spiritual growth, rich Christian fellowship, and opportunities to serve and share the Gospel with people all over the world.
Now… I’ll give a little back story.
For as long as I can remember, my family has been actively involved with a ministry in Mexico. I went on my first trip when I was 15 years old. Of course I enjoyed it, but I had zero intentions of ever staying longer than 2 weeks or making foreign missions a bigger part of my life than it already was. Although I had “fun” on the annual trips, my mindset was very self-centered and I wasn’t really focused on impacting God’s kingdom. And on top of that, I felt that the basic daily comforts were a necessity in my life and I had no desire to give any of those things up longterm lol. Ya know, like… regular hot showers, sleeping in my own bed, eating normal food, keeping my distance from bugs and other creatures… and all that stuff. But when I was 19 years old, God opened my eyes and changed my perspective ENTIRELY.
I was on one of our annual mission trips to Mexico, and halfway through the trip, God changed my heart. Not just a little bit… A LOT. Not only did he give me a heart that wanted to serve and impact his kingdom, but he also started changing my passions, desires, and even some parts of my personality. It was kind of mind blowing, to be honest! A couple months later, I had the opportunity to go back to Mexico for the summer to work along side our missionary friends. That summer was completely life changing and it definitely confirmed my growing desire for foreign mission work.
That desire has only continued to grow since then. At the time, I didn’t know when, where, or how, but I knew God was calling me to more. About two years ago, I happened to come across a World Race ad on youtube. I clicked on the link and was immediately interested. I knew I wasn’t in a place to make any new commitments at that specific time, but I prayed about it for a future opportunity. Fast forward about two years later… I’ve been finishing up previous work commitments and recently found that God has been giving me the green light to start pursing the World Race.
So, back to the original question. Why the World Race?
Well… because I truly believe God is giving me this opportunity to act on the desire He has placed in my heart.
