World Race Launch. A period of time preceding the commissioning of World Race missionaries to the field. This time is intended to strengthen relationships within the squad, provide more individualized training for each team member’s role, and create a space for racers to prepare spiritually.
I’ve been dreaming of what launch might have looked like if we were going on the race pre-covid. Our families would have been present, allowing us to prolong our farewells. We would have met the other squads setting out at the same time as us. We likely would’ve gotten to sleep in real beds in a hotel room. I could probably go for a while listing out what would have or could have been, but I’ll spare you and move one.
With tender hearts and sore eyes, we arrived at launch with little to no idea of what to expect. Sure, we can allow our minds to work and prepare the future for us, but that’s not reality and I really don’t think I could’ve dreamt up the actual scenario that was set before us.
Initially, we greeted each other with tight hugs and lots of conversation, but were soon separated by boundaries of duct tape on the floor. Each team on my squad was assigned to a section of the room that would be our space to eat, sleep, and learn in. Six dreadful feet away from the nearest team. I haven’t seen my squad mates faces without a water bottle or fork because we were only permitted to remove our masks when we were eating or sleeping. (fun side note: I fell asleep with my mask on multiple nights. 11/10 don’t recommend that one.) My ears are raw from the length of time I’ve had this mask on.
Though we all arrived with a negative covid test, we were retested on Saturday as the Guatemalan government specifically requires those results within 96 hours prior to entry to the country. The purpose of all of these precautions was to ensure that if any person happened to pick something up in the airport, the whole squad would not be hindered from launching on time, only the infected team. (Praise God that every team on our squad launched together. We’re missing a few brothers and sisters that will join us soon, but we’re mostly here! :))
While I couldn’t help but be frustrated with some of these restrictions, I’m thankful for the hard work of the leadership at AIM to ensure that we would launch healthy and timely.
Truth be told, it’s been a lovely time of reconnection and fellowship with my squad. Launching internationally during a global health crisis is something that I believe many people would not even consider and may think me insane for being here right now, but I’m here to tell you that the Kingdom of God is worth abandoning my safety, my comfort, and my life in the states. God desires communion with His children even during a pandemic and there are people that still don’t even know how good of a father He is. I pray that the obedient hearts of my squad would draw people in to know the hope, love, and life that’s found in relationship with Jesus.
I’m challenging you, right now, to ask God how he wants to use you to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to life on earth. He told me to go, so here I am. Ready, willing, scared, and fully trusting in his provision and protection to keep me. I do hope you’ll do the very same.
In faith,
AWM
P.S. Please know that we do, indeed, have precautions in place to ensure that we are not spreading the virus around the communities that we will be serving. We are aware of the regulations surrounding COVID in Guatemala and will surely be proactive in practicing those.
