This is written by a good buddy of mine, Eric Hanson. He’s just completed a year-long missions adventure called The World Race. I’ll let him describe it, he does so perfectly in the blog below:
My name is Eric Hanson. I have set my feet upon five continents over the course of this year. I have seen the wonders of the world, those widely recognized, but many more that only a few on this earth have ever seen. And every time I look around, I wonder, “Is this really my life?”
Yesterday, I was standing on top of some snowy peak I do not know the name of, overlooking mountain range after mountain range, struck by awe. I have seen miracles. I have seen the unexplainable. I have eaten food that should not have fed three or four people, yet strangely fed 11, with enough for seconds. I have had nowhere to sleep at night one minute, and the next, I’m holding the keys to a house.
I have walked in to a village where there were no believers, and left with 25 new brothers and sisters. I have seen people who have not eaten in a week, erupt into dancing and laughter. I have seen the joy in the eyes of a teenage boy whose one eye did not work only minutes before.
I have heard the shouts of praise of a woman who had lain on a mat and could now walk. I have seen an old man, whose heart had hardened from 60 years of rejection, melt because of the love of a few strangers, and the One who died for him.
I have been a part of the story of a man who had a terminally ill wife who lived just long enough to hear the Good News and then passed away. I have seen the obedience of a young man and his wife transform a community in the jungle. I have worshiped in secret where it is illegal, lifting up praises so that only my Father can hear.
I have had my own encounter with the Living God, and every single day, I have the extreme privilege to see the Lord in a new way.
Three World Race teams are leaving in 2008. Abundant life is literally at your fingertips. Apply now for the World Race, and start living how you were meant to live. You must be at least 21.
The World Race is a discipleship program in which young people (over 21) are challenged to live like Jesus for a year. They travel to 11 different countries, bring hope to the poor, and learn how to live in close community with their peers. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Click here to tell a friend about the World Race.