When my leadership made the decision to send home all of our international Racers to America, you have a choice…from that vantage point on how to perceive it.
We, at Adventures in Missions, teach about the victim circle or the freedom circle.
Those are camps we can sit in and see life from.
I choose to live in the freedom circle.
When you have no control or say in a matter, the 3 things you can control is your choice, your perspective and who you trust.
In 2018, God began to speak to me about revival. And by revival, I don’t mean late night church services for a week. When I think revival, I think nations submitted to the Lordship of Jesus.
I think of the Welsh Revival where Evan Roberts preached to 11 people on 4 key components.
1. Confess sin.
2. Get rid of any doubtful habits.
2. Promptly obey the Holy Spirit
3. Witness
That same year, 2018, we were given the green light to start World Race America.
The first ever World Race America began in January 2019. I asked God “How many people should I believe for in 2019?” He asked me “How many do you want?” (From John 15:7) I said “12.” It took 12 disciples to change the world.
He gave us 18 throughout the year.
Starting March of 2019, God led me to fast and pray for America. In that, I did a 40 day water fast. God told me it would be a time to learn how to warfare with the Word. He also asked me “How many Racers do you want on WR America 2020?”
I said “40.” 40 is a number God uses as turning points in history. Jesus fasting 40 days in the wilderness. Israelites 40 years wandering. 40 days from resurrection to Pentecost. The earth flooded in Noah’s time for 40 days. (And over a 100 more references in the Bible with the number 40.)
The second World Race America is out now. They are the only squad “on the field” with Adventures in Missions. There are 8 of them. 32 shy of what I asked for as of 3/19/20.
But on 3/14/20, our leadership, in response to the Coronavirus, made a decision to send home all World Race 11n11, World Race Gap Year and Semesters.
America is receiving 540 missionaries straight off of the field.
I got 540 answers to prayer instead of the 40 that I asked for.
So now we have over 20 squads on the field in America.
That’s how I am choosing to see it.
I wanna live 20/20 with eyes wide open. I don’t want to see in hindsight the hand of God. So many of us will get to the end of 2020 and say “Hindsight is 20/20.”
But I don’t want to miss what God is doing NOW.
I call it God’s surprise party. My leadership made the decision and God put my leaders in place, so He is the one in control of it all. I trust His leadership and I choose to see from His vantage point. He just threw us all a surprise party.
Like Abraham, when God said “go,” he went and didn’t know where he was going.
But, oh the inheritance that awaited him, though he couldn’t see it.
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. (Heb 11:8)
He writes the best stories. Really good stories have amazing plot twists. This is one of them. I knew revival and persecution was coming in 2020, but I didn’t see him answering prayers like this. I trust the Author of my faith tremendously.
The Bible I got for 2020 is a “Pray for America” Bible.
He showed me the story of Balaam and his donkey on March 16th, after finding out our international squads were coming home. You can kick the donkey three times, but the donkey is seeing in the spirit realm. He showed me “Teresa, I am ANSWERING YOUR PRAYERS for revival in America.”
You should see my prayer board. It has prayers like “Revival in America,” “World Race America Parents 2020,” “2nd WR America Van (paid off),” “World Race America seeing daily salvations.”
I know we need to process the huge grief of our squads leaving the fields early. I know our squads will need to process this. That is healthy. We are doing that.
And then after facing grief head on, I desire us to seek the Lord to see what He’s saying and then do it….promptly. That’s where the revival starts. When we choose to follow Jesus even when it hurts….even when we suffer….
So, I just got back yesterday from receiving my international squad, B squad, back to America, after only being on the field for 2 months of their 11 months.
We didn’t know Month 3 would include America, but it does.
We cried saying goodbye. I was recently encouraged by Gisele, the squad leader for WR America from what she shared from Isaiah 58: 10-12
Feed the hungry,
and help those in trouble.
Then your light will shine out from the darkness,
and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
The Lord will guide you continually,
giving you water when you are dry
and restoring your strength.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like an ever-flowing spring.
Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities.
Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls
and a restorer of homes.
Back in October 2019, the Lord told me to lead both WR America and B squad with the SAME vision…which I have never done before. It is “We Feed the Hungry.”
So as we gathered in the lobby saying our goodbyes….Connor had the idea to have us pray. We all huddled in prayer. I read out in prayer over B squad, from Isaiah 58, as I wept.
I believe He told me to lead them with the same vision because they were headed in the same direction.
A stranger later asked Rebekah, our B squad Racer…”Where have you been, because when I saw you hugging each other in the lobby, I could feel the presence of the Lord all around you.”
I believe God is up to something HUGE.
May America see that we have been with Jesus.
We might not understand the donkey stopping. But give us eyes to see in the Spirit.
Numbers 24:2-4
..where he saw the people of Israel camped, tribe by tribe. Then the Spirit of God came upon him, and this is the message he delivered:
“This is the message of Balaam son of Beor,
the message of the man whose eyes see clearly,
the message of one who hears the words of God,
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
who bows down with eyes wide open.
This is our bowing down, submitting to Your sovereignty with eyes wide open, Jesus.
