Round Two

I sat on a bench in Nicaragua with the phone pressed to my ear. My mother (and, surely, all my family) had patiently counted the days that passed, and it was here:

the day I’d fly home from the World Race.

The phone rang and rang until, finally, she answered.

Immediately she said, “I just can’t wait for you to come home!” 

I giggled and teased, “Well, Mom, bad news: today they offered round two! They said I could go ahead and start a new World Race tomorrow so I won’t be coming home after all- but tell my sisters I said hi!” 

 

There were a few moments of silence, followed by a deep breath at the end of the line.

 

“Mom, I’m kidding.” 

 

She laughed and shouted, “AMY! Don’t do that to me!!” 

We laughed as we re-told the story weeks after I’d come home and she explained to my aunts and uncles through her laughter, “I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry because I knew if they had made a serious offer for round two she would have taken it in a heartbeat!!”

And it’s true. I loved my year: the beautiful and the ugly, the easy and the excruciating, the healing and the pain…  it all had it’s time and place, and I’d learned against all impulse to embrace each piece that made up the wonderful whole. 

Isn’t it funny how we look back on life? 

It’s so easy to memorialize our past, fear our future, and miss our present. 

Leaving the World Race came with its own measure of mourning, but embracing the present and pressing on toward the future is still increasing my faith today! 

 

They never offered me round two.

But they did offer me something new: 

In October another squad will pack up and head out to the nations, and I have the incredible honor of mentoring them throughout the year. I couldn’t have asked for an assignment more challenging, humbling, and exciting as this;

to equip and empower a new generation of men and women who are hungry for righteousness and eager to see heaven on earth. 

To kick off this new ministry, I have just over 2 weeks to raise $2,000!

If 100 people can commit $20, we will meet the goal and I’ll be ready to begin on October 1st! 

If you’d like to be a part of my support team, I’m looking for 25 people to be intentional prayer and financial partners throughout the year at $30, $50, or $100 a month. Or, if you’d like to hear more about what I’ll be doing, where I’ll be going, or how you can get involved, email me at [email protected] – I’d love to hear from you! 

______________

Check out 5th generation B Squad! These are the 19 men and women I’ll be walking alongside this year and, let me tell you, they are POWERFUL! 

Meet them here!

Read their blogs here!

See their route here!