IRL Discipleship: How the World Race Pulls You Out of the Digital Bubble
We live in a world where so much of what we know comes through a screen. TikTok teaches us recipes. YouTube explains how to fix things. Podcasts give us wisdom. Instagram shows us snapshots of lives around the globe.
But here’s the thing: you can’t really learn the world from a feed.
That’s why one of the biggest surprises Racers experience isn’t just culture shock in another country, it’s culture shock from stepping offline and into real life.
The Culture Shock of Getting Offline
Culture shock is usually described as what happens when you enter a totally new environment with different languages, customs, and rhythms. And yes, that’s part of the World Race experience. But for many Racers, the first shock comes from leaving behind constant connection.
Instead of swiping through stories, you’re listening to the stories of a woman making breakfast in Cambodia. Instead of reading about poverty online, you’re building friendships with kids in South Africa whose joy redefines abundance. Instead of debating theology in a comment thread, you’re sitting across from a teammate, working it out face to face.
It’s jarring at first. But it’s also transformative.
Real Life Is the Best Teacher
On the World Race, your education comes through dirt roads, long conversations, tangible work, and the daily rhythms of a new culture. You don’t just watch a video about service, you roll up your sleeves and serve. You don’t just listen to a podcast about trust, you practice trusting God when plans fall apart.
This is where discipleship happens: in the raw, unfiltered, uncurated places that no algorithm could ever replicate.
Why It Matters
Because when you come home, you don’t just bring back passport stamps. You bring back the kind of wisdom that comes only from experience:
- Humility that’s learned when you’re the outsider.
- Patience formed on long travel days.
- Resilience built when you push through discomfort.
- Compassion sparked by real people, not headlines.
This kind of growth doesn’t come from scrolling. It comes from showing up.
Ready for the Shock That Transforms You?
The World Race invites you to trade your feed for the field. To stop learning secondhand and start living the lessons God has for you.
Upcoming Gap Year Routes | Launching August 2026
- Guatemala, Thailand, South Africa, Eswatini, and Lesotho | Ages 18-20 | 9 Months
- Thailand, Malaysia, Albania, Guatemala, and Honduras | Ages 17-20 | 9 Months
- Eswatini, Vietnam, Philippines, Colombia, and Cambodia | Ages 18-20 | 9 Months
- Italy, Nepal, Thailand, Indonesia, and Australia | Ages 17-20 | 9 Months
Don’t just scroll through the world. Step into it.
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