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Author: Autumn Green

What the World Race Taught Me About Joy: Finding Light in Unexpected Places

The world talks a lot about chasing happiness. It’s in every song, every ad, every scroll on your feed: “Do what makes you happy.” But happiness is fleeting. It fades when the Wi-Fi cuts out, when the plan changes, or when the comfort disappears. On the World Race, Racers discover something deeper – joy. And here’s the thing about joy: it doesn’t depend on circumstances. It’s something God builds in you when everything else gets stripped away. Joy Doesn’t Always Look Like You Expect Before the Race, joy might look like mountaintop moments: worship nights that shake the sky, sunsets that...

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When Faith Meets Fear: How the World Race Teaches Courage in an Uncertain World

The world feels uncertain right now. Headlines change by the hour. Conflict, injustice, and heartbreak dominate our feeds. And for many young adults, the question quietly grows louder: How do I live with faith when fear feels easier? That’s where the World Race steps in. Because courage isn’t the absence of fear — it’s faith in motion. Faith Doesn’t Erase Fear, It Redefines It Every Racer starts the journey with questions: What if I’m not ready? What if I don’t have what it takes? What if stepping into the unknown is too big of a risk? And yet, over and over again, God meets those fears...

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How the World Race Teaches You to Listen: Hearing God’s Voice in a Noisy World

We live in a world that never stops talking. News alerts, scrolling headlines, endless reels, constant commentary – everywhere you turn, someone is trying to tell you what to think, what to fear, or who to be. “I’ve got breaking news tonight…” And beneath all the noise, tragedy echoes. Wars rage. Families break. People search for hope in all the wrong places. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, even paralyzed. But what if the answer to the world’s chaos isn’t found in louder voices — but in learning to listen? That’s one of the most transformative lessons Racers learn on the World Race: before...

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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...

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The Journey of Becoming: Who You Are vs. Who God is Shaping You to Be

The World Race isn’t just about where you go. It’s about who you become along the way. For many Racers, the journey begins with questions: Who am I? What is my role in God’s Kingdom? How do my gifts fit into His greater plan? But as months unfold, through ministry, travel, community, and unexpected challenges, God begins to reshape those answers. He reveals that who you are today is only the starting point for who He’s calling you to be. Where You Start Isn’t Where You’ll Stay Amanda, a current Racer, shared that she began the Race with ideas of what her ministry would look like. She...

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The 5 Hardest Lessons You’ll Learn on the World Race

The World Race isn’t your average gap year. It’s not just travel. It’s not just missions. It’s an 11-month, or 9-month, or semester journey that stretches your faith, shapes your identity, and teaches you how to follow Jesus with everything you’ve got. It’s also hard. If you’re looking for a curated, comfortable experience, the World Race isn’t it. But if you’re ready to grow, really grow, these are five of the hardest (and most transformative) lessons you’ll learn along the way. 1. Dying to Self Is a Daily Choice On the Race, you live in tight community, sleep in unfamiliar places, and...

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