Alumnus Participates in World Race, Visiting 8 Countries for Mission Work

Jacob said he was ecstatic to participate in the race, and the Lord worked in countless miraculous ways. The most notable memory happened in Lesotho, a country in southern Africa.

“I stayed with a South African missionary and some other local Basotho pastors,” he said. “They have mapped out 50 villages that were deep in the mountains that they believed had not been reached by any missionaries and did not have active churches.”

Jacob’s group journeyed with these missionaries to the inhabitants of these villages to advance the Gospel and trust that the Lord would provide a place for them to stay since they didn’t bring tents. God provided in various ways, and Jacob and his team ministered to the villages and shared the Jesus film. They got to know these remote people who had never heard the good news of Jesus before. The most remote village they traveled to was a five-hour trek from the closest road. Before arriving at their destination, which had no running water, cell service or electricity, Jacob said they had no idea what they would encounter. On the way there, they asked the Lord for guidance and prayed for a place to stay. By His grace, the villagers and the chief were very kind to them when these foreigners showed up unannounced.

“We had the privilege of sleeping on the floor of the chief ’s mud hut. This was a Village of only about 10 shepherds who wandered the mountainside with their sheep. They were so hospitable to us, and it was amazing to be a part of sharing the Gospel with these men for the first time. We also were able to establish a contact so the local pastors could continue to go back and disciple them,” Jacob said.

Jacob witnessed God do numerous miracles throughout his time in the World Race.

“There were many moments when I felt in over my head, unequipped or unprepared for challenging situations, but every time, God made a way for me to share His love in the craziest circumstances,” he said, “Because of COVID, we were rerouted at the last minute from Colombia to Albania. We got dropped off in a small, remote town in the coldest part of winter without knowing a single word of the Albanian language.”

Since going to Albania was a last-minute decision, they had yet to make plans about what they would do there. Jacob said they began walking through the town daily telling anyone they approached about the salvation in Jesus. When the Lord led them to a soccer field, they met some young men who spoke English. Jacob and his team started building relationships with these people and sharing their life stories.

“By the end of the month, we saw 15 of these young people decide to follow Jesus as their Lord and Savior! Training, programs and strategies are great, but ultimately, all God needs is our simple obedience to go out and try.”

Jacob learned countless incredible things during the World Race. One of his main takeaways from the adventure was what it takes to live as a missionary. He also realized that some moments that seem much like an interruption or useless to their “mission” or goal are actually very useful to the Lord. “The beauty and power of God's presence awaits us in these spontaneous moments.”