A Week with Parents

Hello everyone! 

 

I wanted to share about PVT- Parent Vision Trip!!!

 

PVT is a time where parents come on the field with their racers so they are able to understand the experience of the World Race a little bit better. It is also an incredible opportunity for parents to be a part of their own mission trip. This last week spent with my parents was so sweet. We stayed at Sea Shells which is right on the beach, and we were shuttled around to ministry and to GLA (the place I had been staying over the past two months).

 

When the bus full of parents pulled up and I saw my mom and dad through their window, I cried so hard. They cried so hard. I ran up to them and hugged them as soon as they stepped off the bus. It was so incredible to actually be able to see and hug them again. 

 

My parents got all settled in, and then we headed out to eat at a restaurant owned by one of the GLA leaders. After dinner we walked to GLA! It was so incredible to be able to show my parents the amazing school and the mission house on campus that I had been staying in! 🙂 

 

The next day we went on a hike at Titisikama National Park! It was absolutely beautiful. It was a good time to just talk and enjoy adventuring together. After the hike we bought what dad claims as the best popsicles he has ever had. They were pretty good 😉 Then we went swimming in the ocean and spent time praying over this last part of the race. That night I was able to take mom and dad to a fun restaurant called Nina’s. Dad had his first flat white coffee (or white flat as he would say), and he loved it. 

 

Sunday!! We went to church at GLA and it was very sweet. At the end the pastor asked the parents to pray over their kid and give them their blessing. It was very powerful. Then mom and dad heard more about the incredible testimony behind GLA! Ask my mom about it…seriously. For lunch there were families of the GLA church that volunteered to host the World Race families. They brought table cloths, dishes, decorations, drinks, and all sorts of stuff to make a table for each World Race family. It was really special. We ate lamb (my first time ever having lamb. I thought it was pretty good.) salad, potatoes, and some amazing bread. The rest of Sunday was free, so naturally we went back to Nina’s for more flat whites. 😉 We had great conversations about the last bit of my race and what life looks like when I get home. I am very excited for both! That night my whole team, Aurora, hung out in our parents’ living room area. It was such a blast!! It is honestly crazy to see how similar people are to the parents and how different. That time was precious and hilarious. 

 

Monday!! My parents finally got to come to ministry with me!!! It was incredible for me to share something that has been so impactful on my life with them. Although they were only at Timion for two days, I think they were also impacted in huge ways. Ask them about it! 🙂 It was so fun to worship in the morning with the whole Timion crew and then go to the garden and harvest with all the parents. The parents were also able to go to the workshop and get the full Timion story. After ministry I took my parents to First Light, a christian coffee shop, to get, of course, flat whites, and then we walked around the little shops. We had dinner, went back to GLA, and had worship and a lesson. 

 

Tuesday!! This day was very similar to the day before; however, it not only my parents last full day, but it was also my last day at Timion. I am really glad my parents were able to be there for these goodbyes. I will share more about that in my next blog! After ministry we walked back to Sea Shells on the beach. It was a fun walk. We quickly learned that walking long distances on the beach is quite the workout. Then we had dinner and time to give each other letters we had wrote before PVT. It was a very sweet time. 

 

Wednesday! We went back to Nina’s for one last round of flat whites and breakfast before PVT was over. After that, I packed up and said my goodbyes. It was hard, but I also felt confident walking away. 

 

Overall, the week made me really excited to be home, but it was also a good reset. I truly realized how important family is to me. Family has always been so important to me, but this week I realized just how much I enjoy doing life with them. It was a very powerful week, and I believe what the Lord did will impact us for the rest of our lives. I really do. Again, ask my parents about it 🙂 It was so sweet to spend time with my mom and dad. We had fun adventures, scary moments (snake), good laughs, deep conversations, powerful prayers, and great love. I am so thankful that we had this time together, and now, I am refocused and trusting that God is going to do big things in the last two months of the race!!!

 

AT LEAST TWO MORE BLOGS THIS WEEK!!! Get excited!! 😉

 

Praying you all see the gift that family is. I love you all, and so does Jesus. 

 

Abigail Grace