Hey Everyone!
It’s Carter here. A lot has happened since I last posted so the next few blogs I will focus on the time between finishing the World Race and starting CGA.
So to catch up the new followers, I finished my World Race journey in late November of 2019. Since then I have stayed at home preparing to start my journey back at Adventures in Missions through their Discipleship Leadership program called Center of Global Action, or CGA. I have been planning and preparing for CGA since June of last year in Thailand where I told everyone that I was done with my time at Adventures in Missions and that CGA was not on my mind… when two days later, without any prompting, my mentor tells me that the Lord has told her that I should consider CGA.
Who says God does not have a sense of humor?
The long story is on my last blog website at cartergroves.theworldrace.org but ultimately I struggled with why I wanted to fundraise again, postpone the plans that I had in place before the Race, and go to class at a “discipleship school”. Well, because I truly believe that God told me to. To many it does not make sense but something I learned over my World Race is that God doesn’t always like working in the sensible.
So here I am, one week in CGA, on a couch in Gainesville, GA, loving every choice to follow the Lord here. The end of the World Race was hard. I entered into a world that did not press pause for me. I told my squad mates and my mentor that I felt like I had jumped onto a treadmill on the highest power and tried to keep up with the pace, only to trip, fall, and land face down five feet behind the machine. And to those who know that feeling because they are among the many to fall off one you know what that pain. It hurt, stung, and you just want to lay still hoping no one saw you.
But instead of trying to get back on it and try to keep with the pace, someone with more sense than me decided that unplugging it was a better idea. So that’s what I did. I unplugged. I rested. I took a deep breath because I came back and my head spun.
Being home was great and amazing. My favorite memory is arriving in the airport and my little brother dropping his sign and running straight to me crying. I missed home. Seeing everyone and hearing the whole year’s journey from my siblings in the span of fifteen minutes in the Chick-fil-a drive through was awesome. I loved every minute of being with my family and friends.
With that said, I am not the same as when I left and I knew that the life I had planned for myself before the Race was no longer the path I was going to take. Because I planned it without the Lord. And as I laid down on my bed for the first time in 2019, I internally imploded a bit.
Because this next season is new and scary. The “safety” nets of the world I knew before are gone. I’m choosing God’s security over the safety the world tells me I need. If God can split the seas for Moses to get him to the promise land, I can rest knowing He can get me through the next few months and beyond.
And so… it begins.
I’m here. In Gainesville, GA round 2. At CGA learning to trust my Lord with my life. Because it is no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me.
The Lord told me my word for this season is BREAKTHROUGH.
I am excited to have you all walk through this season of BREAKTHROUGH with me.
I will try to post more often. And I don’t call me out on it.
There’s so much to tell but they say keep these updates to 500 words. I’m already at 679 words so…
Love you all so much! And thank you for keeping up with my story and journey for a little bit longer.
Till next time.
Carter
FUNDRAISING UPDATE: I still need $780 to my first deadline!!! If you want to support me financially you can donate at the link below! IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS COMMENTS OR CONCERNS please contact me at my email, also below.
DONATE LINK: https://www.adventures.org/give/donate.asp?giveto=staff&desc=Carter Groves&appeal_id=GROVESCARTER
EMAIL: [email protected]