It is possible that the World Race has become romanticized. As racers share stories of adventure, travel and incredible God moments… it is easy to sit at home wishing you were living this life as well. I know, because I was there once myself. Sitting at my desk (when I was supposed to be working/studying) reading blog after blog… sound familiar?
I am going to be honest, this race isn’t for everyone. Thus, I am going to give you a few reasons why you should reconsider signing up for The World Race.
1) Don’t sign up for The World Race if you like being clean and smelling nice. You may go an entire month with only one quick bath in a muddy creek. But God will give you a new picture of what it means to be beautiful.
2) Don’t sign up for The World Race if you love wearing fluffy dry clothes. In addition to smelling bad, you will probably go the entire year without a clothes dryer. In fact, sometimes a rusty fence, outside, in the middle of winter is your only option. But God will show you step-by-step what it means to sacrifice your comfort.
3) Don’t sign up for The World Race if you plan on calling a tow-truck at the first sign of car trouble. When you are in the middle of the African bush, you just have to get out and push. But God will teach you to depend on him, not on a list of numbers to call when a problem arises. 
4) Don’t sign up for The World Race if you are adamant about wearing your seat-belt. Our philosophy is: if you squeeze people in tight enough, no one is going anywhere. Our record is 22 people in a pickup truck, 10 people in a 5 person car, and 8 on a 4 person trike in the Philippines (although this one may have flipped). But God will show you his divine protection and you will depend on prayer more than ever before.
5) Don’t sign up for The World Race if you hate snakes, spiders, mosquitos, and other strange bugs. They will soon be your housemates and chances are your bug net won’t keep them off you at night. But God will supply laughter as your team spends 30 minutes trying to find the softball sized spider that fell into a pile of backpacks.
6) Don’t sign up for The World race if you like drinking clean water. Our food budget is small and when bottled water is to expensive the only option is to haul buckets of water in and purify it yourself. We do our best, but sometimes a water-borne bacteria sneaks through and you end up puking 7 times on your travel day. But God will show you love and care, as numerous squadmates rally around you to provide juice, baby wipes, and clean buckets.
7) Don’t sign up for The World Race if you depend on clean bathrooms. I wish I could count how many times I have had to step over poop and plug my nose, while trying to balance myself in a squatty-potty.But God will give you compassion for the people who live in garbage dumps and the children who walk barefoot through sewage daily on their way to school.
8) Don’t sign up for The World Race if you would be embarrassed by a friend picking something out of your teeth. When you go months at a time without looking in a mirror, you grow to depend on your teammates’ honesty (and sometimes their teeth picking services). But God will give you the courage to open up to a group of strangers that become your family.
9) Don’t sign up for The World Race if it is your dream to be a fashion icon. Numerous times I have seen a cute guy checking me out, before realizing that he was actually staring at my socks with sandals or my coat over a sweater over a dress, with jeans and snow boots combination. But God will teach you that you don’t need a man to romance you, because there is a Divine romance already at work.
10) Don’t sign up for The World Race if you always want a hospital nearby. When the local clinic fails you, the next best option is to pull out a book called “Where there is no doctor.” But you will find dependence on prayer, and you will see the healing power of God over things you used to depend on medication for. 
11) Don’t sign up for The World Race if you need a bed to sleep. This year I have slept on the floors of gas stations, with homeless people in Poland, numerous airports, and in every form of transportation possible. But God will give you rest and you will be grateful that you typically have a bed to call your own. 
12) Don’t sign up for The World Race if you hate living in community and love your independence. For the past 8 months, I haven’t even gone to the bathroom in a restaurant by myself. You will be with your team 24/7 and an iPod/eye-mask combination only gives a temporary sense of being alone. But God will push you in these moments, he will challenge you through your teammates and they will call you into greatness. 
13) Don’t sign up for The World Race If you are comfortable with who you are, because I can promise that this experience will change you. The journey is not easy, but if you are willing… God will take you on an adventure of love, service, abandonment, and surrended. YOU will never be the same.
I second what Jeanne said…except that I will keep The World Race as an option for the next few years. Thanks so much Steph!
Steph,
I have followed your journey with your blogs and pictures and have prayed for you and your team mates on a daily basis. I’ve also had some regret that I did not know the Lord or about the World Race when I was your age, thinking what a great experience it would have been.
Well, thanks to this blog, these pictures and this latest perspective, I’M GLAD I DIDN’T KNOW!! I have to tell you in light of this information, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have gone. No more regrets!! only admiration for all of you on the race now as well as those that have gone before you and those that will go after you.
I Praise the Lord for what he has done through you and to you on this journey, and I can’t wait to hear more when you get home!
God has shown His Power in many ways and taught me so many things through you that I will be forever grateful for. God’s Love is mighty all around the world and in all people and your journey shows me His Power, and just what He can do to those who choose to serve Him!! It has brought me new eyes when praying for the poor and needy, and taught me just how grateful I should be. I am truly blessed by the Lord and truly blessed for having shared in your journey!!
My prayers continue to be with you as you finish the race!
Love in Christ,
Traci
Dear Steph,
I share Jeanne’s sentiments to a tee; and it certainly was “easy” to sit home reading your stories of adventure, travel and incredible God moments; but honestly, when reading blog after blog, I didn’t ever wish I was living that life, as much as I wished I had the desire/courage to surrender so much to even want to live that life! After all, my Lord surrendered His life for me! But, you’ve confirmed it for me. After reading your items 1 through 13, I know that if I were on a reality show entitled “World’s Most Eligible World-Racer,” the host would turn to me and say: “I’m sorry, Angela Martine, YOU ARE NOT AT ALL ELIGIBLE TO BE A WORLD-RACER!”
I am, however, so very grateful to have been on the journey with you from here — to have my heart challenged in so many ways through your experiences, and for the privilege to pray for you and your team. As others have mentioned, it has caused me to be so very grateful for what I have here, revealing how much I take for granted; and it has opened the eyes of my heart to so much more I should be praying for. Our God answers prayers! I am so very grateful for God’s protection over you throughout your race (though I understand it was not ever smooth sailing). And, I will continue to pray and thank Him in advance for bringing you home safely, and for what He will continue to do in your heart and life for having been willing to serve Him in this way.
Looking forward to seeing you (when you’re ready to be seen). Praying and counting the days!
With Love,
Angela
I agree with Jeanne, with the “don’t sign up to pray for and Love a world racer……….” We have prayed for, cried for, laughed with, was amazed at, rejoiced with, looked at beauty captured in pics by, been grossed out by (I still CAN’T get by the meal made with 15 guinea pigs) and everything else with or by. Thank you for sharing your last 11 months…….I have grown by hearing and seeing your testimony unfold. Hey Girl……the prayin’ hasn’t stopped yet….not till you get home!! We love you!
Susan
GREAT re-post!! So, so, so true!!!!!
As I was reading your previous entry I was thinking to myself, I know I couldn’t do the World Race as long as Stephanie.” But experiencing God’s moving and provision when we’re out of our comfort zone is AWESOME! We’re way to comfortable in the US.
All I said when I saw the pictures of the spiders was
OOW, OOW, OOW!!!!! I was so grossed out!!
There’d be no sleep until that sucker was dead meat!!
But on a lighter note….I also agree with Jeanne. Thank you for being so honest with your feelings. I think many of us are afraid to express out loud what we’re really feeling because of the response from others or what they’d think of us. You made me take a look at my heart a number of time and identify what I need to work on. Thank you for being God’s instrument to help others.
Can’t wait to see you and hear more stories. 🙂
Dear Steph:
14) Don’t sign up to love and pray for a World Racer, unless you will allow the Holy Spirit to change your monotonous Christianity through the experiences of that World Racer.
You, Stephanie Christine Bernotas, because of your complete surrender to God’s calling, have not only ministered to countless people during the last 11 months, but you have pushed us out of our “cookie cutter Christianity” to be Jesus with skin on when it’s uncomfortable. Thank you for your crystal clear blogs that made us chuckle, made us angry and made me cry. I want you to know that you have impacted my life for good. . . and that I will probably never sign up for The World Race!!! I love you and can’t wait to see you.