I’ve been gone for nearly a year and have traveled more of the world than I ever imagined I would. I have learned new things about myself and God, and some lessons in relating to all different kinds of people. But the greatest thing I will take away from my race is the stories, the memories that always come to mind when I think of a specific country or place in the world, the smiling faces that will be so hard to forget.
To commemorate this historic occasion of coming home I have thought back through the past year and collected one or two stories from each month that made me laugh and smile. So without further adieu:
Uganda:
- Headbutt hugs from a 3-year old/running like madwomen to escape rain that never came
Almost as soon as we walked onto the ChildVoice compound there was this little boy Steven who I immediately loved, and apparently he liked me pretty well too because when I walked around the compound I was often greeted by him running full force into me and wrapping his little arms around my legs. This action almost always preceded him asking to be picked up. This little boy was one of many at the CVI center but he never failed to bring a smile to my face. For one reason or other he reminded me of a cartoon I used to watch as a kid about dinosaurs, so for the month I gave him the nickname of “my little dinosaur”. I pray that this remarkable little boy grows up to be an amazing man of God.
At the center our team and the two American interns with us would eat our meals on the edge of the porch attached to the kitchen. One night as we were eating dinner we noticed some really dark clouds rolling in from the distance. We suspected that he storm would just skirt around us, as so many others had, but then the wind picked up. It blew harder than ever before knocking over plate, chairs, etc. and thunder and lightning could be seen and heard coming down. All the girls were running for their huts, leaving the Americans to fend for themselves, and we figured it was pretty bad if they were acting like crazy chickens. So in a rush we all grabbed our plates full of food and began sprinting and screaming back to our huts. All 8 of us crammed into one hut for our evening meal that night. It was a wonderful night filled with lots of laughter and fun. And it didn’t even rain.
Rwanda:
- And unforgettable 22nd birthday
For my alarm that morning one of my teammates serenaded me with the classic Taylor Swift song that is the anthem of all 22-year olds. After breakfast we walked to church where I preached for the first time that month. Then later that afternoon the girls took me into the city for a $4 3D movie. On the way home as we tried to beat Rwanda’s rainy season we got drenched on the backs of motorcycles, which were our rides. We attempted to wait out the rain under a gas station overpass for an hour or so, but the rain wouldn’t relent. Cold, hungry, and worried about how our hosts were feeling about not knowing where we were we decided to pay the extra money to grab a taxi. Once inside said taxi we discovered our driver only spoke French, so I tried to remember everything I could from high school in order to direct him to our home. We got a little lost but we made it safely home. After drying off a bit we sang Happy Birthday and ate cake, whose icing was literally the consistency of concrete. It was definitely a birthday for the record books.
Ethiopia:
- A Canadian/American Thanksgiving
In Ethiopia we lived at an organization run by a Canadian couple and while we were there a Canadian medical team and a Canadian missionary family also stayed with us. So on Thanksgiving the Americans went all out. We spent the day in the kitchen cooking. We made mashed potatoes, carrots, Mac & cheese, salad, homemade honey mustard sauce, double-battered fried chicken, with chocolate chip cookies and apple crisp for dessert. The World Race teams all dressed up and looked nice and out on the lawn in front of the house it looked like we were headed to prom because of all the pictures we took. When the doctors and nurses returned from their day of work they too got dressed up, even though they didn’t need to. Over dinner the house was filled with laughter and conversation, and afterwards we were blessed by the medical team doing all the dishes. Once the last dish was put away we watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas with the kids who lived on the compound and played cards while drinking tea or delicious Ethiopian coffee. It was unconventional Thanksgiving but reminded me a lot of my family celebrations at home. The day was filled with many wonderful memories I hope to cherish for a long time.
India:
- The 12 Days of Christmas- World Race Style
One of the first things we had discussed after first becoming a team were what Christmas traditions we had with our family that we wanted to bring onto the race, so once we got to India we each had one tradition the whole team would participate in. Back home my family has a Christmas Eve party every year and one of my favorite and best parts of the evening is when we sing our own version of the 12 Days of Christmas. Each year is unique and it gets crazier and crazier every year. I was sad I was going to miss it this, but my team loved the idea of making our own version. So we wrote out some verses, recorded ourselves singing, and then spent our free time recording some absolutely ridiculous videos. It was a ton of fun and will be added to many other great Christmas memories.
Nepal:
- Getting rammed into by a bull
This is probably one of the crazier stories from my trip that go along with things like rafting the Nile or getting attacked by a cicada(I’ll tell this one later), it wasn’t really fun at the time but looking back I can’t help but be amazed that it actually happened to me. We lived in an IDP camp for a week and our host wanted to show us his appreciation by taking us to a bull fight, which apparently is the big attraction in the town we were near. In my head I was picturing the Spanish bull fights where the matadors end the fight by killing the bull, and I wasn’t sure I was up for that. We arrived super early and watched the first fight, learning that the bulls had to be drunk in order to get them angry enough to fight. Drunk and angry sounded like a great combination. We watched a few fights and thankfully no bulls died, but after awhile we all split off to explore. Later my teammates Julia, Carson and I were trying to round everybody up to head home. Suddenly people were pushing in all directions and shouting in the crowded street, traffic had stopped and there was no free space anywhere on the road. Looking behind us we realized the commotion was being caused by a bull who had just lost a fight and was coming our way. After a few minutes of struggling to get out of the street Carson ended up between some motorcycles, Julia was in the middle of the crowd, and I was on the outside of the group within feet of the bull. I was absolutely terrified and the only thought running through my mind was “get off the road”. I crushed in as close as I could to everyone else. Pretty soon the bull was next to me and his side rammed into my back and I fell, buoyed by all the people in front of me so I remained upright, Julia fell onto a motorcycle, which fell on Carson’s leg. Afterwards we all agreed to never do that again. This was definitely one of the scarier moments of my race but looking back I can’t help but laugh at how crazy a situation it was and the fact that I actually lived it.
Cambodia:
- Silliness during afternoon breaks
In Cambodia I got to be an English teacher to some village kids. Probably the second day I became friends with an 8-year old boy named Pahli. He was sweet, an incredibly talented artist, had a ton of energy, an infectious smile and a laugh that made my heart smile. Every afternoon we had a two hour break for lunch and resting before teaching classes again. Often students would return early and play. Pahli was one of those kids. If I was sitting out on the porch reading he would walk right up to me smile and then sit down in my lap as I read. He was perfectly to just sit with me. Other times we would run around yelling and screaming, chasing each other around the yard or I would give him a piggyback ride. Soon it was normal for Pahli to go wherever I went during that time, and I mean he would follow me everywhere. The classroom, kitchen, bathroom. And I couldn’t be mad at him because he was just so sweet. At the end of every break when the bell rang, we would stand up and Pahli would grab for my hand. Then hand in hand I would deliver him to his classroom, right next to mine, before going to teach. These were such precious moments I can’t help but think about them with a smile on my face.
Thailand:
- Releasing paper lanterns on the beach
One of the only things I desperately wanted to do on the race wasn’t ride elephants, feed monkeys, or raft the Nile. All I wanted to do was release a paper lantern into the night sky, like in Tangled. It’s corny but true, and on one of the last nights of our debrief at a tourist beach town I got my wish. Our whole squad plus our alumni squad leaders, coaches, and squad mentor all walked down to the beach late after session and sent burning lights up into the sky. After they were released a group of us stood on the beach and gave an impromptu worship concert, harmonizing and blending. It was a great peaceful and fun night and the perfect end to a refreshing and relaxing debrief.
Malaysia:
- The Cicada Incident
Early on in our month in Gua Musang, Malaysia the girls of our team had our apartment to ourselves because the guys were in another town celebrating a birthday. And of course it just so happened that this was the night when a cicada decided to join in on the fun. Julia was up on the roof getting ready for bed, and Carson and Taylor had left to get ice cream, I was the only one in the apartment. I walked over to the window to close the makeshift curtains so people from the street couldn’t see in and in the process a giant bug fell to the floor. I saw it and it took about ten seconds for my brain to register it was a bug and then it made a sound the likes of which I had never heard before. I screamed louder than I ever have in my life and sprinted to the other side of the apartment. Julia thought I was being attacked by someone. As I tried to explain to her what had happened Carson and Taylor came home. Halfway through my second explanation I broke down in uncontrollable tears because I was so terrified. When the girls went to investigate for themselves they couldn’t find the bug anywhere. I chose to hide in the bathroom until they found it. About 20 minutes later they called me over and the cicada was on the wall in my room! After another 10 minutes the bug had flown into a fan and killed itself. This was another terrifying moment of my race and I hope to never again live in a place with giant bugs, but my team and I are now able to look back on this and laugh, quite a lot actually.
Guatemala:
- Mother’s Day dinner and a Mariachi Band
Mother’s Day was our second sunday in Guatemala and as part of our ministry the Saturday night before our host partnered with a local church to serve about 100 mamas dinner. We arrived at church early to decorate and when we were finished the church looked like an authentic Italian restaurant because of it’s beautiful architecture. We were transported to a different places because of the courtyard, balcony, and stained wood. We served dinners to the moms and once we were finished we went up to the church’s conference room to eat dinner, which was delicious. Just as I was about to start eating I heard trumpets playing and I wondered if it was coming from the street only to discover it was a mariachi band that was the entertainment for the evening. Once supper was over, the band was still playing, one of the guys said he wanted to try dancing to the music. So he and I attempted to waltz to the Spanish music. I got a lesson in ballroom dancing and was laughing a lot. It was a fantastic night definitely one of my favorite, “you’re on the World Race” moments.
Honduras:
- A day at the mall
Okay so don’t judge me for this one. In Honduras our team was on house arrest so we didn’t get out much at all. One Saturday we were able to go into town to see a movie and spend a day away from the house. When I went to get lunch at subway I had a struggle when trying to explain what bread I wanted and then a kind lady behind me spoke English. After we placed our orders I was able to chat with her for awhile and learn about her life. I walked around with a teammate and we found some t-shirts that seemed to be made to describe the life of a world racer. I was able to have Dunkin Donuts coffee, which was a treat, and I got to see a movie. This day wasn’t particularly adventurous or exciting but it allowed me to feel a sense of what life is like at home again and that was really nice, so that’s why it made this list.
Nicaragua:
- Unexpected Babysitting
This month our host was the mother of a 7-year old Honduran girl who is an absolute spitfire. We were often called upon to babysit so that she and her husband could go places together. Our team got hit with some pretty heavy sickness this month so one night she had to run to the doctors with a couple girls. She hadn’t expected to be out long, but things took longer than she thought so I got to hang out with their daughter. She is probably one of the most well behaved children I have met this year. We spent the hour before bed running around playing hide and seek, tag, ring-aroung-the-rosey, and we also pretended to be cowgirls. I was certainly tired afterwards but it was all worth it when she gave me a hug and kiss goodbye, called me “aunty” and wanted me to come over again to play. I have grown to love that little girl and am so sad to leave her and her amazing family, but I will cherish the fun times we had and her bright and bubbly personality.
So these are my top 11 eleven moments. There are countless other stories that go along with each of these and I can’t wait to share them all with friends and family. See you all soon!
Love,
Gabe
