Real life is…
Spiders as big as the palm of my hand hiding in bedrooms.
Real life is…
Living on the top of a mountain, in the middle of the clouds.
Real life is…
Hanging out with the 52 kids that are growing up at El Shaddai Children’s Home.
Real life is…
Tent camping in the middle of rain, thunder, lightning, and wind storms.
Real life is…
Getting to spend part of every day with Ruth, my sweet, funny, smart buddy at El Shaddai.
Real life is…
Pumba the Dog breaking into our house every night to sleep on the couch.
Real life is…
Candlelight worship services with all the kids asleep in our laps or on our shoulders.
Real life is…
Bonfires in the backyard and devotionals looking out over the valley.
Real life is…
Driving through a national park on Safari with the doors wide open.
Real life is…
Spending all day in the kitchen so that we could enjoy a traditional – almost – Thanksgiving meal with our World Race family.
Real life is…
Not being able to leave home for days at a time because the mountain roads are rained out.
Real life is…
Reading the Bible with Ruthie and learning how deep her relationship with God is.
Real life is…
Learning how to release my team as we all move into a different season in our lives.
Real life is…
That moment where I start to wonder what our next country/ministry will be like, only to realize there isn’t one.
Real life is…
Writing funny stories and telling knock-knock jokes with Ruth.
Real life is…
Wondering if I’ll still be able to function in normal life after a year of Race community.
Real life is…
Anabelle the donkey barging into the kitchen to escape a rainstorm.
Real life is…
Movie nights with the kiddos.
Real life is…
Ripping out old barbed wire fences, shoveling dirt, and gardening.
Real life is…
Being reminded of the incredible beauty of God’s creation.
Real life is…
Hoping I remember how to drive a car, wear clothes that match, sleep in a room without at least 3 other people in it, and go places by myself.
Real life is…
Daydreaming of how warm I could be if I actually had cold-weather clothes.
Real life is…
Trying to get into the house in the middle of the night because there’s a massive lightning storm over my tent, only to realize the door has been barricaded to keep the dog out.
Real life is…
Starting to say goodbye.
Real life is…
Basic team activities becoming a lot more emotional when you realize they’re the last ones.
Real life is…
Weighing my best sleep options: outside with the dog barking and the wind and rain beating on my tent, or inside with the creaky bathroom doors and occasional snoring.
Real life is…
Hoping the wind doesn’t blow my laundry over the fence where the cows can eat it.
Real life is…
Knowing that one week I’m sitting on a mountain top in Africa soaking up the Southern Hemisphere sun, and the next I will be home with my family, headed into a chilly Northwest winter.
Real life is…
Still wanting to be here, even after 11 months.
Real life is…
Not making plans for the next season because I’m confident in wherever God leads me.
Real life is…
Letting go, and thanking God for an unforgettable year.
Real life is…
Getting ready for Month 12 – the United States.
