So Im in Cambodia now living the ninth month of my
Race. A lot has happened in the last 8
months. Ive been a part of 8
ministries. Ive interacted with 8
different Contacts. Ive had to learn
how to say thank you in 8 different languages, and Ive experienced and lived
in 8 different cultures. Some very
different from America, and some not so much.
Ive been traveling from place to place living out of a backpack for
what now seems like forever. And
honestly, Im tired. I miss sleeping in
the same bed (not sleeping pad) every night.
I miss how easy it is to find everything I could ever need at the local
Walmart. I miss being able to sit on a
couch and watch a movie with my roommates.
And I really really miss being able to go to Sanford Stadium to watch my
DAWGS.
There are about 3 more months separating me from home. Which may seem like a good chunk of time, but
for us Racers, it seems so close. I can
almost taste that Chick-fil-a. The idea of being able to use a real washer and
dryer kind of makes me want to cry.
Imagining seeing my friends and family again, I get so excited I can
hardly stand it. And dont even get me
started on what it will be like to finally be able to cuddle with my puppies
again. Needless to say, my mind is wandering to America a great deal more than
it used to.
And that is what I found myself doing as I was sitting at
the table with my contact and a couple teammates. As the ducks and dogs walked around our feet
and the geese and pigs called out from a short distance away, I was having a
very difficult time listening and interpreting my Contacts broken
English. And I was tired of trying. But then I heard those words I will probably
never be able to forget. He had waited a year.
He had waited a year for help. He
had waited a year for my team.
Our Contact had been working with AIM and waiting for a team
for a year. A year ago, I was still in
America trying to raise funds for this crazy adventure. I was beyond excited about spending 11 months
out of the States and could not wait to experience 11 new cultures. I wanted to meet every single person and help
every single ministry I possibly could.
I knew I was going to be a part of God doing incredible things in this
world and wanted it to start as soon as possible.
And here I am sitting in a hotel on my off day wishing for
the end. The end of this crazy adventure that has honestly been the greatest
gift the Lord has given me. And I am
ashamed.
Hearing my Contacts words and seeing the excitement on his
face of having my crazy, loud, all girls team come live at his house in the
Cambodian bush and teach English to village children was exactly the kick in
the pants I needed.
My Race is not over.
My ministry is not over. And God
certainly is not done using me to do incredible things in this world, His
world. I get 3 more months to literally
live the dream. Yes, it may not be as
glamorous of a dream as I imagined. But
it is still mine. And I still get to do
things most people my age cant even imagine.
And for that, I want to work harder every day to be as
excited about ministry Month 9 as I was Month 1. Im want to continue to give my all to these
people God has placed in my life.
Because each day is literally a gift, and Im done wasting them.
