Welp, as this crazy trip is wrapping up, I decided that I should give credit where it is due. I have been to some amazing places and it will be hard to pinpoint which ones have been the best because there are so many different elements that make a month/country “good”. So I decided to award them superlatives. Here they are in no particular order 🙂
Sorry this one is kinda long…
The BEST Overall: Ukraine
Ukraine has all of the things below wrapped up into one incredible month. We lived in one of the most beautiful parts of the country on the Black Sea with a huge, amazing family that we were so blessed by. The family became our brothers and sisters and we had so much fun with them. Our “mom” made us delicious food and wouldn’t stop feeding us. I can’t say enough good things about that month. It was hard to leave and I pray that I can go back and take everyone I know with me!
us with part of the fam – sunset on the Black Sea
Best Contacts: Philippines/Cambodia
This one was a tie. We have had some amazing contacts this year and some not so amazing ones. These two topped the list for different reasons. In our first month in the Philippines, my team was blessed to work in Manila with Ron and Joanna Domingo in their dumpsite community church. They are a young couple who pretty much run everything there and have been working hard for the last few years at raising up leaders and developing ministry at the dump. They were so awesome to us. Not only did we have a lot of fun working with them, they were able to pour a lot into us and they were perfect for our first month of the race. They are great examples of being God’s love and trusting Him with everything they have. They are now expecting their first baby and we are all so excited for them.
I also chose Cambodia for this category because we had so much fun with our contacts that month. We lived and worked with three brothers and a few of their friends (aged between 21 and 30) and got to become great friends with them. The men were the leaders of the church and there wasn’t anyone else older we worked with in ministry so it was like it was just a group of friends running everything. I don’t know what more to say about them other than that we made some great friends that month and I know we all miss them a lot.
Ron and Joanna at the John Mayer concer with us…it was raining
our last night with our new buddies
Best Country: Thailand
I loved so many things about Thailand, and when I think of countries I just love in general, aside from any World Race factors, Thailand usually tops the list. I spent half of my time there in a city that was beautiful and fun and the other half on the countryside in farmlands and that were gorgeous as well. We were in Thailand at the time of The Festival of Lights where they send off huge lanterns into the sky at night, and with the entire city lighting them, it was beautiful. Parades and decorations accompanied the Festival and it created an awesome atmosphere. Elephants walked freely down the streets and there were cheap markets galore…and it was just cheap in general. I would love to go back to Thailand just to be a part of the city life.
Samara and I sending off a lantern
Best Ministry: Philippines/India
Another tie…there will be a few. I loved these two months of ministry although they looked very different. In the Philippines, as you probably know, we worked in a dump community (which doesn’t sound like fun at all). Even though it was hard and not-so-glamorous work, I don’t think I will ever be able to think about the World Race without remembering the days we shoveled toxic waste out of the streets while dancing to “Achy Breaky Heart”. The kids and families we met there were so full of joy despite their circumstances, I always felt blessed just to be around them. They were so welcoming and giving and we had so much fun. Despite the rancid smell and waste everywhere, I was always happy to be there.
I think India was the first place that I was truly sorry to leave. I had loved ministries before but I was always ready to go when the time came. Our time at Asha Children’s Home felt too short. The kids we got to work with their were precious and so loving. I miss those little angels.
in the muck
fun times at Asha
Most Intense Ministry: Uganda
Do I need to recount the demon stories?? That place definitely kept us on our toes and pushed us closer and closer to the Lord.
Central View…the high school where it all went down
Best Food: Malaysia/Uganda/Thailand
I have, in general, had a lot of good food on the race but these three stuck out for various reasons. Malaysia was a lot of Indian food that was very cheap, Uganda we were eating with the family that we lived with and I loved all the banana foods and home-cooked stuff in general. I loved Thai food as well…noodles and fried rice galore- also very cheap.
Most Beautiful: Rwanda/Cambodia
You would never know that Rwanda was ravaged by a genocide less than 20 years ago from looking at it now. The cities and countryside are breathtaking and it lives up to its nickname as the Land of a Thousand Hills and the rolling hills just add to its beauty.
The big cities of Cambodia are not much to look at but the countryside where we lived was gorgeous. Situated on the banks of the Mekong River, the tropical farmlands popped with color and life. Every direction we traveled was beautiful.
Rwanda at sunset
our occasional mode of transport in Cambodia
Best Landscape: Kenya
I know this sounds pretty similar to most beautiful but I keep thinking back to my safari in Kenya and remembering how beautiful it was. I didn’t see that beauty in the other parts of the country that I was in but the lands that are wild and untouched there are really amazing.
on safari
Best Shopping: Cambodia/Thailand
Both of these countries had huge, cheap markets always close. If only we would’ve ended there…I could’ve furnished my whole house and bought an entire new wardrobe.
Best Tourist Destination: Nepal
Not only is Nepal home to Mount Everest and endless opportunites for hiking, mountain climbing and rafting, it’s capital Kathmandu is also a really cool place to hang out. There is a huge market area for travelers with tons of cool restaurants and bars for people to hang out in. I would definitely go back to Nepal to get the full tourist/outdoorsy experience. It’s also beautiful…Himalayas anyone?
out to dinner one night in Kathmandu
Best Ending/Celebrations: Romania
Romania has been really cool. We have really awesome contacts who understand the World Race really well, they have let us have some much needed rest. We also celebrated the Fourth of July with them and it was so much fun! We couldn’t of asked for more. We also got to see Bon Jovi in Bucharest which pretty much made the whole year worth it ;). We get to teach dance classes to gypsy girls and hang out with the church family. It has been the perfect ending to an incredible year!
Fourth of July! notice the homemade shirts 🙂
us at Bon Jovi…also note our shirts…the backs say “dead or alive”…we made a lot of shirts this month
pretty excited to be there…JBJ all the way
