My most favorite blogs to write have been the ones where I
share quick notes about things I’ve learned while being outside the States. That being said, I can’t think of a better
way to conclude this trip than with another “lessons I’ve learned� post. Do me a favor, though, and allow yourself to
stop and think for a few seconds over the comments that are clearly not intended
for just a quick laugh. Are we
ready? Enjoy!
Over the course of this year, I’ve learned…
- Not everyone loves peanut butter (I’m with you…
it’s shocking!) - God is more alive and at work in real, tangible
ways than I or the generally apathetic American scene will ever know - White water rafting is 100 times more fun when
your guide is not necessarily concerned about your safety
- If you haven’t jumped in two minutes, step away
from the 50-foot cliff. You’re just
going to hurt yourself (you really should jump, though, because it’s freakin’
awesome!)
- Always have a few days of Cipro pills with you
when you’re in a foreign third-world country.
It seriously might save your life - Brokenness is a state that makes us afraid, hurt
and confused because most times, we don’t choose into it… but it’s the place
where God reveals Himself in the clearest way–giving us a view of Him that
motivates us to follow Him closer. In
the end, brokenness is the state that will change your life and you’ll look
back at it as if it was the best time of your life because all you’ll remember
is how God worked through it - Rats are the size of puppies in most cities of
the world. Oh, and they don’t hesitate
to crawl on you as you sleep (week 2 of my World Race…awesome :/ ) - Real love is hard love. Yeah… think on that one for a while before
moving on. Are you allowing yourself to
give people real love?
- I will never poke fun of or judge someone from a
different country for being unaware, ignorant or not up-to-speed with customs
or norms because I have pulled the same card (on purpose, usually) and feigned
ignorance in every country I’ve been to.
It’s an extremely useful tool. - The Coca-Cola and McDonalds brands are
devastatingly more successful than the message of Christ throughout the world - If I were a farmer (of any kind), I’d be dead or
homeless within a year
- Prayer. I
don’t know what it is… I don’t know how or why…
But it works. In humility,
honesty and intimacy, we need to be in constant conversation with our Father
(to do MORE than just ask for things… praise His name above anything!) - Always carry a roll of TP with you when you
travel. If you’re traveling
internationally, bring along some loose change as well because it’s going to
cost money to use the toilet/rest room/wash room/comfort room/water
closet/squattie potty/whatever they call it where you’re at. - “What
kind of meat is this?� is a question that should never come out of your mouth
in third-world countries. If it tastes
OK, just slap a smile on your face and go with it. - A full, unkept beard and shaggy head is actually
a very distinguished look despite what others may say or think.
- Contrary to my previous mindset that being a
Christian is boring, “Following the Son� is the most exciting thing I could’ve
ever done with my life (now and into the future)
- This may be an obvious one but for a genuine
cultural experience, stay away from any touristy spot. Step one: lock up your cash; Step two: go
down a side street and get yourself lost; Step three: it’s different every time
(precisely the beauty of it)
- It takes at least two weeks to feel and be
treated like a local. Therefore, that
vacation or service trip you’ve been thinking about should be at least three
weeks long if you want to get the full experience. - Offering yourself as a human jungle gym is by
far the easiest way to make friends with a kid under the age of eight.
- After living in multiple other countries,
remembering the local currency and exchange rate will get extremely
confusing. I may or may not still think
of prices in terms of Malawian Kwacha… which is 150 to 1 USD. - Every parent should put aside their protective
instincts and encourage their children to go abroad either before, during or
immediately after college. The
experience will put their entire life into perspective and grow their maturity
to a level that’s almost impossible to reach inside the hometown bubble. - The English Premier League is more popular in
the rest of the world than the MLB, NFL and NBA combined. - There are times when your actions and the plain
and simple cross around your neck will say more than what could ever come out
of your mouth. Along with that, you can
completely sidetrack someone’s view of what it means to be a Christian just as
easily.
- Americans are generally louder than just about
every other culture on the planet. - Starbucks is one of the best jobs available for
young adults around the world. They
attract the friendliest, brightest and most driven people wherever they
are. In many cases, a Starbucks employee
will speak better English than your translator.
- For some disappointing reason, the rest of the
world doesn’t really care about chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookies or
brownies.
- The locals in Asian countries immediately have
more respect for a Westerner when they see he or she can use chopsticks
properly. - Updating friends and family on your digestive
health in normal conversation is completely appropriate. - There’s no “right� side of the road to drive on…
it’s just different. - America really needs to convert to the metric system. Seriously… nowhere else in the world uses
Fahrenheit, ya’ll! - Motorcycles are the most convenient form of
transportation EVER. No traffic, minimum
petrol and tons of fun.
- General rule of thumb for international travel:
If you’re in Thailand, eat Thai food. If
you’re in Ireland, eat Irish food. Good
American food is rarely duplicated and will, more often than not, just
disappoint you. Besides, why would you
rob your taste buds like that?! - And finally… Don’t
become a missionary and expect to find that you’ve got it all together in your
life and faith. On the contrary, be
prepared to realize how desperate you are for Christ and how much more you need
of Him.
