As I've been attempting to look back and process everything I've seen, experiences and been part of on this journey, there have been several memories that jump out more than others. I've compiled them into the following list (which I tried to keep to 25, but failed):
- GUATEMALA: Riding around on chicken busses and daring Thomas to go hands up on the winding mountain roads.
- GUATEMALA: Playing wheelchair basketball and building friendships at Hope Haven
- GUATEMALA: Hanging out on the beach at Monterrico and setting baby sea turtles free
- GUATEMALA: The Wheelbarrow Flipping Incident of Xenacoj 2011 where during a race with loads of dirt, Thomas flipped over his decrepit wheelbarrow while blasting Michael Jackson's Pretty Young Thing on my iPod
- HONDURAS: Spending time with Ariel and Dania, two amazing kids from Los Pinos.
- HONDUARS: Squad Thanksgiving complete with chicken, potatoes, mac and cheese, and cranberry sauce
- HONDURAS: Sleeping in our tents and sharing a communal bathroom with over 50 people
- NICARAGUA: Living on Ometepe Island in the middle of Lake Nicaragua and relaxing in hammocks every day
- NICARAGUA: Working in the garden and getting my hands dirty
- NICARAGUA: Building relationships with the kids at CICRIN, watching Barbie Charm School with them, decorating Christmas cookies, and getting to participate in Christmas celebrations (with pinatas!) with these amazing kids.
- NICARAGUA: Spending New Years on a Beach in Nicaragua, then going through team changes
- NICARAGUA: Waking up at 3 am to load our bags into a donkey cart to transfer them to the boat launch, then crossing over the inlet by wooden boat at sunrise in order to get to the airport
- THAILAND: Riding an elephant and participating in an elephant show
- THAILAND: Going for early morning runs along the Mekong River
- THAILAND: Illegally entering Laos on a homemade boat from the Mekong River, then getting chased away two minutes later
- THAILAND: Going to the night markets and eating lots of delicious food!
- THAILAND: Learning the Thai kiss from an old women we met
- CAMBODIA: Visiting Angkor Wat and the Cambodian Killing Fields
- CAMBODIA: Getting to ride around on a merainbow- a wooden cart pulled by a motorcycle
- CAMBODIA: Spending time at the Dump Village. We played with broken toys with the kids and had more fun than if we’d been in Toys R Us. I named my first baby of the race, beautiful little girl named Abby. I was able to speak life and encouragement into an old woman and she taught me traditional Khmer dance moves
- CAMBODIA: Our Tuk Tuk Ride from Hell: Our tuk tuk broke down one night on a dark, abandoned road and we had to transfer to a new tuk tuk. The two drivers got into an argument over payment and our new driver took off with us in the back only to have the old driver chase him down. Then our new driver tried to ditch us on the side of the road until we argreed to pay what he asked. On our way home, the tuk tuk got a flat tire, and as we were limping along, a pack of angry dogs started chasing us and trying to jump at the tuk tuk. When we finally made it home, it had taken us two hours to travel what should have taken 45 minutes.
- VIETNAM: Building relationships through the coffee shop we were at. I made my best friends on the race here and spent many wonderful days with them, riding around Saigon on the back of their motos.
- VIETNAM: Kelly and I got locked in to the back of a taxi late one night on our way back from watching a Saigon Heat basketball game. The driver had fixed his meter to make us pay triple what a taxi ride should have cost. When we tried to refuse, we were locked in the back of the car, shouting at one another, until we finally payed the ridiculous price.. The driver had refused to take us to our apartment, so at least we had over a mile walk to cool off!
- MALAYSIA: Eating delicious naan every day and drinking bubble tea
- MALAYSIA: making up ridiculous songs about puppy coin purses during womanistry month.
- KENYA: Early morning runs through the Kenyan countryside. We had beautiful views through fields, villages, and rivers and met many local villagers.
- KENYA: Spending time with the adorable kids at Ephraim Children’s Home and the students at Gilgal High School. We loved our ministry family and had the opportunity to be welcomed into their home as part of the family.
- KENYA: Eating Chapatti!
- UGANDA: Rafting the Nile and going bungee jumping
- UGANDA: Spending time with locals under the mango tree and discipling those who wanted to learn more about Jesus. I was able to spend time with Justine and her month-old son, whom I had the honor of naming Joshua!
- UGANDA: Hanging out with the girls at Doors and taking part in their ministry with street kids and a school in the slums
- TANZANIA: Meeting Josephat and working with him at his orphanage
- TANZANIA: Team Siloam stormed a dala dala and created a blockade to make sure we were all able to get in during African rush hour.
- TANZANIA: Going on a safari in Serengeti National Park and camping out under the stars as hyenas circled our tents all night.
- MALAWI: Bathing in Lake Malawi every afternoon after a hard day’s work
- MALAWI: Hauling water from the well every day. It was half a mile to the well, and we spent time playing with kids and chatting with the women as we waited for our turn to pump water and haul it a half a mile back.
- MALAWI: Helping mix cement, lay brick, haul water, and move bricks in order to help build a Bible school that will send out God’s Word to Malawi
