This thing is coming to a close in just three short days. No more hand washing clothes, searching for the best wifi in town, ministry (well on the race), coca-cola runs, endless nights of laughter with your best friends, riding in chicken buses, jeepneys, backs of trucks, coombee’s, tricycles, and sketch taxis, wearing terrible smelling clothes and looking “word race cute”.. My Race is officially coming to an end this Saturday. I can’t wrap my head around this completely. After spending almost 300 days with these goofs who quickly became family and my best friends in the entire world and not getting to do life with them (a.k.a EVERYTHING) seems a little surreal to me. In the beginning of Nicaragua I wasn’t ready to come home at all. The thought scared me. I wasn’t ready for America or change. I kept asking The Lord to prepare my heart for home and He sure did. I’m ready. I’m ready to come home and take the things that I’ve learned from living in community and loving people in The Philippines, Swaziland and Nicaragua. As the days are winding down to nothing (we’re in the freaking single digits people, I actually can’t believe it.) I’ve taken some time to begin to process everything that has happened over the last nine months. I started to make a list of some things that I’ve learned from living overseas, living in community, and being a missionary overseas. So here’s a list of a few things that I wanted to share with all of you lovely people! (These are in no particular order)
1. Learn how to enjoy a moment instead of trying to capture it through a screen. There’s more to life than Instagram and Facebook likes, much, much more.
2. It’s okay to go without. It’s okay to go without 4G for 9 months, you don’t have to constantly be in the know about what’s going on. It’s okay to be a little hungry and not have your favorite meals for every meal, you will survive by just eating some rice and beans for every meal.
3. Comparison is the thief of joy. Oh boy did I learn this lesson. Bucket showers suck, not smelling nice all the time isn’t fun. When I was complaining about one of these two things or one of many others I would always be comparing the great American comforts to the things that weren’t so glamorous about The Race and it would completely steal my joy. Learn to be content with where you are and who you’re with, you’re there for a reason.
4. It’s okay to be blessed. I’ve met some of the most hospitable people I’ve ever met who had close to nothing in American eyes on this trip. They have nothing but yet give everything. It’s hard to except a blessing without wanting to immediately bless them back, but sometimes God just wants to bless you and that’s okay. It’s okay to receive a blessing.
5. Love truly has no barrier or a specific way to be told/shown. Love does.
6. You can build relationships that forever impact you in a short amount of time, don’t limit God.
7. Be you. No matter where you are and who you’re with. God created you exactly how you are for a reason. Discover that reason and be who God created you to be. Weirdness and all, embrace it and own it.
8. Learn to roll with the punches and not take life too seriously. The motto on The Race is “hurry up and wait” for a reason. It happens a lot. Don’t go through life with an agenda for every moment, just enjoy the moment that you’re in with the people you’re with because I’m sure you will long to have it back at some point in your life.
9. Your words have so much power. You literally have the power to speak life or death over someone. Speak life.
10. Have a heart of appreciation. Rice is still food even if it’s not your favorite and makes you gain weight. A sleeping pad is still a place to sleep even if it’s not your bed back home. A bucket with cold water in it is still a shower even if it’a not hot water coming out of a shower head with great water pressure. A fan is still cold air even if it’s not air conditioning. Don’t spend your life complaining about things that are a privilege to most people in the world.
I’ve learned so many lessons on this race, these are just a few. Some lessons were harder than others, but still they were learned and I’m forever thankful for them and this incredible journey that I was blessed to be apart of. The fact that I was able to literally bring kingdom to this earth for nine straight months with my best friends is something I will forever be grateful for. It truly was a privilege that God would allow me to be used in the ways that I was used on this trip. Some days were hard, others were the best days of my life and each day I wouldn’t take back for anything. This journey has changed me. Completely. To all who have prayed for me, supported me financially or just followed me on this journey, thank you, thank you, thank you! Your love and support is appreciated more than you know. I know this is extremely cliche, but this really isn’t the end, but a start to a beautiful life that will now forever be lived by walking in freedom, confidence and truth in who I am in Christ. World Race Gap Year, it’s been real. Thanks for all of the awesome memories and friendships that I will take with me forever.
With so much love from Nicaragua,
Lyndsay
