Today marks the 100th day since I set out on the World Race. Fifty days into this journey, I shared many of the things the Lord taught me or allowed me to experience up to that point (you can read those here). That was only the beginning, however. As I reflect on this first third of my trip, here are fifty more things the Lord is walking me through on this adventure of life, faith, and ministry. Love you all!
1. I would actually miss home (a lot) at some point.
2. Getting homesick for the first time is now, in the middle of month four.
3. I would go to an additional country for ministry: Indonesia.
4. In the first four months I would pack up and move locations over 12 times.
5. My teammate would get her Malaysian visa back the day we flew to Malaysia – this was a miracle!
6. God answers BIG prayer requests.
7. God always answers prayers in HIS perfect timing.
8. Sometimes (oftentimes actually) what the Lord asks you to do doesn’t seem to make sense, but He calls us to be obedient even when we don’t understand (Proverbs 3:5).
9. Rwandan wedding ceremonies (not including the reception) are several hours long (we slipped out after 3 hours!).
10. I would attend not just one, but two Rwandan weddings in one day.
11. I would go on an African safari!
12. The weather on my safari would be rainy, cloudy, and chilly (none of which I dressed for), but was everything I needed it to be and more.
13. God would speak to me in HUGE ways on a safari.
14. I would see a baby zebra and giraffe, leopard, lots of water buffalo, and an elephant in Rwanda.
15. Ethiopians are serious about their coffee as traditional coffee ceremonies happen daily where the beans are roasted in front of you.
16. You’re invited in for coffee by strangers who pass you at soccer games.
17. After trying coffee many times, I still do not like it.
18. That my teammates would help me out daily in Ethiopia by drinking my coffee for me 🙂
19. I would learn to like tea, if I add at least 3 tsp of sugar and tell myself it’s warm apple cider.
20. Eating foods of other cultures would not be as easy as I expected.
21. God would teach me about balance, which is necessary, but difficult.
22. Learning balance means accepting the fact that you will make mistakes and stepping into that reality (continually learning to let go of the perfectionism!)
23. God is patient and kind with me when I make the mistakes, not judging or condemning me.
24. Living in freedom means not reverting to old ways of doing things when I fail.
25. I would be 4 minutes away from where a tragic dump landslide claimed nearly 200 lives.
26. I would take waters to the family members of victims and be present for a candlelight vigil.
27. Spiritual kingdoms of darkness within countries of ministry can affect you.
28. Spiritual kingdoms of darkness can also affect your team and the way you function and treat one another.
29. Being open, honest, and vulnerable with others is truly the only way to deep, meaningful relationships.
30. You can stay physically active while on the Race if you want to.
31. God can speak to you while shipping a package home.
32. Shipping things home from Asia is significantly cheaper than Africa.
33. There are many more things to be distracted by in Asia than Africa.
34. Making jewelry with Ethiopians would be a highlight of Africa.
35. Meeting Tsion would be one of the best days of my life.
36. Sometimes God tells you your ministry is your team; are you content with that?
37. I am the one who complicates things, not God – make it simple!
38. Spiritual heaviness can be felt physically.
39. Part of debrief would happen with our sister squad.
40. There is no going back after having sugar-coated popcorn.
41. I would visit Petronas Tower (former tallest twin buildings in the world).
42. Indonesians make you feel like a celebrity when they take multiple selfies with you within hours of landing in country.
43. I would use my dental knowledge to help a house Mom of an organization we worked with.
44. Unknowingly attending a surprise birthday party for a fifteen-year-old would happen.
45. I would get a movie night on a rooftop in Malaysia.
46. If at first you don’t succeed at bartering, try try again 🙂
47. Peach ice floss is incredibly delicious.
48. In Malaysia I would see Beauty and the Beast and sing along to all the songs with my logistics partner!
49. Saying good-bye to new friends would be so hard.
50. Making new friends a few days later would be so sweet.
This life I’m living overseas is not always easy, but it IS always worth it.
