Worldwide FamILY…I Love You - Explore Archived World Race Alumni Blogs

We have been tremendously blessed with this ministry location. This month, we have been living with one of the most amazing families I have ever met. Not only have they provided basic needs, but they have also given us a home away from home.

We have stayed in a variety of places across the world but what makes them memorable is when we have local community and feel like we are a family. God has blessed us with that across so many countries that I finally decided to write a blog about it.

To give you a picture of the family we are currently staying with, I want to describe each one of them. We are living with the pastor’s family, so I’ll start with him. He is such a fun-loving man of God who balances church with his family so well. I love teaching him English words, even though I almost always burst into giggles at his accent. He has watched over us as a father would and always made sure we were safe. Plus, he has a sweet name Bismarck (you have to say it with a Spanish accent or it’s not as cool) and, of course, my favorite thing being that he tells awesome pastor jokes in Spanish.

I love his wife Sara, who has been so hospitable to us. If we ever need anything or have questions, she is so willing to help no matter what. She serves as a woman of God so well that I hope to learn from my time with her. Even with two young children, I have never seen her crazed or flustered, something I wish could just transfer to me. (Not the kids part, the not being crazed part.) I also love that she always has a huge smile on her face, which is contagious.

Now we get to Melba, Sara’s mom, who is so sweet beyond words. She has cooked amazing food for us the entire month and made us coffee whenever we want. (You know I love that part!) Beyond those, she has a huge heart for people and has been extremely hospitable to us as well. Melba not only spends time serving us but also laughing with us (and sometimes at us). Her jokes about the way I hand-wash clothes or cook are hilarious…because they’re true.

On the weekends, we get to spend lots of time with Francis, Sara’s sister. She is such a ball of fun, and I wish we could spend a lot more time with her. Because she works in a city far away, we only get her for two days, but they are so worth it. We love having both serious and funny moments with her. She is extremely involved in her church family and has a huge desire for others to see more of God.

There are two kids at the house with us, one 2-½-year-old Isaac and a baby Amy. Surprisingly, Isaac cries more than his sister, who I’ve only heard cry once this whole month. Isaac cannot pronounce his r’s, which is hilarious. He says words like “basula” instead of basura and “mushashas” instead of muchachas. My name is also hard for him, so he has resorted to “Chor-leese.” Somehow, he manages to always find out when something falls down, so he can run around screaming “se cayo! Se cayo!” Apart from the random crying, I will deeply miss this new little brother of mine. I will miss his random leg hugs, seeing as that’s all he can reach on me, and his excitement when he sees us.

This family has a special place in our heart, as do the rest of the families around the world. I would like to say thank you to everybody across the world who has made our trip phenomenal. You have all given us a home away from home, and I will never forget any of you. I love you all and miss you. Thank you for extending our family to so many countries. (This includes everyone we have met around the world! Not just those in the photos or in certain countries.)

South Africa