(Let’s pretend the internet was working in Malaysia and that this was posted on November 21st. Thanks!)
Processing…
Sometimes its organized thoughts… sometimes you get to see the inner scramblings of my mind. Here are some of the ways my life has looked different this year, some of the moments I’ll never forget, and some interesting things to know about other places on this big, beautiful earth.
- I haven’t slept alone in a room since January 2nd.
- Every single night (320 days) has been spent hanging out with friends (a.k.a. “Team Time”).
- I’ve gotten into numerous cars with strangers.
- We carry toilet paper as we travel from country to country because you never know if they’ll have it on stock when you arrive to your next location.
- I’ve had to withhold my temptation to break into dance moves when N’Sync blasts over grocery store intercoms because I try not to draw more catcalls my way than, already, unnecessary.
- I honestly believe any color/pattern/layering combo of clothes can legitimately be worn in public without shame.
- Toms aren’t solving the world’s shoe issues- Crocs are. They are literally everywhere, last longer, don’t hold sweat/stink, and are affordable.
- No other country I’ve stepped foot in knows how to make brownies correctly.
- I’m constantly romanced by the beauty of nature and how dramatically diverse the Earth’s landscapes are.
- We have the ability to make any place instantly feel like home. Examples: sleeping in a classroom, sleeping 3 people in a tent (mosquito net) in a dining room, being the only occupants in a multi-story seminary building, tenting literally anywhere with level-ish ground, all social activities taking place in an open barn.
- If we are ever on a bus for more than 4 hours, we unpack like we’ll be there for a week and assume an array of seated positions that would not happen on public transportation.
- Kids we’ve never met will sprint at full speed to meet you in open arms just like all the best movie endings. These make for the best hellos!
- The smile and nod works every time people talk to us in the local language as if we are fluent.
- We live every day with the perspective of “how can I serve these people today?”
- I’ve never heard anyone on my squad say “no” to any task request. Clean out a bat infested house? Ok. Sort through a library’s worth of books? Ok. Clean the inside of GIANT fish tanks? Ok. Speak a sermon to a church in 15 minutes? Ok.
- We’ve all had to say hard things to each other to challenge our character for the better.
- Anytime all 41 of us are together I feel like we brought a parade to town.
- Americans are loud. All other cultures are quiet. Americans are really, really loud.
- Health, in every sense, is a luxury.
- Choice is a freedom and way of thinking that does not exist in most other places. Some people have never even thought to choose a favorite color.
- Outlets in airports are like the last drop of water in a desert.
- It’s normal to purposely dehydrate yourself on a travel day so that you don’t have to put yourself through the torture of exploring the local facilities. (A hole in a shack surrounded by drunk men in the African bush at 3 in the morning was enough to wait 12 more hours for fluids.)
- I’ll never forget the moment I realized that every person I’ve met will pass away at some point. And then how I desperately wanted to stand up on my chair and tell everyone around me about Jesus so that they could know the security He brings us for eternal life in heaven- the most amazing place- not- on earth!
- It’s totally normal for us to share our entire life story whenever asked. It’s my favorite thing! (The ways God has shaped every life around me is incredible. There is nothing that will match His ability to change the world. )
- After the worst 2 days of my entire life, I discovered that I am allergic to an anti-malaria medication and had to quit taking it before I ever set foot on African soil… but I sailed through Africa malaria free! (Thank the Lord!)
- I have no idea what cold weather feels like anymore.
- My dislike for doing laundry has only grown.
- I feel like we are all about to graduate as we excitedly/sadly ask each other what are plans are next.
- We will have literally flown around the entire globe when we land in LAX.
- I’m coming home changed, yet the same.
- Three inventions dramatically changed our world: cars, cell phones, and the internet.
- I won’t tell you the fuel prices I’ve seen this year.
- There is a lot of “stuff” in the world. We should really stop making so much “stuff.”
- I wrote a letter to my future husband and I’m really excited for the day he gets to read it (our wedding day)! (And because that means I’ll finally have him in my life!) #girlymoment
- I’ve heard about stories of loss at home and my hugs to those affected are long overdue.
- I really dislike the media game and the power they have to shape minds/opinions/views of the world. I’m not sure I’ll pay for cable again, but then I think about how much worse the internet is.
- “Please remember to silence your cell phone,” is a phrase I’ve heard spoken in one-room churches in Africa and Asia, too.
- There is so much good happening in small, tangible ways around the world that I will never buy into the idea that the world is getting worse.
- This journey was never about me, I hope you can see that in my heart. Every day has been lived for someone else to be supported, loved, or encouraged. Thank you for being a part of supporting them, of doing good in the world.
- My family is incredible, the best blessing in my life, and I am convinced I will never be able to show them how much love I have for them in my heart. And then this makes me realize how God feels about each one of us.
- Maybe you can write a list for me to know your year better, too?
