Some say we are just tourists but the race is so much more than that.
Yes, we do have the opportunity to travel around the world, experience different cultures, eat crazy food, and visit some awesome places but what makes us more than tourist is what we do with our time here at these places.
After every few months of ministry, we come together as a squad and have debrief. It is a time for us to hang out with other squadmates, rest, do some touristy things, recharge, and have our leaders pour into us. Simply a break from ministry.
We had our last debrief in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Siem Reap is a small tourist town that is the home of Angkor Wat and many other ancient temples. My team had a free day so some of us decided to go check out this local attraction.
After a few hours of climbing stairs and walking around in the 1000% humidity, we had gotten tired and just wanted somewhere to rest. We were trying to find shade, some water, and a bathroom when I saw a group of kids playing behind the makeshift shops where their parents sell food and “souvenirs”. Most of them were dirty and most of them did not have on a full set of clothes. I don’t remember if any of them even had shoes on. As person after person passed them by, we could not help ourselves from going over to them.
We made our way over to them and try to ask them their names. With no luck we still played with them, swung them around, and what ever we needed to do to brighten their day. It was awesome. One of the little girls had a snotty nose and I could not just leave it that way. I dug in my bag and pulled out my roll of toilet paper (because when you are on the race, you always, always have tp) and wiped her snotty nose. I had to teach her what to do to blow her nose which was kinda funny in itself. It was almost time to meet back up with the rest of our group so we had to say good bye.
A short while later I saw a group of locals playing this weird hacky sack type game with something that almost look like a badminton birdie. I wanted to jump in and play with them. Failing miserably, I hopped in and tried to play. I did get a few laughs and sometimes that is a lot more fun anyway. I noticed a few tourists watching me play but then continued about their day.
These two things made my day. It was not temples and ruins, it was the people.
Yes, we could have seen a temple, ridden around in our tuk tuk, and gone to a touristy place to eat, but that is not who we are.
We are World Racers.
We speak to the people and try to learn their language. We play with the dirty and nasty kids. We love on the unloveables. And none of it is because we have to. It is because we want to.
Our lives have been radically changed by a man and His Father and their love for us. We can not help but for that love to over flow into everything we do. Even if it is a day “off”.
Being a traveler is our life for this year and in a weird way has become our norm but in the same way life for you is your norm. Do crazy things to get to know the people around you better. Maybe that is talking to your barista, getting to know the cleaning crew at your office, or even making a funny face at a kid while your sitting at a red light. You would be surprised what the little things could do to make your life better and fuller by just doing what our Savior has called us to do.
