100 Lessons in 100 Days

To commemorate being abroad on the World Race for 100 days, my team sat down and created a list of 100 things we’ve learned so far. A lot of things pertain specifically to the Race, so this is a great read for future Racers. But there’s also a lot of life lessons that family and friends back home might need reminders of, as well as funny lessons that anyone would enjoy.

1. Toilet paper is not normal in Asia – so bring toilet paper everywhere you go!
2. You may actually learn how to squat like a true Asian
3. God made humans in a spiral shape – Things you thought you had dealt with in the past will come up again and again throughout your life and you’ll receive even deeper healing each time around…
4. But there is complete healing in Christ and He died to set us free from all that
5. There is power in “me too”
6. It is possible to go a full week without showering and still look halfway decent
7. Octopus tentacles taste like BBQ
8. You will feel like you’re in the movie Honey I Shrunk the Kids when you stand in a forest of banana trees
9. Cambodian Khmer New Year involves water guns, water balloons, and baby powder fights
10. It is normal to take 2 or 3 showers a day in Cambodia
11. Don’t ask Vietnamese about politics
12. Saris will take 20 minutes to put on
13. Dogs are everywhere. Some may even become your friend.
14. Stuffing yourself till you have a food baby is common in order to appease and respect your host
15. Don’t come on the Race hoping to lose weight
16. Nail polish is a good cover up to hide the dirt underneath your fingernails
17. Make friends with your tour guide, your taxi or tuk tuk driver, the reception hosts at the hostel you’re staying at
18. Remember that not everyone has the same Love Language as you do; the way you feel most loved isn’t always the way the person next to you feels most loved.
19. Food variety is a privilege in first world countries. Most people in the world are content eating rice for every meal. This will challenge you and make you realize you’re not unlike the Israelites in the wilderness complaining about manna
20. All Christians are called to be missionaries – that is, to live missionally
21. Hearing God’s voice takes practice and a whole lot of patience
22. The Race is not free of distractions
23. Set personal goals for yourself – for the Race, and better yet, for life
24. Even if you prepare to miss out on things at home, there will be new things that pop up
25. You’ll have a newfound respect for all the people who have learned English, because they know more languages than you can speak!
26. Just drinking water and eating fruits and vegetables takes care of a lot of health problems
27. Don’t let first impressions hinder how you walk alongside someone
28. Social media can prevent you from growing your relationship with the Lord
29. Don’t be afraid of fasting from social media, whether it’s for a day, a week, or even a month
30. Sometimes you can have the most intimate moments with God while you’re chopping up veggies in an outdoor kitchen in Cambodia
31. Sometimes you just have to “take one for the team”
32. You’ll learn how to swallow your pride
33. Make mental or physical notes of cultural norms that are completely different from the norms in America
34. Realize that, if you ask people from home for letters, paper will weigh a lot
35. Whether you have no Christian community or a great community back home, be prepared to live in vulnerability with this particular community because the Lord has great things in store
36. Every friendship takes time. And fun.
37. No one is perfect on the Race
38. The Lord will stretch you beyond your current understanding of Him; it’s okay, let Him stretch you
39. You have to CHOOSE to grow
40. You have to make time with the Lord a priority, even on a missions trip
41. Comparison is real on the Race
42. Create and stick to a budget!
43. You don’t have to say yes to every adventure
44. Health is holistic, to be healthy you have to be healthy physically as well as spiritually and emotionally
45. Ask people (waiters, etc.) their names; it makes a difference
46. Be ready to have your identity completely uprooted and re-planted in the Lord and his Will and Word
47. Make your host your ministry outside of scheduled ministry times
48. Ministry will look different than you expect
49. Practice patience – with your teammates, with yourself, and with your host when ministry isn’t what you think it is
50. Always have a way of tracking your growth that allows you to look back on it
51. Create opportunities for yourself
52. You don’t need as many clothes as you think you do
53. Talk to strangers!
54. Stop and take in the scenery around you with a thankful heart every once in awhile
55. You will be a celebrity in other countries so be prepared for people to take lots of pictures of you (and with you)
56. Don’t get super stressed when plans don’t work out
57. Music connects people without a shared common language
58. Don’t flush your toilet paper down the toilets in Asia!
59. Try everything once
60. Suck it up and dance in the rain. Your clothes will dry!
61. Just like the smog-covered mountains in Nepal, you know God is always there even when you can’t hear/see Him
62. “Choosing in” on the World Race can be the hardest but most rewarding thing you can do
63. You’ll become a jack of all trades on the Race
64. Even if you can’t do something perfectly, your participation in ministry is needed and vital to your team
65. God honors bold prayers and bold prayers honor God
66. Living without Wi-Fi and living in the moment is actually really refreshing (get off of your electronics and embrace the world around you!)
67. Feed yourself the Word of God when you don’t “need it” so that when you DO need it, it will flow from your heart and mouth
68. We all have something (gifts) in us that are kingdom-advancing and if we diminish that in ourselves, then we are diminishing our impact in the kingdom.
69. “Most of us are still looking at our provision (what our bank statement says) to help us determine our vision, and therefore are living within OUR means instead of HIS blessing.” (Kris Vallotton, “The Supernatural Ways of Royalty”)
70. Teaching the grammar of your native language is just as complicated and confusing as learning a foreign language’s grammar
71. Your body is a lot more capable than you think it is
72. Living in a spirit of abandonment is painful but SO worth it
73. Sometimes you just have to breathe and take it one day at a time
74. As much as you wish for it, you can’t be in two places at once. The place God has you is the right one.
75. You’ll feel the most alive doing the things that scare you.
76. Ask BEFORE getting to your ministry site if they provide toilet paper
77. You learn a whole lot about water conservation by taking bucket showers (which aren’t as bad as you think they are).
78. You’ll have a newfound appreciation for American freedoms
79. Weekly dance parties will do wonders for the soul
80. The chores you hated doing or refused doing growing up will be chump change compared to the things you’ll do on the Race
81. Getting to say “I just did that” at the end of something hard makes the whole thing worth it
82. The Race will turn you into a journaler, even if you’ve never journaled a day in your life
83. A sleeping pad can actually be more comfortable than a real bed (or maybe the Race just messes with your mind)
84. Giving feedback should be a lifestyle
85. Receiving feedback well without excuses or explanation is tough (and something I’m still working on).
86. Missing things from home doesn’t necessarily mean we want them back
87. Growth in a relationship with God comes from spiritual lows and challenging times, not spiritual highs and mountaintop experiences
88.  Staying present will make or break your Race experience, which is a lesson that we also need to learn outside the Race
89.  You don’t need as much as stuff you think you do
90. We’ve finally understood the benefit of vitamins and nutrients for our bodies
91. Raising support for what God has called you to do isn’t a burden but an opportunity for God’s Kingdom to come together
92. Accepting God’s grace, other people’s grace, and giving yourself grace is vital.
93. Be diligent in combating lies and doubt that the enemy will use to try to tear you down.
94. Reflecting back on your redemption story will give you healthy perspective
95. Whether your testimony includes many trials or very few, your story is important and gives glory to God and hope to others. Don’t stop sharing your story!
96. Sometimes the healthiest thing you can do is laugh
97. Letting people into your story can be scary but the accountability that you gain inspires growth on both ends
98. Give the Lord the time and space to speak to you
99. Working on a farm will give you a newfound appreciation for the food you get the privilege of buying in a grocery store: perspective is a game changer.
100. You most likely won’t end up with the people you currently envision as your “dream team” but let that that expectation go and you’ll realize that the people right in front of you can be made into your dream team!