With only 13 days left until I am on American soil again, I thought I’d write a blog to help YOU at home with my transition back into “normal life.”
Below, you’ll find some topics to start discussions, and questions to ask me that are specific. This will lead to better conversations, and a fuller picture of what I’ve actually done this year.
Beware, if you ask me “how was your trip?” I will most likely shut down and may or may not cry on the spot. The World Race is much more than a trip- it’s been my life for almost a year. I’ve been living and doing all the normal “life things” all year, so I have way more to say than “my trip was great!” Imagine if I asked you “how was your year?” Super hard to answer, no?
I know that you don’t know exactly what I’ve walked through these 11 months, so I’m here to help you out! Feel free to ask your own questions, and know that I may have a whole lot to say, or maybe not so much to say. I may get really excited, I may go off on a tangent or ten, or I may sob my eyes out. All of those are totally normal and okay…don’t be scared! This year has been so many things to me and I’m so excited to share them all with you!
Please understand that I need grace as I transition back into being an American. This year, we have been all things to all people, so assimilating into the culture of each country has been critical. With that, I have definitely forgotten what it’s like to live in The West (as we call it). I will need grace and forgiveness from you when I forget something that’s common sense, when I talk too openly about bodily functions, when I eat food with my hands instead of a fork, and when I get overwhelmed by the muchness of America.
America is my Month 12, so I will once again become all things to all people- reintegrating back into American culture. I will be REassimilating and learning all the customs and social niceties again. It may sound strange that I’ve forgotten how to be an American, but I’ve become 11 different cultures this year. I am part Indian, Nepalese, Thai, Cambodian, and Vietnamese. I am part Ethiopian and Rwandan (I even have a Rwandan name!). I am part Bolivian, Peruvian, Ecuadorian, and Colombian. So now I am fractured – in the very best way – into 12 different cultures and I’m excited to learn how to make them all work together.
I want you to know that I’ll also give you grace. We’re both going to relearn how to connect, communicate, and grow together as people. I’ve been away and I’m different. You’ve been in America and experienced a year of life and incredible things, and so you’re different too! I promise I’ll give you grace if you unintentionally say or do something that is hurtful. I’ll give you grace because Jesus would too. And until you’ve gone and done the World Race, there is so much that you might not understand. And it’s really okay.
In advance, please let me apologize for the following things:
I’m sorry if I’m crazy about conserving resources (food, water, lights). Most of the world goes without one or all of these and I have learned to read in the dark, take a 3-minute bucket shower, and eat everything on my plate, even if I’m full.
I’m sorry if I complain about the price of things. Around the world, the least expensive food is always vegetables. You can buy a big bottle of shampoo for less than a dollar. You can feed an entire family for an entire week on less money than it takes to fill up a hybrid car’s gas tank. American prices are going to shock me. Just talk me off my ledge!
I’m sorry if I talk about my/your poop, or ask you if it’s okay to flush the toilet paper. I’m sorry if I talk about hot showers every day and marvel at the fact that you’re clean and smell good. Smelling nice is a complete anomaly. Life is hard on the mission field, and most everyone smells funky.
I’m sorry if I constantly say “this one time in Inidia/Cambodia/Rwanda.” Or when you ask me where I got my shirt or shoes, “I got them in Peru/Thailand/ Nepal.” I promise I’m not trying to one-up you or rub my cultural experience in your face. I’ve lived in a lot of really cool places and I want to tell you EVERYTHING about them!
So here are some broad things you can ask me about my entire trip.
a photo you’ve seen or a story you’ve heard about
who I was before the trip and who I am now
where I started with prayer and where I am now
my teammates, squad mates, or squad leaders
my year of cold showers
the constants (things, food, smells) around the world
specifically about a month that you have found interesting
India:
our food in India and how it’s made
butter cookies and Chai Tea
what my team looked like in India
the kid’s medical care, doing VBS, and what the hospitals are like
our adventure home from church during a monsoon
what I learned about my future
what I learned about prayer
Nepal:
the “5 Minute Hike”
our hilarious host, and his “Dum Bass” hat
the bathroom in Nepal- It was quite a unique experience
our food – don’t forget the ketchup
the nights we spent on the roof
my quiet time with God (sk me what he was teaching me)
the bus rides with a thousand sweaty Nepali men
what our ministry was
when God gave me a vision to speak to someone…and it ended up being a squadmate
Thailand:
our hosts
Soi Cowboy and what it was like knowing what went on behind the velvet curtains
organizing a textiles workshop, and how many beads we picked up and rearranged
doing a leadership training with the rescued sex-trafficked women
taking care of their adorable kids (Chris and Bible specifically)
celebrating my birthday in Thailand
how I bought (probably) real Birkenstocks for $12
the Lady from the market by our house
our vacation to Krabi
Cambodia:
our Thailand/Cambodia border crossing
our ministry and our daily schedule
our host’s family
the kids in the Buddhist school
swim class
the food that we ate
the rice fields, crocodile farms, and the killing fields
Thanksgiving in Asia
how we dealt with team conflict
our debrief and how I was ready to go home
eating good Mexican food for the first time in 4 months
my teammate going home
Vietnam:
my initial feelings when we arrived in Vietnam
our hosts Kelbin and Alyssa
our English students and playing Mafia
the coffee struggles
Christmas
my time in coffee shops with the Lord
our Kitty adventure
riding on the backs of lots of motos
the beach
Hoi An
the Christmas pageant, our Christmas party, and decorating the pastor’s house
my OTHER teammate going home
Christmas with the squad
Ethiopia:
our housing
our Ethiopian mom
how God kept showing up
the stars
the nights of spiritual warfare
the 90s dance party
how I fell in love with 25 kids and bawled my eyes out when we left
Worke Spaghetti
African church
Rwanda:
our OUTSTANDING HOST and how she forever changed my life
our long, but good days
the 7 miles we walked every day
the Rwandan Genocide, and the survivors I know
what I learned this month
seeing my parents at PVT!
the safari we went on!
Yohanna
our layover in South Africa
Bolivia:
our layovers in Brazil and Chile
the burger I ate at a random cafe in the Chile airport with the Dutch guy
the telefarico
El Alto, and the freezing temps
weekends in La Paz
the girls I fell in love with at the drug/alcohol rehab center
the Bread Lady
my new best friend, a scruffy dog
bathing and laundry
the Germans
the bluest skies I’ve ever seen
The warehouse
Peru:
our host and their kids
our cleaning lady
my stomach issues
Machu Picchu!
another teammate going home
lazy days and “rest ministry”
manistry
movie nights
the abundance of Jesus and communion
the open top bus tour, and weird mountain shamans
some of the hardest news I’ve ever received
when God asked me if I wanted to be a squad leader
our 24 hour hostage situation
the Andes Mountains and our climb up
Ecuador:
our extremely long travel on our first day of ministry
our ministry hosts, and our local hosts
Chester
Mother’s Day and the baby shower we crashed
our broken Spanish
our local hosts date night
our bunkbeds and my fortress of solitude
the dogs (specifically Monster)
Building a church foundation
Public transportation, in general
The time we rode the bus for too long and ended up in a different town
The last all-squad travel day
Colombia:
About the Venezuelan family we got to love on
About helping Marisol in the kitchen
About the time my water bottle leaked all over my bed and drenched all my blankets
About freezing in the basement of the church
About teaching English
About doing lessons on virtues in the school
What it’s like when they don’t speak English and you don’t speak Spanish
ATL/beach ministry
Final debrief
FLYING HOME!!!
Thanks for reading! I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU!
Momma, Dad, Sarah, Liam, Austin, and Skout- LESS THAN TWO WEEKS UNTIL YOU ARE IN MY ARMS!!! Get ready for movie nights, coffee dates, eating ALL the Mexican food, and the best road trip home of all time! I love you and I miss you and I’m DYING to see you.
