Well, folks, just like that we are on day 100 of the World Race. My team and I decided to compile a list of 100 things we’ve learned in the last 100 days for your reading enjoyment. Let us know what you think!
100 Lessons in 100 Days
1.) Toilet paper is not normal in Asia – so bring toilet paper everywhere you go!
2.) You will learn how to squat like a true Asian (maybe, hopefully).
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.) There is complete healing in Christ and He died to set us free from all the things.
5.) There is power in the “me too.”
6.) It is possible to go a full week without showering and still look halfway decent.
7.) BBQ Octopus tentacles actually taste like BBQ (with a slightly weird texture)
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, and nobody actually knows how long it lasts.
10.) It is normal to take 2 or 3 showers a day in Cambodia (don’t be a dirty hippie, or mama will make you sleep outside).
11.) Don’t ask Vietnamese about politics.
12.) Saris will take 10 minutes to put on…and 10 seconds to realize you don’t want it on in the first place.
13.) Splurge on a good (and wide) sleeping pad. (Seriously, drop the dough, your body will thank you.)
14.) Eat ALL the food that your hosts give you, even if you think it’s gross. It will save you from offending your hosts and your team will bond over the experience.
15.) Don’t come on the Race hoping to lose weight. Your weight will probably fluctuate depending on the month.
16.) Nail polish is a good cover up to hide the dirt underneath your fingernails.
17.) You WILL get diarrhea.
18.) Bring a book…even if you’re not a reader now, you will be! (Case and point, me!)
19.) Don’t bring a huge camera if you don’t know how to use it.
20.) You CAN survive without your laptop. I regret bringing mine. I should have just stuck with my iPad. Now I just have extra weight in my daypack for no reason.
21.) The Race is not free of distractions…there’s just new distractions.
22.) Set personal goals before coming on the Race.
23.) Even if you think you’re prepared to miss out on things at home, there will be new things that pop up, and you will be sad on those days. Lean on your team for support. They understand.
24.) Learn a little bit of the language, even if its just the numbers for tuk tuk drivers and “thank you.”
25.) Eat lots of fruits and veggies, and drink lots of water.
26.) Don’t let first impressions of your squad mates (or anyone in general) hinder how you walk alongside them.
27.) Realize that team food has to be split among everyone, so buy your own snacks if need be.
28.) Always bring snacks on travel days! (Snickers are bomb travel day snacks!)
29.) Have sermon podcasts downloaded for spiritual fuel.
30.) You probably need less medicine than you think you do.
31.) Don’t bring expensive medicine, because you CAN get cheap stuff overseas. (Zpacks for $2, yes please!)
32.) Bring anti-itch stuff! Tiger balm is great.
33.) Pack extra undies! (Seriously, all the undies.)
34.) Bring body wash or shampoo that you really like the smell of.
35.) Bring body spray for special days.
36.) Don’t bring just one stick of deodorant.
37.) You can use shampoo for all of your shower needs!
38.) Baby wipes can be found in all parts of the world because shocker – the whole world has babies!
39.) They WILL weigh your carry on in some airports. (Surprise! I had no idea this was a thing.)
40.) Research the flight restrictions for electronics. (They are always changing.)
41.) If you don’t mind wearing quick dry clothes, bring them, because they come in handy and are super light to pack and wear in the heat. (#lifechanging Thanks, Dick’s Sporting Goods!)
42.) Bring clothes that make you feel normal. (Jeans are worth the extra weight and space.)
43.) Bring dresses that cover your knees and shoulders. (Lots of ministry dress codes are stricter the WR rules.)
44.) Asian dress code is stricter than World Race dress code.
45.) Bring leggings for India, but don’t expect to wear them past that (You will buy appropriate clothing for India once you get there, so budget for it and plan on not wearing many of your other clothes that month.)
46.) Wear sunscreen even if you don’t usually burn. (Rookie mistake on my part. You’re closer the equator in lots of other parts of the world.)
47.) Don’t dress grungy to ministry. (#nodirtyhippies)
48.) Realize if you ask people from home for letters, paper weighs a lot. (They are nice, but one per month is plenty.)
49.) You can swap books if you bring one book a person.
50.) You will have access to Internet. (Use it wisely and sparingly.)
51.) Your parents will survive if you don’t talk to them everyday.
52.) Don’t tell your parents to look at the Facebook parents page. (Seriously, get them off there.)
53.) 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.
54.) Every friendship takes time. And fun.
55.) No one is perfect on the Race.
56.) Bring or buy a small bag or purse. You won’t always want to carry your day pack.
57.) The Lord will stretch you beyond your current understanding of Him, it’s okay, let Him stretch you. (Don’t be scurred!)
58.) You have to choose to grow.
59.) Make your time with the Lord a priority, if you’re not already.
60.) Comparison is real on the Race, be prepared, be open about it, and be diligent in combating it.
61.) Bring resources for kids ministry, like songs, lessons, easy verses, etc.
62.) Create and stick to a personal budget!
63.) Embrace it. Just embrace it! (Thanks, Lisa, for that life lesson.)
64.) You don’t have to say yes to every adventure, but also go on them when you can. They’re fun. Super fun! But it’s also okay to take a day to yourself instead.
65.) Health is holistic, to be healthy you have to be healthy physically as well as spiritually and emotionally. They’re all connected.
66.) Ask people (waiters, drivers, etc.) their names, it makes a difference.
67.) Make your host your ministry outside of scheduled ministry times. They do a lot for you, so pour into them.
68.) Ministry will look different than you expect, so don’t read too much into the setup sheets, etc. just be ready for anything when you get there. (Once again, embrace it.)
69.) Practice patience – with your teammates, with yourself, when ministry isn’t what you think it is, etc.
70.) Keep things organized, be respectful of your living environment, pitch in around the house.
71.) Try avocado coffee in ‘Nam!
72.) Try all the coffee!
73.) Have a way of tracking your growth so you can look back on it. Reflection is your friend.
74.) If you’re passionate about something, bring it on the Race if you can. (Or maybe the Lord will tell you not to bring it on the race, that’s okay too.)
75.) Create opportunities for yourself.
76.) Learn the history of the countries you’re going to.
77.) Don’t overwhelm yourself with too many packing blogs! (You’re grown, and I’m sure this isnt the frist time you’ve packed. Only you know what will be most important/useful for you.)
78.) You don’t need as many clothes as you think you do. (I’m currently living in 3 shirts and 3 bottoms, and it’s plenty.)
79.) You don’t have to buy all your things from REI to be prepared. (#barginshopper)
80.) You can find cool, and cheap, clothes abroad.
81.) If you can get people to sponsor your stuff, it’s a little reminder of home and of them when you miss them.
82.) If you love a good pen… you should probably bring a lot of them.
83.) Talk to strangers! (Ignore the rule you learned as a kid, and get out there. . . Wisely.)
84.) Stop and take in the scenery around you because you’ll probably never be there again. (Don’t just stay stuck behind your camera.)
85.) You will be a celebrity (queue Brad Paisley song) in other countries so be prepared for people to take lots of pictures of you, and with you. (Listen to your host on this one, because sometimes it’s not safe to.)
86.) Don’t get super stressed when plans don’t work out. (This will happen often, just roll with it.)
87.) Trust that your host knows best even if it’s not what you want to hear.
88.) You can connect with people all around the world through music.
89.) Bring a big, comfortable pillow! (#worthit)
90.) Bring something to mark your airporter because every one has the same one as you do! (On a squad of 55, everyone has either the osprey or the REI one, so the struggle is real.)
91.) Bring a card game!
92.) You have a lot of spare time on the Race. (Some months, other months, not so much.)
93.) Bring an eye mask.
94.) Don’t flush your toilet paper down the toilets in Asia! (Or lots of other places in the world for that matter. Not even when you’re in a nice building, their sewage system all connects and it is not equipped to handle it. Just prepare to not be able to flush your TP for the next 11 months.)
95.) Don’t let your poop sit in the squatty potty, and please don’t make your squad mates have to unclog it for you. (Twice in 24 hours. Come on people. That’s disturbing.)
96.) Even if you don’t get sick in the States, you will on the Race. (Once again, case and point, me.)
97.) Don’t be afraid of the hospital! Go if you need to! (Trust me, your teammates will hold your hand while your IV is inserted, and help you fill out all the paperwork you can’t concentrate on. Refer to my “Nepali Hospitals” blog.)
98.) Try everything once (Sometimes it’s the best way to love your teammates well. So dive on in there and do the thing, or eat the thing. You never know what you might learn.)
99.) Bring a couple accessories for dressing up. (They’ll make you feel like a normal human again after being covered in dirt for a month.)
100.) You probably won’t end up on a team full of the people you currently envision as your dream team. Let that expectation go, and make your current team the dream team! (Invest well. It’s worth it.)
