Welcome welcome. Thanks for asking questions! I hope you’re entertained or inspired! Anything but bored 😉 let’s go.
If you got to go again, who would you take?
This is such a good question. I would take someone with me who had a really different skill set than me. I would want someone with me that I work really well with and that would bring something different to the table than I do.
What is the worst ‘what are the odds’ you’ve ever lost?
I was dared to kiss a fish that my teammates caught from the fish tank our ministry hosts had in their greenhouse. It was alive and wriggling.
What moment has impacted you the most?
I cannot possibly chose. There is no way to even measure the impact certain moments have had on me. One that does come to mind is the afternoon we spent in the orphanage in Haiti, laughing and dancing and singing and praying with the most precious of kids. Magnificent radiant glowing smiles that will never leave my mind. Voices of angles in these kids. You can read my blog, A Palace, to hear more.
Would you encourage all of your siblings to go on the world race?
I would absolutely! I would want them to experience this craziness, this joy, this wild and insane ride. But I would miss them way too much, so maybe not ;))
For those who want to go, what advice would you give them?
I would tell them that anything the Lord asks them to do will be the very best for them. It will be a season of good things and hard things. I would tell them that when they’re in the middle of it and are missing home, God’s not done. If he had planned for you to be home then that’s where you’d be, but he has plans for you to continue on and keep growing. I would encourage them to really learn what trust is and walk in it.
Favorite memory?
(Mom, you should know I can’t chose…;)) When I think of favorite memories, I think of memories with my team and I think of ministry moments that were incredible. One of my favorite moments was when those collided. It was our very last night in Botswana and we had a Bible study with the kids and adults from our village. Everyone that showed up had become true friends. Friends that supported us and got to know us and loved on us during our time there. Honestly, best friends. At the end, we started playing a Justin Bieber song (because nothing is really more appropriate in this context) and two girls started dancing, Prudence and Precious. As they continued to move and grove, more people slowly joined in. The locals and my teammates alike. It turned into a massive dance party, a rush of laughter and smiles, an unforgettable glimpse of heaven.
Funniest moment?
This is definitely not THE funniest moment of the world race, but it’s one that recently gave me a nice laugh. The little girl I tutor right now, Scarlett, was listening to the Bible story of Daniel in the lion’s den. My teammate Noah was teaching and he asked, “have any of you ever felt jealousy before?” Scarlett promptly raised her hand and said, “yes. When my baby brother was brought home I was jealous because I wasn’t the baby anymore, so I wanted to throw him to the sharks.” Shocking to hear out of a seven year old’s mouth.
Hardest time?
Travel days are really hard for me. Leaving a country, a home you’ve made for yourself for a significant period of time, is heart breaking. On the race it’s such a conscious decision to view a place as home (it’s always a big deal when we hear each other call a place home for the first time). Leaving after months of intentional investment and love is something I dread more and more, and then the following days of literally not having a home as you travel to a new and foreign culture, country, and community is challenging. It’s hard. I’ve learned a lot from it though. I’ve learned to look at the Father as my home and place of refuge. I’ve learned to say that I trust him with the lives that I love so deeply and may never see again. It’s hard and it’s incredibly good.
What’s your favorite thing you brought from home?
Besides the essentials and things you would find on the packing list, I am SO glad I have essential oils. It makes me feel healthy and a little more normal. Like a girl. #granola.
What’s the worst thing you’ve smelled so far?
Honestly, not to throw them under the bus, but some of my teammates have some crazy stinky feet. Woah. #teamtimeoutsideplease.
What’s one thing you didn’t bring with you that you wish you did?
I chose to bring a study Bible from home instead of a small one that I can easily carry with me. I wouldn’t want to give up my study Bible, I just wish I had brought both.
How did you know going on the race was what God had for you?
I didn’t. I had to spend a lot of time in prayer asking if it was God’s will, and what he showed me was that whether I went to college or went on the race, I could magnify his name and glorify my Father in heaven well in each place. Both path would require excellence and faith and they would both take me to very different places, but it was up to me. I chose the race, but I am fully confident I would have grown a lot in college too. It’s not that way for everyone, the race is not for everyone, but I do think it is amazing for a lot of people. #askthelord
Best ministry assignment?
Another question I can’t answer. Some of my favorites have been: A women’s event for the women of Kumakwane, Botswana. A Christmas vbs for the kids of Kumakwane. Baking cookies and rainbow cakes to bring to the women that work the overnight shift at the gas station down the road in Heidelberg, South Africa at 1 in the morning for a little pick-me-up. Baking cookies and brownies and making iced tea to build relationships with our neighbors in both Botswana and South Africa. Using anything and everything for the gospel. My favorites are the times when we get to use our creativity to love people and be kind. #creativelove
Where has been your favorite place you’ve showered on the race?
We had a waterfall at our house in the DR, so showering in that was definitely one of the most magical showers I’ve ever had. #avedacomercial
What is the biggest way God has changed the way you think?
God has taught me how to ask for the renewing of my mind. He has taught me how to ask for no fear, for affirmation in him, to look at him as my Father, to look at myself as a daughter, to not fall victim to thoughts others have of me, to rely most on his thoughts of me, to believe that I have value and worth to offer because I actually bear the GLORY of God with me and in me everywhere I go.
How much do you miss your mom?
A freaking lot.
Favorite adventure?
Victoria Falls in Zambia on New year’s Eve with my best friends. Easily one of the very best days of my life.
What are you looking forward to in the next four months and how are your expectations different than when you started?
I have grown so much in my confidence in what God can and will do. I am looking forward to the memories I will make with my teammates (some of my best friends in the world), the stories and testimonies that I will get to share of seeing glimpses of heaven on Earth, and the moments where I hear God speak and I just get to listen and be amazed.
THANK YOU for the questions! I hope the answers gave you a little glimpse into my life! It was really sweet and refreshing to reflect on the last five months of my life and remember the breathtaking things God has done, not because I’m on a trip called The world race, but because I have chosen to wake up in the mornings and say yes. Because I have asked him to show me more of himself and he answered. Because I serve a really responsive God.
Thank you. I love you.
-k
