Q: What has been your favorite country?
A: I LOVE ASIA!!! My favorite country was probably Nepal. Nepal was one of the darkest places we’ve been spiritually, but it’s so colorful, the culture is so interesting, and I feel drawn to minister to followers of Hindu/Buddhist/Islamic religions. There is a huge tourist population of backpackers and the main tourist center, Thamel, is one of my favorite places I’ve ever been. The Himalayas are pretty much the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen, and I loved that view. I feel like Nepal holds a huge air of mystery – probably because of the looming presence of Mt. Everest. I dig that.
A: What has been your least favorite country?
B: If you know me this will probably sound crazy, but my time in Latin America has been tough. I think my least favorite was either Peru or Ecuador. I just really haven’t enjoyed the way we’ve been received by the people here. Not gonna bad mouth it, but the culture is just not my cup of tea; I prefer Asian culture!
Q: What has been your favorite ministry?
A: My favorite ministry was BY FAR during our time in Ethiopia. We were 2 hours outside of any civilization or internet access, living on a sustainable farm in the middle of a small village. The farm also served as a home for children in need as well as providing clean water for the community. It was quite a dangerous month and we faced an insane amount of persecution from a mainly Islamic community, but I had the best time being in the middle of the quiet fields with my squad. Early, chilly mornings with coffee and quiet time, preparing meals in the kitchen with a dozen other people and blasting music, spontaneous worship sessions, and the most beautiful kiddos I’ve ever seen. It was such a sweet month!! So many memories. My heart aches when I think about it! I miss it every day!
Q: What do you feel drawn to return to?
A: I definitely feel drawn to return to Asia. There’s still so much of it I haven’t seen! I’d love to travel to China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Laos, Mongolia, and who knows where else?! I think I will end up on the mission field long-term but I don’t know quite where. Hopefully Asia 🙂
Q: Who do you miss the most?
A: Well Rachel Parmer asked me this question, so I’d probably say Rachel Parmer…. Or my dog Gypsy. A tough one :)))
Q: What things in younger years prepared you for mission work or sparked the desire for it? And what in the field has fanned the flame??
A: I think it was initially a God given desire! When I started preparing for the World Race, friends and family from the past started telling me all about how I said I wanted to be a missionary for as long as they could remember! Pretty cool! I went on a mission trip to Honduras when I was 13, and again when I was 19. I really fell in love with missions. I love to travel, I love Spanish, and I loved the feeling of serving. I have just always known that missions was my calling. On the Race, my heart has been broken over and over again by the sick, poor, and hurting. I know this is from the Lord and I plan to play a role in His story in helping those who are hurting!
Q: Why do you feel seminary will be helpful?
A: I plan to earn a Masters in Global Studies. I think this will prepare me more on the practical side about how to not only minister to those suffering from spiritual poverty, but physical poverty as well. I want to learn how to practically take a holistic approach to global relief.
Q: Things that were different than your expectations…good or bad
A: I went into the Race without a lot of expectations. I think the country that surprised me the most was Rwanda. When you think of Africa, you think of red dirt and starving children. Rwanda is an extremely clean and well-sustained country! Of course, they have their fair share of poverty, but I didn’t experience the devastation that I stereotypically expected. They have a very advanced culture and their main city, Kigali, is quite nice.
Q: What new food have you tried that you thought you’d never eat?
A: In Cambodia, we were served a stew meant to be poured over rice. It was made with different bits of vegetables, fish, and actual miniature purple Octopus. I tried one….. not a fan.
Q: How are you preparing yourself – mentally, spiritually, and physically – to re-enter America’s culture?
A: I’ll be honest, that might be a blog in itself. I can’t WAIT to be home, but I am pretty scared. I know I have grown and changed a lot, and I probably won’t be able to see some of those things until I’m home and back in normal life. I think it will be difficult for me to justify the wealth I see in the States and the things that people spend their money on as opposed to the rest of the world. I am asking the Lord for grace for other people!! I plan to take some time to rest, process, and just be still and pray before I fully insert myself back into the culture. I’ve also been working out nearly every day with my teammates; trying to keep up some good habits before I’m plunged back into the world of abundance! I think long runs and yoga will be helpful releases for me when I’m stressed or wrestling with things. I’m also focused on maintaining good habits I’ve gained on the Race when it comes to time in the Word. Before the Race, I would go weeks without reading the Bible. I realize how devastating that can be in my life! I know there will be things that come that I won’t be expecting. But in all honesty, I really, really can’t wait to be home.
Q:Are you bringing any children home with you?
A: DONT TEMPT ME!!!! Be expecting an Ethiopian child to be adopted by me in the near future. Maybe one from each country. Who knows.
Q: What was your favorite thing to do with the children?
A: I learned something about myself; I absolutely LOVE KIDS!!!! And I HATE TEACHING!!! I just want to love them and play, I don’t like trying to tame them. I like to let kids be kids, which is super important in environments where some children may have been robbed of that opportunity. I just want to hug them.
Q: What similarities have you seen among all the cultures you have experienced?
A: I have seen little similarities all over. One thing is that the world LOVES soccer!!!!! I have basically become a professional after all the practice I’ve gotten this year. Another thing; little street stores! All over the world, you can walk up to a sidewalk cart or a tienda with bars on the windows, and buy a Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola is universal. So is KFC. Half of the people want to visit America, half of the people are afraid of America. (Isn’t that funny?! I was warned of how dangerous it would be to go on this trip, but the rest of the world is terrified of America!!! Mostly because of the violence they see on the news. Mass shootings are a foreign concept in most of the world.)
FUN BONUS FACT: 11 in 11 actually became 13 in 11! I spent a day exploring Singapore on an extended layover, as well as Johannesburg, South Africa! So, in total, I have been to 17 different countries in my life!
