Wendy:
What has been your favorite “weird/new” food you’ve eaten on the Race thus far?
Me:
I’ve definitely eaten my fair share of new foods this year… llama, alpaca, guinea pig, cow intestines, chicken hearts and gizzards, pig ear, balut, rat, snake, scorpion… just to name a few of the “weird” ones. But I think those spicy crickets that Dom bought us off the side of the road in Cambodia has been my favorite snack so far. I could eat those things all day, no shame.
Mom:
What is the scariest thing that you’ve done on the Race?
Me:
Definitely driving through death road from Argentina to Bolivia. It’s one of the most dangerous roads to drive on in the world, and we were on it for almost two days straight. Lots of prayers were said on that road!
Luyen:
Why is Chile the best country?/What is your favorite country?
Me:
Well, Romania is by far my favorite country for pretty much every reason (no offense to all other countries)—ministry, people, culture, food, landscape etc. But each country I have been to definitely has had something I loved about it. For Chile, I think the mountainous landscape was absolutely gorgeous, and the day we all went up to Campo de Ahumada is still probably one of my favorite memories on the Race. Also, Chileans are super friendly/welcoming people. I loved that there was always time to have an “once” and just fellowship over a small meal with some of the kindest people I’ve ever met.
Dad:
Did you see any Vampire Bats at Dracula’s castle? Were you bitten by a Vampire at Dracula’s Castle?
Me:
Bats nor vampires were spotted at the Castle, so as far as I know I have not been turned into a vampire.
Mom:
Have you witnessed a miracle?
Me:
At training camp, and a few times on the Race I have witnessed miracles in the form of physical healings. For example, I have seen major injuries instantly healed, I have witnessed pain and sicknesses vanish from people’s bodies. I have also gotten to see people healed from emotional/spiritual pain or illnesses. And I have heard powerful testimonies of how the Lord has worked in other people’s lives in the form of miracles. To tell of them all would take hours.
Kelsey:
Who do you think will win in your next fight with Jon?
Me:
I always win, so probably me.
Dad:
What countries need the most prayer, and why?
Me:
Every single nation is in need of so much prayer, but from my experience I’d say Eastern Europe is in need of the most prayer (Serbia, Romania, and Bulgaria). Many of us expected there to be little need of missionaries in Eastern Europe because of its Christian foundation, but in actuality the greatest spiritual strongholds cover this part of the world in my experience and opinion. People think that to be Christian is synonymous with their national identity. To be Serbian or Romanian or Bulgarian is to be Orthodox. If you ask somebody if they are Christian, they will say yes, but if you ask if they have ever read the bible almost everyone will say no. So most people identify as Christians, but almost zero people know Christ.
Jon:
When can I get more money from you?
Me:
I think the better question is, when will the office give me more money.
Juan:
How much did you have to let go of in order to be on the most beautiful trip ever?
Me:
Wow, I could write an entire blog on this question. And honestly I think everyone you ask would have a completely different answer depending on their own journey. For me though, I think letting go of the physical things was the easiest part of this trip. For the entirety of the World Race I have to live out of a 75 Liter backpack and one small day-pack, but if I could just live out of a day-pack I totally would. But you don’t only have to let go of physical materials and comforts, but you have to press into a lot of emotional and spiritual abandonment. I had to let go of my own plans for my life and fully trust in the Lord to guide me and provide for me. I had to dig deep to uncover and address different sin patterns and spiritual strongholds in my life. I had to give up my fear of man and my pride in order to walk in complete obedience. The list goes on. But by letting go of those things, I have honestly grown so much more than I could’ve imagined.
Dad:
What is the grossest thing that has happened to you?
Me:
This. …And that’s not mud.
Matt:
Have you blessed the people you have encountered more, or have the people you’ve encountered on the Race blessed you more?
Me:
Let’s be honest. Many times short-term mission trips can be more of a burden to the host or community than a blessing. Sometimes not much good comes from them. And the World Race is basically eleven back-to-back short-term mission trips. But one thing that the Race encourages is clear communication and feedback within a community. And as teams we definitely receive feedback from our hosts about how they feel we are doing. Which is so cool because then we each know how we can grow and improve for the next month based on what we did good and what we did not do well. Overall, the feedback I’ve received, both face-to-face and indirectly is that our teams have indeed brought lift to our hosts, and I fully believe that is true. However, also I think that through spending time with our hosts and just doing life with them and hearing their stories I have learned so much from them, and as a result I have been thoroughly blessed by all of them.
Mom:
When/Where have you seen the hand of God most at work on the Race?
Me:
Man, it is so obvious in each country that God is present and working, but last month in Romania I think I saw God work the most. Romania is the place where God and me had some good long talks and I felt like He was really speaking directly to me on a daily basis about some big things (maybe I’ll let you know in a future blog). But also, our host was the type of guy who walks in complete obedience to the voice of God. Being with him and his family was a huge inspiration to me because I got to see how over 20 + years his obedience was returned with overflowing favor from God, and because of that, every room in the church, every space in his home, every plot of land he showed us, every friend he knows, etc has a story behind it, and is a testament to God’s goodness.
Jaivie:
What’s the scariest thing about going home?
Me:
Probably that people won’t get me now. Like, I feel like I’ve grown a ton since the beginning of the Race, and I don’t know how people outside of my World Race community will receive that. Like, how will people feel when I give them needed feedback? Or encourage community? Or suggest new ways of experiencing the Lord? Or encourage active use of our spiritual gifts? Or will it be frustrating if other people don’t understand what I’ve seen or experienced? There’s so many questions.
Mom:
Who/What do you miss/think about from home while you are racing?
Me:
I definitely miss my brothers and mom and dad the most. They’re pretty rad people, and super fun to hang around and tease. But, luckily I’ve got my teammate Jon that I can pull lots of pranks on in the meantime. Aside from people, the garden is what I miss the most. I miss eating and cooking healthy/organic meals. Food variety is pretty limited on the Race which is a bummer.
Jaivie:
What will you miss the most about you favorite country?
Me:
The ministry for sure. We mostly worked in gypsy communities in Romania, and I totally fell in love with the Gypsy kids and our ministry partners.
Mom:
Do you plan to return anywhere either as a missionary, or with Docs without Borders?
Me:
Yes. If I’m being obedient to the Lord I will be returning to Romania. I don’t know when that will be or what I will be doing there or really any details right now, but God will let me know when the right time is and what I will be doing. I’ve had some talks with Him over the last couple weeks and He has given some crazy conformation regarding me returning to Romania. Also, Romania is pretty dang cool. It’s a lot like Oregon, so I’d love to also return just to visit.
General:
How much more money do you need to raise until you are fully funded for the World Race?
Me:
Exactly $828 more!!! Let’s get me fully funded! Anyone can donate any dollar amount to my blog to help me stay on this Race.
