Ohhhh, we’re half way there!!!

June 24, 2018. The Race is half way over. I can’t believe it. Here are some lessons I’ve learned so far.

This blog is fun because I can tell ya a lot of the funny things I have learned and experienced abroad.  

Check it:

159 days 159 lessons

  1. Pawpaw tastes like mango + cantaloupe = mangalope 
  2. Africans eat all parts of the fish-fins eyeballs and all
  3. Also Asians eat chicken feet
  4. Ivorians trap their neighbors cats for dinner
  5. I love mangos
  6. African dance moves
  7. Sport = exercise 
  8. How to use a machete 
  9. Also check for your phone before leaving a cab 
  10. FOMO for the Lord
  11. That flowers are truly, truly my thing
  12. Bargaining is easier than you think-just walk away and they’ll lower the price 
  13. Africans eat almost everything-rat, cat & bat included 
  14. Chickens, goats, dogs & cows roam freely around the rest of the world
  15. Some people have never seen a white person before-don’t be alarmed if they pet you
  16. Jesus loves you (the song) in French
  17. How to fit 30 people in a truck
  18. Or 8 people in a taxi
  19. Packing doesn’t get easier month by month
  20. I have a hard time dropping things and gifts from people (rip yellow dress)
  21. The chicken in the shed is dinner
  22. Hand wash laundry
  23. That 4 year olds can wash my laundry better than I can 
  24. How to ask for things that I need and fight for myself 
  25. How to balance things on my head
  26. Soda is a constant everywhere you go
  27. Hand shaking is the typical greeting in Africa
  28. Chiefs are the head of African villages 
  29. Layovers on travel days are never logical
  30. Don’t try to pass a cow in an alley 
  31. They will ram you-walk as far around them as possible 
  32. How to give constructive feedback & how to encourage people to be the best they can be
  33. AirDrop is life (unless you have an Android) 
  34. Feedback saves lives
  35. Podcasts are the way to go
  36. Good WiFi is few & far between
  37. Khmer new year is a dance party with baby powder + loads of fun 
  38. Ghanaians propose to you because it’s be easier for them to get a visa 
  39. Songkran is a country wide water fight in Thailand to celebrate the new year
  40. Sugar cane is hard to chew
  41. Efficiency is not always the way
  42. A lime can make a dinner dish (thx Dre)
  43. Cafes in Asia are so vast- from hedgehogs to ball pits & everything in between 
  44. Everyone in Cambodia above the age of 40 experienced the Cambodian genocide 
  45. 30,000 people + elephants were used to build Anchor Watt 
  46. Jess Waite is the best tour guide around town
  47. Heather fuller is your gal for all hair needs
  48. How to actually get my hair clean in a bucket shower 
  49. Shower heads are truly a gift 
  50. How to sleep in an airport, bus, tuk tuk, red truck, plane, or taxi no problem
  51. Air rail the the best sleeping pad in town
  52. Be a blessing wherever you go
  53. Don’t be a lame ass missionary
  54. Careful what you pray for
  55. Men wear skirts in Myanmar 
  56. How to salsa dance
  57. To always have toilet paper just in case
  58. How to use a squatty potty without getting pee everywhere 
  59. Using what you have to work out
  60. “Bon bon” means open up in Thai-when throwing a banana in an elephants mouth 
  61. Elephants are gentle giants
  62. Don’t let them step on you-Hannah Gustafson
  63. Trees & flowers are so different everywhere you go
  64. How to live out of a backpack 
  65. The king of Thailand is a very good man
  66. Don’t step on Thai money-Baht 
  67. Who knows what side of the street is right any more
  68. Be your own crossing guard-just stick your hand out and go
  69. Tuk Tuks & motos are the best way of transportation
  70. Pokhara, Nepal is where hippies go on vacation 
  71. Kids live on the streets in order to survive
  72. Some people resort to selling themselves
  73. Others resort to selling drugs or joining a gang
  74. All are loved the same by Jesus
  75. How to eat a spicy meal as fast as I can
  76. Don’t use your left hand-that’s your poop hand
  77. Also long finger nails are for poop too
  78. Bidets aren’t as scary as they seem 
  79. But they are a little 
  80. Water isn’t free
  81. Electrolytes are hard to find in Côte d’Ivoire 
  82. Gatorade doesn’t exist abroad
  83. Charlie Puth is the ish in Asia
  84. Cows are food not friends
  85. Air con also saves lives
  86. How to through a wedding on a $50 budget in a day 
  87. The enneagram is the best 
  88. I’m a 9 wing 8 – if you don’t know what that means I encourage you to read about it 
  89. Using your imagination makes everything more fun
  90. Massages are super cheap abroad
  91. Bubble tea is a fun drink + snack
  92. God made ya just the way you are-why would you try to be someone else?
  93. Love everybody, always
  94. Most world race hosts are also YWAM hosts
  95. Ministry set up sheets never truly describe the ministry 
  96. Bleach is in all face soaps in Asia
  97. Evangelism is actually pretty fun
  98. You don’t need to know the same language to communicate
  99. Laughter is universal
  100. People rip you off when you’re foreign 
  101. How to cook with what you have without a recipe
  102. Spices can make or break a meal
  103. How to use an espresso machine
  104. Pressing flowers is the most fun hobby
  105. People around the world are so helpful
  106. Most Asians but especially Cambodians take their shoes off EVERYWHERE 
  107. Water coloring is such a fun hobby
  108. Blogging + making videos too
  109. America is so spiritually dead and unaware
  110. All things essential oil + natural from Jess Logan 
  111. Not really something I learned-but more people have washed my underwear this year than I ever would have….wanted or expected not super sure 
  112. Loving the hard people is so fruitful
  113. Goodbyes don’t get any easier
  114. Ovens, microwaves and toasters don’t exist abroad
  115. Dance parties are universally the best
  116. Ministry is life + life is ministry
  117. Eliminate all expectations (when on the race) 
  118. No one wears seat belts abroad
  119. Plane rides with Bri are never boring
  120. All ages have nose rings in Nepal
  121. Eat everything on your plate, you don’t know where your next meal is coming from 
  122. Asia puts to go cups in a fun bag
  123. Everyone picks their nose in public
  124. If you think the Bible’s boring read Ezekiel 23 
  125. Always bring snacks to church-you never know how long it will be
  126. Take away is the new to go
  127. The response to “hallelujah” is “amen”
  128. Comfortable silence is a treasure 
  129. 3 in 1 instant coffees are the best 
  130. Wai is the lil Asian bow
  131. Which makes me feel like a queen each time 
  132. What processing is & how to do it 
  133. Geckos laugh at you 
  134. How to only wash my hair once a week & have my hair still look clean
  135. How to make my clothes last as long as possible without doing laundry
  136. Raising $17,700 is possible
  137. Don’t use money as an excuse to not do something 
  138. God will provide
  139. A lot of people know English abroad
  140. Compromise is key
  141. Die to yourself daily and pick up your cross
  142. Give Jesus the reigns of your life and he can take you so far
  143. How to use all ‘waste’ to sustain a farm 
  144. Making a bomb queue on truck rides home is super satisfying
  145. Time with Jesus daily is vital
  146. Jesus speaks to you
  147. You just have to create the time and space to listen
  148. Jesus tracks are super fruitful
  149. Passing out flyers will bring more people to English class
  150. How to spot world racers 
  151. Simply helping those around you and doing life with them is an easy way to show God’s love 
  152. How to rock an African yellow dress
  153. Travel with 30 people super efficiently
  154. Shopping on the free table is the best way
  155. Jesus loves you even more than creation 
  156. We are more intricate than flowers 
  157. Living with community is so important 
  158. The world is bouquet of God precious flowers (people) who He chose and made to live this life
  159. We are chosen to shine God’s light to the world 

 

So let’s get out there and do it!!! Be yourself, shine Jesus’ light and embrace this life God has given ya. Seize the day! Si se puede!