Wow. The last time I posted something, I was in Albania. So, to give context. I left Albania in late May, went to final debrief at a yacht club, said goodbye to my fam, cried a bit, saw Notre Dame on June 2, went home to Bogotá for the summer, got two jobs, hung out with friends and family, survived a gamut of stupid questions, and left for New York on August 21. I arrived to New York University where I will be pursuing an undergraduate degree for the next season or so.
As a fresh freshman at a big school, I find that I’m eternally introducing myself. As I state my name, nationality, major, and a fun fact about myself, I try to explain what madness I was embarked upon last year, and realize that words don’t quite frame it properly. The race resists simple definition, especially around my very liberal peers who usually are skeptical, if not hostile, towards matters of faith.
And so, grasping for the right words, I flounder and am left with all sorts of questions instead. When did I go from being an average racer to being a student at a prestigious university? How did this happen? Why me? And further considering the question, I am struck by the very obvious disconnect between where I was last year, both physically and spiritually with where I am now, and I feel a sort of distant sympathy towards past Lau, the missionary/backpacker/teacher/library assistant/chess player/farm hand/outreach person. And then, as I begin to sympathize with myself, it strikes me as idiotically self-evident: “LAU, YOU ARE LITERALLY THE SAME PERSON!”.
And it’s true. I don’t exist in the color-coded time-boxes of a schedule where NYU is vibrant violet, the race is aggressively orange, High School is uncompromisingly red, Middle School is puke green, and childhood is pastel blue. I live in the rainbow stream of time, where different seasons affect me in different ways at different moments, and the lessons I learned during those seasons still affect me to this day. The World Race is no different, it is now part of his-story through my life, and while my new lifestyle may seem radically different on a superficial level, on a deeper level, it really isn’t. I’m still learning about God and growing in discipline. I still try to live missionally and reach out to the people around me alongside an energetic community that loves Jesus. I’m still working hard to be obedient and faithful in the work set before me. And while I have grown, I still have SO. MUCH. left to learn.
The truth is, the message is essentially the same: Love God. Love people. Live the gospel. Seek joy. Stay humble. Trust your community. Perservere in trials. Keep the faith. God is still the same, it is I who is different. I trust God far more, understand cultural issues way better, care way less about personal hygiene, and got so many hilarious stories thrown in for fun. So, as I embark upon this next season, I can’t wait to see what God has in store for me.
Looking back, I would also like to thank y’all. It was your prayers, encouragement, and support that let me get through the race and get to where I am right now. Thanks for sticking it through up until this randomly-timed blog post waay after I left the race. You’re seriously amazing people and I’m RIDICULOUSLY blessed to have you in my life. I hope God takes you to wild and wonderful places!
Postcript:
I’ve learned the power of storytelling (@Kuzia and @Lasiter), so I’ve recently decided to continue the experiment in blogging, this time a lot more free-floating and experimental. Check it out: http://ahypomnema.blogspot.com
