I am answering the questions that y’all asked me!! Please comment if you have any more questions.
- If a senior in High School, ask for your advice on going on the WR Gap Year, would you encourage them?
If a senior in high school asked for my advice about going on the World Race, I would encourage them, but also be honest. The World Race has a great program for growing in your faith and travelling, and I think they have great leadership and keep things safe. If God is calling you on the Race, I say go for it! But also, I would be honest with them and tell them that it isn’t always easy. So far, this has been my biggest learning experience, but it has not been easy. I have no desire to do it a second time, but if I could go back in time and decide again, I would 100% make the same decision to come on the Race.
- Other than people, what do you miss the most being away from “home”? What are you the most surprised you miss? What are you the most surprised you don’t miss?
Other than people, I miss freedom and being alone the most being away from home. The first month in Swaziland, I felt like all freedom had been ripped from me. I went from dictating my own schedule (within reason), having a car, and going places alone, to have my schedule told to me and always having to be with a buddy. In the first 3 months, I was only alone in our room ONE time. It was difficult going from being alone whenever I chose to, to never having a place to go. Over time, it has gotten a lot better though. I am most surprised about how much I miss running errands and doing homework. There isn’t really anything that I am surprised that I don’t miss.
- I believe the religion of Nepal is Hindu. Are you learning about their faith? Also, you mentioned you could not speak Jesus’s name. Are you able to have Christian conversations amongst yourselves, in your homes, just not publicly?
Yes, the religion on Nepal is Hindu. As a squad, we learned about the major world religions at training camp. During out time in Kathmandu, we went to Hindu temples, schools, and an orphanage. We didn’t have organized lessons on Hinduism, but we were immersed into the religion. I must have worded something wrong, because we were allowed to speak Jesus’s name in Nepal. Nepal is a closed country, which countries can have different levels of “closedness,” but in Nepal it means that you cannot be a missionary and sharing the Gospel, but you are allowed to be a Christian. Among fellow Christians, we could speak about our faith in any place We were not allowed though, to share out faith with others, unless we were asked about it.
- How do you get snacks and personal supplies?
On the Race, snacks and personal supplies have been available in each country we have been in. I have been able to get the necessities for toiletries, and snacks, in every place. In Swaziland, we went to SaveMor, which was a small grocery store attached to their gas station. They had a surprisingly good selection of snacks (none of them being that healthy haha). In Nepal, there was a small store within walking distance of our home, and in the city, there were storefronts. So far in India, there aren’t really “stores”, but more tiny counters/storefronts that have a small number of things. We have everything we need, but you may have to go to 3 different counters to get your 3 products- toothpaste at one, shampoo at the other, and deodorant at another one.
- What has been your favorite ministry day in Nepal?
My favorite ministry day was when we went to a Hindu orphanage about an hour and a half bus ride outside of Kathmandu. It was a building that provided a home for 17 children without parents, founded and ran by a Hindu couple. Even though we did not share the same faith, we could see the selfless nature of the couple, and they joy of the kids living there. I met a sweet girl named Ranjita, around 5 years old, and even after a few hours together, I didn’t want to leave her!
- I noticed in some of the pictures from Nepal- there were colorful banners (with writing) hanging. What are the banners symbolic of? Do members of the community have to request permission to hang a banner? Who maintains the banners?
The colorful banners in Nepal were prayer banners. The wind is believed to spread the peace and compassion in the banners. I don’t believe that people have to request permission to hang a banner. They are hung around temples, in the streets from homes and places of business. The banners are either owned by a person or the owners of a place, such as a temple.
