September:
Goodbye normal, hello new adventures.
Launch.
My first world race travel day.
After two days of living in airports, welcome to Chiang Mai, Thailand!
Pad thai, baht, temples, monks, Zion, Bella Goose.
Wow this is amazing! I never want to leave!
The baristas and the receptionists – wow, I am going to miss them when I leave.
First ministry: Serve team/teaching English.
Macro, overnight oatmeal, hotdogs – why hotdogs?
Nope, those definitely were NOT hotdogs, ew.
Wow, teaching kids will be so cool!
Wow, these kids are wild. Help!
Enneagram.
Love languages.
Im a type 7 wing 8? What exactly does that mean?
Rooftop dwellers.
Working for the hostel.
Painting, babysitting, shopping for supplies, writing reviews.
Cooking bacon until 1 am.
What am I doing? I came to be a missionary, not to make breakfast.
“You can bring kingdom wherever you are or whatever you are doing.”
Come, see, love.
I came. I saw. I loved.
I’ve already been here a month? Thats crazy! The race goes by so fast.
Oh if I only knew.
October:
Agape.
Jesus, break my heart for what breaks yours.
Kids.
Orphans.
Wow, I just want them to have a family.
Answered prayer.
Agape.
Heller, Taylor, poo, pom hop, bean – we couldn’t pronounce their names.
Agape.
I miss the rest of our squad, the hostel is so quiet without them.
Pots and pans.
Agape.
These kids are sick, their parents are sick, some of their mothers died in that room.
Agape.
Just a few more hours of cleaning windows and then we can spend time with the kids.
Agape.
Wow, we only have a week left with the kids!
Love them well. Love them to the best of your ability.
Agape.
Last day.
Goodbye precious faces.
November:
Already time to leave Thailand!
How has it already been two months? That’s crazy.
3:30 am, time to load up on the bus.
Next stop: Malaysia.
36 hours laters, get me off of this bus.
We finally made it! Our second country.
All five of the major religions on one street.
Diversity.
Cheese naan, 45 coffee, samosas, coffee in a bag.
Penhop.
Village.
A spirit of sadness is over them. Pray pray pray!
Rice, rice, and more rice.
Back at the base.
Oh no, they have lice!
Tea tree and lavender.
Lice checks.
Thanksgiving.
Texas chicken – thanks Boz!
5th day I have missed ministry due to being sick. I’m so tired of laying in this stupid bed.
Nights spent on the rooftop crying.
Back at ministry! Well, trying to be anyway.
Lord, what are you trying to teach me right now?
Identity.
December:
Now I have lice.
It’s just hair, it will grow back.
Vulnerability.
Wednesday night outreach.
So much darkness.
Time to leave Penang.
Mini debrief.
So long, Asia.
Back in the states.
Welcome to New York.
Wow, they actually have toilet paper everywhere you go.
My family is here.
American food, stores, and coffee.
Everyone here speaks my language, this is weird.
Time to go back to the airport.
New York, Mexico, Costa Rica.
Costa Rica!
Pura Vida!
Wow, I love this place. I never want to leave.
Off to our first ministry in Costa Rica.
We’re here!
What are we supposed to do?
Oh we are helping with the daycare and doing some random things around here to help out – great!
Day two, they’ve already adopted us into the family.
Painting, soccer, singing, dancing, watercolors.
We live everyday life with our host family now.
Family dinner, beach days, picnics, and Christmas.
Merry Christmas!
Everyone celebrates all night long on Christmas Eve.
Christmas Day.
First feelings I have had of homesickness the entire race.
We have to say goodbye to our new family tomorrow.
Hard goodbyes mean precious memories.
We will all be back one day.
Off to our second ministry of Costa Rica.
Wow, this camp is beautiful.
Staff.
Lets go meet the other staff.
New friends!
We can’t wait to hang out again.
Time to go back to the base.
Finally get to see the squad again!
Our squad mentor is here too!
New Years Eve.
Swing dancing.
She was obedient and shared her story that night – a beautiful story it is.
Wow, I love that girl so much.
Worship and fireworks at midnight.
January:
Any new years resolutions on the race?
Almost time for debrief.
We leave for debrief today.
Back to the camp again.
What?
I am already halfway done with my race.
……………………………………………….
Welcome to the World Race. The days are long, the weeks are short, and the months fly by. Before you know it, you are sitting on a mountain, at your halfway debrief, realizing that the amount of time that you have been gone is the same amount of time you have left until you go home. Before you know it, your first few months are nothing more than a blur of time that you can only hold as precious memories.
– Ash
