On my Instagram I asked for people to ask any questions they had about life on the field or anything they wanted to know about my experience so far! So this blog is going to be a Q & A blog…hope you enjoy!
What favorite new food have you tried?
Hmmm… There is a sour candy called Chupa chups and they are similar to airhead extremes but they are miniature bite size candies full of yummy goodness! Also there is a flaky pastry called Gaza that they make sometimes to eat with milk tea and it is one of my favorite combinations. We also drink a LOT of milk tea, which I LOVE. But since we are living on a lower budget we usually have more basic foods like potatoes, rice (& lots of it), soup, noodles, pb & j sandwiches, curry, and sometimes vegetables. If you want to buy other foods outside of the food provided from our budget then you must use personal money! So I haven’t had many foods other than the food provided for us because I haven’t wanted to spend much money and also street food here isn’t the safest to eat!
How do you get restored by the Lord after consistent long days and nights?
This is so important, being refilled by the Lord each and everyday! Yes, there are definitely days and nights where I am physically, mentally, and spiritually exhausted. I would say the key to staying restored and recharged by the Lord for me has been intentionally setting aside time each day to spend with the Lord. No matter what the day looks like to make it a priority to have intentional and uninterrupted time with Him. He is always faithful to fill me up and give me supernatural strength because without His strength I would be a wreck! So for sure alone time with Him, and that varies day to day on what that looks like, but whatever He thinks that I need for that specific day! The other day I went on the rooftop and water colored and listened to worship songs, other times I read from scripture, spend time in prayer, memorize … it really depends!
What do you miss the most?
I miss my people. My sisters, my parents, my friends, my dog suzie, and just familiar faces. I miss Sunday morning church services in English and hanging out with my family. But the Lord has definitely blessed me with a second family to travel the world with (go U squad) and people who make this season full of laughter and good times. But I do miss my day one homies, and can’t wait to squeeze each of them so tight when I get to see them soon!
What’s been the most rewarding part of your trip so far? What about the hardest part?
The most rewarding part has been stretching myself to do things that are uncomfortable & vulnerable. It has been hard in the moment, but the Lord has done so much with that obedience and has rewarded me in that way.
I would say the hardest part has been community living/always being with 45 other people. I am half introvert and half extravert, but I mostly recharge by being alone. So it has been challenging getting that alone time here. But the Lord has also used that for good and allowed me to grow in relationships and be able to recharge with community more than I have ever before!
What food are you craving the most?
I am craving tacos with chips and salsa the most. The list definitely could go on, but for the sake of my belly I will keep it short and simple!!
In what ways did you feel God calling you to do the World Race?
Ever since I graduated High school I desired going on a long term mission trip, but I pushed that desire on the back burner and went to college instead (when I didn’t actually want to go/know what I wanted to do with it). During my first semester at GCU I was researching different gap year programs and I watched the videos from the World Race and read peoples blogs and next thing I knew I was filling out an application (which isn’t a short process…lots of long lengthy and personal questions) and everything fell into place from that point on. During the whole process I was in constant prayer about the whole decision and the Lord confirmed in my heart that this is where He was leading me for the next season of my life!
How is it being so far from home for so long?
It hasn’t been super hard for me being away from home to be completely honest. Don’t get me wrong there has definitely been days where it has been hard. But for the most part the Lord has given me peace and comfort being away. It helps having 45 other people who are going through the same thing with me, we are able to fight for each other in prayer and build one another up when days get hard and homesickness gets real. For the most part I miss my family and friends and not the actual place called “home”. I have come to realize that home isn’t just a zipcode and address but whatever you make a place to be.
How’s the plant holding up?
Mimi is doing great. For those of you who don’t know I bought a cute little plant from the Indian market and named her Mi mi after the first friend that I made when I came to India. I wanted to add a cute little friend to our dorm room, but mostly wanted to practice my planting skills because I am aspiring to start my own garden in the future. I am not exactly sure what type of flower she is, but we will see once she blooms very soon.
What has the race done for your body image?
Eesh tough question… Well it is definitely a decision I’ve had to make in order to be diligent and keep my body in shape since we eat a lot of carbs and most of the time I am too lazy to workout. I know that I am not in the best shape that I have been in, but I constantly remind myself that this is a sacrifice I am making in this season of my life. And ultimately my body isn’t my identity, and it is constantly fluctuating and changing.Despite the few pounds that I have gained and the baggy clothes that I wear I must constantly remind myself of how the Lord sees me, and that my identity and worth is not found in the physical. I am beautiful in His sight & there is no flaw in His handiwork. So the Race has allowed me to love myself even if I don’t feel put together or in the best shape possible.
What is the biggest life lesson you’ve learned so far?
I would say I already knew this life lesson, but the Lord has intensified it and shined more light on it more as I have been on the Race. But the reality that our life is so short and it ultimately isn’t my own but it’s the Lords. Wherever I am or whatever I’m doing surrendering it to the Lord, and allowing Him to use me however He would like to. He has intensified my passion to live life full heartedly for Him, and to devote my entire life to His will. This has left me with open hands to whatever He has for me, and has filled me with zeal and passion to live my life to the fullest that the Lord has for me!
What are your living conditions like compared to home?
Living conditions are very different from home. In India we have 4 people to a room (we are living in a college dorm), and we have one bathroom with 4 squatty potties and 4 showers. There is a total of 38 girls living together in the same vicinity and sharing the bathroom. For meals we walk a half mile to the bungalow where we eat as a squad. One of the things that is different is not having access to a kitchen or somewhere to make things for yourself. It is also hard to get alone time because you there are always people around you. As much as I was restless back in America every time I was home alone, that is one thing that I crave the most here. Having a room to myself and actually being alone.
How have you been stretched the most in your faith?
I have been stretched the most inmy prayer life. The Lord has really convicted me on the importance of prayer and how I wasn’t making it a priority in my spiritual walk with Him. It has required for me be extra disciplined and to set aside time each day for intentional prayer even when all of me wanted to be doing something else with my time. It has created a habit to form in me, and now it is becoming second nature which is an answer to prayer!
What is your favorite moment so far?
Ahhh this question is a toughy. There have been so many awesome memories, I would say that one of my favorite memories is dancing with the kids in Swaziland. They would always create a big dancing circle and sing “Emily on the stage, Emily on the stage, I think she can dance, I think she can dance” and one after the other we would call people into the middle to show off their moves. The Swazi kids would always surprise me by their amazing dancing skills, I didn’t know our body could move in all those ways!
Some of their classic dance moves were called the vosho, tsapada, and guata guata!
What is your plan after this? Has it changed at all after your experience?
My plan after the Race is still to be determined. I have put a lot of prayer into where the Lord wants me after the Race and all I know is that He wants to keep that decision on the back burner for now in order for me stay present here. But my experience has opened my eyes to a lot that is going on in the world, and in turn has sparked different passions of mine. I have a whole different perspective on how the Lord can use me when I go to Him with open hands. I know that I want to make an impact on the world, and bring change to places and people who are in need. I have no clue where that leads me to, but I am confident the Lord will lead me step by step!
What is strangest food you have eaten so far?
The strangest food I’ve eaten is this dried crawfish called Nunu. I bought it from a shack on the side of the road in the village we live in India. It smelled like a big pile of dead bugs with a touch of dog food stench. Definitely not my typical choice of snack.
What have you personally witnessed that has changed your perspective on something?
I have witnessed people with little give away so much in order to love and serve another person. One of my friends named Abigail who lives in the town we are in currently in India invited me over to her house for tea. She lives with her grandma and her sister in a small room. She made a place for me to sit and bought me chocolates. She didn’t have much, but she gave all that she had in order to love me well. This has radically changed my perspective on loving another person. In the end it’s not about all the fancy gifts or things they do for you, but by simply showing them that they are worth it and putting them first. It reminds me of the story in in Mark where the poor widow gives all that she had to live on towards the church offering. She gave because she loved without conditions. And that is how I want to live, putting others before myself and loving them in a way that Jesus would.
If you could change places with any one person you have met, who would that be? Why?
I would change places with my friend Kumar. He was our trekking guide who hikes through the Himalayans to unreached villages, and spreads the gospel to people who sometimes haven’t even heard the name of Jesus. When I got to experience it first hand it was life changing. The Lord is at work in those mountains, and He is using people like Kumar to spread His name to every mountain top and unreached village. I also love trekking along with witnessing God’s creation. There were some views on that trek that simply cannot be captured in a picture, it was so breath takingly beautiful. If the Lord ever lead me back to that place to do that again I would not complain!
Thank you guys for asking these questions, if you have any more questions feel free to comment on this blog and I will answer as soon as possible. I hope you enjoyed hearing a little bit more about what the Lord is doing both in my heart and all around me (and also random fun things). Love you all Xoxo, Emily
