Hey guys!
Sorry it’s been a hot sec since I’ve posted a blog. First I was sick, then my parents were visiting us and I was spending time with them, and then we were traveling. But now I’m here in Cambodia! I can’t believe it’s our last country and that I only have three months left on the race! It’s all going so crazy fast, but I’m so excited to enjoy my time here in Battambang! We’ve only been here for 2 days, but I’m already loving this place and it’s people. I know I’m going to love it here!
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A week ago today I was sitting in Guatemala, trying to get ready to leave a place that felt like home. I wasn’t sure what Cambodia was going to look like. I wasn’t sure if I was excited about it, especially if it meant leaving a people who felt like family. And I also wasn’t sure if I was excited for a bunch of crazy travel days – and crazy they were. But throughout the past days of airports and planes, my eyes have been reopened.
I think that when most people think of traveling, we think of people who get tired or cranky from sitting too long on a plane, or waiting too long in a line, or spending too much time at security. We think of our want to get where we are going and forget to think about the other people around us. But this time when I was traveling, I realized a lot about the people we share our world with.
I realized that people are good.
Genuinely and purely good.
I realized that if we take the time to look beyond what might seem like a stressful situation to us – if we take the time to look at the people sitting next to us on the plane, or standing next to us in line, or walking past us in the airport – then we might see that they are just going places too. That they are just trying to get from one place to the next. That they are just people. And people sometimes get stressed. And people sometimes get upset or frustrated. And people are good.
And people are kind.
And people like to have conversations with you.
And people like to share their lives with you.
And people are good.
I realized this about people before we even got on our first plane in Guatemala. Our squad of 38 was sitting against the wall in the Guatemala City Airport waiting to check in to our flight when a man approached us. We were sitting there, tired and little sad about leaving, but also giggling and having fun after spending the past few minutes laughing at each other struggling to carry our packs through the airport, when a loud “hey guys” got our attention. We looked up to see a man with the biggest smile on his face ask us what we were doing here. He asked if we were missionaries, and when we said yes, right away went on to ask if we were with YWAM or World Race. We were surprised he knew what Word Race was and he smiled saying how awesome it was that we were a generation living a missions based life. He got so excited and started declaring so much truth over our group, telling us how we were making an impact and that he could tell God was traveling with us to Cambodia. His fire for the Lord fired us up and we all smiled at each other, excited to be pumped up about Cambodia.
None of us knew this man, and I don’t even remember his name. But he noticed us, stood up and took the initiative to talk to us. And we took the time to listen to him. He told us about his role in starting churches and revivals in Guatemala and Honduras. He even invited us to a huge revival his team is planning for 2020 in Honduras! He could have sat at his table minding his business, focusing on the plane he was about to get on. We could have said hi and then continued on with our own conversations, not minding the people around us. But none of us did. We both decided that the other person’s company was worth more than our own situations. We both decided to recognize the good that could come from a simple conversation. Because people are good.
And then we got on our plane to Mexico City and I met Edo. She sat next to me and Julia, and she quickly became our friend. In the past when I sat next to someone I didn’t know on an airplane, I generally minded my own business and didn’t say much beyond “hi”. But that day I chose to talk to Edo, or rather she chose to talk to me and I decided to turn to face her and continue the conversation. We laughed over the fact that I couldn’t pronounce her full name, and I smiled when she told me I could just call her Edo. She helped me translate the intercom messages and we both laughed and grumbled over the fact that we couldn’t land in Mexico until an hour later because of a storm and ended up having to circle the sky for a while. We talked about her college and the family she was visiting in Guatemala. We talked about the race. She took time reassuring us when we stressed about missing our connecting flight. Edo was kind. Edo was funny. Edo was beautiful. Edo was good.
Talking to Edo made me excited for the next people I would meet on our following planes. On the way to Dallas from Mexico I sat next to a women named Barbara. And we talked almost the whole flight. She told me about her family and what her daughters thought about college. She explained her visit to Mexico and asked about mine. When I told her about the race she got excited for my opportunity and encouraged me. I got to tell her about how God was working and she listened. She got to tell me about travel opportunities she’d had and I listened. We got off the plane and said goodbye, wishing each other well on our next journeys.
During that flight we had realized how little time we had during our Texas layover. My teammate Chooch’s dad works as a sergeant in the canine department at the airport, and she knew some of the other airport police as well, so she decided to ask them if they could help us. They said yes and next thing I know we are being escorted through the entire airport by the head police in order to make it to our next flight on time. He didn’t have to take time out of his day to walk ten girls around an airport, but he did. He didn’t have to be kind and talk with us during our walk, but he chose to. He was kind. He was funny. He was helpful. He was good.
Our next flight was really short, from Dallas to LA, and I sat between the kindest two women. One shared her People magazine with me and the other spent time laughing with me over some ridiculous necklace one of the celebrities was wearing. We had a fun time, and when we got up to leave the woman told me to keep the magazine and pass it on to someone else next. These women were peaceful. These women were friendly. These women were good.
The airport was busy, and we hadn’t slept the night before, but I couldn’t help but smile at everyone I met. God was teaching me about his kids. He was showing me how each and every person was a beloved child of his. He was helping me see people the way he sees them. He was showing me how his people are good.
We got on our flight to China. My first time on such a long flight, a total of 15 hours. I slept for most of it, but every time I was awake I saw the kindness of everyone around me. I saw the man in front of me helping a woman figure out her tv. I saw women chatting and laughing with each other. I saw people smile at the little kids as their mothers took them for walks down the isles of the plane. I saw people kindly thank the stewards as they passed out our breakfast. I saw men helping lift down suitcases from the overhead bins at the end of the flight. I saw kind people. I saw smiling people. I saw beautiful people. I saw good people.
The thing is, sometimes we look at people and only see what they look like.
We see Guatemalan people.
We see Mayan people.
We see Mexican people.
We see American people.
We see Chinese people.
We see Cambodian people.
When we only see what people are, we miss out on seeing who people are.
We miss out on seeing kind people.
We miss out on seeing laughing people.
We miss out on seeing joyful people.
We miss out on seeing helpful people.
We miss out on seeing peaceful people.
We miss out on seeing loving people.
We miss out on seeing good people.
People are good.
It’s our choice whether or not we choose to see it.
