Hey All!! So I have been out of the US for almost a month and a half. It’s kind of difficult to put it all into words, however I am going to try my best! So I am going to give you ten things I’ve learned so far. Some will be super simple and funny and a few will be more deep and spiritual. If you have any additional questions about how the beginning of my race has been, please don’t hesitate one bit to reach out! Here we go!
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I can fall asleep almost anywhere.
If you know me, I love sleep! I love a good night’s sleep, a long nap, and even short cat naps. With community living, you have to get creative sometimes when sleeping. That means you might have to deal with some extra bedtime noises or awkward sleeping positions on a train. It’s taken some getting used to, but if you really want it, sleep is possible anywhere!
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Sabbath is key.
Life can be busy and hard so taking a day of rest, like God commanded us to do, has been extremely important. In the US, I never really engaged in my own Sabbath, however I have learned more and more about Sabbath while on the Race. Exodus 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day, by keeping it holy” and Psalms 23:2-3 “He lets me rest in green meadows; He leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength.” are two great verses to remind you why it is so very important to keep the Sabbath holy. If you don’t engage in your own Sabbath weekly, I encourage you to start setting aside time to find rest in the Lord and spend more time with Him. It really does change you and I’d love to hear how you Sabbath! Also Sabbath doesn’t look the same to everyone. For me, I enjoy reading my book, working out, taking a nap, and walking around outside. For other people, it might including long boarding, drawing, or running along with many other ways.
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Not all dark chocolate has dairy.
Growing up with my dairy allergy, I stayed away from all chocolate because I thought “it’s chocolate… of course it has some sort of milk or cream in it!” But I was wrong! I decided to read the label of a teammates dark chocolate one day, and I found out it has no dairy in it! I tried it and still am not sure if I like it, but I enjoy the thought that I can have some kinds of chocolate bars!
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God listens to all prayers, even ones you type.
A big thing I have been working on and growing in is my prayer life. I have been working more on continuous prayers that never end because it’s a constant conversation with God during the day. I have also been working on intentionally praying for others. With all of that happening, I found myself sometimes forgetting what I had already prayed for and what I still wanted to pray for, so I start typing my prayers! I have found this really amazing! I can put the date down and type out exactly what I am saying to God. It has been a great new way to be praying, and I think it’s really cool you can look back at what you’ve been saying to God! I encourage you to keep expanding your own prayer life and finding new ways to communicate with our Father!
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I am working on french braiding my own hair.
When I was home, my mom and sister always braided my hair which I loved!! They are super awesome at it, so I never took the time to learn myself. However, on the race, I have been wanting my hair braided a decent amount, so I’ve been working on learning myself! It’s been sort of hard but will definitely be worth it in the end!
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It’s not as difficult as you think to live off 5 dollars a day.
Our daily budget on the race is five dollars per person. With a US mindset, that seems really small, but in reality, it works really well!! During ministry days, we compile our money to go grocery shopping and then cook meals at home for ourselves. Then on our off days (twice a week), we either get our own personal food at different shops throughout the day or get in small groups and make some meals together. It works really well and I usually end up with some left over money. It does seem small, but if you get creative and work together, it is definitely doable!
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Slowing down is important.
In the states, I am very much a go-go-go person which most of you probably know. I am not a huge fan of free time because I love to stay busy and involved. On the race, there is a decent amount of free time which I have had to get used to. I started out being anxious and bored during free time, but I have slowly started to learn to enjoy it. I’ve learned to take the free time to think, process, and spend time with God.
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Romanian Ramen may be better than ramen from home.
Ramen is pretty inexpensive here just like it is in the states, so it’s a perfect meal to have while on a budget. I was a little hesitant at first because I LOVE ramen at home. It’s just a perfect, cozy meal to have and is one of my favorites. I didn’t want to end up missing home ramen if my Romanian ramen didn’t reach the same level. But it ended up being just as delicious, if not better!! So if you ever find yourself in Romania, find yourself a profi (a local grocery store), buy some ramen, and let me know which one you think is better!
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Reaching out to leadership is really helpful.
Sometimes reaching out to leadership or people above you can be scary, but it’s not! It’s actually really awesome. We have literally the best leadership team ever! Everyone is super great and has amazing insight to give if you’re willing to hear it. They have taught me a lot about myself and ways I can continue to grow. (Hopefully I’ll be sharing more about some of that in upcoming blogs!)
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Starbucks has really good freshly squeezed Orange Juice.
I was craving some sort of a citrus fruit drink or food. I saw Starbucks had freshly squeezed Orange Juice, so I said “Why not? Let’s try it!” And oh my goodness! It was delicious and so fresh! I would definitely recommend it to anyone and everyone!
Soooo there are a few things I’ve learned on the race so far! It seems like I have been gone forever but also like it was just yesterday that I was saying see ya later in September. God is really stirring up things in such amazing ways, and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next 7 and a half months! Leave your thoughts and questions below and I pray blessings over all of you!
Lots of Love!
Paige :):)
