How many places do you go?
Our route is Guatemala, Ethiopia, Thailand, and Malaysia!
Describe each of your teammates in one word:
Mel: spunky
Lex: intentional
Eva: approachable
Mallory: wise
Maddie: authentic
(LOVE THESE GIRLS WITH MY WHOLE HEART)
Will you get multiple vacations like you just had?
We just had our month one debrief. Essentially it is a little vacation for us to relax but to also process through everything the Lord has done. We get a debrief after month one, four 1/2, and nine! So the beginning, midpoint, and end. During debrief we have meetings and teachings but we also get free time to do fun stuff!
How’s the whole showering situation?
LOL. I get this a lot. It really just depends what country we are in. At the Guatemala base our showers are very nice (bigger than mine at home). Hot water, good water pressure, I can’t complain! When we get to Africa and Asia it will be little different but for now the shower situation is aye okay!!
What do you guys do there? Rebuild communities or just spread the faith?
I am doing a “Day In The Life” blog soon for more detail but we do a few things! We teach English 3 mornings a week from 9am-10am, we have soccer ministry on Wednesdays and Fridays from 2pm-4pm, we put on VBS on Tuesday afternoons, and we do a TON of ATL (Ask The Lord). ATL is essentially walking around our villages and just going and doing as the Lord leads. That can look like house visits, or talking to someone that works a tienda (store), or just sitting still and listening. During our time here our goal isn’t to “convert” everyone we see to be a christian. Our goal is to love on people. Our goal is to let these people see that we have something special in us, and that is Jesus. Whenever we talk to people we have casual conversations. We ask them about their life, their family, their goals in life, and we always ask if we can pray for them. If the conversation leads to talking about the Lord, great, but if not we never push that.
Favorite/least favorite new food?
Favorite new food: We have this really good rice with soup over it once a week for dinner and it is sooo good!
Least favorite new food: I am soo picky (not a good trait for the race but I am learning) but probably the traditional Guatemalan breakfast. It is eggs, beans, and chips.
What has been your favorite day of the race so far?
Probably the day I got baptized! I woke up that day just thinking it would be a normal day. On Thursdays we have activation. During activation we are taught a lesson (identity, evangelism, hearing the lord) we practice it, then we go out and do it! On that Thursday we had open baptisms. I just sat there in awe. How is this my life?! Then I got baptized later that day and just the celebration and energy that day made me sooo thankful for this opportunity God has given me. Our team just felt so close that day and so vulnerable. THE BEST DAY!
What has God been teaching you?
God has been teaching me that I NEED him. It has been such a blessing to live a life full of blessings, and I have always known I needed Jesus but not facing many serious hardships makes it easy to not want Him. When everything is going good it was easy to fall into a lukewarm relationship with God. Not really putting much effort into it. Being on the race I have so much, but not like home. I don’t have unlimited access to social media, my family, or my friends. I have needed him more than ever because as time goes on he’s the only thing I have to rely on. It is only month two and my perspective is eternally changed.
What was having a parasite like?
Having a parasite was an experience for sure. I was not feeling too hot for a few days so I went to the hospital. I get there, had to poop in a cup (interesting experience), waited 2 hours for the results, then picked uo some medicine from a pharmacy. I was super scared of getting sick on the race but people in Guatemala need doctors too so it wasn’t like these people didn’t know what they were doing. The language barrier is funny at the doctor but you make it work.
Are you having to learn Spanish to communicate with people in the countries you are visiting or do they speak English? If you do need to speak Spanish, how well do you know the language and are Spanish classes a part of your day?
The people in our villages do not know English, the people that work in Antigua know English pretty well.
We do not have to learn any Spanish and do not have Spanish classes.
I know about 5 Spanish words!
The language barrier has been something the enemy is trying to discourage me in. It discourages me so much when I can’t really communicate with them vocally, but I CAN communicate in other ways. I can listen, I can hug them, and I can hang out with them. Sometimes that is even better than words.
Most of my team knows Spanish which is helpful and our ministry host comes with us some days to translate!
How is it being away from home?
Being away from home has been oddly amazing. I say oddly because I was pretty scared of being away from home for so long. That and fundraising were my 2 setbacks for applying for the race. BUT, it has been soo humbling and eye opening. I miss my couch, my family, home cooked meals, ALLLL the things but they will be there when I get back! They have always meant the world to me, but of course not having them around all the times makes me 10x more grateful. I’m learning that home can be anywhere with Jesus.
What has been the most challenging while on the race?
I think the most challenging thing for me has been choosing to be all in even when I don’t “feel it”. I’m learning that I’m not always going to “feel it” when I worship, or listen to a sermon, or leave for ministry. We still have to be into it even when we don’t feel it. It is so easy to wake up tired and choose to have an “off” day. But that’s not what we are called to do. Thx God for your grace and mercy as I am learning to discipline myself to always be all in for you!!
Share some #justwrgythings (just world race gap year things)
going to sleep at 9pm, waking up at 6:30am!
community, AT ALL TIMES!
wearing the same shirt 3x a week!
freaking out when you see American brands!
ATM’s! (in Guat they use quetsales, 7 q=$1)
dance parties in room 6 every night!
quiet hours from 10pm-7am!
cleaning and sweeping the room always! (7 girls is a LOT of hair in 1 room)
chicken buses! (made for 50 people but squeeze 100)
dinner at 5:30 every day!
cereal for breakfast on the weekends!
hand washing clothes and waiting 17 days for them to dry!
downloading movies whenever you get wifi!
I could go on for days!
Glad we could catch up a little bit! Thanks to everyone who sent in a question! If there is anything you’d like me to write a blog about please let me know!
As always thank you for the prayers and endless support. It blows me away every week. My sweatshirts are on sale for 2 MORE DAYS! The link is below!
Blog ya later,
Bay
https://www.bonfire.com/love-one-another-crewneck/
