Hey everyone! As promised this blog is answering all the questions that you guys have given me. Thanks to all who provided these questions because without them I wouldn’t have a blog. Lol I answered them to the best of my ability. Hope I did them justice. 🙂
1. How have you been?
– These past few days my life has been a roller coaster of emotions. One minute I’m so tired of living in community, frustrated with a decision leadership made and am ready to head home but then the next I’m so full of joy as I swing and talk with my friends in hammocks watching the sunset, or when I’m hanging out in the kitchen cooking popcorn or swimming in the pool like mermaids. It all comes and goes in waves. I can’t wait to take a hot bubble bath, sleep in a real bed and be with my family again but it’s also going to be so hard leaving the family I have made over the past 9 months. It’s bittersweet. So to sum it up, I’d answer I have been happy sad. (And yes that’s a real thing … anyone who has ever been to an Adams Family musical knows )
2. What has been the hardest part of the race for you?
– There have been many hard things about the race but I think for me the hardest has been living in filth constantly. I hold self governance at a very high standard. I love keeping my things and myself neat, clean and tidy and I like everything to smell good. However living this way is impossible when you have to live in the same small room with 20 other people and all their belongings. In addition to that, not everyone has a high value go self governance like I do. Not to mention there’s no AC, little airflow and most of the bathrooms are outside. Areas get stuffy, dirty and buggy fast. Laundry is also done by hand washing and sun drying so clothes aren’t always the best clean they can be either.
I’ve done my best to stay clean but there have been many things I’ve just had to deal with or adapt to that I would never EVER allow in the states. Lol It’s been an experience (not going to say whether good or bad) but I am excited to come home to my own tidy smelling good space.
3. What has been your favorite part about the race?
– My favorite part has definitely been the community. It has been hard sometimes but honestly it’s nice to be a part of the body of Christ. It’s nice to know that even if we may disagree sometimes, we all believe Jesus is our savior and that is enough. It’s nice to have friends you can talk to forever and never run out of things to talk about. It’s nice to know you have friends who you can laugh with or cry with if you need to without judgment because they are experiencing it alongside you. It’s nice to know you are never alone. It’s nice to know you have brothers and sisters in Christ who are always willing to pray for you, lift you up, encourage you and they always have your back. Life in kingdom community has been such a beautiful thing to be a part of and its what I’m going to miss the most: Squad F!
4. What has been your favorite thing about serving?
– My favorite thing about serving has been the fact that I know it is either producing fruit right then and there or it will lead to fruit being produced in the future. I have loved being able to humbly come to the Lord and ask him to take my offering of service to use for his Kingdom. It may not be much and I may not be experienced, but he has used it and I know he will use it for good.
5. How many pushups are you maxing out at now?
– Haha I love this question! Unfortunately our missionary diet has not given me enough juice to stay as physically fit as I would be in the states – gym wise. Carrying planks of wood up a mountain to build a house… I got you! Again, passing cinder blocks up an assembly line or buckets of cement to build more constructs … I can do that! Our diet has sustained us for serving in manual labour alone or at least it has for me. I have manual labour muscles now not so much my gym muscles. So sadly I would say I can only do 5 before my form becomes poor. But no worries… that will change when I come home. I”ll be maxing out at 150 before you know it! Lol ;D
6. Most memorable/favorite moment and location?
– Oh man that’s a hard one! I’ve experienced/seen so many beautiful places and participated in wonderful moments.
I’d have to say though my favorite memory/location would be my last sabbath in Puerto Viejo Costa Rica. I was with my sweet friend Abigail. We had a delicious lunch together at a restaurant called Bread and Chocolate. Then we explored a beach trail which led to beautiful cliffs and ocean views, tranquil coral pools and then of course the actual beach. It was so beautiful, so fun and so precious! We took many photoshoots along the way. (You probably saw some on Facebook) For dinner we joined our whole squad at a pub on the beach enjoying some more American food like pizza, chicken wings, fries and a nice cold coke. And we ended the day with a movie and ice cream. That whole day was one big beautiful dream. 🙂
7. Most disgusting thing you’ve ever had to deal with/seen/witnessed?
– Even though I said my biggest struggle on the race has been living in filth, I am pretty ok at doing filthy things. I don’t really mind doing the nasty things that would make most people gag, I was a lifeguard one summer and part of that job description was grounds cleaning and I did some pretty gross stuff but I was prepared and knew I could get clean after. If that’s not the case well then that’s where I struggle a bit.
One thing that has been hard about the race is that you don’t always have a lot of resourses or supplies. (Due to budget) Ex. Trash-bags, gloves, wipes, soap, etc. We did some pretty nasty stuff at Samaritan’s Purse (like dealing with mold) but they were a bigger known ministry so we had protective gear like tyvek suits, gloves, loads of trash bags, and later we had nice hot clean showers to return to.
In other places on the race we had pretty much nothing. I think the grossest thing I ever experienced was going to help clean up a yard of a family in Costa Rica after a flood. We had about 12 trash bags that was it. No gloves. There was water, mud, lots of bugs, beer bottles/cans, needles, and piles of trash everywhere. In some of the piles, we didn’t know this at the time, there were fleas. Some of us got them. I was very sad the family had to live in those conditions but I was honestly also so disgusted. But the 3 little girls who lived there had the cutest smiles so disgusted Alex reluctantly pulled up her sleeves, set aside her wishing to scream gross gross gross and run away and cleaned up the outside of their home with nothing but a trash-bag in her hand.
I would say though the second most disgusting thing I’ve ever had to deal with is cleaning our own showers. Imagine the hair that gets stuck in the drain, on the floor and on the walls from a shower used by 20 girls. Yuck!
8. Are you going to continue the blog?
– That’s a good question. To be honest I don’t know. Most likely not. I’ll probably post a few more after this one. One more for the last week of the race. One for debrief and talking about everything I’ve learned on the race and what is has meant to me. One maybe about going home or how I feel after being home for a few weeks. But other than that I think the blogs going to be done with. I will forever have it to look back to and you guys are also free to look back at it if you ever want to as well. This blog has been part of my testimony over the last few months and it will forever remain a huge part of my life so I can definitely see myself returning to it.
9. Now that you’ve done the race, would you have prepared any differently for it, and if so, how?
– For this question I only have really one thing in which I wish I would have prepared more for and I could certainly have done so… learn Spanish. I could have easily downloaded some language apps or read some books and gotten at least the basics down before coming on the race. I have really struggled with the language barrier even after 5 months of being on the field surrounded by a Spanish speaking environment. I wish I would have tried harder and prepared more for this so I could have more easily served and communicated.
10. What are your future plans?
– Through certain experiences and events on the race, I believe the Lord has called me stateside as of right now. That doesn’t mean I will never do missions overseas again, I still would love to get out every now and then for short term missions and I still believe one day the Lord will take me to Syria (for I don’t know how long), but overall I believe I’m meant to be a light in my home country. The USA needs Jesus too!
I definitely want to work in the fitness department, that has been a passion of mine for a few years, but I’ve also just recently over these past 9 months felt a calling to disciple youth – high school specifically. The high schooling years are such a critical time in one’s life… I want to help them find their foundation in Christ before they are sent out into the world. So recently, I have been looking into some options on what I could do to include both my passions for fitness and youth. Here’s what I have so far…
- Christian camps. I could get a year round job as an activities director or a program liaison. Get re-certified in life guarding, high ropes, etc.
- Begin working at a gym – get an internship and begin getting certified in leading classes.
- Do both… camps during the summer, gym during the year and lead some classes during the summer, or just do one option for a few years and then switch it up a bit.
- Get a job with the youth at whatever church I choose to attend.
Really it’s all brainstorming right not but I’m super excited for what doors will open as I continue to seek and knock. 🙂
11. What is the biggest thing that God has shown you on the race? Your big takeaway?!
– Oh man that’s another big question. (My head is starting to hurt thinking about all these Lol) There has been so many things God has taught me on the world race; I think I will narrow it down to 2 for you all.
#1 – Jesus is my everything. He is all I need. Philippians 4:11-13 says, “ Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Now I am not Paul. I have not been starved, beaten or imprisioned, but I have been blessed with plenty in the states and I have experienced much absence of comfort on the race. From that I’ve truly learned only Jesus can sustain me, fill me up and bring me joy. He is truth and I will forever plant my feet firm on the rock. (Psalm 18:2, Isaiah 26:4)
#2 – I’ve learned how to live in community more successfully by loving people where they are at. (Romans 14, 1 Col 8:1, 1 John 4:7-8) We are all at different levels of maturity. We all have strength and weaknesses. We all stumble. We all fall. We all need grace. Including myself!
Those I think are my two biggest takeaways. Don’t get me wrong – I am not perfect in either of them, but the race has pointed out to me how important they are and so throughout my lifetime and until Jesus calls me home I will try my best to remember what I’ve learned here.
And that’s all! If you ever have any more questions for me don’t be afraid to reach out and ask me. I will be happy to respond.
I have a mere 10 days left in the DR! 10 Days!!! XD … I honestly don’t know what to say. I can’t believe it. Please be praying for me and my squad during this transitional season. For the excitement and the fears.
Lots of Love,
Alex Paige ;D
