It is 11.11.11.
I’m in my 11th month on the World Race in my 11th country of ministry.
And at two points today, it will be 11:11.
That’s a lot of 11’s. I’m kind of surprised no one’s freaking out Y2K style.
SO, to commemorate such an auspicious occasion, my teammates Hannah, Jessie and I present 11 fun tidbits about our World Race.
THINGS I WILL TAKE FROM THE WORLD RACE
{& things i won’t}
I will… I will not…
1. use any type of public toilet with not qualms 1. compete with the family dog for a spot on the lawn where I can relieve myself
2. extend the life of my toiletries 2. go 12 days without washing my hair to do so
3. use less water 3. measure my showers in buckets or rain drops
4. try new foods willingly 4. eat ants, snake, internal organs, or rice
5. be honest and vulnerable with people 5. make small talk about the frequency, duration, or composition of my waste
6. go camping 6. have to fear wild pigs raiding my tent for food
7. value personal space 7. miss cramming the equivalent of the student body of an elementary school or entire population of a small country into one vehicle
8. pause awkwardly in conversation 8. however, need (or have) and interpreter
9. live simply 9. pack up my “house” in 10 minutes flat
10. miss the prices in Asia 10. having to divide everything by the conversion rate of the day (and country)
11. reuse my towels 11. reuse my underwear
MOST COMMONLY FOUND ON A WORLD RACER
AT ANY GIVEN TIME
1. toilet paper
2. hand cleaner
3. a headphone splitter
4. a camera
5. emergency food seasoning
6. a rain jacket
7. ear plugs/ eye mask
8. airplane socks
9. multiple currencies
10. a headlamp
11. baby wipes
WORLD RACE’isms
1. “Don’t speak that over me!”
2. “I rebuke that!” or “I receive that” 3. “I like all those words”
4. “hey, let me see your personal snacks”
5. “This is not real life” 6. “I blacked out”
7.”Wait, what’d you hear”
8. “Today was a fairytale” 9. “Be intentional”
10. Measuring time in countries, not months (I haven’t done that since Malaysia!)
11. Let’s be the people that do the stuff!”
Inevitably, someone on your squad will…
1. get a tattoo / piercing
2. get lost
3. ride a moped
4. get dreads
5. use the airline barf bag
6. learn the guitar
7. fall in love
8. pee their pants in public
9. do something extreme (bungy jump, raft the Nile, etc.)
10. lose something valuable
THINGS GAINED
1. 2 nephews!
2. Hundreds of movies
3. Tons of music
4. Incredible community
5. Foreign currencies
6. Improved language and charades skills
7. Facebook friends with names you can’t pronounce
8. Sweet tans lines from Rainbows or Tevas
9. Confidence in public speaking
10. Inside jokes no one will understand
11. A muffin top
THINGS LOST
1. Manners
2. Good posture
3. Social skills
4. Hygiene
5. Headphones
6. Luggage
7. Pride
8. Privacy
9. Entitlement
10. Pens
11. Hair
Never Had I Ever…
1. Heard my testimony in three different languages at one service
2. Hitch-hiked in the back of a pick-up truck, after push starting it
3. Walked 45 minutes to get groceries
4. Used a squatty potty
5. Showered from a bucket
6. Decapitated a chicken
7. Got my drinking water from a trash can
8. Eaten rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner
9. Gone through an entire jar of Peanut Butter in 3 days flat
10. Soaked my clothes in water periodically throughout the night in order to be comfortable enough to sleep
11. Signed autographs
[Things I Missed]
1. my incredible family and friends
2. Chipotle
3. grande iced coffees with cream and classic syrup
4. washing machines
5. ice cubes
6. Target
7. traffic laws
8. fluffy towels
9. customer service
10. clean water
11. paper towels / napkins
{GO-TO VERSES}
1. Isaiah 61:1-4
2. Psalms 73:24-25
3. Colossians 2:10
4. 1 Corinthians 1:20
5. Daniel 10:12
6. Romans 12:1-2 (the Message)
7. 1 Kings 19:5-9
8. Job 42:5
9. Romans 15:20-22
10. Psalm 139
11. Lamentations 2:19
[Favorite Snacks]
1. honey peanut butter crackers
2. chocolate peanut butter waffles
3. peanut butter
4. cadbury chocolate
5. popcorn
6. ice cream
7. whole baguettes
8. oreos
9. instant coffee
10. pringles
11. tea “biscuits”
[[Most Memorable]]
Thailand- my Burma baby, kids day at DiC, 40 mile bike ride, getting baptized
Cambodia- healing at the hospital, soup kitchen
Australia- cooking with Joy, dancing in the rain, team date night
Malaysia- getting off the bus at 4am “near 7-11” and “pray louder”, waffle & naan runs
India- precious precious Jireh, poori, farewell song
Nepal- creative hygiene, tea pot
South Africa- the view of Coffee Bay, meeting Danielle Freiermuth and Sarah Boers
Mozambique- leading crusades in the Bush, nights around the campfire, designing a house
Swaziland- riot lockdown and Deep Fry Party
Ukraine- “see you lady!”, catering a wedding
Moldova- laughing with our super smart students, hanging out with our flatmates, lunch at Radu’s
THE DEEPEST EXPRESSION OF MY HEART…
ขอบคุณ
ar kun
Thanks, mate
நன்றி
ಧನ್ಯವಾದಗಳು
शुक्रिया
enkosi
obrigado
siyabonga
спасибі
mulţumesc
THANK YOU!
