Clink, clank, swishhhhhh. Sounds of the water pumping process start bright and early for team En Gard this month.
Our first whole day at the base we woke up and started with chores. To start, our team left the front gate, walked about 20 feet, and all took turns pumping water from the pump well. Up and down we pumped water, filling about 40 buckets. Multiple kids crowded around, I’m sure it was quite the sight to see all these white girls so excited and enthusiastic about pumping water (the enthusiasm and excitement wore off quite quickly… haha). After hefting all of them back, either by wheelbarrow or by hand, we set about sorting clothes that had been donated. Upon sifting through boxes and bags of random clothes we found quite a few gems.
My goal for this month, and honestly the rest of the race, is to tell a better story. A story that isn’t good just because I’m travelling the world for a year, better stories that come from living a life that costs something or is full of unordinary things. And I got my chance the very first day. “Everyone put on an outfit!” I exclaimed. Our team them put on black-tie worthy outfits, (Well, maybe more like mismatch-pajama-cultural-all-in-one-day) complete with handbags and we strutted our stuff. We laughed, we danced, we (of course) took photos and videos and we even got two of the Mozambique ladies who we’re working with this month to join in on the fun. We did something out of the ordinary that will brand itself into my mind for years to come.
Or today, for example, for our off day our host organized for us to go to Belinne which is a gorgeous sea lagoon beach on the Indian ocean. We ended up taking a boat across the water to the open ocean where we straight up played in the waves, hunted for sea shells and floated on the current for an hour. At one point I stopped after getting pounded by a wave as tall as the mud hut we’re building. My nasal passages were burning with salt water, I was gasping for air, and I had the biggest smile on my face. It was in that moment of time where I realized what’s possible when the creator of the universe, the creator of joy, the creator described in Job 38, the creator of me creates a way for me to step into heaven on earth.
Just like a good movie or book, I want my life to have memorable scenes. This whole race I’ve thought about the depth of life that is possible each and every moment. Not only that, but I’ve realized that not only did the Lord create this whole big earth, he created millions of opportunities for adventure, excitement, joy, rest, and honestly just fullness of life in every second that passes in every country, city, household. One thing that I’ve discovered in the first five months of the race is that you always have two choices. You can either choose in, or you can choose not to be in. My dad used to have this saying for me and my brother whenever we would mess up. He would say to us, “Don’t know, can’t do, or don’t care, which is it?” And it used to drive me insane because almost always whatever it was I did know how to do and I was fully capable of doing and in my mind there had to be another option. I did care (most of the time), I maybe just didn’t care enough.
For everyone, not matter where you’re at, you have those two choices: to choose in or to choose out. Just because I’m currently traveling the world and find myself in Mozambique this month while my friend is sitting in her cubical in America doesn’t mean that we don’t both have the same choice in front of us every morning. This month I’m challenging myself to let my life tell a better story, not just because I’m living the dream opportunity, but because I’m choosing in by acting a little silly, praying a little harder, risking some vulnerability, or pushing myself to do something that I’m not sure if I can do. And no, I’m not perfect, I still have days where I’d rather just lay in my bed a couple hours longer, or not stoop down to sit in the dirt with another gogo (gramma), or pick up another snotty dirty kid; but, I’m daily trying to, in the words of Paul, “but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own,” (Philippians 3:10).
For every current, past, future, wanna-be, don’t-wanna-be, world racer. I challenge you to start to ask yourself throughout your day, “How can I tell a better story with my life?” Dream bigger, live bigger, and through that I believe that you’ll naturally find yourself closer to Christ and pulling other people into the wild and crazy adventure that surrendering your life to Jesus entails.
I am still about $3000 short of being fully funded and know that I will be able to continue learning, growing, and sharing the love of Jesus all around the world. Thank you to everyone who has helped so far and I would love to invite new people into that as well! Don’t hesitate to contact me with questions, comments, concerns, really anything at all!
