I’m over halfway through the Race! What a crazy thought… It’s been a little over six months since I’ve entered the field, but it honestly feels like eons longer. While I’ve come to love and enjoy this new lifestyle, it’s hard to remember that this life I’m currently living isn’t normal. Living out of a couple backpacks and picking up and moving out at the end of each month isn’t what I’m used to describing as my “norm.” Since not everyone can be here to experience this lifestyle with me, I want to share 30 new “norms” I’ve picked up that are odd and funny when compared to my life back in the States.
1. eating a smooshed PB&J and a wet banana for lunch
2. building up my arm muscles via hand-washing my laundry
3. using baby wipes before using hand sanitizer because hand sanitizer alone doesn’t get all the dirt off
4. walking three miles to our ministry site (roughly an hour walk)
5. both giving and getting a lice check nightly
6. having so many different sets of tan lines (on my arms, back, feet – everywhere!)
7. always having a messy bun because it’s way too hot for anything else
8. not freaking out when a cockroach or spider runs across the room
9. wearing the same outfit three days in a row (don’t judge – it happens)
10. piling more people than seats in a car and it being abnormal to put a seatbelt on
11. making phone calls at 3:30pm my time when it’s 7:30am at home or trying to call when I wake up, but my family’s still asleep
12. constantly swatting away a variety of flies, moths, mosquitos and whatever else decides to hurl itself at me
13. giving nicknames to children at our ministry site because we can’t pronounce their given names (ex: Punky Bear, Willie, Gary Coleman, Pooty, Squints, Scar Face)
14. not being involved in surrounding conversations because they’re in another language
15. not knowing when the water or power will be back on when they go out
16. baby wipe showers when the water does go out (Thank you, Pampers!)
17. going to sleep drenched in sweat and waking up even sweatier
18. sleeping under a bug net to protect against disease-carrying pests
19. carrying bills with denominations of 1,000 and 10,000
20. moving everything you own every 3-4 weeks
21. knowing every article of clothing your teammates have and immediately noticing when they get something new
22. knowing that when I get a new piece of clothing it also belongs to the other 18 women on my squad #communityliving #gottaloveit
23. being referred to as a foreigner, gringa, white person, or azungu/muzungu (also meaning “white person”)
24. not being able to flush toilet paper
25. having to pay to use a public toilet (and bringing your own TP because the chances of there being some in the stall are slim to none and getting excited when said toilet actually has a toilet seat)
26. having to wear shoes in the shower, yet still going to bed with dirty feet? (oh, irony, you fickle queen)
27. not being used to people driving on the left side of the road
28. WiFi being a special, and sometimes rare, treat
29. clothes always smelling just a liiiiiiittle bit off…
30. never truly being alone
Here are a few more personal updates, small and big, just to give you an inside look into my life and to give those of you who are praying for me, some more specific prayer ideas.
Book I’m currently reading: Walking With God by John Eldridge
Podcast series I’m listening to: Planted Not Buried by Pastor Michael Todd from Transformation Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Favorite worship song: There’s Never Been a Time (Live) by Rachael Skrobot
Tangible thing I miss most from home: my bed
Favorite snack I’ve found in Africa: Endearments (similar to Mentos)
Biggest truths impacting me in Africa: gratefulness, contentment, and faith
Current struggle: staying present in this season and not focusing too much on my future after the Race/ having faith that He’s got the details of my future and I don’t need to worry about it
Worst part of Squad Leading: seeing my weaknesses surface and having everyone else see them too
Best part of Squad Leading: learning from mistakes and watching Holy Spirit show up
Biggest fear: not knowing what I’ll do when I get back home and reverting back to who I was before the Race
Thank you to all of you who are investing in me through prayer and through keeping up with me via my blogs. I know this post was more light-hearted and simple, but I wanted to give everyone an idea of what the small aspects of life look like for me in this season. Hope you enjoyed it!
Please leave a comment with thoughts or questions! 🙂
All my love,
Alyx
