so much is changing as i head into month 6! i can’t believe
it has been six months already. so much has happened and yet so much is still
to come. welcome to a little bit of my [what we call] “process” during these
changes.
change #1: changing continents. we are headed to Africa! although we are staying in the same time zone,
our world is about to be shifted. i am about to see things i never dreamed i
would see. Africa is obviously going to be super different from Europe. as much as i love Europe, i think it will feel
more like the race in Africa. European culture
is so close to American culture that we have had more comforts here than we
dreamed we would have on the race. i am about to go to a place that i decided a
long time ago i would be okay never going to if i never got the opportunity.
our first African country is Tanzania.
for me, Tanzania
is going to be like going to a friend’s house. i have many friends who have
lived in Tanzania
for a lot of their lives or are currently there [shoutout to Shelby, Erin,
Zach, Naomi, and everyone else I know from there]. so there is change number
one. changing continents.
change #2: changing my heart. as i said before, a long time
ago i decided that i would be okay if i never got the opportunity to go to Africa. many people who decide to go on mission trips or
people who go on the race, go for Africa. i on
the other hand have never had any desire to go to Africa…
until now. now that it is time to go, i am super excited! i know that it will
challenge me in ways i have never been challenged before, but i can tell that
these three months are going to hold something i never expected. there is
something waiting for my heart there and i can’t quite put my finger on it yet,
but you can be sure that when i find out, you will know.
change #3: changing teams [again]. yep. it is happening…
again. this is officially my 5th world race team. it is my 4th
on the field team, but i have technically been a part of 5. for most people
this is only their 3rd team, but i am convinced God likes to keep me
on my toes. this team is going to be so good for me. i already know it. the
last two months have been some of the most challenging on the race because of
the team i have been on, in both good and bad ways. but i am honestly quite
excited for my new team heading into Africa.
the Lord has placed us together for a reason and he is already giving us vision
and direction for Africa. i will be sure to
introduce you to my new team soon.
change #4: additions to my new team: our month in Tanzania we
will be joined by two people who are going to be an awesome addition to our
team. they will be joining us for a month through the world race exposure
program. this lets them get a taste of what race life is like for one month. we
will get to share our lives with new people and get them excited for the things
that the Lord is going to do in their lives, whether that is for them to come
on the race or not.
change #5: changing hair. this one is a small thing, but it
is also exciting. i haven’t had a haircut in about a year, and our last week in
Ukraine
we were blessed to spend some time with some super awesome interns. one of the
lovely ladies is a hair stylist and she cut my hair. she got rid of all the
split ends and made it look healthy and new. i love it and i am so excited to
have a new haircut that makes me feel more confident and beautiful. [love you
Lizzie]
i think that is all for now. welcome to the changes heading
into month 6!!
Much love,
-A
