This entire year has been FULL of new things!
– New cities
– New people
– New languages
– New countries
– New cultures
– New clothing
– New currencies
– New food
– New housing
– New shops
– New transportation
This year has also been FULL of exciting adventures!
– Getting lost in a taxi when the driver cannot speak English, but you trust them anyway because you have no idea where you are or how to get anywhere
– Going on African safaris where an entire pride of lions is less than 10 feet away, a herd of elephants run right in front of you, and zebras run/walk alongside the horse you’re riding
– Bungee jumping from a suspension bridge in Nepal
– Canyon swinging from that same suspension bridge through a gorgeous valley
– Learning to surf in the Pacific Ocean, only able to stand for .5 seconds before getting a nose full of salt water
– Wandering through a foreign airport in search of much needed restrooms
– Walking through busy, unfamiliar streets in search of an ATM and hoping there aren’t fees
– Grocery shopping where literally nothing is in english and even Google Translate doesn’t help
– Tuk-tuk rides in India…enough said
– Trekking through beautiful mountains and staying with wonderful strangers, delivering Bibles to communities in need of the Gospel
– Packing into a local bus with no knowledge of where you’re going or when to get off, while getting sat and sweat on by complete strangers
– Riding in a very bumpy overnight bus, getting asked to step off the bus for random security stops, then finding a friendly local who drives you and your friends with your belongings to the ferry because it’s pouring down rain
– Driving out to a remote village in Botswana, popping up a tent, taking hose showers tied to a water bottle with makeshift holes in it to simulate a shower head while using your headlamp as a light, and sleeping in an unfinished cinder block home where there are no doors, windows, or a roof
– Walking down the street to a local market where you are drug into each store you glance at
Wow…this year has given me such sweet memories that I will never forget (and these lists are never ending)!
As this season and chapter is ending, I and many of my squadmates are traveling home; back to the known, familiar, and comfortable. I know where the nearest ATM is by my house, where the local grocery store is, how to get to my sister’s house. I have the freedom of getting in my car (completely alone I might add), jamming to music, and going wherever I want. The fact that I have a bed waiting for me with a full kitchen, hot running water where I don’t have to be conscious of how much water I’m using, can drink from the tap without question, a dishwasher, washer, and dryer(!!!) is enough to overwhelm anyone who has lived the type of lifestyle I have this past year.
It makes sense to be a little nervous and sad. Nervous to step into this next unknown season. Sad to leave the people and places that have become my home and comfort. It makes sense to be a little bummed to put away the hiking backpack for who knows how long.
I know going home is going to be tough, but as I sit here on my porch steps in Durres, Albania, I know that the fire inside of me will never end, no matter where I end up; the same fire that drove me to my first mission trip to Nicaragua as a brand new believer, the same fire that pushed me to go on the World Race over a year ago, and the same fire that drives me to want to share the love of Jesus to complete strangers. It’s all the Lord and for Him!!!
I know this next season for me is full of unknowns and that familiar (yet strangely unfamiliar) things will overwhelm me initially. But I also know that this past year full of crazy new things will not end once I step foot in America. One of the many things I’ve learned about the Lord over this journey is that He is faithful and much bigger than I can comprehend. As I contemplate my future and think about what my home life may or may not look like, I’m trusting that God is going to put me exactly where he wants me. I know this year has been full of ‘firsts’ and ‘new’ things, but the Race lifestyle doesn’t just happen overseas. It’s in the way you carry yourself and where you position yourself to hear from the Lord. It’s the next door neighbor who is a single mother of 2 struggling to make ends meet who needs to be reminded of the Father’s love; it’s the local coffee shop that offers an open mic-night where a woman speaks up for the first time about her abuse; it’s the trash that is scattered around your local neighborhood where a difference can be made; it’s the family from India who just moved in down the street who is homesick and you can help. Guys…God is everywhere!!! I have no doubt that God is going to provide new and exciting adventures for me even in places that may be familiar. I’ve changed over the course of this year and so has my lens on life. I’m more grateful and humble. As I prepare for home, I’m asking the Lord to continue showing up and keeping my light burning bright. I’m never going to forget this last year; my sweet friends, the many ways the Lord broke me, everything I saw, the crazy things that were done for the Kingdom, the stories I heard, and all the little things.
Troy, Ohio, I’m coming for you!
~A
