OH Livin’ on a prayer take my hand and I’ll take you there….
This is it. March 15 marks the halfway point of this trip. Sometimes I think oh my goodness 5 ½ months seems so long to go still, but then I am hit with the fact that I just did 5 ½ months. I am not the same person I was when I left Coopersville, Michigan. I still miss home something fierce and I can’t wait to be back, but I won’t be able to go back to my old way of life. I have seen and done to much to be content with that life anymore. Let’s recap shall we?
Month 1
Country: Guatemala
City: Antigua and Panajachel
# of beds slept in: 5
Weather: warm during the day and chilly at night.
Jobs: construction, and bible studies
Greatest Struggle: Missing home
Greatest Accomplishment: attempting to scuba dive
Best Food: rice in chocolate syrup
Worst Food: black beans for every meal
I’ll never forget… worshipping in a witch’s cave, being the sickest I have ever been, hiking up an active volcano, and megabed nights with my team.
Month 2
Country: Nicaragua
City: Los Angeles on Ometepe
# of beds slept in: 4, but technically one was in El Salvador
Weather: HOT
Jobs: working in the garden, resting, playing with the kids
Greatest Struggle: not feeling like a part of the team and being homesick
Greatest Accomplishment: beginning to find my voice and befriending Amalia and Cristian.
Best Food: Fried Yuca and Plantains
Worst food: Eating the whole fish.
I’ll never forget: the sunsets, the children, swimming in the springs from the volcano, spending time at the school for the deaf, cooking Thanksgiving dinner for 80 people, hiking up a volcano to swim in a waterfall, zip lining through the tree canopies, and experiencing being slain in the spirit at debrief.
Month 3
Country: Costa Rica
City: Escazu and Allejuelita
# number of beds slept in: 2
Weather: Cold and windy
Jobs: feeding ministry, women’s rehab, Operation Christmas Child, house visits, construction, and other small things
Greatest Struggle: trying to decide to stay on the race or go home because I was so homesick.
Greatest Accomplishment: staying on the race.
Best Food: Whatever Cody cooked for us.
Worst food: black beans and cilantro
I’ll never forget: celebrating Christmas world race style, Operation Christmas Child, and living in a beautiful house with Scotty’s team.
Month 4
Country: Philippines
City: Manila
# of beds slept in: 5 but technically one was on the LAX floor
Weather: not too hot not too cold with slight humidity
Jobs: teaching art classes to 1st -6th grade, feeding ministry, prison ministry, helping out in the children’s home.
Greatest Struggle: being completely exhausted and not being able to sleep
Greatest Accomplishment: watching the kids I taught put on their art show.
Best food: French toast and fresh mangos
Worst food: this weird pasta dish
I’ll never forget: when my 3rd grade boys sat me down and sang “Just The Way You Are”, swimming in a waterfall, the children, and throwing Joy a baby shower.
Month 5
Country: Thailand
City: Bangkok, Phuket, and Hua Hin
# of beds slept in: 3
Jobs: intercessory prayer, children’s ministry, working on the land, and going out into the bars.
Greatest Struggle: finding out that one of the girls befriended was trafficked by the Russian Mafia.
Greatest Accomplishment: making friends in the bars
Best Food: The fresh fruit you could buy on the street
Worst Food: Thai food is so spicy. I couldn’t eat it.
I’ll never forget: The women I became friends with in the bars, riding an elephant, the beautiful beaches, and watching as Nikki took out the entire beach attempting to parasail.
Month 6 (so far)
Country: Malaysia
City: Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Krai, Kata Bahru, Tako, Gua Masong, Kuantan, and a few other small towns.
# of beds slept in: 4
Jobs: house visits, prayer walks, preaching, children’s ministry, teaching
Greatest Struggle: finding the energy to go go go
Greatest Accomplishment: seeing people healed!
Best Food: Roti, Chapatti, and Naan
Worst Food: this bitter veggie that tasted how I would imagine battery acid to taste like.
I’ll never forget: The people we met, crashing a birthday party, Pastor Yesudawson, and the hospitality of the people.
Do you see what I mean about not being able to go back to the person I was? I can’t wait to see how the next two weeks of this month finish out and I can’t wait to see what God has planned for us in Cambodia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and India.
