It’s roughly 85+ degrees. The air is hot and humid. You close the metal door behind you to your new bathroom + shower stall (1 of 2 for 13 girls), and survey the area around the “squatty potty” to accurately position your feet. You take off your pants (because who can really squat to the ground and use the bathroom with pants on?), and try to avoid the nats that are flying around wanting to be your new best friends. Spoiler alert: nats aren’t my new best friends yet. You’ve got your pants in one hand and a roll of extremely thin toilet paper in the other (because TP isn’t customarily used anywhere around Indonesia). Then you step up to the plate! The plate is also known as the bowl in the ground that is surrounded by rocks and concrete. You look up at the spiders around the ceiling, and pray they don’t decide to descend upon you in this moment. With sweat dripping down your face, you take a deep breath, and squat down as if to do a detached-from-the-wall-sit that you may do in an Orange Theory class back home. With your bottom half folded towards the ground, you wait, because you’re almost fearful to “go.” The moment you begin to feel safe in this completely uncomfortable second, an incredibly fast lizard B-lines from under the door, straight for your squatty potty.
I was convinced I was on Punk’d when this happened. Crazy enough, there are no film cameras around, and Ashton Kutcher is definitely nowhere in site. Not only is Ashton nowhere to be seen, but neither are any Americans, because we are the first 13 American girls to ever set foot in this remote Balinese village.
I’m not on Punk’d. I’m on The World Race 🙂
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Even in the midst of terrifying squatty potty moments, it’s honestly challenging for me right now to not be finding joy and purpose in every single moment we’ve been in Bali, Indonesia. I’ve never felt more physically uncomfortable, yet more spiritually and emotionally stronger, and more blessed than ever before. I feel like I’m living in some sort of a National Geographic dream that God crafted out specifically for me and the other 12 insanely incredible women that are alongside me for this first month on the field.
Every day has challenges and tough parts; and lots and lots of excessive sweat. But the beauty-filled moments of God’s visibility is far outweighing any physical difficulties; far outweighing! I got so emotional earlier today just thanking Him for allowing me to be here; to be able to have a community that’s welcomed and honored us in a place where “people like us” have never even set foot. I got emotional realizing that we’re not being asked to do a whole lot more than love on every single person that we come in contact with, because they are His beloved and precious children; the little ones all the way up to the grandmas. I got emotional because this is my life, and I don’t know what in the world I did to get here, but I’m undone with gratitude and thanks that I am.
And if I can find joy and Jesus while having no AC, no clean running water, no refrigerator or kitchen, no bed aside from a 3 inch inflatable pad on the floor, no washer/dryer, and none of the comforts of home, then I’m fully believing I can literally “do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” (Phil 4:13) His strength is made perfect in my weakness. And if the “same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in me,” (Romans 8:11) then my strength comes from that power, and not my own. And that is something to be celebrated.
Many more details are to come, but for now, know I can feel the power of every prayer coming this way! I’m still dancing and singing my way through each and every day (duh). I’m still making up ridiculous songs about the heat and the flies and the struggles. I’m still praying, and still praising Him for each and every second of this glorious, messy, insanely incredible adventure. And I’m still waking up in awestruck wonder of everything this is right now, and the lasting impacts these days will have in eternity. What an honor… what a sheer honor.
Please continue to pray for supernatural strength and joy in mine and my teams spirits, for hunger of the Word, and for health and safety. Please pray for financial blessings, as I am going to continue fundraising for the rest of my support while I’m on the field. With only moments of wifi when we go off site of the compound, this will be a challenge! But I am believing and praying boldly for God to keep providing through the same incredible support I’ve seen in everyone through this journey already! To those of you that have already donated: endless thank you’s, because I literally wouldn’t be here without each of you. To those of you that will donate in the future: know that you are paving the way for for this journey to continue, and for the kingdom of God, and the spirit of love, hope, and joy to continue to be shared across the world.
Many more details about this first week are coming in another blog post soon, but for now, a ‘hello’ and ‘I miss and love you all SO MUCH’ from an extremely sweaty gal, with a heart on fire for Jesus, all the way from a remote village in Indonesia!
This is only the beginning.
#wakeupthewonder
#leavehope
