Crazy to think that its been a whole YEAR since I started my Wold Race journey. Being “home” has been weird…thinking and processing the past year has been difficult and making the transition from Dubai back to the states, has been crazy (for those of you that didn’t know, my family has been living in Dubai for the past year and a half). I spent the first 2 months off the race in Dubai, traveled to Indiana where I stayed for 2 weeks, went to Tennessee for a couple of days, and have now been in South Carolina for 4 weeks. I have been getting ready for college, getting back to my healthy self (I’ve had lots of stomach problems since I’ve been back in the US…actually had my gallbladder removed yesterday), and have been reuniting with sweet sweet friends. Summer has been so fun but its going by so fast!!
It gives me chills knowing that a year ago today, I was arriving in Albania. The Race actually happened, and its already over. The quote “Don’t be sad its over, be happy it happened” comes to mind. The World Race was such an amazing, growing, and life changing experience that I will always look back on with complete awe.
When I look back at our time in Albania, the first thing that comes to mind is my crazy team of 7 living in a one bedroom-one bathroom apartment and having food fights! I think of us working on the farm and picking kiwi vines for HOURS, scraping pig poop for days, daily walks to get gelato, not washing my hair for 32 days, movie nights on a little lap top, Sam always making us banana tea, the constant “fight” of who had to sleep on the floor and who got the couch every night, halloween with our little Albanian kidos that lived right beside us, getting breakfast and coffee every single morning at a little cafe down the street, and the list just goes on and on.
Although we didn’t have much ministry in Albania, the moments with my team were super sweet. I found my “dream” in Albania, which is to open up my own coffee shop and do ministry from it. Knowing I wanted to pursue that, led me to the decision of attending Colorado Christian University and majoring in Business and Biblical Studies. Along with finding my dream and getting accepted into CCU, I began pursuing the Lord like I never had before. With all the down time we had, I turned to my bible and focused on my relationship with Jesus. I didn’t just read my bible, I studied it. I got a better understanding of God’s character and who he calls us as believers to be. I felt so close to the Lord and just got more and more excited about the rest of the race that was ahead (The Philippines and South Africa), future plans that were coming together, and just LIFE! I feel like Albania was a time that I could sit still, think, worship, learn, and grow my faith and knowledge before continuing the race. Jesus prepared my heart in Albania for what I was going to see and experience in my next countries. I didn’t get that in the moment but now that I am looking back, I am forever grateful for Albania and what Jesus did for me there.
Let me just start the “Philippines” section by explaining the travel DAYS it took to get there! The flight from Tirana, Albania to Manila, Philippines was 11 hours. After the 11 hour flight, we had a 32 hour BUS RIDE to the island Leyte. The bus ride was SO long, America had a new president by the time we arrived! Our bus was going crazy when we got the news that Donald Trump was now in office! After the bus ride, we ended the trip with a 2 hour fairy ride to Tocloban (the town). My ankles were the size of watermelons after that travel day(s)!!! The Philippines was so fun…ministry every single day and my team of 7 became a mega team of 30! We all lived in a house and had the best hosts…Mama J and Popa Sel. We lived right across from the beach and would ride our bikes almost every day to get fresh pineapple from the side of the road! Some great memories that I love to think back on are ordering pizza for Thanksgiving, having a dance party in the middle of the street on new years eve, riding in Tuk-Tuks and Jeepneys every day, getting BUBBLE TEA (Asia has the best tea ever), watching cock fights, getting invited to eat a traditional meal with a family we met on a beach, surfing, riding water buffaloes, and jumping off of waterfalls almost every Saturday morning (just to name a few). I lived in a small room with 4 other girls (got the pleasure of sharing a bed with Olivia for 3 straight months) with no AC, and ants every where you looked on the floor!! Sharing a bed was great until Olivia and I both got Typhoid Fever…I remember being SO sweaty laying on that bed sick, because the heat was so intense, constant and brutal, and we didn’t have AC, yet I wanted to cover up with all the blankets in the world because I was shivering with a fever! It was the grossest feeing ever. That was not a fun moment…sharing a bed when you are BOTH like that!!! Yuck. Not to mention, I also got tonsillitis twice, once before Typhoid, and once after. For Ministry, we went on daily feedings, hosted kids everyday at the house to play/build relationships with them, helped build a church, and taught at schools! We got to island hop, visit local churches in the area, and serve in the poorest of areas. I will never forget one of the places we served at – Trash Mountain. I have never seen so much poverty in my life. People had built a community on an old land fill…the smell was horrendous and everyone was just filthy. I saw naked kids running all over the place, babies with open sores filled with flies and bugs, homes that were built on top of their feces, and tin roofs that looked like they could fall if a gust of wind came by. My heart broke that day…I had seen poverty before but nothing like that. That hit me hard.
We ended the Philippines with getting to see our parents in Manila. There, we helped rescue girls who were stuck in the sex trade. Again…heart breaking. Seeing girls in the bars who clearly did NOT want to be there, was sickening. I never thought I could be “qualified” enough to step into those bars with that mission…but I sure did it. I went in there with hope and my head held high that Jesus would speak through me and be with me during that time. And He was super faithful…we led 6 girls to freedom in the first week. Saying bye to my parents after that emotionally exhausting weekend was sad, but I knew if i was saying bye to my parents, then I was saying HELLO to South Africa which was the last country!
South Africa was by far the most life changing, educational, heart breaking, and self-growing country I served in. I lived in a shipping container for 3 months and worked with ex-gangsters and drug addicts. And let me just say…we didn’t know this would be our ministry UNTIL we arrived and saw the sign that said “Restoration Center”. At first, it was terrifying. Knowing I was living with (excuse me for being harsh but) murderers, meth addicts, sex offenders, etc, scared the living poop out of me. How am I, a 19 year old FEMALE, suppose to be safe and help lead these men to Jesus??? It didn’t make sense. But shorty after I got there and settled in a bit, I started to have peace about this ministry and learned to LOVE the people that were in the Rehab. I remember sitting in a circle the next day while everyone introduced themselves, thinking, these guys are Gangsters? How??? They are so nice and friendly? That cant be right. Then I realized, talking to these guys at the camp made me look at people a lot differently. I would’ve NEVER thought I would be friends with them…meth addicts and ex-gangsters. But I got so close with some of the guys there. It’s just crazy how big my heart is for them. Something I really learned and thought about while being at that ministry, was how we “outsiders” can judge someone so “hardcore” based on their sin. Yes, being a gangster and killing people is very extreme, but they’re so much more than their sins. And in God’s eyes, sin is sin. My sins are just as bad as theirs. I just wish everyone could see it like that! I was so drawn to these people…they are the nicest and most caring people. That probably sounds so weird considering the circumstances but they are… and who are we to judge them? They love the Lord and that’s all I see now! Not their sin. Gods forgiveness and love is written all over them. I guess that’s why it’s so easy to love/be drawn to believers….because you’re also loving the spirit that lives inside of them!
My team and I would hangout with these guys every single day at the camp. We did devotionals with them, working projects around the camp, and ate every meal together. The meals were prepared by Ma and it usually consisted of 6 pieces of white buttered bread, hot dogs, rice and potatoes, and sugary juice…per person…every single day…for 3 months. (We think this is what messed up my gallbladder). Ma’s job was to “fatten” these men up who came to the rehab because they would come in skin and bones from being on drugs. So while Ma tried to “fatten” up these people, she fattened us up too!!! We would go to church every Sunday in Hanover park with the guys for about 2 hours and sing/dance half of the time! I remember sitting in one service at church and hearing 8 gunshots in the area. There was always something going on. Other than going to church, Hanover Park is where we went out to visit the different gangs and offer them a way out of drugs and gangsterism. Besides learning to love the people at Camp Joy, I learned a lot about South African culture and what goes on within gangs. One of the most astonishing facts is that 60% of police officers are corrupt, and are a part of a gang. As well as learning that kids get involved and hooked on drugs as early as 12 years old. One of the more disturbing things I learned is that gang members would pull out their own teeth and sell them for a mere $15 to fuel their drug addiction. Crazy.
Other than the Ministry, we got to explore and do adventures out in Cape town. I went shark cage diving, hiked up lions head, went to seal island (popular place for shark week), attended an african wedding, swam with penguins, went to a professional rugby game, got to see the BIG 5 on a safari, and much more!
The World Race was so much fun…it was really hard at times, but all of the memories and relationships I got to make, out weighs all of the bad, sad, and challenging times. Along with the 3 counties I served in, I got the chance to spend a week in Greece, a week in Montenegro, and a day trip to Bosnia.
Greece was so beautiful…we got to explore the whole city and spend time together as a team. the 15 hour bus ride getting there and back was well worth it!! Montenegro was also gorgeous…probably the most beautiful country I’ve ever been to. The mountains are unreal and the town we stayed in was the cutest. While we were there, we traveled up north to the country of Bosnia for a rafting trip. It.was.amazing. We went way up in the mountains and got to raft down the river and cliff jump off the tall rocks. So fun.
Thank you to everyone who donated and supported me throughout this whole journey. I could not have done it without all the love, prayers, and support. I experienced and learned so much this past year and I cant express how blessed I feel. I love you F Squad. Thanks for all the memories and love! The World Race was the best adventure. Thank you to everyone who helped make it happen.
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