Here is the first part of the 4 blogs I wrote to sum up the race. I will post the rest, hopefully before I get home. Enjoy!
The Philippines
Ministry: Working at a K.I.M orphanage, planting grass in the soccer field, spreading gravel, prison ministry, AWANA day camps, feedings, praying at hospitals, gangster & college ministry.
Living conditions: 12 girls in one room with bunk beds. Western toilets, cold showers, a hike up to the “hut” for dinner.
Food: Nana Sita’s amazing dishes were a wide variety. Veggies, watermelon, chicken, scrambled eggs, with a never ending supply of white rice and tang. We also ate the island out of peanut butter.
Transportation: Jeepney’s… picture a hollowed out school bus with graffiti painted all over it, inside two benches with lights and loud music. At KIM we drove around the jeep… with as many people that we could pack inside. Favorite part of the month: The tots! (toddlers, not French fries) The five toddlers at the orphanage that I spent a lot of time with. Spending time with the house moms, the food, having fun with all the teams that were there. The night the guys had a dinner to honor the women.
Most challenging part of the month: Throwing 24 different people together and trying ot have everything work peacefully and smoothly.
Random things: Malaybalay was beautiful, we got to see some amazing waterfalls and go through some sweet caves. Our contacts were from the states and were amazing. I think I gained a few pounds from Lady’s choice choco stripe peanut butter, and the “snack box” that was cleaned out every day. I met some of my best fiends that first month, and it was my favorite month of the race.
Cambodia:
Ministry: Teaching English / playing with children in the morning, afternoons were teaching English to 4 Mid-wife students and evenings we spent time with the boys at the night shelter
Living conditions: Stayed at a YWAM base in Phnom Phen. The 4 Agape girls had their own room, western toilet and hot shower (I think it was hot I don’t remember”
Food: Instant oatmeal & coffee for breakfast, pb&j’s for dinner and a white rice with some sort of soup for dinner… unless it was liver and tofu night…
Transportation: Good ol’ Tuk-tuk’s… a little moped that has a carriage type thing attached to it where all 6 of us squeezed.
Favorite part of the month: The boys at the night shelter, playing uno with them and having them fall asleep next to me at night. The Russian Market was in walking distance of our ministry, so we shopped a lot. Rooftop coffee and chats with Heidi. Debrief in Seim Reap was also great.
Most challenging part of the month: Working together and trying to figure out the whole “community” thing. Teaching English with lack or resources was hard.
Random things: One day we packed a few tuk tuks full with our street kids and took them to a pool, with no translator and we all made it out alive. We got to visit a “wonder of the world” Ankor Wat in Seim Reap and we had some pretty good Pad Thai.
Malaysia:
Ministry: Helping out at a recycling center that employs handicapped adults. Voulenteering at the local hospital where we helped clean, sell heart boxes to raise money for kids surgeries, worked at a homless shelter and painted a mural.
Living conditions: 15 girls in a TINY apt, two western toilets and two showers that got warm if you waited long enough.
Food: Street vendors with plenty of nan bread with dhal, Masala chai, tandori chicken. Ok, I will admit there was McDonalds and Chilis that we ate at as well, which drained some of my personal cash.
Transportation: Ah the public bus, that had A/C and Wi-fi…. Glorious.
Favorite part of the month: My Jesus time in the mornings on the rooftop, Cat, the woman we worked with at the hospital, our team dinner we had on the rooftop. Our thanksgiving feast we cooked followed by all cramming in a few beds to watch Elf.
Most challenging part of the month: Well it was all girls, and we had two showers. Having malls and Starbucks everywhere was hard also.
Random things: I decided to fast from coffee before we got to our Penang, then found out there was several Starbucks near us… Chai Tea Latte’s from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf were a good supplement. Penang is also the city with the best food in the world.
Thailand:
Ministry: Working at SHE during the days we worked in field doing construction, or helped the girls with making jewelry or baking cookies. At night we would go to the bars on Bangla Rd. and build relationships with the girls who were working in prostitution.
Living conditions: The entire squad stayed at SHE, our room was 8 girls and mats on the floor, sharing a western toilet and hot shower (tho you never wanted a hot shower!)
Food: CORNFLAKES & MILK for breakfast… you have no idea how great it was. Lunch & dinner were Thai dishes, white rice and soup usually. The blue hut down the road had some good chicken fried rice. After the bars Jasmine and I would share a meal from Burger Kind or ice cream.
Transportation: The back of the pick up truck, 10-12 of us packed in and Clint drove us around, it was fun I won’t lie.
Favorite parts of the month: Having the whole squad together! Chels and I were the “Christmas committee” so playing elf with Chels and doing fun Christmas things for the squad was great. Having time off in the mornings and going to the beautiful Thai beaches.
Most challenging part of the month: Feeling defeated leaving the bars at night, going to tlak to one of the girls you have a friendship with and to see them get up on a pole to dance or having a man come in and steal her away. Not sleeping, got home and in bed no earlier than 2am and was awake by 7 every morning.
Random things: We had a big old cookout on Christmas day, one of the girls that I kept in contact with after I left told me she left the bars to work in a hotel. We lit off paper lanters in Bangkok on New Years Eve.
