Here is a list of questions you may have for me when I return home. It helped me to process all that happened over this past crazy year so I figured I would post my answers to those I may not see when I get home.
What was your favorite month: The favorite month is one that was full of every type of experience you could ask for. Major community living with all squad month, new ministry opportunities every few days, and a beautiful city to explore during off days. There didn’t seem to be a side of Nicaragua we didn’t see being in Granada and working with a multitude of different ministries: be it from very minimal island living, dump ministry, slum/village kid outreach, nursing home, farm work, labor, tourist town life, everything!
Ministry: My favorite ministry would have to be Malaysia. It was the month the team of guys, Sco’Ducks, did Unsung Hero’s. Our task was to search a city for ministry contacts for future teams to aid. Basically it was a task for us to befriend and connect with everyone over the whole city. YEAH! Make friends, seek opportunities, build good foundations oh it was grand and the families we met, parties we attended were grand and I wish to go back to this country to see them again. I literally would because of how welcome they made us feel. Nicaragua is a close second.
Location: With not calling on the two already mentioned I would have to say Zimbabwe for the stars and hike trails and quite nights had out at our country house.
Food: Malaysia~ The variety of food you could get there and all for a decent price was incredible. Plus to make friends with a top chef of my favorite dish and learn how to make them was top notch. We had Chinese, Indian, Malayin, Arabian, American, Street snacks and breakfasts and wonderful buffet selections. Thailand would have to be number two just because of a night market we went to a few nights in Pattaya. Holy socks; so good and full of grills, baked goods, healthy veggies, noodle dishes, smoothies, literally EVERYTHING you could think of and fill the belly with just a couple bucks, if you could discipline yourself from not buying everything haha.
Method of Transportation: Local transit wise the golden award goes to the Philippines. They had Trikes (motorcycles with side cars. Seemingly fit 4 Asian bodies yet once we fit 7 of us!) and JeepNees. JeepNees are by far the funnest things to ride in and cram into. Old war vehicles fixed up and decked out with huge speakers, crazy paint jobs and stickers wall to wall inside. You could squeeze into one of the two rows lining the windows or when that was full hang off the back. Riding in these things when it was just us and the street boys was nothing but a party with music blaring, lights flashing and water balloon fights between JeepNees! Long distance, the award goes to Vietnam for Sleeper Buses which were lined with three rows wide and two high of beds, not seats, beds!
Top four memories: Renting a motorcycle and taking half the squad on moto rides all day in Nicaragua. Being the only one in the water surfing for an entire sunrise in the Philippines~along with a 2 hour moto ride into the array of beautifully colored sky and palm trees the day before, Song-Kran in Thailand and meeting the Nguyen Coffee house and family in Vietnam.
Memories from people met: Meeting Tony the CEO and Director of Harlem Grow and having amazing conversations with him over dinner one random night in Costa Rica. The two boys in the Philippines who opened up and became forever close to my heart after just one quick day. Hahn and her family at the Nguyen Coffee Shop and learning how to make spring rolls from our hostel owner in Vietnam. How we met Scott and discovered AIM’s hostel in Cambodia. All the families and Matt & Carlie who hosted us multiple times in Malaysia. The Hippy hostel owner lady in Ko Somet and Ageha coffee house friends in Thailand. Meeting Kitwe Church in Zambia and being welcomed in to play the violin with their worship team on Sunday. Then meeting Dennis, Eric and his crafty son Jonah who all are apart of the Lifesong Organization in Zambia. (I was able to shadow Eric who directs the farm that is growing strawberries and making jam to fund the school and getting to see the smiles on a group of their strawberry harvesters after a days work will never leave my mind)
Weirdest things you ate: Call me a wimp but I didn’t eat fried tarantula or scorpions or dried squid pancakes that filled every street cart in Asia and I am 100% ok with that haha. I was the one who ventured into any local bakery or street food of a thicker substance/sweetness. What can I say, I have a sweet tooth and knack for local cuisines. This laid me in the bathroom multiple times, but all in all, was worth it. Fried bananas was my favorite, probably from Cambodia because they put a thin layer of sweet dough on it before frying it~So good. Jack fruit was a fruit I never heard of prior to arriving in Asia and I took a liking to it. It tasted like a banana flavored Laughy-Taffy. They had this fried dough patty in Cost Rica they would fill a bag full and drizzle a Red Hot/Cinnamon flavored homemade syrup over the top when bought that was one to remember. I never could drink/eat enough fresh coconuts in Asia or avocados and garlic for that matter, man they were good! Just the other night I worked up the nerve to make a couple of cheap buys on our walk home when the night life was kicking on our dirt street leading up to our house. I bought what looked like a basic little fried dough patty thing to which I could only get it’s price from the non english speaking cook. One bite into it quickly told me it was not sweet but super salty and filled with more oil than any other substance possible. Don’t ask why, but I took another bite to find out the bulge in the center of the salty patty wasn’t dough, but a small fish! That one didn’t last long in the mouth haha. There are plenty more food stories but I will hold them for now.
What changed me the most: Where I draw life from. I am no longer drawing it from experiences or get away moments but solely from the Lord and His provisions. I am more content with what happens and the basic gifts/moments in life. After finding out I couldn’t venture off alone multiple times to take a trip to the beach or other opportunities throughout the race it showed me how much I was living and drawing hope from what I was ‘going’ to be able to do. It made me think of work the year prior to the race. It would drain me to no ends and what would get me through some of the hardest times was the thought of a trip or moment I was about to have going camping or taking a surf trip. Experiences and escape from problems became the fuel to my engine and drive rather than resting it on the strength He can provide to face those moments and the transformation He can bring to my heart through that struggle. Not only am I drawing strength for life, especially when times become hard, in a different more lasting place, but I see the worth and value in facing those hard times head on. There is now reason to fight rather than escape, be it for myself or others, that I was never aware of prior to the race. It doesn’t mean I am perfect at it and no longer want to check out when things are hard nor do I dislike those adventures and get aways. Shoot some of those things will be what I do first thing when getting back! But, I am now aware of when my actions/motives come from a healthy place and when they don’t.
Pre~Launch me and post~Me: Well for starters, I don’t have dreads anymore haha. I still don’t want a big house nor lots of stuff. Still value and would chose people and experiences had with them over gifts. Still on the search to do something with my nurse minded self and background other than the typical hospital western healthcare way. Still want to long board the streets of Belton in the middle of the night with headphones in jamming out to solid tunes.
What parts are better: It’s hard for me to say what is ‘better’ about me. One thing I could say is that I have visibly seen on multiple occasions how God has provided and made Himself known to us on earth in many ways. So one thing that would be better is my decision making and discernment to life circumstances in the future because I have these moments to base faith and hope off of.
What parts were broken: My pride and humility. I thought I knew what being humble meant before the race but boy was I wrong. You may think it was from the circumstances we faced and lifestyles we witness but honestly it was broken just as much if not more at times because of the community style living we had throughout this year. 24/7 community and discipleship between teammates on top of adapting to 11 different cultures/people groups made me feel at times I wasn’t any specific person but just bare and basic and of no worth. Which in America’s new growing trend is what no one wants to be. To not be unique in some way means you have less value than one who does. We make it a thrive to be an individual, to be authentic and to stick out, make ourselves known, but this drive does no culture or family any lasting good. The more you put this mindset aside the easier the culture would be to adapt and step into, seeing life from their point of view. The more you sought to hear what others had to say rather than giving your input, the more love and trust would be built between teammates; and the more you start to devote your life to the betterment of those other than yourself. God made us each individual and unique to be apart of His body and mission. It may not be as extravagant as we would want it, but for His purposes and in His mind, it is.
What’s different in your life now: Even more world and Kingdom minded then before. Stay tuned for the crazy out there responses that are to come with this mentality 😎
Have a question for me? Write it to me! Funny or serious I’ll take it!
It will help me process this past year and fill the long travel day hours with something beneficial rather than movies haha.
For those of you who don’t have Instagram here is a quick compilation of all the short videos I posted on that profile during the past year. They are primarily all from adventure/off day excursions except for the skateboarding one which was a tournament a squamate of mine hosted as a ministry during our time in Malaysia.
