At some point in the past week, somewhere between the 29 hours in the van, 4 church services, 7 home visits, Erica's birthday, countless Indian meals, a broken headlight and a flat tire, we passed the official halfway point of the World Race.
(Pastor Yesu working on our 1991 Mazda Red Sauna at a rest stop).
I've been struggling to even make time to process how I'm feeling about this milestone. So in the meantime, I'll refer you to my beautiful teammate Helena Jordao's blog Halfway, Lil Jon & Running TIps, which sums it up so well. My amazing squad mate and fellow team leader, Bethany Waddell, also wrote an insightful blog, Livin' on a Prayer, I encourage you to read.
And because I love lists, here's 50 random things I've done in the past six months….
Tried surfing
Rode an elephant
Been in 9 different airports in 7 different countries
Slept in my tent inside an old strip club for a month
Saw a raccoon being walked on a leash
Spoke in broken English with a Spanish accent for 3 solid months
Worshipped in at least 5 different languages
Spent a weekend in Costa Rica
Preached in front of a church
Found myself in countless awkard situations
(Just last night I was asked to try on these pants at a home visit. Why Indian pants are size XL in the waist and XS in the ankles is beyond me).
Tried 8 new fruits I'd never even heard of before
Learned how to make egg rolls
Done yoga with four-year-old twins
Seen cows, goats, horses, etc. just stroll down the street
Tried Filipino bamboo dancing
Used 7 different types of currency
Pet a tiger
Seen the most beautiful scenery ever
(A view of the Cameron Highlands at sunset from the van).
Participated in a massive, city-wide water fight
Went horseback riding on the beach
Ate chicken claw soup
Wore the same outfit at least 3 days in a row
Held orphans
Watched a woman be healed
Slept in 15 different beds
Taught English
Regularly been woken up at 5 a.m. by roosters or loud music
Dealt with a contact whose personality couldn't have been more different than mine
Learned more about leadership than I ever have in a classroom or workplace
Befriended prostitutes
Lived in 24/7 community
Had a kid put a scorpion in my backpack
Ate spicy Indian food with my hands
Took a shower in the Beijing Airport
Learned more about who I am in Christ
Squeezed 24 people in a 15 passenger van
Fell in love with about a gillion little kiddos
Slept overnight in an airport lobby-sleeping pad and all
Eaten animal parts I wouldn't have guessed were edible
Gotten used to using squatty potties and never flushing TP
Visited children who lived in a dump
Became obsessed with drinking fresh coconut juice
Rode in 14 different modes of transportation
Been to the beach in 7 different countries
Got $3 massages and $.50 smoothies in Thailand
Shared the love of Christ in a prison and saw 30 men accept Jesus
Ate at the same Mexican restaurant every single day at debrief
Swam in waterfalls
Ate McD and KFC more than I EVER would in the US
Learned (learning, really) how to prefer the needs of my teammates above my own
Realized how much I took for granted in America
Made countless new friends all over the world
It hasn't always been glamourous, but it has been so worth it. I have laughed and I have cried and I have realized how small I really am and how BIG God really is.
