It’s day
162…exactly half way through this 324 day adventure. We’ve been climbing this
mountain for the last 5 months, and I’ll honestly say it’s been one of the
hardest things I’ve ever done. I’ve been challenged physically, emotionally, relationally,
and spiritually. I’ve learned more about myself and living in community than I
ever thought possible. We haven’t reached the top yet and I don’t know if we really
ever will, but the current view from here is pretty amazing, and it’s so
encouraging to pause for a while and look back to see where we’ve been, what
we’ve done, and how we’ve seen God work in our lives and in the world around
us. We’re currently in the middle of a 2 week debrief in
Swaziland,
Africa.
It’s been good to reflect not only on our month in Mozambique, but also on the
last 5 months and analyze a little bit of what went well, what went not so
well, and what ways to improve to make the next 5 months even better.
The June Racers
arrive here Saturday, and I’m sure that many of the feelings and emotions they
were having were the same ones I had when I got off the bus in
Matamoros,
Mexico
on Dec. 31. It’s neat to see their fresh excitement and enthusiasm. That’s when
it hit me that we’re really half way done with this thing. I have mixed
emotions about waking up tomorrow and knowing that there are going to be more
days crossed off my calendar than there are blank days left. When I started in
December, 11 months seemed like an eternity, now suddenly we’re closer to the
finish line than the starting block. It was a good reminder though how
important it is to make the most of every single day because this is an
experience I most likely will never have again. I’ve had the chance to
experience and learn so many things already, it’s hard to believe we’re only
half way done! Here are a few highlights thus far…
Top Ten most
memorable moments
10. My mom
coming to visit in
Lima
9. Opening up
packages from friends and family
8. Climbing an
active volcano in
Guatemala
and Macchu Pichu in
Peru
7. Star gazing
in
Mozambique
6. Deep sea
fishing in the
Indian Ocean
5. Praying for a
boy with malaria, and seeing God heal him
4. My 3 day God
adventure with Jon in
Buenos Aires
3. The race in
Lima
2. The bus ride
from
Maputo to Vilanculos in
Mozambique
1. Preaching my
first sermon at the church out in the bush
New favorite
things…
-
African sunsets
-
Camping
-
The smell of a dryer sheet
Things I
appreciate now more than ever
-
A bathroom that has both toilet
paper AND a toilet seat.
-
My ipod
-
Having transportation readily
available
-
Rare silence
-
A hot shower
Strange things
that have become normal
-
NOT flushing toilet paper
-
Constantly converting concurrency in
my head
-
Listening to stories about the daily
bathroom habits of nearly every team member
-
Going to bed at 8:30pm and getting
up at 6am
-
Pedestrians DO NOT have the right of
way
Things that have
changed since I left home
-
A 7 hr. drive is considered short
-
2 showers a week is acceptable
-
I eat tomatoes and avocadoes
-
I am comfortable speaking another
language
-
I can go 3 days without looking in a
mirror
God has been
doing so much in my heart the last week or so, and as soon as I get it all somewhat
sorted out, I really want to share it. Thanks for hanging in there with me
through the highs and the lows, the good and the bad of the last 5 months. I
can’t wait to look back at the end of this and see how God has used every
single experience to help mold and shape me into the woman He wants me to be. I know that what I’m learning here is preparation for the rest of my life.
Much Love!
