Sorry this blog is so delayed! We really do want to keep sending out updates each month on what it’s like to be on the Race as a married couple. We’re just a little late because we had some really exciting things happen this month! Like being FULLY FUNDED!
What was the hardest part about marriage on the race in month three?
Bryce: We stayed in a city called Da Nang. I’ll start by saying if you want to go to another country for a beach vacation, but also want a combination of western and local cultural living, this would be an excellent place! The Lord taught me that things are inherently good, and that it’s humans that turn things into bad. We thought we were living large this month- AC, our own room, wifi, cheap coffee, you name it. These things started as a struggle for us because we’d just spent two months without most of them. As we learned how to steward better and use them in our pursuit of loving people, they became great things.
Kimmy: NAM!! First off, let me say that this month was by my favorite one, so to talk about what was difficult, not many things come to mind. Let me see… the hardest part was probably our easy access to wifi that month. The place we were staying had constant [high-speed] internet. It was useful for many things: fundraising, studying and communicating with our family, sponsors any team. However, we also found ourselves easily consumed by it, therefore spending less quality time with each other.
What was the best part about marriage on the race in month three?
Bryce: Like I said, Da Nang is a popular vacation spot for Aussies and neighboring Asian countries. We lived and did ministry about a 10 minute walk (or 3ish by bike) to the beach. We soaked up the great Vietnamese sun, loved the (relatively cheap) delicious food, and we had our own hotel room! We had such a good experience here. We truly got to see what it would look like to take the community and things we’ve learned on the Race back to the States- it really was so similar to being back home. Our main ministry was to teach English and just show the love of Christ to these teenagers who were so eager to learn!
Kimmy: Well… as I mentioned before, this was a great month, so there were several best parts about being married during our month three! We loved that we got our own room all month, that was especially nice because most months that’s not guaranteed! We also got to do a side ministry in addition to our regular workload that was just for Bryce and I. We helped with two English clubs with our host a few times a week! Also, this was the first time we really started having those deep discussions about our future after the race. Yeah, yeah, I know it’s only month three, but hey, it’s fun to dream together!!
Best advice for marriage on the race in Viet Nam?
Bryce: This was the first country I (and all my teammates) went out on a limb and asked the students if they’d show me around. Kimmy and I had such cool experiences seeing Da Nang in different and similar ways. It was a win-win because the students wanted to spend time with us to practice English, and we wanted to share the love of Christ with them and see their country. At the end of each day kimmy and I were able to share some really cool stories together about our experiences!
Kimmy: My best advice would be to dive in & enjoy everything this place has to offer, it’s absolutely wonderful! Also, people in Asia, but for some reason MANY in Viet Nam, are very confused that both Bryce and I got married at a young age. They would always flip out when we said that we were married. We got a real kick out of it. 😉
