Continued…
Month 6
Location: Mokhotling, Lesotho
Ministry: construction, Scripture Union, passing out food, youth groups etc.
Note: team changes happened at the end of month 4.
7:36am
We walk down the mountain side to the orphanage we are helping build. We pass many shepherds wrapped in their blankets herding sheep or cattle along. This place reminds me of the old west. A lot of the main transportation is horses.
8am
We arrive and start throwing sand into wheelbarrows for the guys to wheel down a precarious hill.. thing. We take turns shoveling so we don’t get worn out so fast. Even though it’s not terribly hot out, we work up a sweat.
11:03am
We make our way back to our house. Passing many people and sticking out like sore thumbs. As they said in Zimbabwe “shop shop Kiwa!” Meaning “what’s up white person?” We kept repeating it to each other, cause we’re funny.
Back at home we eat lunch and have a little rest before our next endeavor. Some would nap, watch a show on a laptop or, do other things. I made a word search, or worked on my drawing of Kakashi Hatake, from the Japanese anime Naruto.
12:31pm
We start our walk back down the mountain and out into the beautiful grassy countryside of Lesotho to go to Scripture Union at a highschool. The walk there is always the easier cause it’s mostly downhill and it takes about 45mins to get there.
1:22pm
We get there in time to get ushered to the back of a building and climb up some steps to be able to talk to everyone. There’s about 50 or so kids present. One of the teachers starts singing and leads everyone in singing praises to Jesus. They sing so good.
Today we’re sharing our favorite verses in the Bible and why in 5 minutes or less. Once we all share, the kids sing some more and then rush off to their next class.
2:47pm
Back at home we prepare for youth group at the church.
5:04pm
Youth group! I get up there with the guitar and Kyle gets on drums and Kristen grabs her.. voice? We sing and teach them “I’ll Fly Away”. We show them how to do-si-do, and we continually pick up the pace. It’s quite fun. One of us would then give a message, an encouragement or share testimonies.
7:07pm
We’re back at the house and it’s dinner time!
In Lesotho, we did many things. Some days we went to the local prison to share Jesus with the inmates, or serve food at the hospital to people who would walk for hours to get to there for their treatment and didn’t have anything to eat.
We were also with another team from our squad here. I think I learned a lot this month about getting to know my squad mates. I may never have gotten a chance to get to know some of them if it wasn’t for this month.
As well as our hosts Terry and Oliver. They took care of us the whole month. Both were also awesome worship leaders. Going to church on Sunday mornings was one of my favorite experiences on the race. Everyone is dancing and singing, not caring what others think; I loved it. Molly and I usually ended up trying to dance the dances with them in our row.
Back to my point… I now have friendships that I know I wouldn’t of had if it hadn’t been for this month.
Y’all can check out Molly’s recap video here and the vlog here
BLINK
Month 8
Location: Everywhere in Malaysia
Ministry: Unsung Heroes
Note: Team changes again! RTB Wolf Pack
I don’t even know how to make a list of day to day life, because every day was different. (Read my other blog about UH here!)
We ate street food all month (mostly), 7 Eleven, garlic naan bread, or if in Kuala Lumpur, Texas Chicken (Shout out to Tabs for texaschicken20 RIP), where you can get a meal for under $3!
We moved about 7 times. It was crazy. But we got a free house! With aircon! Our main stops were Kuala Lumpur and Melaka.
Some days we would be searching for possible ministries on the Internet, other days we spent a lot of time in prayer. We ended up finding a church and went to a camp with them. I spent a lot of time with a family we met there, which was a total blessing in disguise.
This family reminded me of the great family I have back in the States. They showed me how much I really missed all of them. Also, the reoccurring theme of loving while you have the time to love, was brought back up to the very front of my mind. So, I tried to spend as much time as I could hanging out with them.
Molly’s Malaysia recap video rocks! And it has my future celebrity husband in it too!
hint… it rhymes with Bhris Levans
BLINK
Month 10
Location: Akreyksat Village Island, Cambodia
Ministry: teaching English, working at the shop, working on lemongrass farm, worship and sermons in Sunday morning.
5:29am
I sigh as I readjust myself on my sleeping mat. My back is killing me. Outside everyone in the house I’m staying with is up and at-em, as well as most of the other people in this part of the village.
I stare at the ceiling for a while. Secretly hoping that a gecko would fall on one of my teammates faces, so I could see their reaction. But instead of that happening, I roll over and try to sleep again.
7:44am
Already breakfasted and dressed for the day, we gather as a team to have a time of prayer. This month we’ve been experiencing a lot of spiritual warfare and we’re not about to let our guard down. We’re what I like to call, Warriors.
8:28am
Some of us get dropped off at the preschool and to help Toni (our hosts sister) teach the kids English and Khmer. Though these kids are loud and crazy, they’re absolutely adorable.
11:57am
Chanla, our host, drops us off back at his parents house. We climb out of the tuk tuk, and change into, cooler clothes. We eat lunch and chill until our next activity.
I grab my Bible and go sit out on the sofa chair thing. I spend a lot of time in the Word but also a lot of time getting to know the kids at the house. I love them all.
5:00pm
Back in the tuk tuk and off to work. Bethany and I are helping Toni back at the school to teach English again. I teach the middle class (ages 10-13) and rule with an iron fist. Not really I just didn’t take any goofing off. I actually enjoyed it.
Bethany then taught the older more advanced class. (Ages 15-20). I would stand by and draw illustrations on the board for emphasis.
7:19pm
Classes are over and the schools cleaned up. We hop on the back of their motorbikes..usually. Tonight I got to drive it home. It’s harder than it looks.. For me anyway. My arms were tired from all the pressure I was putting on the handlebars.
8:02pm
We gather around the dinner table and chow down on some delicious food made by Sreypich. After we ate and cleaned up, we would chill out inside or I would play a game with Paly, the cutest, most responsible 7year old I’ve ever met . Or we’d sit and watch an Indian soap opera that was dubbed over in Khmer. I had no idea what was going on most of the time unless Toni translated for me, but that show was dramatic.
9:36pm
Teeth brushed. PJs on. I’m ready to sleep. After a long hot day of teaching we konk out.
Cambodia was one of my favorite months because, again of the people I was with and got to meet. I loved the family we stayed with and learned so much about hard work and dedication. Every waking moment, they were always finding something that needed done and doing it.
Again, I was taught to love while I can. And I tried. I got to help prepare the Fathers Day meal, play soccer, play tag, have conversations, learn “Love Yourself” on the guitar, so many things. All because I made myself available and took the time to invest in others.
This month could have gone a lot of ways, but I loved the way it turned out.
GUYS. ITS THE END OF THE RACE. I’VE BEEN GONE 11 MONTHS. Though sometimes it just feels like yesterday, my newbie self was dragging my pack through the Atlanta airport.
The race has changed me in a lot of ways. I don’t really even know how to put into words how much God has taught me and how much I still have to learn. But just know, that I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.
These past 11 months aren’t a section of my life, but they’re a continuation of the journey God is taking me on. And coming home in a week, is just the continuation of the journey God started in here *points to heart*.
So when I am home, I pray that I’m still learning and growing like I have been. Yes the World Race is a catalysit and really gets you going, but it doesn’t have to stop. #cantstopwontstop
So, to all of you future racers/mid racers, heck even almost over racers,
DON’T BLINK.
Cause just like that the race is over. Just like that, you’re packing your bag for your final debrief. Getting ready to say goodbye to your amazing squad who has become like family. Take every opportunity that comes your way. Whether its eating a sheep head in Albania, or snails and ant soup in Cambodia, or bungee jumping in Zimbabwe, or worshiping Jesus with your team when its hot and sticky out, go exploring, make new friends, do everything!
Grab hold of what is given to you and don’t let go. If you see a characteristic in someone else that you desire for yourself, seek them out and ask them to pray for you to have it, and don’t let go until you get it.
This year, will go by quicker than you can believe. Be bold, be brave, and love with all you’ve got. Cling to Jesus, grow close to Him.
Thanks for reading my blogs over the months for those of you that have. This is possibly my last one.. but then ya never know.
Signing off
