So this is my last blog that I’ll post on the Race, maybe ever. I’ve really enjoyed the excuse to get to write every week and I hope you’ve enjoyed keeping up with my journey. It’s been a roller coaster ride and it’s been a pressure cooker. It’s been crazy, wild, brilliant, heart-rendering, and difficult beyond words. But it’s been worth it. I’ve truly loved it and I just want to say that if you’ve read all of my posts or if this is the first one, if you supported me with dollars, prayers or just just rooted for me from home, thank you. It’s meant the world to me to hear from you, to see your comments, and to know that there are people I get to go home to.
So this blog has a lot of little things as said first by the boys of Blink 182. It’s the things that stood out to me in each country as I now look back on them. It’s the ridiculous things my teammates and squad mates said along the way that I’ll give you absolutely no context for, which to me, makes it even more funny. And there are a few other little things in there too. I hope you enjoy.
Outstanding Memories from each country
Guatemala: Being loved on in a coffee shop by someone I barely knew. Shoveling gravel for hours on end and pushing a piece of overgrown cement pipe around a would-be soccer field having much needed, but less wanted heart to hearts. Niall and Despacito. Toasting marshmallows in a volcano. Cafe Condessa and Guatemalan hot chocolate. Lake Atitlan and cliff diving.
Nicaragua: Raking, praying, getting crazy sick, sheep goats, Thanksgiving, and nights full of clear stars and sitting on the rancho in hammocks. Jason Derulo, Jesse McCartney throwbacks, and Kelly Clarkson. Lots of zip lining. Volcano boarding!
Panama: Hospitals, stressing out about Christmas pageants, writing multiple scripts for Gospel skits, driving ourselves in a foreign country, Indian food they thankfully watered down the spices on a little bit. The Greatest Showman soundtrack. Dr. Pepper. Toothless in cat form. A Christmas tree . . . that Toothless enjoyed destroying throughout the month. The hardest goodbye. Sea turtles!
Lesotho: The most joyful kids teaching me their own lessons about how to love when their whole lives look like insurmountable circumstances. A seven year old missing two front teeth who wants me to walk her to and from school every day while holding her hand. Fat cakes. A gorgeous waterfall and two mystery injections. Dance parties and some amazing moves from a house mom.
Swaziland: A princess who doesn’t like to smile, who pretends she doesn’t like hugs. Spiritual warfare up close and personal. A new house. Sara Evens blasting from the radio with this stick of a Swazi behind the wheel cranking it up even more. A goldfish cake and so many hosts who loved us so well. Safari! Execution Rock and having the radiator blow in the car while we’re driving down the road.
South Africa: Fifth graders who wouldn’t listen and getting creative with teaching methods. Learning how to surf for the first time. A challenge and hitching a ride in the back of a pickup, slapping PB&J’s together as the little old lady who agreed to take you rips down the road. Getting to work with people who know what we’re going through, who made an effort to really be a friend. Bungee Jumping and Table Mountain! Long walks on the beach because of so many emotional struggles. And there were penguins for a hot minute there.
Malaysia: A soup kitchen with an Uncle who wants nothing more than to cook for and feed you. An Auntie who loves to sing off key and does it to the very best of her ability. A kitchen worker who tells you the food isn’t spicy . . . It’s a mural and crazy amounts of humidity. And waitresses at your favorite coffee shop who have memorized your non-coffee order. A 3-D glow-in-the-dark museum and rummikub. Also other perfect strangers who hear from God in the most amazing ways, like giving you an exquisite picture of a flower that happens to be your name.
Thailand: A scorpion the size of my palm. A magnificent beach, the Indian Ocean is probably my favorite. Learning to work with joy even if it’s not my favorite work. Overcoming lies by speaking them out and hearing truth replace them. Some of the kindest people I’ve ever met.
Thailand part 2: Continuing to tear down those final walls, stepping out and risking, daring to be myself. Prayer and journaling in temples, Preschoolers who desperately want to say hello. Writing in a cafe and trying almost their entire smoothie selection. Hand sanding all of the furniture. And starting all over again when it rains. Elephants! Frickin’ awesome hosts. Also such a sweet birthday party with the team and then the squad! Oh, and that scorpion thing, eating it this time!
Cambodia: Being asked by at least eight tuk tuk drivers if I want a ride every time I leave the hostel. Then being told by some of the self same drivers that I cannot go into the palace because I’m not dressed properly, which is of course would be super important if we were actually going to the palace, which we weren’t, ever. We probably should have told them that, oh wait . . . MÉRE cafe, iced chocolate. Lots of struggles. Angkor Wat. Getting to practice my conversational English with students at University, playing with the kids in the park. The Killing Fields and S21. The water lady, the noodle lady, puppies.
Indonesia: Beaches at sunset, rice fields, a waterfall. Live out loud. A storage unit and squatty potties. Three incredible new teammates. Ebony. Tenting. Long car rides. Volcano rice. Cousins and Brothers. Bali family. What did you learn about God? What did you learn about people? How do you respond?
Philippines: pregnancy clinic, kids home, tricycles, babies literally climbing the walls. Feedings, abject poverty, unconditional welcome. Some of the greatest food so far. It’s a pool and a super fast slide and finding a million different ways to go down it. Final debrief. Some of the hardest goodbyes. Disaster relief. Being the first person to hold a baby as he came into the world. Laughter with some amazing women. Hard truths that encourage and build me up as I prepare to step out of this chapter of my life.
Things I never thought I’d say . . . or hear my friends say
I want more rice with the squid sauce
Wow, a seat with a back to it, this is nice.
Wow, green money!
I’m not homeless, I just smell bad
Do I have a treat for us; ramen! – Oo! The ramen we pulled from the trash?
It was during the three hours we were sitting at the boarder . . .
I got propositioned tonight – Did anyone get it on the One Second App?
What are you doing with that baby? Go give it back!
Pruning is Biblical
Watch out for the roadkill; wait, it’s a baby sloth!
Smells like the United States
Where’s Bex? – In the bathroom. – She’d better be fixing her beard!
If you need to ask, you need to wear pants.
It’s not you, it’s ministry.
Glad I didn’t shower.
So we can wear shorts? – As long as we’re not naked, we’re good.
Whoa, when I go home there’ll be air con in every single room in the house. Whoa.
I learned how to sew today and I ate a scorpion!
Fish ate my tan.
Do I have scorpion in my teeth?
Was it on a stick or on the ground? These are the questions that have become normal to us now; was it wild or can I eat it?
I wish we could have tuk tuks in the States, but we have winter and other bad things . . .
About coke and a sleeve of Ritz crackers: it’s like a perverted version of communion . . .
What’s the point of being that big and not trying to hurt someone? – Perry
The moral of the story: careful which hole you find yourself in
I almost got run over by a moto today – Oh, that’s happened to me before
Does this feel like a real brownie to you?
What I heard you say was; you’re okay with incest, right?
Bex and I saw a lot of wieners today
I’m itching myself with deodorant
Who are you from?
Laughter is the best medicine for your abs
I’m a bit claustrophobic and a little warm
It’s no longer stabbing pain, it’s a more moderate pain, so I’m okay.
Hey Tessa, are you good at drinking water?
Hey, uh, Mr. grab driver, what happened to the map?
The Kingdom of God is like a chicken bus; there’s always room for one more
Hey. Can I peel you? I love to peel.
That’s my prayer, to be like a drunk person
It’s got the consistency of a nut, like a bit, but wet
If that happened I think we should probably start planning your funeral
He was on parole
He pawned my banjo
You wouldn’t know because you weren’t my ankle
That was my toe you stupid storm!
Right foot red and bark like a cat
Hey, tomorrow we have church, I’m going to bring my swimsuit
If we get kidnapped, I’m gonna be pissed
Glad I didn’t shave
Bex wanted to moisten my cash
She was awake and I was sitting on the side of the road with wifi
Come to the oil fairy!
There are too many sands here – it’s the beach! – yes, you make sense
I need caramel popcorn and underwear
I don’t want to get take away because I already have two burgers in my bag
I’m basically a larvae and by larvae I mean embryo.
Whoah, I just had an explosion of money
We passed TMI a long time ago
I just want my toenail back
What’s happening? – There’s a rooster – Bex is being absurd.
Don’t talk about my ovaries that way
I’m more used to hearing geckos than crickets
I can feel the wind blowing through my leg hair
Crunchy doesn’t matter. Crunchy goes away. – Yeah, it’s better to smell good than to feel good
It’s fine, go have your babies
Chopsticks are the multi-purpose tool of utensils
You look like you’re either saluting Hitler or hailing a chicken bus
Air came out of TL’s pants and money went everywhere
You don’t see the T-Rex under that tree? – Huh? Oh no, no. That’s a Buddha, that’s different
Fear is a liar, but gravity is real
Here, smell it! I smell the butt!
Go ahead, go drink some poop
That’s at least ten much better
Hey, laugh with me one last time
I apologize for my scandalous pillow
What’s it called now? The moon.
What does the moon want to eat right now? Nothing, cause it’s full!
I was aiming at your armpit
Now we can talk about Melissa’s fetus and it won’t be weird
And I’m going to think there’s a hole in my heart that’s shaped like the diffuser on the floor.
Your gut is a farm
The villagers are revolting
I wish your grandma could have come to PVT – yeah, she’s dead
Why is there a steering wheel on the ceiling?
Would you eat one? – If it was fried.
We can take the bikes and go for a ride. – In a typhoon?
#puke, lust, ew.
Gotta love googling things. – yeah, I always have cancer.
What does her tattoo say? – Fire, fire, fire, flame, flame, flame!
People who do extreme sports get back on the horse. Sometimes literally if there’s a horse involved.
You know they’re American when . . .
They make subtle cues that they don’t want to be having the conversation
You see a man in a camo under armor shirt that is the physical embodiment of the word “‘Murica”
When they speak in an accent you immediately recognize.
Places I’ve called Home In the Past 11 Months
Casa de Fuego (Guatemala) – 1
Hostel in Guatemala for debrief – sorry, I forgot it’s name
CICRIN – 2
Hostel on Ometepe we stayed in for LDW
Panama City hostel with Victor and his cat Toothless – 3
Seed of Love, Maseru, Lesotho – 4
Durban, South Africa (Month 4 Debrief)
Blossom House, Manzini, Swaziland – 5
AIM Base, Manzini, Swaziland – LDW
Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa – 6
Cape Town Hostel, South Africa – Debrief
Little India Hostel, Penang, Malaysia – 7
Khok Kloi, Thailand – 8
Zion Hostel Chiang Mai, Thailand – 8
Overflow Guesthouse, Siem Reap, Cambodia – Debrief
The Lovely Jubley Vila, Phenom Penh, Cambodia – 9
A storage unit with an orange accordion door – 10
The Captain Goose
Kamar Keluarga Hostel
KIM – 11
Hey everyone, in case you missed it, I did get to help bring a child into the world on our very last day of ministry, it was really cool to hold him afterward, though I will say I don’t feel the need to ever repeat the experience of catching him as he shot out of the womb. So here’s a picture of me with Jazz Andre not even an hour old.
Again, thanks for journeying with me this year, it’s been a blast. See you back in the Old Dominion.
Ally my love,
TL
