Here I am in Malawi, listening to the sound of rain as I lay in my cozy tent. (Praying that I stay dry!) I still don’t think reality has quite set in. I am on the World Race. I will be traveling to 11 different countries over the next 11 months, Zambia, Malawi, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, China, Mongolia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam & Nepal. WOW! My squad and I will be partnering and serving with incredible organizations that strive to make a difference in peoples lives. I have been planning and preparing for this since March, but I still don’t quite feel like I am completely ready. I don’t think anyone will ever be fully prepared and ready for this type of life changing adventure. You just have to have faith and go for it!
The past few days have been some of the longest, most tiresome days ever and many a tear has been shed. My back hurts (maybe this has something to do with my 50 pound pack..haha), my feet are swollen, I have slept MAYBE a total of 3 hours over the past 3 days, but Im so happy to be here in Africa with my Z Squad. After spending 4 days debriefing, we left Atlanta Thursday around 11:00, flew into Detroit, Then to Amsterdam, then to Nairobi, where we then had a 12 hour lay over. Trust me when I say the Nairobi airport maybe one of the worst places to have such a long lay over, as there is nothing to do! We then flew to Malawi. We will be staying the night here in Malawi, then taking a bus tomorrow to Chipata, Zambia, where we will be working with an organization called Zehandi. (Stay turned for more info about this awesome mission and what my team will be doing!)
To be honest with you, up to the day before we left I was questioning wether or not I should go on the World Race. It is very hard to leave all the comforts of home, my amazing family, wonderful boyfriend, awesome friends, but the support, encouragement, and love they and so many others have shown me, has been completely overwhelming and made me realize that this is exactly what I am supposed to be doing. I just decided to engage my Faith, trust God, and realize he has a plan for me, and will be with me every step of the way. So I have nothing to fear. This year I plan on embracing every moment, even the tough ones, being open to growth and change, and just showing love to everyone. I cannot wait to serve others with all the amazing people on the Z Squad and Team Zoa!
The journey has just begun!
Peace,
Caroline
Just a little financial update. I didn’t reach my personal goal of being fully funded before I left, but thats okay! Im only in need of $1,500 in order to be fully funded. Which is SO awesome! Thanks to everyone who has donated. I have been completely blown away and so humbled by the generosity of friends, family, and complete strangers.
If you would like to donate just click on the “Support Me” link on the left hand side of my blog page.
