Ratchaburi, Thailand:
- Favorite Food: Thirty-cent banana
smoothies in Bangkok.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. - Favorite Ministry Moment: Our trip to the pineapple
farm with all the university students.
- Favorite Fun thing: We took a road
trip to Kanatchaburi where Team Less was staying. It was the first time I
saw Colleen in two weeks and we went on a long walk and talked about
everything. It was great to see her and the rest of their team and have a
Sheep Roast! - Person I’ll Never Forget: the students
- Hardest Part: The language
barrier
Banan, Cambodia:
- Favorite Food: Banana Chips. I
lived off of these. No, literally, I did. - Favorite Part of Ministry: Playing
with the younger kids, especially Joseph. - Favorite Fun thing: Climbing the
nearby mountain every chance that we had! - Person I’ll Never Forget: Joseph.
- Hardest Part: Waking up with a
bucket-full of bugs in my mosquito net every morning and falling asleep
with them falling on my face.
Dumaguete, Philippines:
- Favorite Food: We pretty much ate
American food. Too much of it. The pizza on the island at Christmas was
pretty great. - Favorite Part of Ministry: Holding
babies at the orphanage. - Favorite Fun thing: Renting a moto
with Colleen on the island. Seriously… I’m sure you can imagine how
hilarious and exciting that would be! - Person I’ll Never Forget: Not in Dumaguete, but Aya Papaya and Diana from Manila
- Hardest Part: Having to leave Manila,
where we were supposed to be staying for the month, where I absolutely
fell in love with all of the kids.
China:
- Favorite Food: Ramen noodles. It’s
crazy how good these taste when it’s freezing cold. - Favorite Part of Ministry: Working
with our contacts in general. Partnering with them was truly a blessing. - Favorite Fun thing: Hiking the Great
Wall of China in the freezing cold while it was snowing…
amazing! - Person I’ll Never Forget: Cherry
Tan and her family. They are actually from the Philippines
but we met them in China
and I still keep in contact with her and their daughter through email. - Hardest Part: Having our team
split up at the last minute and not seeing each other very often
throughout the week.
Manzini, Swaziland:
- Favorite Food: Turkey
deli sandwich from the grocery store. Wheat bread, lunch meat, and cheese…
so good! - Favorite Part of Ministry: We
didn’t stay in Manzini that long, but one day I went to a Slum area with
Brandon and Traci. The kids were adorable. - Favorite Fun thing: Fun in
Manzini? Uhh, probably the road trip to Nelspruit, ZA with Mark and the
Black family. - Person I’ll Never Forget: Happiness.
I didn’t get to know her that well, but I just always think of her smiling
face when I think of Swaziland.
- Hardest Part: The initial week of
teaching. Just take my word for it!
Nelspruit, South Africa:
- Favorite Food: Grilled cheese and
tomato sandwiches. - Favorite Part of Ministry: Visiting
the children in the hospital. Very heartbreaking, but also something I
loved doing. - Favorite Fun thing: The Valentines
Day, Half-Way, Pam is still alive Extravaganza! (Read the blog if you
haven’t yet) - Person I’ll Never Forget: Linda.
The most wonderful, hospitable, giving, friendly, caring person ever! - Hardest Part: Preparing to leave
for Mozambique,
getting really excited, but having it keep getting pushed back.
Mutarara, Mozambique:
- Favorite Food: Oh gosh. Our daily
orange fanta if that counts as food. - Favorite Part of Ministry: One day
I walked into town and I brought Bea with me. I held her hand the whole
time and it took twice as long to walk there because of her little legs.
But it was worth it. I bought her a frozen juice thing and a sweet roll
that cost less than a quarter. It was special to be with only one of the
kids and not the whole pack of them. - Favorite Fun thing: Driving around
Mozambique in general, including our 4-day roadtrip there and back, and
driving to the ATM with Mark and Cameron (a 6hr journey), where Mark
taught me how to drive stick shift!
- Person I’ll Never Forget: Bea… I
still think about her often and miss her so much. - Hardest Part: Probably the living
conditions. Living in a tent in million degree weather with dirt
everywhere, no showers, cooking on a camping stove, bringing all our water
across a 7km bridge, and absolutely NO privacy.
Cape
Town, South Africa:
- Favorite Food: Chicken
salads. - Favorite Part of Ministry: Spending
more time with God and having time to rest and reflect on the past six
months. - Favorite Fun thing: Watching the
sunsets every night from the porch. Gorgeous! - Person I’ll Never Forget: Obviously
Tom and Cindy! - Hardest Part: Not doing the type
of ministry I am used to doing.
San
Jose, Costa Rica:
- Favorite Food: Empanadas from
Jumbo. - Favorite Part of Ministry: One day
I spent time in Bambu (the South), doing construction for a local church. - Favorite Fun thing: Getting back
from scouting out Panama
and seeing my team for the first time in almost two weeks. I missed them
like crazy! And going to coffee with Sarah Lapp, my teammate who returned
from being home for 3 months! - Person I’ll Never Forget: The YWAM
staff there was super friendly and super helpful. My favorite YWAMers yet!
- Hardest Part: Not having any
established ministries we could plug into, as well as being with the squad
for the WHOLE month.
Panama
City, Panama:
- Favorite Food: Platanos
- Favorite Part of Ministry: Prayerwalking.
It was a stretching experience but good. - Favorite Fun thing: Going to the
beach/running on the beach - Person I’ll Never Forget: John Mark… that guy cracked me up
- Hardest Part: Same as my favorite.
Prayerwalking. Not doing.
Granada, Nicaragua:
- Favorite Food: Gallo Pinto from
Querubes. Cheapest and the best tasting. - Favorite Part of Ministry: The
medical clinic. Everything about it, especially helping to translate. - Favorite Fun thing: My birthday
“weekend” at Ometepe Island.
Kayaking and off roading… so fun! - Person I’ll Never Forget: Mamasita
from Hospedaje Esphinge. - Hardest Part: Long, tiring days.
Puerto
Cabezas, Nicaragua:
- Favorite Food: Anything green that they served (quite
rare) - Favorite Part of Ministry: Working
construction with Alonzo. - Favorite Fun thing: Team movie
night with cookie dough and popcorn - Person I’ll Never Forget: Alonzo
5.
Hardest
Part: Stomach problems and three-day downpours, I’m not sure which was
worse.
Wow…what a year!
I LOVE you Seven:Eleven and the whole September Squad!!
