Asia was hard. As months 5, 6, and 7 on the Race, I would say that isn’t surprising. Right in the middle of the 11-month trip, you’ve been away long enough to be homesick but when looking forward home still seems so far away. Ask any World Racer, chances are they will tell you they’ve all experienced this mid-Race “slump”.
That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy Asia. On the contrary, Month 5 in Cambodia has been my favorite so far. But all three months were physically, emotionally, and spiritually challenging. Living in community 24 hours a day, seven days a week no longer felt like a constant sleepover, but instead I longed for my own place to escape to. There were days when I wished I was home, working Monday-Friday, with a normal routine. With all of this said, though, I DO NOT WANT TO GO HOME. I have grown more in the past three months than I have all Race, and that is because it was hard. I know God worked through us in so many ways in these countries.
CAMBODIA
In November my team worked with an organization called Crossing Cambodia in Battambang. Our daily ministry hours were the longest to date (6am to 4pm), but it was also the most rewarding. We worked with 25 street children every day, picking them up at their tarp or makeshift home by the river each morning, feeding them, bathing them, playing with them, and just loving them. We worked side-by-side with six Crossing Cambodia employees, helping them with laundry, dishes, cooking, and cleaning. Needless to say, by 4pm each day were were WIPED. But oh man, did those children just steal our hearts. Bringing them back to their little piece of street each day, knowing the life that awaits them, was gut-wrenching to think about. Watching the tuk-tuk drive away on our last day of ministry, waving goodbye to all of those precious faces, was probably the hardest thing I have had to do thus far on the Race.
The Lord also used this month to tear apart some lies that were haunting me, lies that came to the surface from my past. It was a month of battling those thoughts and finding the truth. A lot of tears were shed and frustration was felt, but I walked away from November with this new freedom and my reaffirmed identity in Christ, which I had been searching for.
THAILAND
God knew we were physically exhausted from our month of ministry in Cambodia, so He definitely blessed us in Thailand. We were placed in a tiny fishing town on the island of Phuket, right by the bridge that connects us to the mainland. It was the epitome of a sleepy neighborhood, where older folks just spend time on their porches and their hammocks, lazing the day away. We partnered with an American couple who pastored a church for the village, so we would help them with Wednesday night kids church and the Sunday service. We also volunteered at the local elementary school, teaching English in the first through sixth grades. Ministry hours were very short, with maybe an hour or two per day, and half the time we would walk to the school only to find out it was closed for some holiday. It was a month of rest during the day and itching mosquito bites all night. It was also a month of cashew chicken and rice – all we had at the church where we lived was a hot water dispenser for oatmeal and ramen noodles, so we ate at the same seaside restaurant everyday, twice a day. I don’t think I could eat one more plate of cashew chicken if I tried.
Although it was a relaxing month, not having a day packed with ministry got old rather quickly. The days went from relaxing to boring, and unfortunately there was not much we could do because the village was so remote. It was nice to be able to catch up on the sleep we lacked the month before, but I was ready for a busy day and a big city.
MALAYSIA
They say be careful what you wish for, and I definitely learned that lesson the hard way this month. We went from a tiny fishing village with one restaurant to a city bigger than Boston with a Chili’s, TGI Friday’s, and Olive Garden all within a 10 minute walk. Every comfort we could possibly want was at our fingertips in Kuala Lumpur. I even got my green smoothies with chia seeds that I had been craving! All of it, though, as comforting as it was seven months into the Race, was INCREDIBLY overwhelming. The people, the malls, the taxis, the subways, the highways…it was enough to make me want to hole up in the apartment we were renting because it was just too much.
Take that and pair it with our ministry, ATL or “Ask the Lord”, and I was having a really tough time. Our team would spend six hours each day in prayer and wandering around KL, constantly thinking, “Okay, where should we go? Where is God leading us?” Your mind is constantly turned on, thinking about the next step. And it was hard. Mentally I don’t think I have ever been so exhausted. If you follow my Instagram and/or Facebook page I’m sure you noticed that I haven’t posted anything in weeks, and I apologize. It has just been such a weird month, I haven’t known how to capture it.
It has also been hard not working with a contact or an organization at all. The mission we adopted this month was to be the light of Christ amidst all the darkness in this country with smiles and kindness. As a predominantly Muslim nation, and as women, we were limited in who we could walk up to and what we could talk about to strangers. We tried to interact and share smiles with as many people as we can, and I have gotten friendly with the Muslim girls who work at the juice bar I frequent almost daily, but it’s different than working alongside people everyday with an organization and a purpose.
With all of that being said, the Lord has taught me a lot this month. I have been able to really dive into prayer, specifically intercessory prayer. He has shown me what true security is, not in relationships or plans for the future, but in Jesus and His unconditional Love for us. I am looking forward now to walking in this security, both over the remainder of the Race and also when I get home.
Our next and final continent is South America, and I am SO EXCITED. I have always had a heart for these countries, Ecuador and Peru specifically, and when picking my route for the World Race South America was at the top of my list. When I think forward I feel like it will be four months of joy, laughter, love, and the overwhelming Presence of God. I can’t wait to meet the people the Lord places in our path in Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile, and to share Jesus with them.
In order to continue on the World Race and go to South America, though, I MUST RAISE MY REMAINING $1,843 TO BE FULLY FUNDED! I am so grateful for all of your support and prayers so far, and I wish you truly knew what an impact you are directly making in lives all around the world. I ask that you please consider helping me reach this final goal by donating to my World Race fund (directly through this blog!). I can only imagine what God has up His sleeve for my squad this last part of the Race, and I really want to be a part of it!
Thank you so much for your prayers, support, and generosity over the past 18 months since I began this journey. God Bless!
