1. What is the most interesting/weirdest thing you had to eat? Did you like it?
The most different from our culture things I’ve eaten have been worms, balut (it’s a hard-boiled fertilized chicken egg), goat intestines, I accidentally ate pigs blood without knowing until after, and Shuba (which translates to fur coat in Ukrainian, look it up). I wasn’t a huge fan of any of those dishes but there have been new dishes or foods every month that were new to me that I really loved like jack fruit in Cambodia or Roti in Thailand and most traditional dishes from each country. Also, my teammate had cheese ice cream in the Philippines, I need the world to know that’s a thing.
2. What would you say to others who are considering missions?
I would say that if you feel the pull/desire to go do missions then go for it. God puts these dreams and desires in our heart for a reason. Doors will open and mountains will move. Where ever He is calling you, you can be assured it’s going to be good because He knows just what you need and what you’ll love.
3. For you what was the greatest moment of your trip?
I can’t pick just one so I’ll give you a few.
The whole first month (I’m going to count that as one), when I was fully funded, when I was asked to be a team leader, when we did squad baptisms during debrief in the Philippines, giving my testimony to hundreds of students, dancing with children in the bush of Zimbabwe, singing worship with prisoners in Malawi, meeting the couple that took us in in South Africa, Sitting at a church in Hungry overlooking Budapest, every moment where I put down lies about myself I had been believing and picked up the truth of who God says I am, when I started walking in confidence in the gifts He’s given me, seeing/hearing of the impact we’ve made at the end of the month, walking 130 miles of the Camino and honestly I could on….
4. What has been the toughest thing? Is it something that surprised you or did you anticipate it?
The toughest times I’ve had on the Race are the times when I forget that it’s Jesus’ job to change lives and not mine. I like to see results, I like to know that I’m making an impact, and sometimes I don’t get that privilege. You don’t know what impact your making because you don’t know people’s hearts. So, when I forget that, I feel frustrated and I feel like it’s hopeless. I was surprised by that because you leave on a mission trip you feel like you’re going to see the impact every day but I had to learn I’m with these people for a short amount of time but God is with them always. I was invited into people’s lives for a short period of time and I trust God with the rest of the time.
5. What was your most embarrassing moment?
I don’t have any moments that made me super embarrassed. You kind of get used to the weird things that happen and the miscommunications but I can tell you I have had my share of awkward moments.
Awkward moment #1: This is one I would repeat from country to country and it was always something along the lines of me walking into a class room or group of people and say, “My name is Emily what’s yours?” And then one by one I would spend a good five minutes completely mispronouncing a person’s name until I pretend like I got it and then move on to the next person for another 5 minutes stumbling to put the sounds I’m hearing together in the same way the person talking did. This would go on person after person and then I would realize half way through what a bad idea this was and want to stop completely because what I wanted to accomplish is clearly not happening but I keep going anyway so I don’t make people feel left out in the butchering of their name.
Awkward moment #2: In Zimbabwe, we are on a bus headed to Victoria Falls and I get out during a pit stop to go to the bathroom. There are three stalls with no doors and I’m the first one there so I go to the last one thinking it would have the most privacy. So, I’m using this squatty potty and then suddenly there is a line of women right in front of the stall I’m using watching me go to the bathroom. As soon as a stand up to pull up my pants the next person in line is already making her way into my stall getting ready to squat. I am thoroughly caught off guard by this whole interaction and as I’m leaving I see it’s the same for every other stall. Someone going to the bathroom while people in line watch and wait and then rush in as soon as the person stands up. I can now say I’ve had complete strangers watch me go to the bathroom.
Awkward moment #3: Teaching English in Ukraine I got really into the lesson and I’m drawing pictures and circling things in the white board and drawing lines to connecting themes and then when I go to erase the board to move on I realize I had been writing with a permanent marker on the board! So, class stops and I look at my class and my class stares back at me and we have the same look of uh-oh written all over our faces. Then one person stands up and tried to help me erase it but it doesn’t work it just fades a little. Eventually, I grab the actual white board marker and keep going….
6. What gifting did the Lord reveal in you that you were surprised by?
The World Race has been a crazy process of the Lord pointing out the gifts He has given me and showing me more and more who He created me to be. If we are talking spiritual gifts, I learned that I have the gift of words of knowledge. I am surprised in the way I have grown in it and how I understand it.
7. Was there anyone you met that inspired you in an unexpected way?
Well, that list is pretty long….. Chantha in Cambodia with her heart and the way she serves other people, Jeremy, our squad mentor, and the way he leads and initiates worship, the Thomas family from Malaysia with the way they continuously pour into people and seek genuine relationships with those they are serving and those serving them. In the Philippines, it was my Alumni squad leaders who showed our squad that every situation is what you make it, good or bad. In Zimbabwe, it was the people in Binga who poured out all they are for what they see God doing. Keith and Karen, our squad coaches, who have shown me time and again what it looks like to love and invest in people without holding back plus a great example of what I want my marriage to look like. In Ukraine, it was my hosts Tania and Tania and what it looks like to take the talents God has given whatever that might be and use that to build Kingdom. In Romania, the way pastor Cristi does ministry has truly truly inspired me and the way I want to do ministry in the future. I learned a lot of awesome lessons from him.
8. Did you ever get home sick?
Yes, see last paragraph in Question #10
9. What was the most powerful Spirit filled moment on your journey?
This year was full of powerful Spirit filled moments. I will give you a couple that first came to mind when I read this question. Month two, in Thailand, we had a worship night together as a whole squad and my mentor initiated us into speaking prophecies over each other. This is not a church tradition I come from at all so I was a little unsure about how it was all going to work out. Sure, enough what I experienced was the Holy Spirit moving and giving me words/pictures for people and I’m return receiving them from my squad mates. Month 3, in Malaysia, my host loved pouring out to my team and part of that included having Bible studies that was just our team and his family. During one of those Bible studies, my host came through and spoke prophesy over prophesy over each one of us. What my host said has stuck with me ever since especially because in month 4 a lot of what he had said was confirmed when the Holy Spirit spoke it directly to me during a church service one day and on that day, I received a lot of healing and freedom from things I didn’t even know I was holding onto so tightly. I could go on and tell you moment after moment of the powerful experiences with the Holy Spirit but these are the specific instances that set me on a path to really realizing that listening to the Holy Spirit is an everyday practice that is not only important but so powerful in and of its self.
10. What was your low point? Did you want to come home? What got you through it?
My low point was crying my eyes out in a taxi on my way to a store in South Africa. For those of you who don’t know, my good friend on the squad had a medical emergency during my month six in Zambia and her and I had to be evacuated to South Africa for further treatment. Let me be clear though, I wouldn’t have changed this month for anything in the world, I loved being beside my friend through this experience and learned a lot. The medical clinic we we’re at in Zambia didn’t have the resources needed to treat her and didn’t really take my friends condition seriously until she got really really bad. Once they took her seriously there was a long period of time waiting for insurance and confirmation on what hospital to go to all the while I’m watching my friend in serious pain. Finally, we get medically evacuated and when we get to South Africa there was instant relief from both of us and they rushed us right to the hospital. That same day however, I had to go out a get a converter so we could charge our phones. As soon as I walked out of that hospital to get a taxi, it all hit me. I was in a country I knew nothing about, I was by myself, I was running off very little sleep, I had no idea what was going to happen to my friend, and I had no idea where I was going to stay that night on top of not wanting to be away from my friend’s side for too long. So, I get in the taxi, ask him to take me to a store and then I just start crying.
What got me through it was the nice people at the hospital and a couple sent from the Lord who welcomed my friend and I into their home while we waited for test results. This couple poured so much life into us and made us feel like family which is something we both really needed at that point.
It wasn’t until we got back to Zambia that I was wanting to go home. I was done. I was over it. I was tired and had zero motivation to continue doing ministry that month. I got a really encouraging message from my pastor back home during that time that lifted my spirits a bit but I don’t think I really got out of that mindset until we we’re at debrief the end of that month where I was able to really truly rest.
11. Did the Lord give you vision and direction for the next leg of your race beyond the world race?
As a matter of fact, He did! Since the very beginning in Cambodia, my squad adopted this mentality to not only dream big but to have big outrageous God dreams and prayers. So, something we talk about frequently is what impossible thing are you believing God for. Over the past 11 months, we’ve seen God answer these things over and over again. Come the end of month 9 I realized that I have a big outrageous God dream that I have been too afraid to seriously consider. After I set my excuses aside and just believed God for the dream He’s put in my heart I can tell you all that I want to be a long-term missionary. The mission field is where I really come alive, it’s like I was made for this kind of thing. I find way too much joy in it all even in the less glamorous of circumstances like sleeping in a cockroach infested room or having to work alongside a host I don’t necessarily like, I count it all worth it.
As for my next steps towards this dream, I am looking into being a long-term missionary with Adventures In Missions (AIM), the organization the World Race is under. If you could all be in prayer with me as I pursue long term, I would appreciate it! There are two countries, in particular, Costa Rica and Ecuador that I have the potential of going to. Prayer requests for clarity on which country to go to and prayer for this whole process.
*If any of you want to be a part of this process with me, please let me know and I can make sure I keep you updated.
