A Tiny Window (Part 1) - Explore Archived World Race Alumni Blogs

I was talking to my teammate Carly today as we were kayaking across crystal clear Lake Atitlan here in central Guatemala how impossible it seems to blog about all of our experiences. I can’t tell you what our Sabbath day was like. I can’t sum up or experiences working with Pastor Benjamin here in Panajachel or how we get to see lives change everyday. Sometimes blogging seems to turn life into a story and I try to draw conclusions that sometimes are unfair to draw. I can’t condense God’s work into words or tell you enough about what has happened and is happening. My team for example has been the influence on the Race that has been the best and the hardest but I find writing about all of that very difficult because it is messy and full of emotion and there are still lots of loose ends. I trust it will come out in in anecdotes and unexpected things as my memories of the past ten months take on words and as I begin to live life next to people that haven’t experienced all this with me. I fear taking the next five weeks for granted but I don’t really know how to fully soak them up. I can’t dig my heels in and make them go any slower but I can let the awareness of their sweetness make every moment more real.

On a sort of side note, I was talking to a dear friend awhile back on Skype and she asked about my pictures from the Race. I have not posted too many on my blog because there is an experience behind every one that is so dear to me I fear they won’t be understood or appreciated on their own. I would rather sit down next to you and tell you about that moment and whether or not the picture accurately captures the essence of what it was. But I probably won’t get to do that with too many people realistically. But I realize it would be a shame to keep them all to myself. So here instead are a few of my favorites with small explanations so that you have a tiny window into my life over the past ten months incase we don’t get to sit down on the couch and share coffee soon.

Bubbles: Carly and I decided that one of the best ways of getting attention in Europe is to be really joyful and give people a reason to smile so we began a “bubble ministry” in our spare time basically meaning we blew bubbles in public places at random times to make people smile and bless them. It proved to be a big outreach to the young as well as the young at heart. We also decided to incorporate bubbles into our worship as pictured above.

My little pony: so I have this pony that was sent to me upon request of a horse to keep me company. She has been traveling with me since India and her name is Manny. She was recently kidnapped by some teammates of mine and taken to Pizza Hut but because of my great detective skills as well as my ability to intimidate a she was recovered and is safe and sound.

Our Lock: A new tradition in Cologne is to put a lock on the bridge behind the cathedral to symbolize a commitment and to “leave your heart in Cologne”. Our contacts surprised our team with a special engraved lock to sign and put on the bridge! We all locked the lock and threw the keys in the Rhine to prove our commitment to one another and our love for the people and city of Cologne.

Up in the sky: Parasailing in Romania- an awesome experience.

Gypsy girls: Some of the most beautiful in the world. Near Targu Mures, Romania.

Frog: this one turned out not to be a prince. But we’ll keep trying won’t we Michelle?

Indian Children: my dear friend, Brooke, with some of the kids in India that stole our hearts.

Mbagala: a view of our village outside of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

Icecream: we rarely get it but when we do we get really excited!

African Sunbeams: Africa is beautiful like no other beauty. You need to see it for yourself.

Peking Duck is great in China. But not after midnight. Also, you should make sure the friends you intend to share it with are hungry or else you end up eating almost all of it and that is not good when you are about to board a plane to Africa in 5 hours.