This past month there were multiple moments where I thought I wish an airport was in walking distance but I’m glad there wasn’t one that close all at the same time. There were moments when I cried so much I felt like throwing up. And moments when I was just like really God? Why is this happening?!
I’ll just start it with our taxi ride to port St. John’s. On our taxi ride down my hard drive got left or taken somewhere in transit. Either way, when we arrived in port St. John’s 300 movies and pictures from the first two months were gone. But it honestly didn’t bother me I felt like it was Gods way of saying Gabby your gonna want to withdraw this month and I’m not gonna let you. BE PRESENT.
So I was, I loved people in ways I never thought possible this is where when all the tears came in you know how hard it is to watch some you love do something you know that is wrong for them and have them lie to your face about it! If your a parent you do and if you haven’t experienced this yet your kids must not be teenagers yet( keep praying and keep loving them it will get better)
About week two I was charging my phone on someone’s computer I don’t realize I’m not supposed to trust computers, anyways ALL my music was wiped. Thankfully once I got wifi I could redownload it all. (but please unless you have been to South Africa don’t pretend you know what it’s like to have to find wifi and downloading music uses a lot)
A few days after that my speaker goes missing, now at this moment I know it was stolen, but I tell myself I have just misplaced and when we pack up to leave I will magically find it. Well, that wasn’t the case it came time for us to leave all my things are packed away no speaker. I feel bummed but I knew the risk of bringing one. When we get back from church I go to put my air porter on my pack so when our taxi gets their I’m completely ready, but I notice my things look like they have been gone through and I realize my computer and the charger are gone. I’m just gonna fast forward a bit because saying goodbye is already hard enough and it truly sucks when you see one of those boys you love walk out in hand cuffs. It all happened so fast I wish I could go back and pause that moment and tell him I don’t think anything less of you. I still love you, Jesus still loves you! I don’t need things, we just need to know the love of our father!
But I didn’t get to tell him that so I still think about it and that’s okay because that means my father hears about him constantly!
So the emotional wreck (that’s me) gets on the taxi, then a greyhound bus for 13 hours… Gets no sleep because my mind runs 90 to nothing we spend the night in a church get on a plane and again no sleep, land in Dubai a 4 hour layover is me sleeping for two (finally) then a second flight and again no sleep! So I’m literally exhausted at this point to where I just want to throw up.. But don’t worry because getting a visa in Vietnam is harder than you think but after what felt like hours (honestly it could have been I loose track of time) we make it through. We get a bus and make it to our hostel. Where i just know at this moment I am going to throw up yet where is the question? So I go to the street, it’s dark outside yet Vietnam is awake and is so lit up there are so many people driving past on their bikes, four men playing a card game outside to my right and it’s so humid. I look at Cara my teammate and say ” Is this okay?” And she says ” yes! I’ll hold your hair!” And then you know the rest.
Don’t ask me why I felt the need to share all of this its just that life is not always pretty, and just like we have our messy lives God is always there and sometimes he’s holding our hair back when we are in a mess! And he’s there to help us clean it up and he says I still love you! KEEP CHOOSING ME! Don’t give up my child!
Oh and if you thought I was done traveling, right now I am on a bus and I will be on it for just a short 26 hours before we reach that final destinatio. I feel like this is the moment where I say welcome to the world race!
