Here’s a few photos of my year, as my time on the race comes to an end I was encouraged to reflect on the past year and everything that has come along with it. The highs and lows, the good and the bad, and all the growth and change that come from it. Here’s to 11 months of memories. New friends who are now old friends. The places we visited and the people we fell in love with. I will cherish this year, as it is something some people only dream about doing but the Lord made it a reality for me. I hope to remember these moments for the rest of my life and all the good, bad, and in between that came with this year. The pictures may only show the smiles and the beautiful places, but this year was hard. I went through a lot with these people who I now consider my family. In the words of Gabriella and Troy, “this is the start of something new.” Here’s to whatever comes next, and to what we have left behind.
MONTH 1: Mrcajevci, Serbia
Team Kaleo will forever hold a place in my heart that no one else can fill. We learned how to have fun and get work done. We learned how to love one another well, even if we didn’t know how all the time. They started this thing with me and have been there for me through and through.
MONTH 2: Lezhe, Albania and Lesvos, Greece
The guys in the picture above are refugees who I met on the island of Lesvos. He told me to take a selfie with him and his “30 friends” so obviously I tried my best. Cool story about these guys, when we were getting on the ferry to head back to Athens we were standing in line and in broken English I heard my name called out from a few feet behind me. I turned around and they all screamed my name, then proceeded to show me the selfie we took and asked if I remembered them. I pray for them often and for their journey they went on and for their lives in Europe right now.
MONTH 3: Thessaloniki, Greece
This was one of the hardest months for me. Seeing people denied basic human rights, access to clean water, food, and shelter as the weather starting turning to winter knowing there was nothing I could do but show up was one of the hardest lessons I learned on the race. These people couldn’t cross the border because of where they came from. I still have a hard time coping with the fact that there is so much fear driven hate in our world and it effects people in more ways than we know.
MONTH 4: White River, South Africa
We had the opportunity to go on a safari in Kruger National Park and it was one of the most amazing experiences. Seeing these animals in their natural habitat so close to us was amazing. I saw 4 of the big 5, only missing the leopard. South Africa will forever hold a special place in my heart.
MONTH 5: Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Two words: Victoria Falls, if you ever get the chance to go you have to do it. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, and one of the natural wonders of the world. This month was filled with sharing testimonies of how the Lord has moved in our lives and encouragement for high school students to do the same.
MONTH 6: Malealea, Lesotho
Photo Credit: Aubrey Fite
Teaching preschool was never something I thought I would do, but these little nuggets were the best. Lesotho is one of the most breath-taking countries I have ever been to and I hope one day to return. The family we stayed with was nothing short of amazing and it was one of the hardest good-byes for me. My time in Lesotho was also spent gazing at the amazing stars, eating a cobra the host’s boys killed, drinking coke in the middle of a torrential downpour that flooded the church and loving on some of the sweetest kids.
MONTH 7: Bulacan, Philippines
Basketball, the Philippines is all about basketball and it was so nice to be able to play again. This month the whole squad was together for a 3rd time and if I’m being honest it was hard. But, the Filipino people are some of the nicest, mosy generous people I have ever met.
MONTH 8: Changlun, Malaysia
Teaching English to 5 year olds who came from different countries was one of my favorite things. These kids were all in Malaysia because their parents were international students at the university. They all had something special about them and I miss them every day.
MONTH 9: Chiang Mai, Thailand
MY MOM CAME TO VISIT! For one week, my mom came (along with many other parents) to do ministry alongside us and get a glimpse of what our lives have looked like the past 8 months. We got to do ministry in the bars of Chiang Mai, making friends with women who work there. We had the chance to spend the afternoon with a lady we met and her daughter at a lake and I am so thankful for her as a mother and for sharing a part of her life with us.
MONTH 10: Siem Reap, Cambodia
We worked at a guesthouse, during this month we spent many nights by the pool after dinner. Part of my job this month was creating a drink menu for the poolside bar. We had so many laughs and saw a lot of tangible work that was done this month.
MONTH 11: Da Lat, Vietnam
What a better place to finish the race than Da Lat. A nice little town in the mountains of Vietnam that was colonized by the French to escape the heat of Saigon. It has been amazing here, most days don’t get above 75 degrees and there is so much beauty around. We also are teaching a bunch of little goobers this month, 3 days a week we spend a few hours with them teaching English and learning songs.
This year has been nothing short of amazing and I cannot wait to share more pictures and stories with everyone when I get home in 2 short weeks. Please continue to be praying for the people in these pictures along with myself and my squad as we put a wrap on this season of our lives and prepare for whatever the Lord has next for us. Thank you for your continued love and support.
LOVES.
