On our off day this week, some of the team leaders and myself chose to pack up and head to the beach. We climbed the rocky hill to the end of the road and began to wait for the public bus which is supposed to run every hour. It was about 10 til 8am when we made it to the road. Naturally, we walked into the corner store and bought plantain chips and a Coke for breakfast. The store owner asked where we were going. We told him, and with a concerned look on his face, he said that it is very difficult to get a bus to the beach and even more difficult to get one back up the mountain.
8:10. 8:15. 8:30. 8:40… up pulls a royal blue Tonka truck with ‘NISSAN’ painted on the back. Surely this isn’t the ‘bus’ we are waiting on. The make-shift Hot Wheels was bursting at the seems with coconuts. The man leans out the window to ask where we were going… sure enough, with a truck bed full of coconuts, he was going to the same place AND he said he would bring us back home. Though we didn’t really know this man, he is well known and trustworthy on Hope Mountain – so it wasn’t THAT sketchy… right? Chandler, Hana Beth, Amy, and I climbed in the back, perched up on top of all the coconuts.
It was as my legs went numb from being awkwardly crammed on top of the coconuts and winding down the mountain, that it hit me… The race is almost over. The thoughts come and go daily at this point… “We are almost there.”… “Just a couple more weeks until I’m in my home, taking a hot shower, slipping into my cozy Tide scented down comforter.”… “I’m so close to throwing my arms around my people.”
Tears filled my eyes as I looked around at the beautiful scenery of the lush, green, Dominican mountains, seeing people try to snap a shot of these 4 crazy American girls, holding on for dear life in the back of a coconut-filled Tonka truck, and the smiles of some of my sweetest friends as we shouted the lyrics, “You’re gonna miss this // You’re gonna want this back // You’re gonna wish these days… hadn’t gone by so fast”.
It’s all so true. I AM going to miss this. I AM going to want this back. WHY have the days gone by so fast?
Yes, it’s the people and seeing the Lord show up and show out. But it’s also the little things. The things that at the time, seemed as if I took them for granted.
In Lesotho, it’s walking in the garden, picking vegetables with my sweet boy, Bereng.
In Swaziland, seeing the smiles of the neighbors who practiced witchcraft light up as Matt and I went to fetch water for them every morning.
In South Africa, it’s talking with my incredible hosts and being encouraged by them daily.
In Vietnam, it’s sitting around the table for every meal as a family with mom and dad (Vi and Túy) .
In Cambodia, it’s the quiet time every morning where God told me that I was equipped for this season of life.
In Thailand, it’s dancing around the playground singing, “This is Living Now” with elementary-aged kids who speak Thai and virtually no English.
In Nicaragua, it’s working out with my gal pal, Lindsay every morning and playing with tennis balls on the basketball court with Joseph Anthony and Noel.
In Costa Rica, it’s taking nightly walks to cut herbs off trees for hot tea with Juan while he laughed at my broken Spanish.
In Jamaica, it’s attempting to be the next Rachel Ray in the kitchen with EQ and Katie.
In Haiti, it’s the voices of the children calling me, “Blan” as they run into my arms with smiles wiped across their faces.
In the Dominican Republic, it’s riding in the back of coconut filled trucks and talking with Ricardo and Jason as we moved dirt and leaves.
There are so many little things that I remember about each and every country. Honestly, many of the ‘little things’ I won’t realize that I miss them until I have been home for a couple weeks… until I have maybe gotten into some sort of a routine. But that routine won’t include walking outside and picking a mango off the tree to eat in the morning… nor will it include taking an afternoon shower in the waterfall.
It’s going to be weird – that’s for sure. How will I respond? I honestly don’t know. I know it’s going to be an adjustment and it may be more difficult or easy than I imagine. But for now, I’m going to continue to soak up the little things – the little gifts that God has given me to open in the midst of these 11 months. Some have been surprises, but all have been blessings.
