Adventures WorldRace SethBarnes Sponsorship Giving

| by archiveworldraceblogs

  1. The bus ride from S.A. to Gabarone when we saw warthogs and ostriches and antelopes on the side of the highway, as if this is totally normal.
  2. The overwhelming sensory overload of a busy African bus stop.
  3. People holding conversations with you from their car as you hang out the bus window, and the way that everyone smiles at you.
  4. Finding out our hosts for the month had a delightfully kissable 7-month old baby as we walked through the door. 
  5. Our home for the month, which was laid out similarly and decorated like a house that my sister and her husband used to live in, and that basically just felt like home.
  6. Sleeping on super comfortable couches instead of the floor. 
  7. Waking up every morning at 6 am to work out with Blair.
  8. Having long mornings to spend a lot of quality time with the Lord.
  9. Cooking omelettes with grilled tomatoes and goat cheese, because the Supermarket was normal and finally had normal things in it.
  10. Our hosts were actually missionaries from Kenya, and made us a lot of delicious Kenyan food. My favorite thing she made was homemade Kenyan chai, which is unlike any other chai I’ve ever had. It’s so spicy and delicious. I miss it!
  11. The thundering rainstorms that chilled me to the bone and made me miss home.
  12. Laughing with our funny host mom, Maki. She had a beautiful laugh and a crazy sense of humor.
  13. The ministry team devos we did every morning with the elders of the church we worked with for the month.
  14. Spending 30-45 minutes every morning after devos, soaking up God’s presence by listening to worship music. This was such sweet time together and also with the Lord.
  15. The way it felt to do campus ministry for the first time, and how that basically forced us to “ask the Lord” to reveal exactly where He wanted us to walk, and who He wanted us to talk to.
  16. The real good 50 cent hot dogs we ate from a food cart outside of campus for lunch one day.
  17. Meeting people from all over Africa (such as Zimbabwe, Botswana, Kenya, Namibia) and learning to decipher cultures and accents.
  18. The taxi driver we got to know, Gift, and how he was always an hour late. But, hey, he always showed up with Tupac or some other rad music, so we didn’t mind much.
  19. Grocery shopping with Maki and her funny “executive decisions” because she grew tired of listening to us try and decide which brand of peanut butter to buy.
  20. Buying personal sticks of dark chocolate and sticking them in the freezer to treat myself at random points throughout the day.
  21. Learning to put cinnamon in my instant coffee. (Thanks, Mills. This has been a real game changer.)
  22. Sometimes just stopping in the middle of my life, looking around and thinking, “Hang on, I’m in Africa.” No matter how much time you spend here, it never stops feeling surreal.
  23. Playing Uno with university students after classes in the campus courtyard.
  24. Watching campus strikes unfold and feeling a variety of fear, confusion, hesitation, and grief for the pain experienced by all involved.
  25. Enjoying deep talks about life, ministry, and marriage with Maki and Lamaz.
  26. Spending Valentine’s this year watching the most thrilling lightning storm and listening to old school Nelly while washing dishes.
  27. Painting through my most debilitating anxiety attack on the Race so far. Thanks, Steph, for suggesting painting as a form of self-therapy.
  28. The way my team loved me through the depth of my shark heartbreak.
  29. Cooking therapy. For real.
  30. The satisfaction of finally having my first-ever Nando’s (been hearing about them for YEARS) and it actually living up to all the hype. Nando’s for life. <3
  31. Having to sit cross-legged in a bath in order to take a shower, all month long.
  32. Learning how to put my hesitations aside and reaching out to people in ways I typically find uncomfortable in order to show them Christ’s love.
  33. Praying spirit-moving prayers with total strangers, and seeing them tear up because of it. Also, the tightness of their hugs after the prayers were over. I’ll never forget it.
  34. Watching my team loving people to Christ. This is the way evangelism was meant to be.
  35. Meeting some of the most vibrant, hilarious, genuine people on the Race so far. Here’s looking at you, Friday night Youth Republik gang! J
  36. The sound of Blessed’s amazing voice praising Jesus from the depth of her soul every Sunday morning.
  37. Listening to our Zimbabwean friend Levi crack dad jokes all the time.
  38. Seeing how thirsty this amazing body of believers are for the Word and how
  39. desperately they chased after it, and the way they fought for each other was so powerful to watch.
  40. Teaching the college-aged Youth Republik kids how to play Never Have I Ever.
  41. High school ministry and watching so many kids come every weekend to find Jesus.
  42. The rickety seats in our church van that were all very broken, but still somehow comfortable.
  43. Leading a bible study on the topic of, and speaking in front of the entire congregation on Sunday morning, about marriage, courtship and dating. Never saw that coming.
  44. Talks with BG on the back patio about the future, whilst babysitting baby Zahara and drinking tea, letting dinner just simmer away on the stove. These were some of my favorite afternoons on the Race.
  45. Reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone outloud to Betsy and Clarissa while they made dinner during our last week in Botswana.
  46. The way I felt loved and fought for the time when Jess pulled me into the bathroom, locked the door behind us and told me how angry she was at Satan for my anxiety, and that she was going to fight for me every day because he has no right messing with one of her people. Love you, lil J.
  47. The braai (backyard barbeque) that rivalled all braais that our hosts threw for us and for all their friends one Saturday afternoon. The meat was piled high, and the pap (super thick grits) was poppin’. Such a fun night!
  48. Plucking Alison’s and Rachel’s eyebrows on the back porch during previously mentioned Braai. This made me happy, and it just felt super homey. Eyebrows on fleek, ladies!
  49. Crying my eyes out because of insanely heavy grief, and not feeling obligated to shoulder it any longer.
  50. Trying chicken feet for the first time. Spoiler alert: tastes like regular chicken, just less meaty.
  51. Watching Madea movies with our hosts and making stove popcorn, laughing all of our bums off. Thanks, Tyler Perry, for continually bringing people together. This was such a great night.