Life has been hectic since getting home, but I’m finally getting around to posting the crazy stories from month 10!!! I apologize for the delay!
Namibia was full of adventure. It was full of deeper relationships within our team. It was full of hilarious moments. Scary moments. And most of all… weird moments. I know you all have been waiting to hear them! So here are a few of the crazy stories from our ATL (ask the Lord) month in Namibia.
- Sometimes you lose all control of your bowls in a fancy mall in Johannesburg, South Africa. You know what they say… “you’re not a true racer until you have a poop story.” It’s a sad reality. It really is (by the way, if you want more of this story, just ask. I’ve become very vulnerable with such things).
- When you desperately want a haircut. You’re so desperate that you just pick someone on your squad to just start cutting. You honestly don’t even care what it looks like anymore. So you ask Tara. And as Tara is getting ready to trim away (by the way I have 100% confidence in her) this girl from K squad walks up and after a short discussion you learn she’s cut hair in the states. So then you get blessed to a really awesome styled haircut… And it’s fo free!! #winning
- Those incredible nights when your entire squad gets together for worship. K Squad decides to join you and with every voice in the hostel crying out to God in relentless worship, you’re overwhelmed by His flippin goodness. Talk about one awesome freaken night!!!
- Sometimes you lose in the game “what are the odds” and as a result have to run up the down escalator or down the up escalator. Whichever escalator is working that day. It was a pretty common occurrence throughout the month. The Namibian’s were probably thinking… “why can’t these stupid white people figure out what side of the escalator to go down?” What can I say, we pride ourselves in looking like fools 😉
- When you find yourself sleeping in your hammock in 25 degree weather because lodging in Southern Africa is so ridiculously expensive. #thestrugglesrealfolks
- That moment when you’ve, yet again, lost in “what are the odds” and you have to squeeze through a little hole between the stairs and sidewalk. You’re climbing through only to find your boobs are too large to fit, but you decided to force it through regardless. Hey, at least I made it!!
- I love those times when you’re in the grocery store and these sketchy men walk up to you asking the most random questions like “O where did you get your cake?” Well, obviously I got it in here… Duh. That’s when I begin to think they’re up to something. Then they begin asking Sydney weird questions and I watched their hands as they try to pick pocket her purse. Yeah, we called you out on it, dude!! Then we walk around the corner and this lovely lady who works there comes up to us and says watch your side purse… There are pick pocketer’s in here. Yeah thanks lady, I think we found them.
- When you’re walkin around the mall handing out sandwiches and you meet a man named Raymon along the way. Full of hilarious joy and contagious smiles, you ask if you can pray for him and he ponders the question and replies “No.” but quickly changes his mind and enthusiastically says “Umm actually, yes!!!” I just loved that dude.
- You’re walking home from Mugg & Bean and you’re on the phone with Ronny. Suddenly this man squeezes between you, a grocery cart, and a cement post. You’re convinced he’s trying to pick pocket you so you just give him a gentle push with your shoulder, while at the same time you tell Ronny you have to put the phone away because there’s a lot going on in the Taxi Rink. As you get off the phone Liz looks at you and says that man just pick pocketed you. You had tissues in your pocket didn’t you? Yup… I did. Congrats dude, all you got were a few already used tissues. Hope you like my snot.
- When you’re enjoying a spaghetti dinner with your team and Tommy randomly says “Sometimes Purée reminds me of old people. Like in a retirement home or hospice.” Um Tommy… What!?! “Well my grandpa had Parkinson’s and he couldn’t swallow so he had to eat everything purée. I didn’t mean to be morbid… But that’s how he died.” Bahaha ooooo Tommy.
- That one time when you’re sitting in the kitchen at the hostel enjoying dinner and processing the month you spent in Malaysia and a couple who is making dinner starts hard core making out right behind you. Ummm all sorts of awkward.
- Sometimes for ladies night you decide to go to the mall and pick up some new nail polish colors and some hair dye. The evening turns into coloring Kaitlin’s hair and painting nails. Goin back to our elementary slumber party days.
- When we’re sitting in team time praying for each persons prayer requests. Kaitlin is next and Sydney suddenly chimes in with a creepy grin… “Kaitlin, can I lay my teeth on you? ??”
- You often find yourself playing soccer on the World Race. Although the sport stays the same, the location of the field changes drastically. Possibly my favorite this month was in the bush of Namibia with mountainous desert all around and thorny shrubs knee length covering the field.
- When you’re on your way to soccer with your host and you’re getting ready to pull out of the ministry site. You pause a second to wait for one of the neighborhood boys to grab his shoes so he can come too. As you’re waiting you look across the road and find this sweet little African baby staring at you. You begin waiving and hesitantly he begins waiving back. And then he slowly, but preciously blows you a sweet tender kiss. O my goodness… African babies have my heart!
- You’re at the hostel. Everyone on the team has just gotten in bed for the night, and the lights have just been turned off. Ahh peace and quiet, you think to yourself. And then… Blaring music is blasted from right outside the door for hours. Ok welllll, I guess there’s not gonna be much sleeping tonight then.
- Only on the World Race do you walk an hour to an International Church that’s in English. It’s ok though because on the way back we decided to stop at the train tracks and take our band pics. #HillsongWorldRace #RawBroccoli #VegginOut #DTM #worldtour #thelegendliveson
- Sometimes you drive to the beach with a few of your teammates to go skydiving over the Namibian flippin desert!! What!? #isthisreallife
- You’re walking along the ocean and you see this object floating in the ocean. You think it’s just a stick, but you take another glance and BAM… It’s a wild sea lion takin a little swim along the coast. You follow him along the beach until you can see him better and then he decides to climb out of the water and sunbathe on the beach. What a little cutie!!!
- Gotta love random nights when you walk into a fancy restaurant, and feeling a little dingy and underdressed, you ask to eat there. They ask if you have a reservation. Well no we don’t, but they seem to find a small table for us anyway. So we find ourselves enjoying a fancy dinner at a restaurant (that’s actually a real ship) overlooking the Atlantic ocean.
- Sometimes you get excited about little things. Things like a comfy bed, warm down comforter, and a really fluffy pillow at your hostel!! O my gosh… Talk about one heavenly night of sleep.
- When you meet the owner of the skydiving company and after he supplies your group with several rounds of free beers you spend the rest of the evening hangin out, talking, and laughing while watching the sunset over the desert with the Atlantic in the distance. I mean… nbd.
- Sometimes you find yourself taking an extremely sketchy taxi back to Windhoek after your little skydiving extravaganza. Talk about one of the scariest moments of my entire race. Let’s just say I had my eyes glued to the road to make sure I kept seeing roadsigns for Windhoek for the entire 3 1/2 hour ride back to our hostel. I don’t think I’d ever been so relieved to see our hostel.
- When you come back to the hostel after ladies night to a lovely surprise of flowers and a sweet note from each of the men on the team. Gotta love those guys!! Always full of surprises and thoughtfulness.
- Sometimes you decide to do the Daniel Fast with four of your teammates for the month. Gotta love some good community kitchen time every day.
- Praise Jesus for the day when after I get out of a hot shower I don’t immediately have goosebumps because the bathroom itself is pretty much outside so it’s freezing. I can dream right?
- When you stay back with one of your squad mates so you can research debrief lodging and she can call Renee. The wifi at our hostel is never strong enough to do what we needed to do so we figured… Hey let’s try Mugg and Bean. We make the 10 minute walk only to find the wifi isn’t working. So then we try Tornadoes (some apparently delicious pizza restaurant). We sit down and order, only to find the wifi is only gonna work for an hour. Defeated, we decide to just walk back to our hostel and call it a day. The struggles real, folks!! Never take for granted working wifi!!!!
- Sometimes you go to the skate park Brad and Tommy have been doing ministry at all month to meet a professional skateboarder from Germany who flew over to donate, and build brand new ramps for the park. While you watch you also enjoy some Red Bull since the event just happens to be sponsored by them (real shocker there… Red Bull sponsors everything!)
- So one Saturday we were playing soccer with the teenage boys from Beautiful Kidz and the team I was on found ourselves losing 5-2 with 8 minutes left in the game. But, they didn’t give up. Within one minute we scored 2 goals back to back. And then with 4 minutes left I scored the last goal to tie it up. The game then went into suspenseful PK’s. After a nail biting 5 minutes, chants and cheering, and unconfined excitement my team came away with the WIN with 9-8!!!! Pretty exciting game if I may say so myself, and it was so much fun to play in.
- When you’re all in the room watching fail videos and laughing uncontrollably. Suddenly the door opens and Kaitlin, having just gotten out of a very hot shower, stumbles into the room muttering… “I, I, I…. can’t even.” She then gracefully falls across all of our groceries laying on the ground. Immediately, we rush to her side, lay her flat on the ground, and get some food in her stomach. Yes, she was doing a three day fast and an hour before it was over she passed out because of the hot shower she took. It’s ok everyone, she’s fine… But leave it to Kaitlin 😉
- Sometimes you take a 42 hour detour into Zimbabwe so you can see Victoria Falls and hang out with your squad for a few days before heading into month 11. You’re expecting to pay $50 for a Zambia and Zimbabwe duel visa, but then you get to the Zambia border and find out you can’t get that visa at that border so instead of paying $50 for both they make you pay $50 for just a Zambia visa just so you can drive 3 hours to Zimbabwe. Then when you get to the Zimbabwe border they make you pay another $30 visa that voids the Zambia visa. Let’s just say… It made me seriously look forward to the day when I’m back in the states and people can’t rip you off just because you’re a foreigner or just because you’re white.
- Our awful travel day was quickly redeemed when the next day Ronny and I decided to do the gorge swing where we free fell for about 120 meters into the raging river beneath us. And then afterwards we walked through the Victoria Falls park for a couple hours. Talk about an absolutely breathtaking experience!! I can’t help but look at the falls and not be in awe of Gods magnificence.
- When you’re nearing the end of the Victoria Falls park. You’re walking back to the front to leave and everyone who passes you laughs because you are absolutely drenched in water… As though you’ve just gotten out of the shower. Yeah just wait folks, this is gonna be you in about 30 minutes.
- Sometimes you decide to run a half marathon in Zimbabwe and run across the Victoria Falls bridge and watch the sunrise over the falls. So freaken beautiful!!
- You’re running a half marathon and you hear that they had to actually pause runners because there were wild African elephants that were charging the racers. Ummmm what!? Only in Africa!!
- When you’re walking to the train station with Tommy and Kaitlin, each of you are carrying your own pizza for the train ride because you just ran a half marathon and you deserve a full pizza for your accomplishments. As you’re walking this man comes up to you trying to sell you hippos and Zimbabwe money that is basically worthless. When he realizes his efforts for money aren’t working he decides to go another route. That’s when he decides to follow you for 5 minutes bargaining “Hippo for your pizza? Hippo for your pizza?” Um no sir, my pizza is far more valuable than your hippos!!!
(Photo Cred: Jacob Quijas)
- Sometimes for travel days you get to take a 14 hour sleeper train ride through the bush of Africa to your next country. Talk about the coolest travel day ever. Besides the funky stains on my priorly clean tights, the urine infested windows, and the cramped 4 person room, I actually thoroughly enjoyed it AND I literally felt like I was on my way to Hogwarts. I was just waiting for a dementor to show up at our door trying to suck our souls out. #yeswejustfinishedaHarryPottermarathon #judgeus
Hope ya’ll enjoyed a few of our fun memories from Namibia. Month 11 will be up shorty, but while you wait, here’s our Namibia highlight video!
Blessings,
Jaz
