April 18th marks the 100th day since we Launched in January. For the 100th day of the World Race, I’d like to invite you into what it’s like being on the World Race. Thus, I have created a list of 100 things to finish the sentence:
THE WORLD RACE IS…
1. Sunburns in January. And February.
2. Tans in March.
3. Wool socks, sweaters, and all things fall in April.
4. Putting baby powder/Neosporin on your teammate’s armpits when she has a rash.
5. Finding spiders the size of your hand in your tennis shoes.
6. Balancing adventure time and alone time.
7. Experiencing JOMO, the joy of missing out.
8. Feedback.
9. One-on-ones.
10. Sleeping on a bus overnight, then waking up at 4am to stand in line to cross the border.
11. ALWAYS using laundry facilities when available (especially right before the next country).
12. Having poop talks on a normal basis.
13. Blisters.
14. Realizing that God frequently communicates in a whisper.
15. Getting excited about cold showers because, hey, at least it’s not a bucket.
16. Realizing bucket showers aren’t as terrible as people think.
17. Breaking the habit of throwing your TP in the toilet.
18. Playing Guesstures because you don’t know the local language.
19. Remembering to ALWAYS carry toilet paper with you, regardless if you’ll be in public areas or homes.
20. Appreciating raisons, whether or not you like them.
21. Not knowing what day of the week it is because they all run together.
22. Your Google account tracking where you are and translating everything into the local language.
23. Learning to live without conditioner and hair products because they are just luxury items.
24. Being flexible and interruptible because ministry could happen at any moment.
25. Silent worship (aka iPod worship).
26. Crossing things off/adding things to/creating your bucket list (or some kind of list; ex: “25 by 25”, “30 before 30”).
27. Wearing the same clothes several days in a row to keep from getting other outfits dirty.
28. Never having clean feet.
29. Being put on the spot to lead a service or message.
30. Learning one or two songs in the local language and making them work in every message you can.
31. Deciphering which clothes are clean(-ish), kinda dirty (can be worn again), and really dirty (needs to be put into laundry bag STAT).
32. Getting excited about peanut butter and rationing it out until then next time you can get more.
33. Feeling like your life is complete because you washed your hair AND shaved your legs when you showered.
34. Ash boarding down the side of an active volcano.
35. Using water sparingly when it is in limited supply in order to preserve it as long as it will last. And then living without it when it goes it.
36. Flushable toilets that don’t flush.
37. Remembering you can’t brush your teeth with the sink water after you brushed your teeth with the sink water.
38. Adjusting to hot climates and being chilled when it’s 70F outside.
39. Celebrating when you find water flavorings, such as Tang.
40. Leaving family behind at the end of every country.
41. Being supportive of squad mates when they are hurting physically.
42. Celebrating holidays in culturally-specific ways (such as the Sawdust Festival of Honduras).
43. Getting frustrated when you can’t find something because you don’t have that much stuff for it to get lost in.
44. Always washing your feet before you go to bed.
45. Realizing that spending time with the Lord is more valuable than Netflix.
46. Getting a new wardrobe from the Free Table at the end of every month (especially before a flight).
47. Learning that a “14-passenger” van is just a suggestion.
48. Fitting your team and all their bags in a regular-sized taxi (think: packs on top secured by a string with others halfway stuffed in the trunk and daypacks in the front seat).
49. Using high-DEET bug spray as nail polish remover.
50. Investing in Spotify Premium.
51. Doubling phone flashlights as worship ambiance.
52. Realizing that pajamas are overrated and a T-shirt and shorts will suffice.
53. Jet lag.
54. Abiding by the “five-second rule”. Or really just eating things that accidentally fall on the ground if it’s reasonably clean.
55. Lots of PB&Js.
56. Purging your pack and still barely making the airline weight limit.
57. Unlimited movies and beverages and free food on international flights.
58. Taking group photos with your airline captain and crew after a long flight.
59. Finding excitement in finding things like Reese’s, Dr. Pepper, and peanut butter.
60. Bonding as a team during months with limited WIFI.
61. Baby wipe baths.
62. Accidentally using paint to wash dishes.
63. Using floss as string.
64. Wearing socks with sandals.
65. Bracelet collections.
66. Wearing bug spray as everyday perfume.
67. Learning when to put down the camera.
68. Free perfume samples in airports after long travel days.
69. Learning that the locals know best.
70. Learning to take taxis that use meters the hard way.
71. Bringing your Bible everywhere because you never know when you’ll need it.
72. Picking up souvenir clothing at second-hand stores in other countries.
73. Hanabi games lasting more than the estimated 30 minutes.
74. Never getting comfortable with squad mates leaving.
75. Viewing vulnerability differently.
76. Being comfortable with being uncomfortable.
77. Calling yourself a “United States-ian”.
78. Eating sopapillas when it rains in Chile.
79. Eating ice cream in other countries that tastes just as good, if not better than United States ice cream.
80. Creative worship.
81. Running after the trash truck after you’ve spent a day Spring cleaning storage closets.
82. Figuring out what tangible thing you want to take with you every country while being mindful of your pack weight limit.
83. Asking for things through prayer and being given way more than you even imagined.
84. Realizing that investing in 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner is not the best option for curly hair.
85. Using ALL the pillows when more are available.
86. Having WiFi available on only one computer one month. And then realizing that WiFi is overrated and time can be spent doing more productive things.
87. Wishing you would have downloaded WhatsApp before leaving the States.
88. Finding that ministry can happen on your “free/off/adventure day”.
89. Learning to be okay with crying in front of people and at the most inopportune times.
90. Knowing that beans and rice are cheap, but learning to take time to eat the local food.
91. Accepting failure by learning from it and moving on.
92. Realizing that your current struggles are only temporary and don’t define you the rest of your life.
93. Worshiping while doing the dishes every night.
94. Recognizing the difference between being in need and being needy.
95. Giving grace in everything.
96. Eating a lot of bread because it’s culturally appropriate.
97. Never getting tired of finding new coffee places to bum WiFi off of.
98. Finding new creative ways to make homemade popcorn.
99. Learning the New Zealand National Anthem.
100. Realizing that memories not caught on film can be more special than those captured with a camera.
Although the emphasis of this blog is things that I’ve learned or experienced on the World Race, truth is that these things could have experienced and learned regardless of being “on the World Race”. Yeah, we use it as an excuse to do crazy things, but we’re just living life. We’re living in a community and have had to grow and mature in a lot of areas.
Someone once told me, “If you want an adventurous life, live an adventurous life.” Whatever each month brings us, we learn to just go with it. For me, living an adventurous life can be done doing ordinary things in an intentional and fun way.
These countries are homes to a lot of other people who are just living their lives, too. We’re simply joining God where He’s working and making the most of it along the way. Sure, it’s cool to do things we wouldn’t (or couldn’t) normally do in our backyard, but I’m realizing that home is where you make it. And it can be in a tent sleeping outside on a concrete floor or in a three-story house with a room of bunk beds.
Nearly all of these things have stories behind them, and (as you know) I would just love to share them with you! Feel free to comment for any explanations!
