One year ago today, my TOMS started a journey around the world. They carried me through a typhoon in The Philippines, into the dusty fields of Mozambique, up the Great Wall of China, and to the top of a snowy mountain in Poland. They held me steady as I carried orphans in Swaziland and protected my feet in a Honduran trash dump. As the year progressed, my TOMS slowly began to wear-away, every hole a reminder of the struggles I had overcome, and those I had yet to face.
My TOMS have been through a lot this year. I have been through a lot this year.
Before I left on The World Race, a song entitled “Shoes” inspired me. One line says:
“If I could walk a mile in your shoes
If you could walk a mile in mine
We would see the world from a different point of view”
It didn’t matter where I went this year; my TOMS always followed me there. Here are just a few of the stops on our journey.
Start of the Journey: Solana Beach, California
On a Trike in The Philippines
Hiking on The Great Wall of China
Bungee Jumping in South Africa
Planting a Corn Field in Mozambique
On Safari in Swaziland
Walking to a Gypsy Village in Romania
Visiting Ancient Roman Ruins in Serbia
Traveling Through the Budapest Train Station
Reflecting on the Past at Alchwitz Concentration Camp
Singing Karaoke in Krakow, Poland
At the Top of the Zakopane Mountians (8,000 Feet High)
Exploring the Pálvölgyi Cave in Hungary (350 Feet Below the Ground)
Touring a Castle in Ukraine
Overlooking the city of Antigua, Guatemala
Relaxing on a Rooftop in Honduras
Celebrating 4th of July at The Panama Canal
Getting Pampered at a Natural Hot Spring in Costa Rica
The End of One Journey, the Start of a New One: Indiana University
It is hard to believe that an entire year has passed. Many days it doesn't feel real. But my TOMS now sit perched on my desk as a reminder. Each hole a glimpse of a face, the sun-bleached cloth a vision of fruitful ministry, and the worn soles a memory of the miles walked hand-in-hand with my little friend Arpul. My life was changed this year and my TOMS were there to witness every step of the journey.
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“You can hear um breathing in the summer heat
Choking on a pile of dirt
Pounding down the pavement of the working class
Falling off the feet of the poor
They got the sweat
They got holes
They say a lot about who you are
Shoes can get you where you're going
Shoes can take you there and back
No matter where you're headed
They always end up where you're at
If I could walk a mile in your shoes
If you could walk a mile in mine
We would see the world from a different point of view
We could learn a lot from shoes.”
– Chelsee Oaks (Modified Song Lyrics) –
