Remember That One Time … in Africa!?! [Photo Blog]

… when we packed a bunch of sweaty uber excited newbies into a “spacious” van?

 

 

 

… when we stuffed 22 adults, 2 babies, and 1 live chicken in a 14 passenger van (matatu)?

…or the 4 ladies from LinC 10:10 in the back seat of this small car?

… when we went to muddy Mukulusu, and if we fell in the mud our contact would rank our fall on a scale of 1 – 10?

 

 

… when we spent basically the whole day at the hair salon getting fake hair braided into our head for African braids?

 

 

… when our team lived in 3 different houses and we had a 6pm curfew …

so we snuck away for a day at Lake Victoria?

 

 

… when we rode our first motorcycles (piki piki’s) without helmets in skirts on our first full day in Kakamega, Kenya?

 

 

… and when those piki piki’s took us to a national forest with butterflies and baboons where we walked around for hours starving because they hadn’t fed us all day, and when we finally were fed we ate bread and drank Fanta at the snack shop?

 

 

… when we fought the war against jiggers – and that one time when my leader poured lab strength hydrogen peroxide on a guy’s foot instead of the household stuff because our contact accidentally bought the wrong kind?

 

… but really when we got to see cool God things where we could provide shoes to an entire family to help keep them jigger free?

 

 

 

… when the local supermarket doesn’t have the correct change to give you so they give you 3 pieces of candy instead of 3 Kenyan shillings?

 

 

Also in Kenya,

 

… when I got malaria?

 

… when our new name was mzungu? (well, this was ALL of Africa)

 

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… when we tented 50 feet from the Nile River and many went white water rafting and/or bungee jumping … and well, I spent 8 hours taking out my braids?

 

 

 

 

… or when we got over taken by monkeys at Jinja (Nile Campsite)?

 

 

… when we had the worst bread known to man for Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches, and man did we consume ALOT of pb&j’s on African travel days and at mini-debriefs?

 

… and when we spread the Peanut Butter with the metal pull off lid from the Jelly, and spread the Jelly with a banana peel that had been sitting in the jar all day?

 

 

… when we lived at an orphanage/church/school compound thing with hundreds of kids?

 

 

 

… or when we only had power during church, worship practice, or when we paid for the generator?

 

… or when we didn’t have water for DAYS?!?

 

… and when our teams suffered with many bug bite/bed bug incidents and several cases of Typhoid?

 

 

… when we had to cook every meal for ourselves outside over a Geico burner thing that we had to constantly supply with charcoal?

 

 

… when we went on a safari with the super scary, crazy fast driver who hit someone off their bike thing as we were leaving town at like 4am?

 

… when we saw monkeys, elephants, hippos, and gazelles but NO lions on our safari, and then found out afterwards that we were supposed to have a guide the whole time?

 

… when on the same safari – myself and some of my teammates made animal sounds as we drove through the park?

 

 

 

 

 

 

… when we went to a bunch of crusades in Mbarara and several other towns near and far?

 

… and when one of my squadmates fell out of a tree (Oh, Zaccheus) at one of our crusades?

 

 

… when we started/continued our career as professional American singers, willing to perform with or without advance notice?

 

… and how if all else failed we were always prepared with our go to song “How He Loves?”

 

 

… when we performed the “Everything Skit” at church and at a major conference on our final day in Uganda?

 

 

… when we met up with the girls team and crammed like 20 of us in the bed of a truck to go to Prayer Mountain where we basically literally had to climb a little mountain once we got there?

 

 

 

… when our stuff and ourselves were always caked in layers of African dirt?

 

 

Also in Uganda,

 

… when I celebrated my 24th birthday with the worst birthday cake EVER – Millet (play dough texture) and beans, and multiple people may have spit it out the church window?

 

… when we went to a the fancy hotel to swim for a team day and the best part was taking a semi-warm real shower in the changing room?

 

… when we fit 14 people inside an 8 passenger Jeep Laredo thing, and 1 person on the spare tire outside?

 

… or when our contact wanted to show us his old orphanage so we went off roading in the same jeep thing and when there was a barbed wirefence keeping us from continuing on, our contact and my team leader ripped that section of fence out of the ground on someone else’s property so we could continue?

 

… or when a couple of my squadmates helped to rescue a street kid who is still at the orphanage today?

 

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… when we taught preschoolers English every day in Rwanda?

 

 

… and adults?

 

 

… when we took a team shower in the rain and our cook, Bonafus helped wash my team leader’s back?

 

 

… when I almost got charged by a cow on our walk back from the miles of walking to and from the river for the baptisms?

 

… and when our guys actually helped baptize people?

 

 

… when we got to hang out with some of the cutest kids in Africa?

 

 

… when Elizabeth and I dressed up as Tom and Brian for Halloween without them knowing by stealing their matching Kenya shirts and their head wear?

 

 

… or when Elizabeth tried to make her Tom look alike beard with fake hair she had saved from taking her braids out about a month before? (But then realized that was a bad idea, haha)

 

 

Also in Rwanda,

 

… when we were in culture shock by how clean Rwanda was and how they actually had traffic laws they would abide by?

 

… when I went to the hospital twice because I hurt my back?

 

… when I got tested for Malaria twice (once because everyone had to) – making it that I had been tested for Malaria in 3 out of 3 African countries?

 

… when the girls on my team accidentally locked ourselves in the back of the house while running from a moth/butterfly/bat thing?

 

… or when our clothes smelled worse after being “washed” than when they were dirty?

 

… when we had our first taste of “American food” in months and had countless squad reunions in Kigali?

 

… AND when God provided over $3000 in 48 hours so I could continue on The World Race?!?

 

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 Africa broke me down. Africa was physically demanding and culture shocking. I was thrown in to this crazy World Race culture – sink or swim, and just barely I was able to doggy paddle my way through. In Africa I knew this wasn’t going to be just another mission trip.

 

To my supporters: Thank you for helping me to experience Africa. Thank you for helping me to see the truth in who I AM says I am … and for allowing me to pour into the lives of the people we were able to meet in Africa.

 

To my team: LinC 10:10, though we had our struggles, though we had our fights … we also had so much growth, so many life experiences, and so much fun. My Race would not have looked the same had I not been able to live alongside you guys for the first three months.

 

Original LinC 10:10 at Training Camp- First Team Meal!

 

 

LinC 10:10 at Launch – Final American Meal!

(minus Stephen who was asked to switch teams)

 

 

LinC 10:10 in Kakamega, Kenya – Month 1

 

 

LinC 10:10 in Mbarara, Uganda – Month 2

 

 

LinC 10:10 in Kabuga, Rwanda – Month 3

 

 

… stay tuned for my look back on Asia and Eastern Europe …

 

(Though it will probably be after I return home that I post those, so this is part 1 of 3 … get excited … and sorry it’s so long, it’s hard to keep it short looking back on the past 11 months, so much has happened!)

 

*Photos Courtesy of: LinC 10:10 and Tuna Moto*