“Racer Life” is one of the most exciting, scary, intense, joyful, challenging, and crazy things I’ve ever done! Before coming on the Race, I had no idea how this year would work, and I still have no idea what life looks like on any given day. People have so many questions about what life looks like on the Race, and some people have asked me about different aspects of Racer Life. Here’s a Q&A-style peak into my Race experience!
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Katie B: What are some things that didn’t expect that have happened on the race? This could be anything: spiritually or things you never thought you would do. I didn’t expect to try as much strange food (octopus, jiggly surprise, breakfast fish soup). I didn’t expect that we’d paint an entire mural in 4 days, or that we would have as much access to Wi-Fi (a blessing and a curse). I didn’t expect that ministry would look so different than my pre-Race understanding of what ministry is. I didn’t expect that God would call me share parts of my story that He has called me to share and walk through.
Aaron P: What’s the longest you’ve gone without showering? I think I went longer without showering at training camp (like 4 days) than I have this year, but I’d say 3 days.
Maren M: How are you dealing with the language barriers? Language connects people, so not being able to communicate clearly can be frustrating. I try to learn how to say “Thank You” in a language as soon as we get to a new country. I also love asking our host, or even our tuk tuk or taxi driver, to teach me how to do simple things like count to five and say “Hi, my name is ____.” Showing people that you have a desire to enter into their language, even if it’s just in simple ways, can really show people that you care.
Brianna L: What’s the latest you’ve stayed up and why? I think the latest I’ve stayed up was 6 a.m. the day/night that we had a 10-hour layover in Malaysia. A group of about 6 of us left the airport after we landed at 9 p.m. and adventured around for a while, got some food, and came back into the airport. I couldn’t sleep afterwards, so I just stayed up until we boarded our next plane to Vietnam!
Nathaniel B: What kind of money do you have to use? India uses Indian Rupees, Nepal uses Nepalese Rupees, Vietnam uses Vietnamese Dong, Cambodia uses both Cambodian Riel and US Dollars, and Thailand uses Thai Baht. I’ve been saving a bit of money from each country to use in my classroom when I get back!
Blake P: Have you had good Mexican food? We’ve had Mexican twice, and the lack of it is making me realize how much I love it. We went to Mexican restaurant in Nepal that had really good queso (I think it was really good… I could have just convinced myself that it was good because I wanted it so bad) and our host brother in Cambodia took us to a Mexican restaurant that he used to work at! I’m excited to dig into some guacamole when I get home, though.
Katie B: Now that you’ve been on the race for a bit, what are you looking forward to more and more? I’m really looking forward to seeing the cultural differences between Asia, Eastern Europe, and Africa. I’m excited to see the ways that different people worship, and I’m excited to continue to invest in the families and hosts that we’re placed with. I’m excited for the prospect of a month doing manual labor, and I’m excited for the prospect of a month working with women and girls like we were able to do in India.
Erica B: What is the most amazing thing that you’ve learned? This past month, we had the opportunity to hear the stories of our Cambodian mom and dad who both survived the Khmer Rouge that held power in Cambodia in the 1970’s. Mom is 1 of 7 still alive from her family of 11, and Dad is 1 out of 2 still alive from his family of 10. Mom told us stories of how she was almost beat unconscious for stealing corn to feed herself, and dad told us stories of how he pretended to be a farmer instead of the son of a government worker so that he wouldn’t be killed like the other members of his family. In a country like Cambodia, everyone alive over 50 has a story of how they survived the Rouge, so stories are rarely shared; I’m so thankful that we were able to learn theirs.
Brianna L: What books have you been reading in your spare time? I’ve been working on The Lord of the Rings trilogy, First They Killed My Father (a story about the Cambodian genocide), Kisses from Katie, Mud, Sweat, and Tears (Bear Grylls’ autobiography), and Wild (a book about a lady who hiked the Pacific Crest Trail). An assortment for any mood, I can assure you!
Linda S: What are some personal prayer requests that your friends and family can be praying for? I’ll list three, because that’s a good, manageable number.
- Pray for sleep; as simple as it sounds, sleep hasn’t been coming as naturally as it has in the past. My parents often pray that God would give them just as much sleep and rest as they need to be able to glorify Him to the fullest the next day, whether that means waking up fully rested and being able to praise Him with their full strength or praising Him by having to rely on His strength being made perfect in their physical weakness. I’ve tried to adopt this same prayer.
- Pray that I would walk further and further into the idea of abandonment with each new day; abandoning the way I feel like my future “has” to go, abandoning my desires to find my identity in those around me and the titles I can gather, and abandoning my expectations for what my days (or life) need to look like.
- Praise God that He has shone His favor and joy upon me and my team this month. This month has been sweaty, sticky, and great. God is blowing my mind through His Word, our host family, and the people we interact with daily. It’s been a month of laughter, growth, and family. Thank you, God!
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Have a question about “Racer Life”? Submit it in the comments of this or any of my past blogs, and I’ll answer it in my next Q&A blog!
