I land in America in 9 DAYS! Can you believe how quickly the time has gone by? I’ve traveled to 15 countries (if I’m counting correctly), I’ve seen the world, I’ve seen the Lord move in ways I never expected, and I have lots of stories to tell. In all of this, as people I love, and people that I know love and care about me, I am here asking for your help as I re-enter into life back in America. This can be as easy as a simple conversation. When I get home, please don’t ask me questions like, “How was the World Race?” or “How was your experience?”; it is the equivalent of me asking you “How was your whole 2017 year?”. It’s really difficult to summarize a whole year into a practical conversation. Being specific is really helpful!
Please know that I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you care, and that you want to know more about what has been happening in my life; I’m excited to share! I’ve developed a list of questions that will help both you and I talk about this past year on the Race. Some are fun and some are serious, but all are relevant to a year on the field.
General
What did you learn about being a believer this year?
What did you learn about being a leader?
What did you learn about the character of Christ?
What did you learn about obedience?
What did you learn about truth and emotions?
What were some of your favorite moments with your three teams? (First team: Themelios, Second team: R1:16, Third team: Zeal)
What places and moments broke your heart?
What places and moments did you feel most alive?
Who are your closest friends that you made on the Race, and why?
What were some of your worst living conditions? What were the best?
What ministry was the most challenging?
Which ministry was your favorite and why?
What was your favorite country and why?
What other countries did you go to that were not on your route?
What was your favorite country in each continent?
What was it like to live out of a backpack all year?
What momentos did you collect?
Asia
What was traditional Indian food like?
What was it like to be sick in India? What was the doctor’s office like?
Why did you love India?
What was public transportation like?
What did you see in nature that amazed or inspired you?
Ask me about off days/adventure days in each country and what they looked like.
What did the Lord teach you about His love in India?
Ask me about communism in Vietnam and what that looked like in ministry.
Ask me about our overnight layover in Malaysia.
What did you do on Easter?
What was it like learning about the history and genocide of Cambodia?
Ask me about the juvenile detention center in Thailand.
Ask me about a ministry that intrigues you!
In India, we worked with an organization that provided after-school care for girls and gave small business loans to women in order to ease the stress of having to pay a dowry for female children.
In Nepal, our entire squad lived together and did a lot of prayer ministry and visited dance/night clubs where women are trafficked.
In Vietnam, we worked in a coffee shop that offered free English conversations, and poured into our hosts’ church.
In Cambodia, we taught English and painted a mural at the preschool where we taught.
In Thailand, we taught English in the Buddhist schools.
Europe
What did you do during your layover in Rome?
Tell me about the LDW in Thailand.
What was the transition like going from Asia to Eastern Europe?
What were your expectations of Eastern Europe before you got there? And what was the reality?
Ask me about which place was hardest to say goodbye to.
Ask me what ATL was like, and the crazy process that went into hearing from the Lord that we were called to Greece instead of Macedonia.
What was the food like in each country?
How was your trip to Athens?
Ask me about feeling like a homeless person in an Athens McDonalds!
Ask me about celebrating my birthday in Bulgaria.
Ask me about a ministry that interests you!
In Albania, we worked at a Bible School and got very close to the interns who worked there, and I got to teach ESL to the interns.
In Greece, we did street ministry, including handing out flowers to women on the street and handing out waters on hot days to the homeless and people working in the heat. We stood outside and held up signs to allow people to interact with us and tell us more about themselves and we did public worship in the city square.
In Bulgaria, we went to a youth camp in the mountains and made some amazing connections with the youth.
Africa
What did you do during your layover in Qatar?
In what ways did Africa surprise you?
How did you get to Victoria Falls?
Ask me the story behind the momento I took from Zimbabwe.
What did spiritual warfare look like in Zimbabwe?
Ask me about the kids at the Sandra Jones Center.
What did you and your team do in your down time in Swaziland?
What did you learn about the character of the Lord while in Nsoko?
How did Zimbabwe, Swaziland and South Africa differ?
What wildlife did you see on the game drive in Pretoria?
Ask me about the times I found myself blown away by the Lord’s timing in South Africa.
Ask me about worship in Cape Town.
Ask me about a ministry that interests you!
In Zimbabwe, we worked at a safe home for women and girls who had been either physically or sexually abused.
In Swaziland, we worked at a care point in a village called Nsoko and saw 30 kids come to know there Lord!
In South Africa, we taught English to adult learners and worked with kids at a feeding point in a neighboring village.
Please ask questions (these are just example questions)! And please let me ask you questions as well! Life in America may seem very routine and mundane, but there are a lot of times that I have missed the routine while being gone. I want to know what your last purchase at Target was, your favorite new restaurant, and what the best sermon you have heard lately is. I want to hear about you as well!
Single digits. Can you believe it?
See you soon!
[Huge thank you to McKenzie Tritt + Keeley Knie for the inspiration of this blog]
