Um. Did I just finish the World Race?! Yeah. I did.
This is NUTS!!!
My team and I finished up our time in Battambang a few days ago. I had such an amazing month. If you read my blog, you know I had a really hard time when we first got there. But the Lord was so faithful and good and totally redeemed the month. I loved teaching the kids each day. It was super exhausting but so good. They were adorable. They were hungry to learn and grow. They wrote us really sweet notes each day and bought us little snacks. They were seriously the cutest! We lived with an amazing host family who took really good care of us and treated us like we were family. I know I’ve said this a lot, but for real this time. Cambodians are THE nicest and most warm people. Everyone is so happy and so quick to bring you into their home.
We traveled to Siem Reap on Tuesday morning and have been here ever since. We are at Final Debrief right now. We basically are getting to hang out, swim, shop, eat good food and soak up the last days of the World Race.
I think back to a year ago when I had just gotten home from Training Camp. I was absolutely terrified and kind of excited. I had no idea what was about to happen. I knew that I was not a backpacker….and definitely not outdoorsy. I knew that I liked to put on make-up and fix my hair. I could never have imagined the World Race to be what it was. I will say this. The World Race has been one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. But. It has also been one of the best things I have ever done.
I am having a hard time putting into words everything I have learned and everything the Lord has done in me over the past year.
When I think over the last 11 months, I think of these things to sum it up:
In Peru I got to live in a super sketchy neighborhood and build bonds with my team that have been lasting and real.
In Ecuador I got to love on babies and teen mamas each and everyday. I got to speak life into those girls and make sure that they knew that they were enough.
In Colombia I got to work alongside women in a rehabilitation center. I saw them fight their demons and give full control to the Lord. I also peeled a lot of really rotten fruit.
In Greece I had the privilege of serving people in a refugee camp. And I got to live on a fairy tale island and eat delicious gyros every day, so that was amazing.
In Montenegro I got to see the Lord’s beauty in the mountains and the ocean.
In Albania I got to live with the sweetest Irish woman and play with the sweetest kids every day at a Kindergarten.
In Nepal I got to hike through the Himalayas. This was by far the hardest month of the race for me, but the Lord walked me through every second.
In India I got to sleep on the floor of an Indian Church and go to church services in different villages every night.
In Malaysia I got to teach Burmese refugees, work in a second hand clothing shop and eat some of the best food I’ve ever had in my entire life.
In Thailand I got to be in bike gang with all my friends and build stuff all day.
And last but most certainly not least, In Cambodia I got to teach children English every single day and loved every minute of it. Even if sometimes they were bad.
You may read these and think that this year was a walk in the park. I can assure you it was not. It was hard. There were days when all I wanted to do was give up and go home. There were days when I missed my family and friends so much it physically hurt. There were days that I was mad at my teammates and wanted to run away. There were days when hard things got called out in me and I didn’t want to face them. There were days when it was SO HOT and my clothes were constantly soaked in sweat. There were days when everyone smelled horrible because we hadn’t been able to shower in a few days. There were days when my legs were covered in bug bites and I wanted to cry myself to sleep at night….and sometimes did. There were days that I felt like I couldn’t eat another bite of rice. There were days when all I wanted was some real coffee.
But there were also days when I got to watch my friends step into freedom for the first time. There were days when I got to serve people and turn their day around. There were days I laughed so hard I cried. There were days I saw the Lord move in ways I have never experienced before. There were days I heard the voice of the Lord more clearly than I had in my entire life. There were days I got to hear the stories of friends that will inspire me for a lifetime. There were days I got to pray over people in a village who desperately needed the hope of Jesus.
One characteristic of the Lord that seemed to resound in my heart and life over this past year has been His faithfulness. He has never let me down. Yes, He may have answered prayers in a different way than I would have wanted, but He remained faithful. He has been totally consistent in His pursuit of me. He has led me each and every day. And most days, I didn’t deserve His hand on me. I have had to learn how to completely depend on the Lord to be my strength. I have been humbled and brought down time and time again. But the Lord has been faithful to pick me up and put me back on my feet. I feel completely honored to have gotten to go to 11 different countries and be with 11 different people groups and serve them. Most of the time I felt like they served me and did more for me than I did for them. I couldn’t ask the Lord for more. My heart is satisfied.
So, here I am. Sitting in a hostel in Cambodia soaking up my last moments with B-Squad. I’m still the same ole Jodi. I still like to shower, wear make-up and fix my hair. I still like to paint my finger nails all the time and I STILL wouldn’t consider myself an outdoorsy kind of gal. The Race didn’t change those things about me. It’s not like I’m this amazing person because I went and served across the world. I just felt a call and wanted to be obedient. And honestly, that looks different for everyone. But I will say, the Lord taught me that you can do anything if you depend on Him. And that stands for all of us.
We have our Final Banquet tonight and everyone will finally shower, fix their hair and put on some make-up. In less than 36 hours I will be on a flight to the United States of America!!!!! I just got tears in my eyes as I typed that. I am an emotional wreck right now. That’s for sure.
I really can’t thank you all for your support I have felt so incredibly loved and prayed for this past year. I am honored to have had the opportunity to go on this journey and I am so thankful for everyone who supported me along the way.
Ok. Well, I’m gonna go download “Party in the USA” so I can listen to it when my feet touch American soil!!!! America, Here. I. Come!!!!!
