I asked some friends and family to send me their questions concerning the race : )
here are the answers
Loudest animal?
Elephants are probably the actual loudest, but we have lived with the world’s most obnoxiously loud roosters and donkeys. Seriously.
Biggest and smallest animal?
Biggest: Elephant
Smallest: Tiny mouse who shared a room with us in Botswana
Coldest and hottest temperature?
Coldest: 65 degrees? (We did have a two hour layover in New York and it was about 40 degrees, but I don’t count that because we were inside the whole time)
Hottest: 100 degrees?
Honestly, I am not really sure, but these are probably good estimates.
Luxury you’ve missed the most?
Communication. Definitely took for granted the convenience of being able to contact anyone with the press of a button.
First thing you plan to eat when you return?
South Wells cheese burger with avocado and their chocolate shake with chocolate sprinkles. Isn’t that a classic first American meal after nine months, ha?
Strangest food you’ve eaten?
Surprisingly, we have had relatively tame food options, but I guess something interesting I’ve eaten is shark.
A food you’ll miss after the race?
Elva’s corn meal mush with raisins. Much better than it sounds.
Prettiest thing you’ve seen?
Obvious answer: VICTORIA FALLS WOW
Another good answer: the first sunrise I saw in Africa. The sun was huge and red and it rose over a massive plane, around 5:00 am.
Also, everything in the DR was stunning too. AH, so hard to choose.
Coolest plant?
In Namibia, we saw a gigantic tree over 300 years old. Its trunk’s width was equivalent to the width of a small house. So, you could’ve put a small house in the trunk basically. The largeness of it was baffling and therefore, the “coolest”.
Favorite brother?
I was asked this by quite a few of my brothers, and my answer is: Me.
It’s a running joke among my siblings, so for those of you who don’t get it, don’t worry. You’re not missing out.
Hardest part?
Just like life at home, there are good times and hard times. I don’t think I have had one defined moment that was the “hardest”, but I would say being on the Race with my grandma passing was incredibly difficult. Grieving away from home, away from others who can understand your grief, is simply hard.
What’s something you’ve learned about yourself?
You know the saying, “You don’t truly know someone until you travel with them.” Well, it’s especially true for getting to know yourself. One thing -among many- I’ve realized, is
I’m an internal processer. I require space and time to think through a concept or lesson before I can discuss it. However, once I’ve processed, I need to explain what I’ve learned to another person. I learn best by teaching, but I first have to internalize the information I am given before I can give it out.
If you could go back and tell your pre-world-race-self one thing, what would it be?
Relax. Enjoy the hard stuff, too. It always always works out. Nothing is gonna happen that God didn’t already purposefully design to happen. Just embrace the messiness of everything.
Do you have the feeling of “hating America” for everything we have?
I’ve been asked this question a number of times and I have realized instead of “hating America”, sometimes I feel sad for America. We assume the world must ache to have our luxuries and we subconsciously pity it. But I can sincerely tell you that the joy I’ve seen is untainted by materialistic contentment. I do not feel like most of the world is deprived while America is blessed. I feel that America is one of the most lost and broken places because we are convinced we have the very best lives. The standard of life should not be measured in the luxuries we have. I wish our entire country could have their eyes opened to the goodness that rests in the blessing of having little. We have settled for only partially living ‘life to the fullest’.
That being said, I am so proud of our country. We live in country that offers endless opportunity and freedom to its people. Everything we do, we do with great excellence, and that is exceedingly admirable. Seriously, I am more proud than ever to be an American.
How many times do you really shower a week / What’s the shower situation like?
Okay, totally depends on which county I was in.
DR: 1
Haiti: 3
Botswana: 2-3
South Africa: 3-4
This month is the first time we’ve had consistent hot water (yay!) and that means more showers because I actually enjoy them. The DR showers weren’t just cold, they were FREEZING. So, I avoided those at all costs. Haiti’s showers were military style, cold, and shared among twenty girls, so yeah, also avoided those. Botswana showers were fun. If we made a fire to heat the shower water we could have hot water, but I didn’t do this often since it was time consumingand there was a limited wood supply. Also, the showers were outdoors, which meant lots of lovely critters joined us in the shower. One day, as I was showering, I realized there was a dead bird stuck between the shower wall and the bathroom wall. Lovely, isn’t it? Bonus: outdoor showers in rainy season = showers in the rain! So fun!
How do you get involved with the World Race / How did you hear about the Race?
The amount of times I got this question, really brings me joy. For those of you who are considering the Race, I am so excited for you. This is the beginning. I found out about the Race from a Racer who was on my dance team, Rebecca Hyde. When I heard about it, I started looking up her blogs and other Racers’ blogs. If you would like to hear how you can be a part of it, look up Adventure In Missions World Race. There will be endless resources to explore how you can be a part of the Race. If you would like any help or have any specific questions, I would genuinely enjoy answering your questions personally.
Have you changed your life direction because of the Race?
I think God has used the Race to give my life direction. Instead of looking at my future with just my own eyes, I look with his glory in mind. He definitely has revealed my heart for missions to me.
And with that in mind…
Is this something you see yourself doing forever?
Yes and no. I want to always be serving and working with missions, but that might not mean I am constantly on the field. I want to work with ministries on the office side of things and help them logistically be even more impactful. At the same time, I want to often be on the field loving people and sharing the gospel.
Give one thing that God has really changed about your heart or perspective about something.
Tempted to just write: everything. Because the way my brain thinks is significantly altered since before I started the race.
One big thing that’s changed is my understanding of generosity. More often than not, generosity doesn’t have to do with tangible things. Be generous with your time, your words, and your thoughts. Go the extra mile to love people well, both the strangers you pass and the people you live with every day for nine months. The teenager begging for money on the street? Go sit with him, ask him his story, look him in the eyes and see him. Your team mate who is struggling with things back home? Sacrifice your time, and generously spend it with her, in whichever way is needed.
The person who is selfish can hold only what she can fit in her tight fists. The generous person has open hands that can hold the whole world.
#1 Jesus story?
I don’t really know how to answer this one, because every day God shows me a brand new #1 Jesus story. Plus, who am I to limit Jesus to just one amazing story. Seriously though, life on the Race, and hopefully when I get home, too, is full of stories that reflect the goodness and power of Christ.
Is Ebola a concern where you are?
No, Chris. It’s not. Thanks for asking though
What were you most nervous about before leaving for the Race?
I had no illusion that the race was just going to be a fun trip exploring the world and talking about Jesus. I was fully aware that God was going to strip me down to the core and grow me into who He designed me to be. And I knew that was going to be painful. Before the race I was nervous the pain of growth would be unbearable. Thankfully we have a father that never leaves us on our own and is our strength when we have none.
that’s all : )
If you have any questions I didn’t answer please feel free to email them to me or comment them below and I’ll email you an answer. Thank you so much for your questions and for reading
Much love,
Kara
