Final team dinners, last minute snap shots, late night conversations, reminiscing of past months. One more day of the World Race. One more chance to soak in every moment with 35 amazing people on O squad. Flashbacks of good times and bad times. Creating final memories before this journey is only a story to tell. Dance parties on the beach, trips to town on Jeepneys, lounging in the sun on bean bag chairs, playing beach volleyball. Laughter, tears, excitement, and fears. Emotions that cannot be explained but can be shared without words. This chapter is over, this life will no longer be a reality but instead a memory. Friends that have been family will be thousands of miles away from me spread throughout the United States; a piece of my heart will be missing. These last moments are so precious.
I am sad to be ending my World Race. I love this life, the thrill of the journey, the challenge of constantly figuring out a new place, the joy that comes with meeting new people that become new friends. A life filled with newness and challenges. Exploring places that are so old it is hard to believe they are still standing, soaking in views that are hard to believe are real, meeting people along the way that enlarge my world view. I am so thankful that this journey has brought me to 14 countries in 4 continents. I became very familiar with being an outsider constantly getting attention from locals. It is hard for me to picture what life back in America will be like after being away for so long. Am I going to jump back into American life like nothing happened or will it be hard to adjust to the slowness and familiarity of my small suburban town of 7,000 people after spending the past month in a city of 12 million?
Life at home will be quiet, comfortable, and convenient; just the way I left it. With my car, my own bathroom, and 24/7 high speed wifi. Even though I journeyed around the entire world, lived on the edge of civilization, and grew in many areas of my life, my friends and family stayed at home and can only understand what it was like through my stories.
I want to share this experience with all who want to know.
Ask me questions; help me process what this journey meant to me and how it changed me. Ask questions like- How did God grow you this year? What did you learn about yourself that you didn’t know before the race? What made you cry? How did you see the Holy Spirit work this year? What was the scariest moment for you? What is a memory you have from each month? What is the weirdest thing that happened to you? What was the coolest thing you did on an off day? At what moment did you want to go home the most? What was your worst travel day experience? Tell me a story about your favorite ministry.
Get creative, I will probably be asked many basic questions over and over such as- How was the weather? How was the food? What did you do? Did you have fun? What was your favorite month? These questions are fine but think about the past year of your life and someone asking you what you did… kind of hard to explain in just a couple of words. My life has been anything but ordinary this year and I want to share with you what you want to know.
I really enjoyed this year and I especially enjoyed my time in the Philippines. It was the perfect month to end on. When I get home on December 8th I am free to meet up, hang out, and talk! I want to hear about the things you have experienced this year as well! On December 28th I will be going back to Honduras with my family for a weeklong trip to an orphanage, we will be helping put in a playground. I am excited to share this experience with my family and I am hoping that they will get a little taste of what my life was like this year. After Honduras I will be flying directly into Atlanta, Georgia where I will stay for a week for a reunion with my squad at an event called Project Search Light. This is put on by Adventures in Missions to help us figure out the next step and have time to be together with our squad. I know that my next step will be a very exciting one; the World Race has prepared me for whatever is to come. I have a few thoughts as to what I will be doing come January but I will fill you in on that when it becomes official. Please keep me in your prayers as I begin my reentry process and figure out what to do now that the Race is over.
It was a great journey, thanks for being a part of it!
