Despite what World Race staff advised us against, having expectations, I am but human. I came into this year expecting certain things.
Being challenged in my relationship with Christ.
Having experience with a multitude of ministries and countries.
Falling in love with a particular people or country, ministry.
Getting close to my team and feeling like a family.
Missing my friends and family tremendously/dealing with home sickness.
Having bizarre experiences, adventures.
Crying. A ton. Out of feeling overwhelmed at what I saw around me.
To grow in faith and knowledge naturally, simply by the environment around me.
Living in extremely difficult living conditions.
Learning better how to navigate healthy relationships.
Having an “emotional breakdown” out of frustration at not having the capability to fix the circumstances I saw around me.
Capturing moments through photography I want to remember forever.
Mainly living in the moment and praying I can remember all that happened without that record.
Eating lots of weird food.
Getting confirmation about doing long term missions, just “knowing” I was made for that.
Going to the hospital at some point for some unknown sickness.
Being eaten alive by bugs.
Becoming well accustomed to using squatty potties.
For my desire to travel and go on adventures to grow.
Kissing and hugging on a thousand adorable children and holding the hands of a countless number of strangers.
Some of those have happened, some have not. Some of those have occurred in ways I would not expect. Answered expectations of a different sort.
Things that have happened I did not expect:
To pay off the guard at Angkor Wat and get into a restricted area and a personal photoshoot by said guard.
My desire to be a mother and to nurture others to grow the way that it has.
My restlessness to decrease as I learn to be content no matter the circumstances.
For the idea of settling down and establishing a home long term to be so appealing.
Realizing that no matter whether you are on a mission trip or not, you are the same person. You have to choose to stand up and fight. It does not come any more naturally than back home in the environment you are comfortable in. You have to choose to have time just you and God. You have to choose to love people, invest, serve, humble yourself when you act like a jackass when you have been with people 24/7 for three months straight.
Having a western toilet so far every month.
Swimming with elephants.
My appreciation for peanut butter growing immensely.
To have this life feels so normal so quickly, being immenced in other cultures.
To lead worship for my squad.
For the sight of cows, chickens, temples, people hanging off of vehicles to be the norm.
To tear up at the sight of most all of my friends and family back home out of love for them.
To meet a witch doctor and the sound of his drums filling the night sky to become normal.
For the moment you see a bacon cheeseburger on the menu to be so glorious.
For so many of the cliches about life to become a reality.
To realize just how many similarities there are in life no matter where your feet tread and your head lands at night.
By this point, it feels as though God is THE constant in this whirlwind life I lead. Whatever happens, as many questions continue to be raised each passing day, that is truth. I will always, always, always have the Lord as my constant companion.
