So YoU asked the questions and the results are in!!
“How did you deal with the language barrier?” -Michie
Well, in most cases we had a translator. One thing I learned this year is how prominent English is around the globe, and how other countries are more dedicated to their students being multi-lingual than Americans are. In India, many of the students spoke English, and two local languages fluently.
With translators though, you have to pause frequently and it’s good because it gives you time to think about what your gonna say next.
There are also a lot of ways to communicate when we didn’t have one though, like just out and about. Charades was common, for example squatting and saying slowly, “toileta!”
“Did you ever fear your surroundings, and how did you get past that fear?” -Nicole
Yes, though it wasn’t common to fear the surroundings. We were pretty safe most of the time. I never got robbed or anything too crazy. One time when I was quite fearful was in Swaziland. We lived on a beautiful mountain in the middle of nowhere, so there wasn’t physical things to fear, but everyone seemed to hate walking around after dark. It just got, eerie. There was definitely a lot of spiritual things going on there, and witch doctors lived nearby. So one night I was sleeping with my pal Julie in her tent for fun, even though I had a bed inside. I woke up and just felt really creeped out. Its hard to describe. But I was like, I can’t sleep out here dude. So I ran inside quickly. Any time I had to be outside after dark, the one thing that calms my spirit the most is singing hymns or songs to Jesus. We know that there is power in our words and in Jesus name, so I feel like when I say it(or sing it), I am speaking light into the darkness that I feel. So anytime I feel scared, whether I’m in Swaziland or at home in my own bed, I always just sing.
“How has this trip impacted the way you view missions and the great commission? And how will it impact your day to day life?” -Drew
First, this trip has shown me how many different things you can do that could be ministry. However, its my personal opinion that without some kind of spiritual aspect, its just a service. I came on this trip to share the gospel. That is the most important thing. I have seen how it can be easy for people to come on mission trips that just end up being glorified volunteer opportunities. But for the most part its up to you (me) to see the spiritual opportunities to share the gospel, and be bold enough to take them.
Furthermore, “missionary” is such a glorified term among Christians. We are ALL missionaries, on the mission field. The gospel is URGENT everywhere. This is a reality all Christians need to face, and you don’t have to travel to 11 countries to see that. As for my day to day life, I have begun asking myself, “Did I do anything today that’s gonna be relevant to eternity?” I ask myself this because I want to be taking risks, being bold, and stepping out in faith to do things in my everyday life that are going to matter in the grand scheme of things. Do I always do something like that everyday? No, but it motivates me to try. This race has also inspired me to have and find adventure and joy in even the everyday sort of things.
Last but not least, from my funny friend Abby:
“On average, how many times did you poop your pants on the World Race?”
Well Abby, we all know the saying ‘poop’ happens, and indeed it does when your eating funky food and drinking water your unsure is clean. Luckily, my personal average is zero, although I sure had a few scares. I’d say the average racer does it twice on average though. Haha.
Thanks for your questions, friends!! If anyone else has any questions about my race, whether your a future racer, or just curious, feel free to email me at [email protected].
