Sometimes in life it’s the ordinary moments that get tossed to
the waste side. The ones that become so common, you begin to think of the days as a succession of events, never changing, but becoming mundane & boring. The moments that once felt as though you were standing under a sky of fireworks going off in every direction above you…start to become…well…. Normal.
Honestly, That’s how it became entering month 8 of the World Race. The things that I used to celebrate in month one became ordinary. I never thought this extraordinary life I’m now living would be anything less. I expected each month to have that one big event that made it, “the month I will never forget.” As the days progressed into weeks and the weeks into months…the explosions of BIG events started to lessen more and more. The excitement of traveling the world, spreading Gods love to the nations suddenly wore off and reality set in.
I used to get so excited entering a country for the first time, crossing the border was like taking a leap of faith into an unknown world. No expectations (or so I thought), no set plan, no idea how the next four weeks would pan out, but complete TRUST in Him. I remember getting off the plane in Guatemala as a plethora of emotions entered every cell of my being…thinking to myself, WOW! I’m actually doing this…I’m actually starting to radically LIVE OUT the things I used to only talk about. I was no longer talking the talking, but I was beginning to walk the walk. The feeling is one I can only describe as an out of body experience, as though I was looking down upon myself and seeing the first steps to the beginning of the rest of my life. Now it seems as though it’s become another “thing to do” , another event to check off my list, another country down, another normal month on the World Race.
As these feelings of normalcy began to captivate my mind, I knew something had to change. It’s not that the days were becoming any less exciting to an outsiders view, it’s that my perspective was off, my eyes weren’t totally and completely fixed on The Lord. I began to view this extraordinary life as anything but. The months went a little something like this:
Month 1: Guatemala:
-Am I actually doing this?! What does the word ministry even mean?! -Your telling me you want me to get in this van with a complete stranger I have known for all of .5 seconds. How do you know he is even our “contact.”
– Wait, put my bags where?!? On top of the van…all 7 backpacks…with NO straps. Okay! I guess that’s a “World Race thing”, better get used to it now.”
-THATs where I’ll be living for an entire month, all 14 girls in ONE bathroom!? Yes, this is all soooo exciting, it’s like a slumber party…every single day…wooohoo!
– I love public transportation, this is a blast, 102 people all crammed into a 30 passenger bus. “Let’s take a selfie. Nobody back home is going to believe this.”
– Arrive to ministry on day 3, “assisting” the teacher in a kindergarten class: wait, where’s the teacher? “Hola classe! Donde es (oh no, I can’t remember the word for teacher in espanol)…guess ill have to use spanlish as I teach this entire class of 5 year olds BY MYSELF.
-WHHHAATTTT?! A volcano erupted last night?! And nobody woke me up, what’s the contingency plan anyway?! Pretty sure we should have one of those.
-I am so loving this world race thing, my teammates are amazing, we have lived together for all of 10 days and I feel like I have known them a lifetime. Better start revamping my bridesmaid list now!
-bible study devotions every morning, there’s no better way to start my day.
– I kinda miss my family and friends, but boy am I happy to be away from “the berry” for a while. I wonder when king cake season begins back home & I start to see hundreds of posts about it, maybe that’s when I’ll start to miss home.
-hike an erupting volcano? Why not! Squeeze 7 people into one taxi? Yes, it’s the cheapest way to go!
-ahhhh…they sell snickers at this local tienda…JACKPOT! It’s just like America…I so thought I wouldn’t see another one of those for 11 months.
-it’s so great becoming friends with the locals, I just want to learn as much about the culture that I possibly can…gallo pinto for breakfast, lunch, and dinner..why not?!? Beans are great protein anyway and that’s all the locals eat.
– Man, I’m really diving into the culture here & experiencing God in the little things. THIS IS AMAZING.
Month 2: Honduras:
-IT’S ALL SQUAD MONTH. Oh yeaaaa, Ill really get to know my entire squad on a personal level.
-tent or hammock? Tent or hammock? Hmmm…this is a hard decision, HAMMOCK it is! I have always wanted to sleep in one of those for an entire month, nows my chance!
-you mean I only get one piece of bread and 1/4 of an American size portion for dinner. Well we are living on a $4.00 a day budget, I guess that makes sense.
-I have worn the same exact shirt in last 6 Instagram posts. Back home, that would bother me…but here I enjoy the simplicity of life on the race. I really don’t even “need” all the clothes I brought, I so overpacked!
-people actually still use donkeys as transportation?! I feel like I’m living in the wild, wild, west! So vintage!
-so here comes the king cake pictures…nope! still don’t really miss home like I thought I would. This is odd!
– I’m super excited, yet a little nervouse to be doing ministry with young girls whose rape has ended in a pregnancy. Although intimating at first, I was able to see past the hurt & pain & into the eyes of girls who have experienced the love & grace of God in profound ways. A tangible example of how “God works ALL things together for good.” Wow! What an incredible thing to be a part of.
-I also get to help build a fence, mixing cement with my bare hands. I’m becoming quite the handy woman. My Dad would be so proud.
– home visits are my new favorite form of ministry. I love seeing how God works through my teammates and I as we go from home to home praying for individuals who have maybe never even heard of the name Jesus Christ.
-got baptized at a beautiful waterfall…sooo surreal!
-so THIS is what ministry looks like. I’m starting to understand it and through that I feel the love of Christ within myself. This feeling is unlike any other. Speechless…
Month 3: Nicaragua:
-arrive at ministry location…awe-struck. Located before me was a three story “castle” I would be living in for the month.
-first time working in sex trafficking. Enjoyed every part of ministry here from rescuing the woman at night off the streets, to praying for them, to being a part of their healing process as they enrolled into an amazing program called “Breaking Chains.”
-my babysitting skills really came in handy this month and I was a full-time babysitter watching the children of mothers who we were once prostitutes, but have now decided to turn their lives around.
-saying goodbye this month was really hard this month because we were a part of these womans lives from the momeny they started the program…my heart still jumps for joy thinking of the strong bonds I created with the woman, children, and contacts.
-the language barrier started to get old, but I was still diving in head first trying to learn and freshen up on my 3 years of high school Spanish I took.
“Not another public bus…I’m pretty much over taking this form of transportation.
-middle of the night, house starts shaking…wake up to a earthquake…no big deal, I’m used to those by now, doesn’t even phase me.
-wait…we have Netflix, yet I’m not even interested in watching TV anymore when all of a sudden the life God is allowing me to experience has become way better than any TV reality show will ever be.
-it was the dreaded month of family birthdays that I knew I would not be able to be part of back home. Started gettinh homesick. Missing Joe’s 18th birthday was difficult and only the beginning of the many sacrifices I would have to make by spending this year away from home.
-got the news my brother & Javklyn would be having a baby….AND that’s when it really hit me…I’m away from home and will be missing that new chapter of their lives as well.
-overall, I was still on fire for God, ministry, Central America, and completely open and yearning to learn more and more about God & His ways.
Month 4: Costa Rica:
-yessss…I get to use my tent/ Hommack this month. Wooohoo!!! I missed my hammock last month.
-I have never lived in a gym before…much less in the middle of the slums, but I’m ready for anything.
-I think it’s about time I give up my phone and Internet for the month…I really want to stay present where I’m at without distractions from home…ill use Internet only for blogs.
-oh, wait they sell snickers at EVERY tienda in Central America. This is nothing new…
-I’m getting sick of rice & beans for pretty much every meal…it’s been four months since I have had a day where i can get into my own car BY MYSELF and eat any meal of my choice. I kinda miss my freedom, actually I really miss my freedom.
-living in community has its benefits…but this whole “buddy system” rule is for the birds. Do I really need a buddy to walk EVERYWHERE?!?
-more home visits, more children in need of love & care, more mouths to feed, more hopeless homeless, more preaching, more Christian songs to be sung, more pouring out…and this is when the feeling of normalcy really began. Although I still loved what I was doing…that was just it “I ” was doing it…I began to lose my purpose and miss the whole point.
-I took a date with God and allowed him to fill me back up again…sometimes this is all it takes.
-I realized I was trying to “do” ministry in my own strength, it became more of what I was doing, rather than WHO I was doing it for. I needed to bring it all back to where it began with JESUS as my focus. JESUS as my strength and driving force and IN JESUS NAME…ALL for HIS glory.
-this was a pivotal point in my journey. Central America was coming to a close and Asia was on the brink of beginning.
-new continent, new team, and everything was about to change. Life as I once knew it was beginning to fade, my eyes were opening to the world around me and God was in control now. No more me, but all HIM.
To be continued…Part 2: Asia (months 5,6,7 and 8)
