I wish I could say the second I stepped off the plane I completely changed. That would be a lie.
We all have things that bother us more than most things. Some we can’t explain why, they just do. Maybe you hate when people chew with their mouth open, leave cabinet doors open or leave an empty box of cereal in the pantry. Can I tell you what bothers me? Fakeness. Is that a word? Probably not, whatever I’m going with it. Nothing bothers me more than someone painting a perfect picture that is not reality. I really appreciate someone who is just down right real with me. So, I have decided to be real with you.
I am about a month and a half into The Race. I have experienced some pretty crazy stuff. I have met wicked cool people, learned new culture, shown love to orphans, provided starving children a meal to eat, climbed coconut trees, swam in waterfalls, ate more ice candy than I probably should (don’t worry, I will make you some when I get home), tried some very questionable food, drove next to people riding water buffalos, been invited into a small home which resulted in a giant dance party with 40 kids, climbed the mast of an abandoned washed up ship, sang karaoke in a small hut overlooking downtown Manila, hitched rides on the back of random people’s cars just so I don’t have to spend more money on public transportation…the list goes on and on. As I sit in the living room here in Tacloban I am staring out a window into the ocean that mirrors the sky perfectly with mountains in the horizon. There is no doubt that is has been a new and exciting adventure. New sights, new smells (mostly bad), new relationships. Now, I could end this blog now and immediately you might think…Holy cow! Her life is pretty freakin sweet, and she still has 6 months and 2 different countries.
Now let’s get real.
The World Race sucks sometimes. I won’t claim that statement to be true for every racer, some people may not struggle the way I do. For me, it has been pretty difficult at times. You don’t become Jesus just because you travel to a third world country. I am always striving to be more like Christ, but it is a daily struggle. I still complain more than I should about being hot. After seeing those who are truly starving, I still complain about being hungry or how sick I am of eating rice every day. Being with the same people 24/7 is tough. I have to pray for patience and love every morning. People still get under your skin. They are either too loud, ask too many questions, too bossy, too obnoxious, too messy, too clean, etc..(Is this starting to sound a little like every day life?) At least at home I could kind of choose who I spend time with. On the race that is not always the case. I do not particularly enjoy ants on me all the time. When I am out doing construction I don’t always have a smile on my face. One day I literally picked up small rocks for 8 hours. I may have spent some time throwing out a few more curse words than I should have. I still get homesick. I miss my family, my boyfriend, my friends and the people in my life back home. I am missing out on some really exciting stuff back home like wedding planning, friends entering new relationships, babies being born, holidays and so on.
The majority of my time on the race has been pretty mundane. I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. I joke and have pointless conversations with friends. I sit and drink coffee while enjoying a book. I treat myself to an afternoon nap when I can. Sometimes I actually just sit and do nothing. I’m finishing a book right now titled “Cold Tangerines” by Shauna Niequist. She opens the book by saying this, “I choose to believe that there is nothing more sacred or profound than this day. I choose to believe that there may be a thousand big moments embedded in this day, waiting to be discovered like tiny shards of gold. The big moments are the daily, tiny moments of courage and forgiveness and hope that we grab on to and extend to one another. That’s the drama of life, swirling all around us, and generally I don’t even see it, because I’m too busy waiting to become whatever it is I think I am about to become. The big moments are in every hour, every conversation, every meal, every meeting.” I have had “big moments” here, for sure. I will never discount those because they are truly changing my heart and outlook on life. But much of the time, like right now. It is just life lived somewhere else.
What I’m trying to say is this. God is just as big in Missouri as He is here, or anywhere else in the world for that matter. I wake up every morning and choose joy, choose love and choose people. It isn’t always easy, but it is worth it. God loves me so I can love. What a beautiful, simple truth.
*Thank you for continued love, prayer and support. Please be praying as we finish our last month in the Philippines. We are on a bit of a time crunch getting things ready for the 1 year anniversary of Typhoon Yolanda on November 8th. We are finishing up different construction projects and outreach for the community.
With so much love,
Kristen
