I look down to the seemingly impossible task in front of me: make all the things that are traveling around the world with me this year fit in a backpack that isn’t seemingly much bigger than the one that I used to carry to school every day. I lay it out on the bed, and really wonder if I could lose all of these things and never have a second thought about it. The task seems large, especially when my things seemingly exploded after restful debrief where I often told myself, “Meh, I will organize it all when I pack it.” That bag I have seems so much bigger when start the packing process than it does in the middle of it.
Welcome to my real World Race life, where I thought I would get better at packing before now. Surprise, I haven’t. It is hard to believe that we are in month 5, and already through with four whole months of our race. I know they told me that my race would fly by.
I thought they were lying. Instead, today I sit in India awaiting a flight to our 6 country in five months, and that when I started, this would be a point I wanted to remember. So today I remember a few highlights from our time here in Hyderabad at debrief:
1) Coffee with friends, pursuing Jesus together, and laughing a lot. We drank a lot of Starbucks this week!
2) Reunions with Matt, Cindy, and Stacy. All of these people poured into our squad in a way that left us refreshed and so incredibly loved.
3) Team changes were bittersweet. Leaving the people who I loved so much after four months on the race with them into a team that is going to challenge me in a new way, as we walk into the next season of our race.
4) Intentional conversations with friends who are often far during the months we are on the field. Conversations are held over coffee, dinner, or just walking to the store.
5) Having God answer a prayer for a broken heart for the country of Nepal and the task in front of us. I cried a lot, but I know that we are being sent into this country for such a season of our lives.
6) Birthday brownie for a sweet friend who enriches my life so much; Cass, you are SO incredibly loved.
7) Trips to the mall in rickshaws with friends, bartering with the drivers who think we know nothing about what it should cost to get to the mall or home from it.
8) Sweet conversations with friends from home with WiFi that actually connected to the states this week. After a tough couple days prior to debrief, it was a breath of fresh air.
9) Sweet time with Jesus that refreshed me and taught me that only He can satisfy my soul.
10) American food, namely Chile’s, that reminded me that this sweet season will be over before I can blink again and I will be home longing for the race and what it has for me.
11) Precious family time, all together with our squad, knowing that we are exactly where we are supposed to be: together.
Continue to pray for us! We are constantly praying for you.
Until He Comes,
Kristy
