It’s thanksgiving, its also day 75 of the race… here is 75 of the virtually endless things I’m thankful since September 7th… been some good days, some bad days, some spectacular days… gratitude for it all. Power of perspective ladies and gentlemen.
1. Spending my last night in my house eating ice cream and drawing on my walls with some of my favorite people
2. Visiting Ben one last time at college on the way up to Georgia for launch
3. Sitting in my hotel room at launch when my squad mates came bursting through the doors, jumping on the beds and singing
4. World Race Riff Off (Gap T won of course)
5. The most wonderful final worship before launch followed by an all-nighter in the hotel lobby
6. Arriving to a base with not only beds, but a pony (miss u princesa)*
7. A monsoon. Jumping and singing and dancing (and slipping) in the rain
8. Playing soccer in the neighboring village with the little kids in the park
9. Guatemalan Independence Day calling for some of the best street food I have ever had
10. Rap battles at youth group
11. Exploring Antigua and all its beauty
12. “You get to speak life over all of this” – our ministry host, the first time in our village, standing at the top of the mountain looking out at all the homes and fields… wild
13. Paint parties and art nights and the creativity this squad holds
14. Tuesday and Friday morning bible study with the entire squad
15. Having a morning off turns into making brownies with your team for the squad while sitting under a counter so no one ruins the surprise
16. head lamp disco parties with my team and anyone who walks by to flashing lights through the window
17. Bonfires anytime someone remembers to walk down the road to buy fire wood
18. Taco Bell… sounds weird but this Taco Bell is BEAUTIFUL (I could get married there), has great wifi, and is way better than in America
19. Being sick… had to go to the doctor and got to hear about his ministry which I would have never gotten to hear about
20. Cheap places to get tattoos (sorry mom)
21. Hearing Joe and Will talk about their perspectives on anything really, but especially movies
22. Anytime our team leader sleeps in our room (Alyssa)
23. Teaching English with Brooke to 30 kindergarteners with lots of energy and no knowledge of English
24. Simple mornings and evenings
25. The courtyards sun of Tuesday ministry
26. Pretending to have a national volley ball team
27. Shoreline City Church
28. Roof top coffee shop conversations about One Direction… can’t really explain that on
29. Riding on the back ladders and roofs of vans to ministry**
30. Making tortillas with our friend Senovia in the village
31. Having the privilege to lead worship and the process of practicing… more laughing than singing usually
32. Base staff who drop some serious truth Monday and Friday nights and ALL day Thursday
33. Being spoken into and spoken over constantly
34. Flower shopping for MG’s birthday with Abbey and Noah
35. Watching a 20-something show his dad magic tricks in my favorite coffee shop
36. laying in the grass and talking about how I’m going to the moon some day with Mady
37. Watching prayers come true at ministry
38. Building deep relationships in my team, squad, and at ministry
39. Introducing Haven, MG, and Blake to 10 Things I Hate About You
40. MG, Haven, and Blake actually liking that movie after I panicked thinking they would hate it and sit through the whole thing for nothing
41. The Lord’s provision through hard choices
42. The boys hosting a diner and washing our feet
43. Movie nights where we have to start the same movie over 4 nights in a row due to falling asleep
44. Cliff diving at the lake
45. Best dessert I have ever tried (thnx Zoola, we love ya)
46. Hiking to the top of Indian’s nose with Haven, Brooke, Alyssa, and MG
47. Paragliding on Mac’s birthday even though it got rained out
48. Stealing a lamp to set the mood in our room***
49. Miguel and Seth speaking into our view on fathers
50. Ultimate frisbee on Sundays at 4 pm
51. Inner healing
52. Emma’s cooking
53. making cheese with Tomasa
54. Crying laughing almost every night before bed
55. Ukulele in the kitchen with Will, Nick, and MG
56. The talent of those around me
57. Aderkee, Ashley, and Alex (my ministry hosts) treating my team as Jesus would and encouraging us endlessly
58. Riding horses up a volcano and roasting marshmallows on lava rocks
59. My team surprising me with my favorite foods for my birthday dinner
60. A week of VBS with my favorite kids
61. Javier naming his horse after me
62. Fighting for friendships
63. Kacie Tillman’s leadership and the privilege to be under that leadership
64. Lunch break laughs at ministry
65. Walking through the hills home from ministry instead of taking the bus
66. Comfortably saying “home” when referring to the base
67. Jordy writing me a poem about the great things about being 19
68. Alboro singing Christmas songs with us in his sweet little mountain house
69. Playing uno with Sergio and meeting his puppies
70. The awe in the air during squad-wide worship
71. The way any Guatemalan says “de nada”… you just have to hear it someday
72. Yolanda praying over our team
73. Lucy’s dancing
74. free hamburgers
75. Having 42 family members always ready for anything
*for clarification, princess is not dead, our land lord just sold her. rip
**we were not aware of the “no riding on the outside of moving vehicles” rule. we now fully abide. Sorry about that
***we have since returned said lamp and apologized for theft
Could go on for a long long long long time. Thankful to have so many things to be thankful for. ?PLEASE comment some things you’re thankful for. I wanna know & I mean it!
Hope I never get used to this
L
