As I walk home I can’t help but notice how radically my life has changed in one short week. Not only does my heavy heart insist on remembering how much I love Fierce Pursuit but the wind is mercilessly reminding me I am not in Africa anymore. I walk down crowded streets being shamelessly stared at while I can see my breath. It seems like years ago that a small gathering of Swazis escorted us to the bus with our things in hand a little over a week ago. My ex-teammate Jochem wrote about the things he would miss about Africa but to help ease my difficult and painful transition I’m going to list things I like/ am looking forward to about Asia.
1. Street food. The street food here in China is phenomenal and cheap. This is every racers dream. There is something here I’ve started calling Crunch Wrap Supreme because it reminds me of Taco Bell but it’s infinite times better.
2. Shopping. After having very little to choose from these last three months I could easily get overwhelmed with the amount of stores and markets staring at me from any street corner. It’s imperative that I remember how heavy my pack was two days ago to stop me from stocking up on boots, hats, scarves, socks, and gloves.
3. Weather. Everyone and their mother should know at this point that I hate sweating and now I can bundle up with my beloved scarf. Now if it would just snow for a white Christmas.
4. Washing machine and dryer. That’s right fellow racers, read it and weep because I have a washer AND dryer right down the hallway from my bedroom.
5. Bedroom. My team of 7 is spread out into THREE DIFFERENT ROOMS. Hello privacy. I’ve missed you these last three months.
6. T.V. I had almost forgotten that normal people watch movies on something other than a 13-inch laptop.
7. Oven. I CAN BAKE but better yet Abby can make her Find-Your-Husband brownies.
8. Free wifi. Oh wait….just kidding. You’ll be reading this 3 weeks after I type it.
9. Part of my ministry this month is getting ready for Christmas. Good thing I have 20 hours of Christmas music with me. Does that give you any inclination as to how much I love the holiday season?
10. Chinese fashion. You want to wear leopard print leggings and turquoise boots with fuchsia lipstick then you go ahead and do it! I’ve never seen any place be so fashionable and loud with their clothes.
11. Spitting. As I walked to the train station I was admiring this young woman’s cute boots when I heard it, hocking up a loogie and spitting it in a busy plaza. In Chinese culture it is healthy to get out the nastiness you find lurking in your throat so spitting is normal and even encouraged. The farmer blow is also very popular but I don’t think I can do that quite yet.
12. Starbucks. Enough said.
**I have to yet to find one in the city we are staying in but my hopes are high.
13. Milk Tea. It’s so good when your hands are frozen and there are so many options! The little tapioca balls are even growing on me. Fusion Brew was a nice warm up with its big straws and sealed cups. Thanks ISU.
14. Hair cuts. Remember how fashionable the Chinese are? That goes for their hairstyles too. It’s been almost 4 months since my last hair cut because Africans don’t know what to do with white people hair. I gotta do something about these split ends.
15. Holy Fire. I’m excited to draw close and chase after things of God with these people even as I’m grieving the loss of Fierce Pursuit. Abby even lived in China for 2 years so how lucky are we to have her on our team?!
16. Pomelo. (I pronounce is Pomp-Pellow because it’s more fun) Google it. #Delicious
17. Siestas. Ok that’s not what the Chinese call their two-hour breaks after lunch BUT I’ve decided America needs to implement this practice pronto. It’s fantastic.
18. International Church. It’s no secret that China doesn’t really encourage religious beliefs but once a month in a city two hours away there is a foreign passport holder’s church. Seeing all the different nationalities gathered in China had to be like a little taste of heaven.
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Thank you so so so much to everyone who has made it possible for me to make it this far on the race. Your donations and prayers have impacted the kingdom in ways we’ll probably never know. I am currently $6,600 away from being fully funded!! That’s right the final deadline is coming up fast and I still need your help to get there. Please share my blog with your friends, small groups, churches, families, or Sunday school classes to help save me from being sent home. I want to finish the race!
