i have been stateside for two weeks now. i asked some people to submit any questions they had about the race to help me begin processing & these are the answers to those questions. there are quite a few, but i hope you all can find time to read this last blog (for now). so here goes nothing:
what was the most joyful moment on the race?
i can’t pick only one so i narrowed it down to the most joyful moment from each country:
- nicaragua: playing in the ocean with my second family for hours (love you long time Kendri & Isaac)
- costa rica: celebrating Mac’s birthday on the beach
- panama: teaching a communications class at the university OR going on the most beautiful hike up in the clouds
- n. africa: learning to make tajin with our hostel staff
- ethiopia: seeing Robirra walk (wanna see an update on his status?? YESS YOU DO!! here’s the latest: PLEASE WATCH!!)
- india: seeing my mom OR learning the traditional indian dances from the boys
- nepal: the night i ate korean fried chicken while playing pool & talking about who God is
- myanmar: the night we basically put on a valentine’s day gameshow for the english class at a church
- thailand: swimming with elephants
what was the most humbling thing God taught you about yourself?
i’m not always right. i don’t always have the best plan. sometimes its best to just say yes and follow those around you cause other people are just as capable. i also saw that i cannot succeed on my own. God’s strength is a necessity in life.
in what ways did you see God’s power made strong in your weakness?
oh wow, every day honestly. i like to think i’m strong & nothing can get to me, but the constant go go go or not being able to understand anyone or feeling homeless or seeing difficult situations (i could keep going) will deplete you of any power you thought you could have on your own. a prayer for the Lord’s strength to get me through the day was said quite often.
what attribute(s) of God stood out the most?
his love, compassion, heart for the broken, forgiveness & mercy
what was the thing you did that put you most out of your comfort zone?
walked up to random people & asked if i could pray for them. still not a big fan of that, if i’m being honest.
would you do it again?
i would not do the race again (like next year or something), but i would 100% make the decision two years ago to do it all over again!
what was the most difficult situation you were in? how did Jesus show up?
funny answer? trying to get taxis in every country where you cannot speak the language or even point on a map where you’re going. somehow we always got to where we needed to go. thanks Jesus!
serious answer? all the times people would share a difficult thing with you & then you were expected to somehow understand & comfort them. Jesus definitely gave us the words to say in those moments.
favorite country/favorite job or assignment you had in a country?
favorite culture? north africa
top countries in no specific order: nicaragua, n. africa, nepal
favorite work? talking to college students & helping them practice english
will you get to finish once this is all over?
nope. it is over for us. so i guess 10 countries in 10 months rather than 14 countries in 11 months will be where i end.
in what ways do you feel you have changed because of this experience?
i learned you don’t have to be on a mission trip type God high to be close to God. it can just be a “normal” part of your life.
i’m more confident in who i am & the power i bring to this world
i like people & i love hearing their stories
i’m a strong advocate that people should seek the uncomfortable & see how God shows up in the midst of it
how do you imagine this experience will change the way you live your life?
i plan to live a life i am happy to call mine. i want to live each day just exuding the love of Jesus to whoever is around me; to live a life that goes after what the Lord wants, not what society tells me to do; to find joy in the mundane; to be a world changer even if that’s only one person’s world. i’m going after what i want & plan to fulfill the dreams i have for myself.
how are you doing adjusting back? are you disappointed leaving early or glad to be back?
100% disappointed about leaving early. i recognize it was a smart call, but really sad and bummed i couldn’t finish. i was so looking forward to the work we were going to get to do month 11. it has been two weeks of quarantine up in a cabin in michigan so its been a slow reentry. very thankful for the space to think, but i know its going to be a struggle once the world starts opening back up.
after finishing the race, are you drawn more to a certain area/culture/people group?
i was already drawn to people with a muslim background & i think the race confirmed it with our time in north africa. also, displaced people will forever have a special place in my heart. i also learned how much i love having conversations with people who have no faith, not to convince them by any means but just to learn more about how they see the world.
if you could give month one madeleine one piece of advice, what would it be?
live each day with the expectation that God is going to show up in a way you never could have predicted
squatties or western toilet?
western for sure but please, america, get the the little hose that’s attaches to every other country’s toilets
what was the weirdest thing you experienced?
eating every meal for 40 days with my hand
peeing/pooping/showering in the same 2ft by 2ft area
being so graciously welcomed into everyone we met’s home
n african cat-calling
what is one thing you never expected would happen but did?
i convinced myself God didn’t exist. yea, i bet you weren’t expecting that one. neither was i, but it happened one night in nepal. as i laid in bed thinking through my conversation earlier in the day, i deconstructed every reason for God i had presented & began to believe every reason the other person had presented for no God. still working through those thoughts, but God & i are good now in case you were worried.
the entire race in one word. how would you define it?
i’ve given each country a word so i’ll start with those, then pick one word overall:
nic – generosity
cr – YHWH
pan – family
spain – agape
n africa – boldness
eth – rest
ind – faith
nep – geborgenheit
mya – numb
thai – unexpected
overall – tbd: what are you doing after college? tbd, let’s see how the Lord steps in( i went on the race). what are we doing today for work? tbd, let’s see what our host says & where the Lord leads. how will i ever survive this month? tbd, let’s see how the Lord provides. what am i doing after the race? tbd, let’s see where the Lord takes me.
i know that’s a lot of questions & answers so i appreciate you all reading. i have loved writing these blogs for you guys these last 10 months. i cannot thank you all enough for your love & support!! please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions or want to hear more about the race. my email is [email protected]!
madeleine
