We are done with our first continent! What?! Time has flown by! Despite how quickly everything has seemed to happen I’ve still learned a lot in the process. So in honor of all things 11 I’ve come up with 11 things I’ve gleaned these past 3 months ranging from things I’ve learned about God, to culture, to living in community. Hope you enjoy!
-
Bowel movements are a popular topic on the race. If details aren’t given you’ll be asked for them.
-
Peanut butter is sacred. It’s the first thing you look for when entering the grocery store. Also if you have your own jar hide it well.
-
God loves us in our mess.
-
The world is pretty broken but people are beautiful and worth learning about. Ask a lot of questions.
-
When using a squatty potty face the door not the wall. I repeat the DOOR. Also on that note, always carry toilet paper with you wherever you go. Seriously, it’s not fun trying to shake dry.
-
Don’t get too attached to plans, chances are they’ll change multiple times and look nothing like the original. Example: in month 3 we thought we were doing prison ministry and we ended up doing more of an ATL (ask the Lord) which was so cool and grew us in so many ways! Point is God’s plans don’t always look like ours.
-
Quick dry towels are pretty horrible. You never really feel dry and putting on clothes when you’re damp is NOT fun.
-
Be honest with God. Let’s be real, He knows us better then we know ourselves, I mean He’s our creator. If you’re angry with God, tell Him. If you’re frustrated and don’t have answers, ask Him questions. We might not always get what we think we need but God can do so much work in us when we’re open and honest. I don’t think it’s wrong to feel emotions, I think the important part is what we do with those and who we bring them too.
-
I cannot say this enough, pack what you would wear at home! I constantly feel bummy because I was scared to bring things I really like. You’re living life, just in a different place. Also depending on your route, don’t bring a jacket if your first months aren’t cold. There are thrift shops everywhere.
-
Animals make different noises in different languages example we say ribbit for a frog, but in Ukraine they say Kva-kva. Also, not everywhere has daylight savings time. Mind blown.
-
Community is HARD. There are days when my team has made me angry, has made me cry, and there are days when we can’t stop laughing and bragging on each other. Fight for people when you don’t feel like fighting. Fight for them when you might think they don’t deserve it. Choose to love through the mess because it is soooo worth it in the end and more often than not, in the race they’re going to be fighting for you too.
Bonus (tips for traveling!): my favorite things I’ve packed are my solar power blow up lantern (people have asked to borrow it a lot) and my baseball cap.
Some airlines give you a blanket! It’s really handy to fold it and keep it in your pillow case so you always have something with you when you travel.
Also I ran out of shaving cream so I’m using soap BUT I kept the lid from the can because I have yet to encounter a place I can have water that isn’t running and I rinse my razor in the lid.
You’re welcome.
Reminder: my team and I are heading to Vietnam in the morning! As many of you already know Vietnam is a closed country so we will have to password protect our blogs for the month. The password is: ISQUAD2018
I ask for continued prayers as we travel for the next 3 days!
love you guys, you rock!
