It has taken us a total of eight days to get from Swaziland to Myanmar, and we are just beginning to settle into our new home for the next few weeks. Travel here started with a bus ride from Swaziland to Johannesburg where we spent the night. The following morning, we flew to Abu Dhabi, then to Bangkok only to catch another plane to Chiang Mai where we spent a couple days exploring the city. We got fish pedicures, walked the night markets, tried tasty Thai foods, and I even got my first tattoo (expect an Instagram post soon revealing my ink and the meaning behind it). After our time in Chiang Mai, we bussed to a town on the border of Thailand where we stayed two nights, then we finally bussed 13 hours to where we are staying now. I’m now discovering this abnormal travel itinerary is quite normal for The World Race. Aside from getting motion sickness on more than one occasion, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the journey here.
I now realize I am no longer in Africa… Having been to Asia before, I thought I knew what to expect, but culture here is much different than what I’ve experienced in the past. Squatty potties and bucket showers are part of my daily routine, stray dogs are everywhere, “makeup” is worn by both genders (it’s a weird paste that comes from a piece of wood…), and men wear “skirts” (don’t knock it ‘til you try it…). Also, just when I thought hand washing clothes was left in Africa, I realized we live nowhere near a laundry mat… (I’ll be an expert at hand washing when I return to The States). Far from complaining, I very much love everything about where we live. Asia is strange in such a beautiful way, and I’m looking forward to living here for the next few months and celebrating the holidays and my birthday in this place.
Though it has only been a week, so far ministry has looked like leading worship on our campus multiple times a day, preaching, preparing bible studies, and teaching English to the college students. Unsure of what other ministry opportunities may arise, I will keep you posted as soon as something strangely unexpected comes up as it usually does. Meanwhile, keep your eyes peeled for photo dumps on IG and FB as well as new blogs coming your way!
Blessings
Matthew Rodriguez
