I will be back in America in 5 days! So here are some answers to some questions I've received! Thanks!
Which continent was your favorite!?
Each continent is very different. Central america was fun and communication was very easy because i know enough spanish to get by. Asia is very busy pretty much everywhere you go. There are more motorbikes than cars and they fit whole families on one motorbike. Communication can be quite hard in Asia, even names can be very hard to pronounce. Africa is my favorite. I love Africa. I've always wanted to come to Africa and I love the people and everything about. The people are friendly and open and the continent is especially beautiful.
My favorite quote is "To love another person is to see the face of GOD". I would imagine you saw Him quite a lot! Is there one place that stands out?
It is true. I have loved deeply in each country, especially the children. I don't think I can pick one country where I saw god more than the others. Each month brought new faces, new lessons, and new encounters with God. Each country is unique and holds a different place in my heart.
What was your scariest encounter?
Driving a sticks shift truck filled with my squad mates in the mountains of Guatemala
My first experience with a squatty potty… Just kidding.
Encountering snakes while tilling a field in Cambodia
Being passengers in a hit and run/car chase in Cambodia
Bus ride in the mountains in Nepal (they didn't really slow down for the turns)
Electrical fire in our church we were living in in Cambodia
What food was your favorite?
Shwarma- Nicaragua (sandwich/gyro thing)
Fat cakes- Africa (kinda like a doughnut)
Pad Thai- Thailand (fried noodles)
Chicken dust- Swaziland (barbecue chicken with lots of African spices)
Roti- Thailand/Malaysia/India (fried dough with egg and sugar kinda like French toast)
Have you formed any friendships you think will last through time?
Friendships with my squad I know will last for sure. We have a bond of sharing this experience that's hard to understand if you haven't experienced it. I have formed friendships with contacts and other people through the countries. We've been invited back to many places and with the help of Facebook and other technology we are able to keep in touch and keep these relationship when we go back home.
What was the most important thing to you that you learned?
The most important thing that I have learned on this trip is love. God's love for all of us, but also his love for me as an individual. It has helped me secure my identity and conquer many struggles in my life. I've also learned about God's call for us to love one another. This means all people. This means passing no judgement. This means humbling yourself to see your sin as a plank in your eye and others' sin as a speck of dust in their eye. Your only response should be in love.
How many kids did you meet that you wanted to bring home with you? I know probably all of them! I want to know about the kids… their schooling, what they do for fun, work/chores they must complete and do they seem happy?
Yes, I've wanted to bring home more kids than I can count. So many of these things vary greatly between countries, and even within each country. But schooling can range from big public schools(Malaysia and Thailand) to having a choice between public and private(Costa Rica) or a couple small shacks (India). In Nepal our contacts ran a school for children in the slum because they didn't have access to a school. We helped turn the first floor of their house in to a school for them.
For fun I've learned some games that the kids play with just rocks(Thailand, Cambodia, Botswana) or sometimes a game with a rubber band where they try to jump over it and it gets higher and higher. Some places build toy cars from sticks, old milk jugs, caps from milk jugs, and wire. They love to play soccer everywhere with a soccer ball, if they have it, if they don't they make a small ball from plastic bags. I've also seen kids playing with a big old butcher knife.
For chores, it also depends on which country. When we were in Cambodia, we lived in a rural village, so kids helped their parents with work in the rice fields or with the water buffalo. Most places kids help take care of their younger siblings. I've seen kids as young as 4 carrying their younger siblings around to whatever they are doing.
In general, yes the kids seem happy. There are kids with hard pasts and heart breaking stories, but many don't know any other way of life than what they are living. Many places their lives aren't bad, they are just different. Some places they are extremely poor, but everyone around them is too, so that is all they know.
I think I want to know about the families you stayed with. Did they include you in their celebrations, holidays and church?
All the families who have taken us in along the way have been such wonderful blessings to us. They include us in their families and help us experience their true culture, more than just touristy things. They care for us when we are sick and celebrate with us for holidays and birthdays. Each month people have been so kind and kinda adopt us for the month. I feel like I have family all over the world now.
