Good day, mate! We’re in Malaysia! Which means month 11 of this thing! WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?!? In celebration, here is a post from day 200 of the race. Coming at you from July 29th in Serbia, here is the sequel to 100 things I learned on the race…
101. Keep extra hair ties on you at all times
102. If you pee on cement it WILL splatter. Everywhere.
103. When peeing on yourself from lack of squatty potty ability, remind yourself urine is sterile
104. Always check to make sure there are no snakes before peeing outside
105. “Cherish the small moments as if they are the most important.” -About Time
106. People are resilient
107. Make goals and keep them
108. If you don’t, that’s okay
109. Stay flexible
110. See 108
111. Puppies make the world a better place
112. Immediate healing is a very real thing
113. Blogging is hard
114. There are some things only moms can fix or understand
115. Make appointments to sing around a bonfire
116. Eat a lot of chocolate
117. Encouraging words change lives
118. You can do it
119. When you are the most weak is the perfect place for God to show his strength
120. Just show up
121. You WILL want to go home. Don’t.
122. Why does the global community insist upon drinking instant coffee??
123. Don’t judge people for drinking instant coffee.
124. Mud fights are completely acceptable and encouraged
125. When you have a mud fight at midnight, check to make sure the water did not get shut off in the building
126. I love showers
127. I love warm water
128. I love water that doesn’t get turned off every night
129. Deodorant is not global
130. Friends who pick miniature noodle flakes out of rice and wash gravy off vegetables for you are true friends
131. It’s ok, the layer of dirt makes you look more tan
132. When you tell God you want to conquer hanger, he will provide opportunity to practice conquering hanger
133. Trusting the Lord for food sometimes is a daily occurrence. He has always provided, and always will provide
134. Wearing the same 3 outfits continually is absolutely acceptable
135. Showering every day is excessive
136. Sweat stains are a part of life
137. Sleeping outside is more peaceful
138. Especially if it’s next to a fire you built
139. I learned how to build a fire
140. GOD BLESS THE RAINS DOWN IN AFRICA
141. Remember to thank the person who invented the perforation of toilet paper
142. You can (and should) check out books from the library on your kindle
143. If someone thinks your name is Molly, Mary, Maggie, or Melon, simply smile and nod
144. If you boil water for 5 minutes, even the undistinguishable particles floating around will be sanitized
145. A few scoops of peanut butter does count as a meal
146. Don’t step in the puddles
147. Especially the green ones
148. Check to make sure the spot you want to hammock is not a false god sacrifice location before setting up
149. It’s not a question of if you’ll get sick in West Africa. It’s how bad and how many times
150. Roosters are your least favorite animal. Trust me.
151. “A big field to poop in sounds really good right about now.” -Candy
152. A mostly rice diet isn’t great if you want to maintain any semblance of energy
153. If you’re not a morning person, don’t move to West Africa
154. Travel day can actually mean travel for 5 days
155. Sometimes God wakes you up with your favorite flower next to your tent. Thank him.
156. I learned how to make Turkish Coffee
157. You’re not supposed to stir milk into Turkish coffee
158. Or drink the sludge sitting at the bottom
159. It is absolutely acceptable to get into a car with strangers you’ve just met and spend the night at their home
160. ALWAYS USE TIN FOIL WHEN BAKING SCALLOPED POTATOES
161. FOR THE LOVE OF EVERYTHING GOOD AND HOLY. PLEASE USE TIN FOIL.
162. Some ministries require a high powered sanitization machine to clean dishes and make you re-clean a fork if it falls to the floor. Some ministries require you to use the same room and water to clean dishes, shower, and flush the toilet.
163. No problem.
164. Bathrooms are the safest place to have alone time
165. Take coffee breaks. Often.
166. Though we are unskilled, we are capable of building low ropes courses
167. Sleeping under the stars is recommended
168. Puns are a spiritual gift
169. Chores are fun when you sing with your friends
170. Chores are also fun when you make everything into a game
171. Don’t challenge someone to What are the Odds if you’re not willing to also eat the gunk at the bottom of the sink after cleaning dishes for 60 people.
172. Smiling is a global language
173. Just because you don’t have money doesn’t mean you’re lesser than the boujee tourists
174. Swimming daily in the Adriatic Sea is good for your skin
175. Rooftops overlooking where the mountains meet the sea and a city of lights is the perfect place for song writing
176. All worship songs can be played using the same 4 chords
177. Wifi is not necessary for survival
178. When playing with bows and arrows, it should be required to tuck and roll
179. Sneaking into shacks to acquire said bows and arrows is only frowned upon, not illegal
180. Witch camps exist
181. People sent to witch camps have been accused of murder, but are innocent. They are accused because people are petty and want their land.
182. If the aforementioned accused do not run away to the witch camps, they will be murdered by fellow village members
183. To be accepted into the safety of a witch camp, accused witched or wizards are required to drink blood
184. With great determination comes the ability to watch season 7 of GoT while away from wifi
185. If you tell the Lord you want to work on being a morning person, he will assign you cabin duty at 6am
186. If you stand outside the venue of an Ed Sheeran concert and can hear him, it counts as attending
187. Always water the flowers in the morning or evening
188. If you are diagnosed with African malaria in Montenegro, the CDC will come and smoke out the entire city and surrounding neighborhoods
189. A 10 hour bus ride is the perfect amount of time
190. It takes strength to be vulnerable
191. The kindness of strangers never ceases to astound me
192. I want a mug that says “Coffee Makes Me Poop”
193. Talk about your dreams often
194. Take time to talk with mentors
195. If you want to know what your spiritual gift is, look at the thing you struggle with most. The opposite is probably your gift.
196. i.e., Historically I have struggled with depression. My spiritual gift is joy.
197. Start making a list of 1,000 things you’re thankful for. The more you look for these things, the more you will focus on what you’re thankful for rather than things you wish were different
198. If you show up without a plan to a gas station in the middle of nowhere, God will provide a pastor who will give you a place to stay, food to eat, and ministry to complete
199. Sockos are underrated
200. It is impossible to frown when you’re dancing in a field
