Today as I was sitting at Starbucks I was thinking about some of my favorite memories and all the little things I'll miss.. or won't miss!
So, here are just a few fun random favorites and highlights from the year!
Ohhh the intersting foods we ate…
A fish head! Yep eyeballs and everything.. kinda tasted like a crispy fishy frito lay!
Balut- you may be wondering what exactly is balut? Let me tell you.. it’s a fertilized duck embryo. Ours was 18 days old.. just a couple more days and it woulda been walking and quacking. Feathers were stuck in my teeth. I felt like I was on fear factor.
Snails from the deep blue sea in Malaysia.
Beaver- it’s considered a delicacy in Moldova.. and the day before they served it to us we found out one of their beavers died becuase it was sick.. perrrffecttt… and I wonder why I picked up so many sicknesses along the way!
Ugali aka African cake- kinda like solid grits…
Hotdog buns for breakfast in Rwanda.
Chicken foot & intestine.
You never really know what you're actually ordering…
example:
Cheeseburger- an actual fried cheese pattie
or an eggroll- a boiled egg wrapped in potatoe.
When ya gotta go, ya gotta go…
outhouses- squatty potties- a lil hole dug in the dirt- up a mountain in Nepal-
or even in the middle of a street… desperate times call for desperate measures!
home sweet home
Natasha and Octove's cozy lil home- school rooms- floors- churches- Camboidan tree houses- tent livin- the simple humble homes to the most generous African Pastors (Sometimes it would hit me that I'm living in a strangers home)- Inside a coffee shop- or sometimes camped outside of McDonalds for the night!
The 101 lil presents I picked up along the way-
aka all the ailments & diseases.
Ringworm- Rashes on my face and body- Toe fungi… Eeekkk- Sunspots all over my arms and back- Worst case of LICE that took 7 days of treatments- So many cold sores that I can’t even count on both hands- Sliced my toe on a rusty pole walking down the dirty Ugandan sidewalk- Flu & cold- Stomach issues.. I’ll just leave it at that- Rolled my ankle 5x- The mysterious arm pit cysts that would travel and multiply- 3 stiches on my hand (which probably needed 7) …leave it to Michelle to dive into a mudpuddle in the rain- And last but not least the world race 15lbs! I curse you rice & potatoes and everything starchy.
Modes of transportion! "pick em up!"
Rickshaws and insane bus rides in India with people hanging out the door-
Boda boda’s in Kenya- Can't forget the scariest, near death experience on every bus ride in Nepal which totaled up to 150+ hours of travel time that month-Tuk TUk's in Cambodia & Thailand- Water buffalos- Jeepney’s in the Philippines- Crammed bus rides with blarring Jesus Culture in Moldova- the 40+ sweaty hour train rides- the hours, days, weeks of walking through and around cities, villages and towns!
"We are the World Race- we will do anything!"
Door to door evangelism- Farming- Picking apples- Passing out "invitazi’s" and flyers- Killin chickens- Children’s programs and visiting orphanages- Month long Revival Services- Slum ministry- Preachin it up- Prayer walking- Hospital visits- Medical Ministry- Construction- Teaching – Praying over the lame and sick- Bar ministry in Thailand- College ministry- Sports camps- Feeding the poor- And we can’t forget the infamous ATL days- where we just ask the Lord what and where He wants us to go and do!
Place I hope to return one day!
India- captivates me in every way.
Uganda! I love Momma Frieda and Pastor Joseph and what they are doing at Christ Abassador Church in Mukono. I miss my dear friend Aggie and sweet lil beyonce!
Cambodia – The people and children stole my heart especially at Teen Challenge.
Nepal- Is absolutely beautiful and I want to explore their mountains w/ Pastor Meghy and his family.
Philippines- LOVE everything about this place- especially how friendly everyone is. I want to come back to KIM’s ministry in Manila and Mt.Moriah in Malaybalay. The presence of the Lord rests in these places.
Ohhhh the things I’ll miss
Meeting Maria’s everywhere I go!
Ugandan kids screaming, "Hiii Mazungoooo!!"
Hearing my teammates blow up their air mattresses or pillows in the middle of the night.
Preachin in African churches and getting an amen every other sentence!
My best friends and sisters for life that I’ve made on the race.
Can't believe I'm about to say this one but I'm gonna miss feedback and team time, it's true.
All the fun food like chapatti and somtom (raw crunchy papya salad from Thailand)
I already miss all the fresh fruit from the trees and street vendors.
BEST Chai 4x a day in India.
Everyday being an adventure.
Visiting new countries, meeting new people, partnering with different ministries.
Worshipping and dancing in African churches.
Loving on all the sweet lil babies and kiddos!!
Doing the craziest things… because when else are you going to be able to bungee over the Nile?
Trying all the peculiar Lay's potato chip flavors.
Getting excited about the little things like ice cream, going to a grocery store, seeing a Starbucks, flushing toilets, washing machines, couches, a real coffee maker, sleeping on an actual mattress, popcorn, & oh the list continues!
Believe it or not.. travel days! They are some of my favorites and true colors start coming out!
AHhhhh so much I'm gonna miss. This list could be a mile long- but it's time for me to stop.
aaannddd…the things I won't miss as much….
Hand washing my clothes- Bucket showers using the cow bathing pond water- Singing Ohh Lei Lei and Making Melodies every other day- Sweaty pits and waking up to sweat puddles- Using public trans all the time and getting lost- Never really feeling clean- Getting pranked by Carly Brown- Calloused dirty feet- Language barriers- Living out of a bag- FLIES- Cockroaches everywhere- Sometimes the 24/7 community living in a tight quaters- Holes in my clothes- Eating rice at every meal- Carrying toilet paper in my bag- Sleeping under a mosquito net…
OOooh the World Race.. you were nothing what I expected.. I'm ready to go home, but I sure will miss you.
