I’m currently at my final debrief in Indonesia! I fly back to the states in two days. I can’t believe this year of insanity is almost over. Thank you to everyone who asked questions on Facebook and Instagram, it was fun reading through them and answering them.
So, here we go!
How are you changed/What has God taught you?
I got a lot of variations of this question. I will be posting a blog soon about the top 11 things I learned on the race that goes into detail on this question!
What did you discover about yourself? And how will it change the way you relate to your friends back home?
I learned where my worth lies. That it comes from Him, not from relationships or men or anyone else. And I gained confidence in that and in myself. I hope my friends back home will also know that truth. And I think they’ll see a change in my priorities and how I carry myself.
How and why did you get involved with the world race?
I originally thought I was going to straight from Auburn to graduate school. So when I got deferred from Boston University (the school I felt God calling me to) I was really confused. I suddenly had a year of my life without a plan and that was terrifying (something God has helped me work through this year). My mom mentioned the World Race and it kind of just took off. I prayed that if this was what was meant to happen then it would just work out. And it did. Within a week I had applied, interviewed, and been accepted. It just naturally fell into place. Plus I liked the community aspect of the race over other organizations I’d looked into. I liked that I’d be with the same group of people throughout the entire experience.
How did you know it was your calling?
God didn’t leave me any other options for this past year of my life. To be honest I’ve never felt called to missions work. But God made it clear this was what I was meant to do for a year.
Which country was your favorite?
Such a hard question. Probably either Peru or Vietnam.
Most memorable experience?
Again, a hard question. I’ll share one memorable experience from each month cause that’s the smallest I can narrow it down.
Chile: the going away party our classroom threw for us on our last day. We worked at a special needs school for the month and on the last day the two teachers in the classroom I’d helped in had snacks and cards and gifts for Aryne and I. It was so sweet and it was the first time on the race I realized that I could make an impact.
Peru: Machu Picchu. It was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. The mountains and river were so beautiful. God is an amazing creator.
Ecuador: being sick. We were only in Ecuador for about a week and I got sick for most of it so that’s all I really remember from it.
Colombia: Aqua Panela. The ministry we worked with had a program Wednesday nights where they went and handed out bread and a warm drink to people living on the streets. In Medellin the police coral the homeless people to a street for the night. This street was completely full of people, cars couldn’t get through. There were people shooting up drugs and doing witch craft right there. It was the first time I’ve truly felt and seen the spiritual realm and the darkness in it.
Rwanda: I had to preach. Yikes. I’ve never preached before but I had to in Rwanda and I spoke on the parable of the lost sheep.
Uganda: Christmas Day. We were able to get a barrel of clothes for the women living at the trauma center we were working with. These clothes were used and had holes in them yet from the way the women reacted to them you’d think we’d gotten them new designer clothes. They all put the clothes on themselves and their babies and had us take pictures. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen such joy. It was a new meaning of Christmas for me.
Kenya: taking the train and seeing so many animals. Every five minutes Gail would hit me and yell “look, a zebra!” Or a giraffe or an elephant. It was so cool to see these animals in the wild.
Malaysia: being able to witness to the people who worked at the hostel where we stayed. We stayed at Sunshine Beds hostel for the whole month and got to hang out with and invest in the people who worked there. We had amazing conversations at that hostel and I’ll always remember Patrick and Yasmin and Daniel and Debbie.
Thailand: when my parents came to visit! It was so fun and it was great to be able to show them a little bit of what my year has been like.
Cambodia: inner healing. I did this hard yet super cool thing called inner healing. If you wanna know more about it contact me! But I did it with God and learned a lot and had the most healing and realizations in Cambodia. I learned things about myself that will forever change me.
Vietnam: English cafes. There was a cafe that asked foreigners to come and speak in English and locals would come and talk. I had some really cool conversations at the cafe.
Indonesia: “hiking” Mt. Ijen. It’s too embarrassing of a story to fully tell. If you really wanna know, I’ll send you the pictures.
What ministry was the most meaningful and why?/who have you worked with that had the most impact on you?
I don’t think I can pick just one. The ones I mentioned above from Chile, Colombia, Uganda, and Malaysia were the most meaningful though.
Where have you seen God at work?
Everywhere. That’s something big I learned this year. God is at work in everything
Did you see God answering prayers at any point in your journey and how?
Oh everyday. From small prayers of “god we’ve eaten rice for 10 days, please send us noodles tonight for dinner” to “god we’re standing on the side of the road at 4am and have nowhere to go, help”. I learned to be in constant prayer, constant conversation with God. And that made it easier to see all of the prayers He answered on the daily.
What spiritual truths, disciplines, or influences have forever changed your life and that you will carry forward with you in life?
I’ve learned so much about the spiritual realm. I had no idea before that it even existed, let alone how much it effects daily. I haven’t just felt it, but God gave me discernment to see it many times on the race. I also learned a lot about the spiritual pathways and how I best feel God’s presence. And I learned it’s through worship and knowledge. Learning about God and the Bible is so stinking cool, and Tim Mackie podcasts have changed my life.
The best thing about the race?
Living in community. I didn’t think I’d like it. I was worried my introverted self would hate it. But it has taught me so much. I’ve learned so much from the people I’ve lived with and done life with. Living 24/7 with essentially a group of strangers is hard and scary. But it’s been so amazing.
The hardest thing about the race?
Living in community. Both the best and hardest thing. Having to think as a group is hard. Almost every decision is a group decision that has to be talked about. What do we do for dinner, how should we get to our next country, when should we do team time. You’re no longer just thinking for yourself, but 4-6 other people as well.
Moment that made you laugh the most?
Oh there are too many to pick just one. I’ve had some hilarious moments with my teammates. Usually the conversations that happened when we’re all in our beds about to go to sleep at night are the best and created the most laughs. Or moments that involved squatty potties and bucket showers.
Moment that made you cry the most?
If you know me well then you know I’m not a cryer. I had one “world race cry” and it was when my teammate Tori had to leave the race due to a broken foot.
Scariest moment?
Probably when I had to preach in Rwanda. I was terrified.
Was there a point where you wanted to quit the race? What got you through it?
Thanksgiving day I had my teammate Aryne look up how much a flight home would cost. Rwanda (month 4) was a hard month. We were working from 8 in the morning to 8 at night in a hard ministry and it was the first major holiday away from home. But I knew God had sent me on the race for a reason. So I had to trust that. And so many people back home had supported me, I couldn’t let them down. And eventually things got better and I’m so glad I stuck it out.
What tattoos have you gotten on the race?
I got 4. Month 1, the phases of the moon on my forearm. Month 7, the Roman numeral 11 on my wrist and I lost a 2 month long card game bet and got a lip tat of my teammates choosing. And month 8, my mom and I got similar mountain tattoos on our ankles, mine has Isaiah 54:10 underneath it.
What was your worst toilet experience?
Nicole asked this question as my entire team laid in our beds dying from either food poisoning or a stomach bug. That night was the worst. At one point Aubrey was in the bathroom so I had to run outside to find a different place to throw up.
What did you bring with you that you never used?
My tent. Never once used it on the race. I eventually sent it home with my parents.
What do you wish you would have brought with you?
Kinda random, but my converse
Did you eat any bugs?
Yes, I ate a scorpion with my parents in Thailand! Other than that I did not purposefully or knowingly eat any bugs
What did you miss about home?
Hot, clean, good water pressure showers. Ice. Being able to order chicken and not worry if it’s actually chicken.
What is something that you will bring into your yearly traditions from these experiences?
I’m not sure I’ll bring any traditions back with me but being around other traditions for a year made me appreciate my family traditions at home even more.
How was the race like you expected and how was it different?
To be honest I had no idea what to expect so I didn’t have very many expectations. But in general nothing was like I expected. I thought I’d just be helping people all year. I didn’t expect to learn so much and grow so much in my faith. I wasn’t just doing the helping, I was helped in so many ways too.
Thank you again for asking questions! I got a lot more than I expected, so if you still have questions or want more elaboration on something, feel free to text or email me!
