My third month on The Race was spent on my own in Nairobi, Kenya and Texas.
As my team was heading to their next ministry site in Europe, I was already at mine. My ministry site had a lot of doctors and nurses. It involved being a good patient and trying to make the nurses’ lives easier. It involved telling my story over and over again to curious onlookers. It also involved keeping a positive attitude and seeking out God as I wrote about it and shared my story with the world.
When I got to America, my ministry continued in the same way. Then I finally was released from the hospital (YAY!). Once I was released I didn’t really know what my ministry was anymore. My mentality was to continue reaching out but how?
Going out in public was interesting. I couldn’t get pants over my wraps so I wore dresses, exposing my bandages. So many people stared at me. I always made eye contact with strangers, would smile, and then watch their eyes go down to my legs and come back up but this time, their smile was no longer a smile. Everyone always had a more distressed look when they made eye contact the second time.
My bandages opened up so many doors to share my story. Sometimes, I would talk about my wounds for 5 minutes and then talk about college or jobs or Africa or family or friends or God or the weather for 30 more minutes.
I’ve enjoyed bumping into strangers and having so many unexpected conversations.
I looked up places to volunteer at. I also looked into finding a job so I could have a place to go to and, in a sense, belong. But nothing worked out.
With only one usable hand and walking with limp, there is not much to do. So I did what I could, I walked around random places. I would go get coffee. I would go shopping. I would go out to eat.
Ministry is life. Life is ministry. I wasn’t going to orphanages anymore but instead living a typical life. But God still works in a “typical” life.
As I was doing my random trips, He placed people in my path to bump into.
I’ve had countless meaningful conversations with strangers. I always walk away from the conversation feeling so fulfilled and satisfied because I would always get so much from that person. I hope that the other person felt the same.
I’ve repeated my story so many times but that’s what God has given me. I’ll continue to use it because it’s a gift.
Month 3 was unexpected. My ministry was unexpected. And the joy that I’ve found was unexpected.
>>>I’m excited for month 4<<<
