100 Things the World Race Has Taught Me

100 Lessons in 100 Days (for Future Racers by Racers). These are some things – the good, the bad, and occasionally weird – that my team has learned so far. 

1. Toilet paper is not normal in Asia – so bring toilet paper everywhere you go!
2. You will learn how to squat like a true Asian
3. God made humans in a spiral shape – Things you thought you had dealt with in the past will come up again and again throughout your life and you’ll receive even deeper healing each time around
4. But there is complete healing in Christ and He died to set us free from all that
5. There is power in “me too”
6. It is possible to go a full week without showering and still look halfway decent
7. Octopus tentacles taste like BBQ
8. You will feel like you’re in the movie Honey I Shrunk the Kids when you stand in a forest of banana trees
9. Cambodian Khmer New Year involves water guns, water balloons and baby powder fights
10. It is normal to take 2 or 3 showers a day in Cambodia
11. Don’t ask Vietnamese about politics
12. Saris will take 10 minutes to put on…and 10 seconds to realize you don’t want it on in the first place
13. Splurge on a good (and wide) sleeping pad
14. Eat ALL the food that your hosts give you
15. Don’t come on the Race hoping to lose weight
16. Nail polish is a good cover up to hide the dirt underneath your fingernails
17. You WILL get diarrhea
18. Bring a book…even if you’re not a reader now, you will be!
19. Don’t bring a huge camera if you don’t know how to use it
20. You CAN survive without your laptop
21. The Race is not free of distractions…there’s just new distractions
22. Set personal goals before coming on the Race
23. Even if you prepare to miss out on things at home, there will be new things that pop up
24. Learn a little bit of the language, even if its just the numbers for tuk tuk drivers and “thank you”
25. Eat lots of fruit and drink lots of water
26. Don’t let first impressions of your squad mates (or anyone in general) hinder how you walk alongside them
27. Realize that team food has to be split among everyone so buy your own snacks
28. Always bring snacks on travel days!
29. Have sermon podcasts downloaded for spiritual fuel
30. You probably need less medicine than you think you do
31. Don’t bring expensive medicine, because you CAN get cheap stuff overseas
32. Bring anti-itch stuff! Tiger balm is great.
33. Pack extra undies!
34. Bring body wash or shampoo that you really like the smell of
35. Bring body spray for special days
36. Don’t bring just one stick of deodorant
37. You can use shampoo for all your shower needs!
38. Baby wipes can be found in all parts of the world because shocker – the world has babies!
39. They will weigh your carry on at some airports
40. Research the flight restrictions for electronics
41. If you don’t mind wearing quick dry clothes, bring them, because they come in handy
42. Bring clothes that make you feel normal
43. Bring dresses/skirts that cover your knees
44. Asian dress code is stricter than World Race dress code
45. Bring leggings for India, but don’t expect to wear them past that
46. Wear sunscreen even if you don’t think you burn
47. Don’t dress grungy to ministry, look presentable and respectable (unless its manual labor)
48. Realize if you ask people from home for letters, paper weighs a lot
49. You can swap books if you bring one book a person
50. You will have access to Internet
51. Your parents will survive if you don’t talk to them
52. Don’t tell your parents to look at the Facebook parents page
53. Whether you have no Christian community or a great community back home, be prepared to live in vulnerability with this particular community because the Lord has great things in store.
54. Every friendship takes time. And fun.
55. No one is perfect on the Race
56. Bring or buy a small bag
57. The Lord will stretch you beyond your current understanding of Him, its okay, let Him stretch you
58. You have to choose to grow
59. Make your time with the Lord a priority, if youre not already
60. Comparison is real on the Race, be prepared
61. Bring resources for kids ministry, like songs, lessons
62. Create and stick to a budget!
63. Just embrace it!
64. You don’t have to say yes to every adventure but also go on them when you
65. Health is holistic, to be healthy you have to be healthy physically as well as spiritually and emotionally
66. Ask people (waiters, etc) their names, it makes a difference
67. Make your host your ministry outside of scheduled ministry times
68. Ministry will look different than you expect
69. Practice patience – with your teammates, with yourself, when ministry isn’t what you think it is
70. Keep things organized, be respectful of your living environment
71. Try avocado coffee in ‘Nam!
72. Try all the coffee!
73. Have a way of tracking your growth, to allow you to look back on it
74. If you’re passionate about something, bring it on the Race if you can
75. Create opportunities for yourself
76. Learn the history of the countries you’re going to
77. Don’t overwhelm yourself with too many packing blogs!
78. You don’t need as many clothes as you think you do
79. You don’t have to buy all your things from REI to be prepared
80. You can find cool clothes abroad
81. If you can get people to sponsor your stuff, it’s a little reminder of home
82. If you love a good pen… you should probably bring a lot of them.
83. Talk to strangers!
84. Stop and take in the scenery around you because you’ll probably never be there again
85. You will be a celebrity in other countries so be prepared for people to take lots of pictures of you (and with you)
86. Don’t get super stressed when plans don’t work out
87. Trust that your host knows best even if its not what you want to hear
88. Music connects people without a shared common language
89. Bring a big, comfortable pillow!
90. Bring something to mark your airporter because every one has the same one as you do!
91. Bring a card game!
92. You have a lot of spare time on the Race
93. Bring a eyemask
94. Don’t flush your toilet paper down the toilets in Asia!
95. Don’t let your poop sit in the squatty potty, and please don’t make your squad mates have to unclog it for you
96. Even if you don’t get sick in the States, you will on the Race
97. Don’t be afraid of the hospital! Go if you need to!
98. Try everything once
99. Bring a couple accessories for dressing up
100. If you don’t think the team you’re placed on is your “dream team”, you can still make it the dream team.