Dear friends, Well, here we are. At Christmastime. The time we get together with our favorite people – and tell them the things we should be telling them all year round. So, in lieu of this, I want to share a little snippet of my story being written here on The World Race. Each day of this global journey is epic and incredible in it's own way, but it is also the little, day-to-day moments that make up the greater story. I have more often felt overwhelmed with emotions at the simple things that make us all alike.
For instance, when my little Haitian friend Beudjlee, an 11-year-old who lost his mom and sister in the earthquake, smiles at me, I am completely moved. He laughs with an innocence that could only come from the hope of a child in the midst of such incredible loss. His sweet spirit is full of laughter, and just being around him can change a person. I know this full well. I immediately knew he would be the boy in Haiti who would draw me in with his mischievous games and simple desire to be held.
Or the moment I found myself in the middle of a Haitian worship service, drums banging and people dancing around me – in a little open-air church on a dusty street in Carrefour. I just smiled, standing still in the middle of movement, and thought about how crazy blessed I am to be able to enjoy the vastness of God among people from all over the world. After a satisfying time with my eyes closed, listening to beautiful voices interrupting the darkness, I lifted my hands in the air and jumped into the circle, dancing the night away until my feet were sore.
The blessings of homes opening for us, chairs being brought out even as we'd insist it wasn't necessary, of countless cups of coffee served – are all part of the experience. I have been blessed by incredible generosity expressed in such unique ways in different cultures. I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of the human condition – but the good portions are what tell the greatest stories. Those are the things I will hold onto – the little kindnesses along the path, the goo-goo of a little Malaysian baby, the rough play of a grown up Indian and Pakistani man who call themselves best buddies, the sounds of a soccer ball being kicked through the streets of Santa Domingo, and the smells of street vendors in Thailand selling Durian, Thai Noodles, and fried donuts.
And I think even more than the stories I hear, I am more aware of my own story. Aware of how it affects and bumps into the stories of others being written as we walk along this path of life. Aware that I am right in the middle of it, and that my choices affect the pages being written in someone else's life, too. I suddenly find that by God's grace, my little life is being written into the book of someone else's… someone like Sarah – an Indian woman in her late eighties, who never married and lives alone in Tanjung Malim, but seems like a modern day Mother-Teresa to her neighbors. Sarah lost both of her parents when she was only twelve years old, and has lived in that same house to this very day. I asked her if she misses her parents still, and she told me about losing them and losing most of the people in her life due to old age. And then, she got quiet for a minute, looking out the window like she had stepped out of that moment into one where she was with them again; and tears started to well up in her eyes. "Yes. Yes, I miss them very much."
As I write this Christmas letter, I am overwhelmed with thankfulness for you. My dearest friends and family who have supported me through the whole process leading up to The World Race. You have been my greatest cheerleaders, you have believed in me even when I didn't believe I could do it, you have supported me financially, you have been there to laugh with me, to cry with me, and even to speak sense into me when I needed it most. I am so thankful to my church family back in Seattle. I miss every single one of my brothers and sisters at Epic. You have truly been a community of faith that has brought me closer to Jesus than I have ever been.
Mom and Dad, I am so thankful for you. Thank you for understanding this crazy dream of mine, to spend a year traveling the world out of a backpack and learn about the incredible vastness of the Kingdom of God throughout the world. Your countless prayers and tears, your belief in me without needing to have the answers, your being okay with having a twenty-seven year old daughter who hasn't necessarily followed the typical protocol of college, job, marriage, and babies… I love you guys. It means so much to me that you have trusted me enough to carry out this dream. Please rest assured that I am growing in immeasurable ways, that I am experiencing moments of joy, laughter, and happiness, and that I feel incredibly fulfilled here on the other side of the world. I miss you guys, especially now during the holidays, but please know it won't be long before we see each other again!
Blessings to all this Advent season. May the King of Kings and Lord or Lords truly be just that in your lives. May you feel His peace compelling and moving your Spirit like you have never felt before, and I pray that you would seek out the adventure you have been waiting for. This is the New Year, this is your time, this is your chance. I can promise you that there is no better time than now, and that it doesn't get any easier to wait for your special moment. I pray that you will recognize the sacredness of life. That your moments have purpose – every single one of them- and they are infinitely valuable to God. That your hearts and your homes will be full of love, warmth, and the kinds of gifts that don't come in packages, but come through words and moments truly lived. Merry Christmas!
