At the end of a trip or experience- especially one that has involved extended time away from home- it can be hard to sum it all up. Historically, I know that I’ve not been the best at letting people into the experiences and lessons that the Lord has taught me and tend to give general answers that only scratch the surface. That’s NOT what I want to do with the race. I want to let you all in to the big moments and the little ones that I’ve journeyed through this year. I want to be open about the exciting and thrilling moments and the moments that broke my heart. But in doing so, I’m going to need to you to ask the questions that you really want to know about. Be specific- please don’t ask me “How was your trip?” if you actually want more than a vague answer. It’s been a whole year and that would be like me asking “How was your whole 2017?” Be honest- if you just want a 5 minute version in passing or if you want to go sit and have coffee and discuss at length. . . I want to honor you in that and it will help me know how to go about sharing.
Just as it’s hard to know where to start with sharing, I know it can also be hard to know where to start with asking about such a diverse year. Here is a long list of questions that range from specific to general, fun to serious and lengthy answers to short. Pick an area that you are interested in hearing about and start there!
General
What did you learn about being a follower?
What did you learn from being a treasurer all 11 months?
What were some of your favorite moments with the Unsoundables? Pearls of Faithfulness? Fearless? (my 3 teams)
What were some of the hardest moments? What did you learn from them and how did they bring you closer together?
How did you pick your team names?
What did you learn from each team?
What moments on the race made you come alive? Broke your heart?
Who were your closest friends on the race and why?
What were some of your favorite adventure days and why?
Were there any new hobbies that you picked up on the race that you want to continue?
What are some of the pivotal lessons that the Lord taught you?
What were some of your best living conditions? Worst?
What were some of your worst travel days? Best?
Which ministries were the most challenging for you? Which ones fit your passions?
Who were some of the hardest friends to say “goodbye” to?
Where could you see yourself living long term?
How many/what countries did you actually end up going to?
Asia (India, Nepal, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand)
How was life on a coed team?
What was the weirdest thing you saw being carried on a motorbike?
What was public transportation like?
What is the traditional food like for (insert country)?
Ask me about a ministry that intrigues you! We preached on the streets in rural villages in India, did prayer, dance bar, and kid ministry in Nepal, relational ministry through volleyball, coffee, and conversational English in Vietnam, taught English to kindergartners and did Bible study sith college students in Cambodia, and worked with YWAM doing preaching, visiting schools, and campus evangelism in Thailand.
What was it like to do ministry in parts of the country that were either closed or where Christians are highly persecuted?
How were your first team changes and how did you adjust to new dynamics? What was it like to switch from a co-ed team to an all girls team?
Ask me about what the Lord taught me and how He spoke to me on the beach in India.
What was it like living on an apartment floor with 15 men and women and one bathroom and kitchen?
How do you survive a 25 hour bus ride in Vietnam?
How was it being back in Vietnam and getting to see old friends?
Ask me about our camp out on the beach in Vietnam and our friend named Victory.
How do you survive teaching English to kindergartners that don’t speak your language?
Ask me about what the Lord taught me about expectations, trust, and worth/identity in Cambodia.
Ask me about what it was like to visit the Killing Fields and visit prisons from the Khmer Rouge.
What was it like to evangelize to students at a university in Thailand?
What did the Lord teach you about value/worth in Thailand and how did that affect the rest of your race?
Ask me about our village outreach in Thailand with the YWAM team.
How was it to reunite with Wa (friend from high school foreign exchange program) after 10 years?
What have you learned about spiritual warfare?
Ask me about the major cities we visited in each country (Hyderabad, Kathmandu, Ho Chi Minh, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Bangkok).
What new foods did you try?
What did the Lord teach you about/through public speaking?
Ask me about our overnight layover in Malaysia.
Eastern Europe (Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo, Greece, Bulgaria)
What did you do during your layover in Rome?
Ask me about what the Lord taught me about walking alongside and speaking into the lives of other people, even when it’s not easy.
How did the Balkan Region surprise you?
Ask me about a ministry that intrigues you! We worked with a church doing anything and everything (VBS, women’s ministry, painting, music lessons, English tutoring, etc) in Albania, spent the month letting the Lord guide our ministry in Kosovo/Greece, and visiting elderly homes, house visits, and reaching out to the community in Bulgaria.
How was celebrating your birthday in Albania?
How did you end up giving piano lessons in Albania- how did that work?
What was it like living in a 3 room building and sharing one bathroom with 16 people?
What was it like partnering with another team to do ministry for the month in Albania?
Ask me about our mountain camp out in Albania.
Ask me about the beggar girls I met on the streets in Albania.
What did you do during your short stay in Macedonia?
How did you end up in Kosovo?
What were the challenges and highlights of ATL (ask the Lord) month? How did you see the Lord provide?
Who were the families that you met and were blessed by in Kosovo?
What did you do in Greece?
Ask me about our worship night and giving away balloons in Greece.
Ask me about the day we visiting an elderly home and 4 ladies came to Christ in Bulgaria.
Ask me about our train ride to Bulgaria.
What were some of the best meals you made in Bulgaria?
Ask me about how the Lord started guiding me in trusting Him in what comes after the race.
Africa (Zimbabwe, Swaziland, South Africa)
What did you do during your layover in Qatar?
How did Africa surprise you?
Ask me about a ministry that intrigues you! We visited elderly homes, spoke at youth groups/churches, helped sew reusable feminine products, and visited children’s homes in Zimbabwe, worked at care points in Swaziland, and helped feed the homeless in South Africa.
Ask me about our travel day from Bulgaria to Zimbabwe.
What were bus rides like in Africa?
What wild animals did you see?
How did the 3 countries you visited in Africa differ from each other?
What were your favorite moments from Zimbabwe?
Ask me about the Christian school we got to teach at in Zim.
Ask me about the people we met and ministries we got to connect with in Zim.
What did you do while you were at Victoria Falls?
How was the safari in Botswana?
What was it like having your parents join you in Swaziland?
What did the Lord teach you in that?
What did the Lord teach you through working at the care points in Nsoko?
Ask me about our hosts and their community in South Africa.
What is Love Story (the ministry we worked with in SA) and how did they start?
How was your trip to Cape Town?
How was final debrief?
What was the travel day like coming back to the U.S?
What did you do in New York before flying back home?
What’s Next Questions
How did you come to the decision to squad lead and why so soon after your own race?
What exactly will you be doing as a squad leader?
Where will you be going?
Why squad leading- what’s the heart behind that and how does it fit with your passions and giftings?
What do you want to continue to grow in?
What will you be doing in your month home?
How do you see yourself taking what you’ve learned on the race and implementing it in your day to day life?
What are your dreams for when you return home or later down the line? What has the Lord been teaching you about dreaming?
This year has been incredibly full and diverse and I can’t wait to share it with you all. Please be patient with me as I tell you too many stories about “my people.” Be patient and offer grace as I adjust to life back in the states and as I prepare to leave again. Be patient as I walk the balance of being excited to see you all back home, but also grieve what I’m leaving behind. And I promise to extend the same patience and grace to you as well.
I also want to hear about YOU. I’ve had several of you comment on how exciting this year must have been, but you all have lived a year of life too- and that’s not any less exciting or important. I’ve missed weddings, babies being born, job changes, goals met, moments that broke your heart, and dreams that you’ve begun to chase. I want to hear about it all and be a part of your life in that way, so let me into those things.
While there are days that I may just want to hermit and recharge, I WANT to go out and do things, so please feel free to reach out. If you are a friend that isn’t in driving distance- let’s facetime, we’ll actually be in the same part of the world so time zones will be easier! For those of you at home, coffee, lunch, walks, adventures, and the little errands are things I look forward to, so let’s plan on that!
Can’t wait to hug you all and chat in person. See you SO soon!
