Mom! I can make a paper swan!
In three days I’ll have been on the race for six months. Is it awesome? It’s amazing. I’ve camped with hill tribes on top of mountains, I’ve lived in the ghettos, I’ve scuba dived in some of the most beautiful reefs on the Eastern Hemisphere, I’ve boarded down active volcanoes, I’ve driven jet skis off islands in Malaysia, I’ve ridden elephants and visited monkey filled caves. What’s not to love?
With that being said, if you asked me what my favorite day on the race has been so far it probably wouldn’t include any of those things. Actually let me just tell you about a recent one…
My alarm went off at 7:30am. I got up out of my sleeping bag, brushed my teeth, threw on the same outfit I wore the day before yesterday (you can never wear the EXACT outfit you wore the day before because then it would be too obvious) and walked over to the hosts house to eat breakfast. I ate some Corn Flakes and a banana, hopped in the van and we were off to school. I had a good attitude but I was tired this day. We arrived at the school and we spent all day (9 hours) sitting in one classroom making origami swans because we were helping some of the students decorate their exhibit for open house the next day. All day long we made swans and tried to make a paper mache (idk how to spell that.. muh-shay) flower. At the end of the day our flower had shriveled up into something I’d rather not discuss.
All day long everyone had an incredible attitude. Everyone was making jokes, laughing and playing with the kids, showing off our swans and criticizing other peoples square cutting abilities. I was tired but the jokes kept coming. The joy kept overflowing. Six white people surrounded by a mass of 7th grade Thai students. Newspaper clippings on the floor, in the desks, in your hair, on the ceiling, everywhere. The language barrier was more like a language mountain. One student spoke English, everyone else knew two words: “Hello” and “Selfie.” But I’m telling you the smiles and laughs never ended. I could literally see the joy of Jesus shining through the entire team to everyone in the room. And what were we doing? Making paper swans. That’s it.
That night we went to dinner together as a team and broke a glass table completely in two.
DROP the MIC.
Afterwards we led a youth group for missionary children in the area. About 30 teenagers were there, and they ALL spoke English. Yes please.
This was one of my favorite days of the race, because I learned that my presence is God’s presence. Sometimes all I have to do is make paper swans.
Thanks for reading.
