(Malaysian ministry update #2 coming soon…we’re working at
El Shaddai Refugee School in Klang. But first…)
The Top 11 Things I’ve Missed the Most (besides people)
1. TARGET.
2. Air conditioning.
3. Hot showers.
4. Clean feet.
5. A washer and dryer.
6. Cold drinking water.
7. Barnes and Noble.
8. Non-instant coffee.
9. Alone time.
10. Church in english.
11. TARGET.
The Top 11 Random Lessons from the Race: (in no particular order)
1. Always, always keep a roll of toilet paper in your purse.
2. Don’t share drinks with someone who has typhoid.
3. Surround yourself with people who wear the same size clothes as you.
4. Milk overseas never tastes good.
5. Coke and Justin Bieber have reached more ends of the earth than the gospel.
6. Don’t let an elephant kiss you on the cheek if you’re ticklish.
7. The most important word to learn in another language is “thank you.”
(Gracias, Filaminderit, Grazie, Mulzo Miesk, Obregada, Yebo, Kapkoonka, Ocun)
8. Public transportation really does save you a ton of money.
9. Using a headlamp will lessen your electricity bill significantly.
10. Baby wipes are a gift from God.
11. Handwashing clothes isn’t really that hard.
The Top 7 Grossest Things Unnamed members of our squad did this year: (The real grossest ones are omitted.)
1. Peed in a bag in the stairwell of a double decker bus while driving through the Peruvian desert.
2. Pooped in a bag and threw it out of the window so they didn’t have to get out of bed in Swaziland.
3. Re-heated their leftover noodles in a hot vat of lard.
4. Peed in their friend’s pants from laughing so hard in Albania and didn’t tell them or wash them.
5. Ate out of the garbage as a semi-regular occurance.
6. Pushed someone’s diharrea down a toilet for them on a 15 hr bus ride.
7. Used a tshirt when there was no toilet paper available in Kosovo.
(Needless to say, there have been plenty of hilarious late night conversations where someone has said, “I’ve lost all my dignity.”
The Top 11 Lessons I’ve Learned on the Race (serious)
1. Our Dad (God) is a good Dad who loves us and happens to be a King.
2. Nothing in this world can satisfy. Even after months in the jungle or with bucket showers and squatty potties, and a splurge on ice cream and a movie, we’re still not satisfied. No worldly pleasure can satisfy – only the love of Christ.
3. This whole Christianity thing has turned entirely too religious, and it really is a lot less about pleasing God and more about being His daughter/son, and having an intimate, grace-receiving relationships with Him.
4. He makes beautiful things, we should too.
5. I’m gonna be a mommy one day. And it’s going to be one of my greatest joys and one of the ways I see my failure and need for God’s grace the most.
6. True community is messy and worth it. The local church plays a vital role in a Christian’s life.
7. We desperately need truth in our lives. We believe far too many lies, and need to bathe ourselves in God’s truth, as well as have others “sing” His truth back to us during those times when emotions overtake.
8. Satan has a lot more, and a lot less power, than we give him credit for. Spiritual warfare is real, and we need to be wearing the armor of God. But we are on the winning team, and the more we live in fear of his schemes, the more power he has.
9. Surrender is a daily choice. And it often hurts.
10. We are free, yet so often we sit in our own little prisons, while the door is wide open for us to walk in the freedom Christ has for us.
11. It really is a small world after all.
Beautiful. Thank you for sharing.
Oh, I so hope karaline wasn’t one of the baggers.
Good Morning Steph,
You are funny, gross, and incredibly aware of true Christianity…of Christ himself Please bring it home and spread it around. Don’t lose your fesh sense of Jesus’ reality when you re-enter the “twilight zone” of American religious practice. My favorites on your “serious” list are: 1. The whole Christianity thing is entirely too religious. 2. True community is messy, and worth it. and 3. Satan has a lot more and a lot less power than we give him credit for…spiritual warfare is real, and we are on the winning team. Your “serious” list contains a year of sermon material. Thank you for “opening the eyes of your heart” to God and His grace. Maybe the name of the mission should be changed to the “Grace Race”. Application? Yes, surrendur is a daily choice…and it ALWAYS hurts. It’s divine surgery, followed by great healing. Come home and tell us everything!
Love, Dad
Hi, Stephanie, I admire your willness to be open to God and for you to travel so many places. And be so open to so many different situations. It is humbling to hear your lists and to be reminded that we do not “need” as much as we think. Your serious list goes right along with what your dad has been teaching us. I have been learning how important God’s Grace truly is. Thank you for for your examlpe of standing strong for God & his work! will pray for you to finish this race & a safe return:)Shirley
WOW!!!!! The 11 serious things are awesome, and your Dad has been teaching that a lot through Romans, so when you get back you’ll see how amazing God is and leading both of you, although in totally different environments. Grace, Grace, Grace…it’s all about Grace, not what you can DO, but what HE DID for us!!!! When you get back, American consumerism and complacancy will want to rob you of the spiritual truths you have learned during your hardships ‘on the road’. It’s hard, and all that is going to be SCREAMING at you for your attention! That’s the thrust of my prayers for you now as you wind down. You are a teacher for all of us at Trinity who have been following your blogs and you are learning things that have taken some of us WAY longer to learn. In our prayers and our hearts, Susan
Steph, you don’t know me I am a friend of your dad’s from the Sub-Vets. He officiated my daughters wedding last weekend and we had time to talk afterwards. He is SO Proud of You and misses you a lot, he can’t wait to have you home. God Bless Yoy and your friends for all the good works you are doing in His name. Again you don’t know me but I would be honored to call you a Friend in Christ.
Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,
Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,
Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!