The Art of Abandonment

Here is a list of some things we’ve had to abandon on the Race. Abandonment is a buzz word here on the Race and when you drop something or lose something, we joke and say “Abandonment!” But, it’s actually kinda hard but necessary and it helps you see what you really need and what you can live without. And it develops dependence on the Lord to provide and molds our character to be a little more like Him. 

1. Hydro flask water bottle (this one’s for you Dre)

2. Clothing items (that 65L pack only stretches so much)

3. Pride (plenty of humbling moments: diarrhea on a squatty and your squadmate walking in on you, last minute musical performances for various churches, being laughed at when you butcher the local language, you get the gist 😉

4. Privacy (forget any semblance of privacy: you get accustomed to FaceTiming friends with random locals around, changing in the dark on a balcony or quickly in the room while the male teammate is gone, having village kids peek in on your room while you sleep and walk into your room at all hours, being in a small room with all your stuff and your 6 teammates and that becomes your haven)

5. Shoes (multiple months we had shoes left outside stolen: chacos and sneakers… you learn to make do but when the parents came, it was like Christmas for some)

6. Sleeping masks (I may have started off with 10. It’s fine. I don’t have a problem. They don’t weigh anything or take up space and I got a deal on Amazon, okay?!!)

7. Tents/ sleeping bags (When you realize you still need your tent after sending it Home.. you borrow someone’s or bunk up with someone else…. tents make good mosquito nets ya know)

8. Caring what you look like (makeup and mirrors are hard to come by and your grooming habits become very basic and you just can’t be bothered.. and your teammates love you as you are 😉

9. Big pack (some people abandoned their big packs and got smaller ones… lugging that thing around with all the heavy things you accumulated gets old…)

10. Preferences (you are with 5-6 people on a team 24/7 so you learn to compromise and let others choose and you become better at preferring others: Acts 2 Community in the flesh)

11. Appendix (for my girl Prisca: Myanmar, presumed typical stomach pain, rolling into the OR to remove appendix. Just another day?!)

12. Expectations (Yeah. So Just discard any and every expectation you have for the Race. Ministry setup sheets rarely pan out in real life. Don’t have any expectations for ministry or your hosts because it will be different or not what you thought. Don’t expect to leave on time. But do expect that the Lord will show up and exceed any expectations you had!)

13. Attachment (You will spend months away from your family and friends. WiFi access and connection aren’t the best so you can’t talk and FaceTime like you’d like and their lives continue without you. You will say goodbye to ministry hosts that become your family each month and it doesn’t ever get easier. You will switch teams and it’ll hurt your heart because they were your family.)

14. Consistency (Other countries have different schedule norms than the US. There’s a lot of Hurry up and Wait. Things don’t start on time but you have to be ready when they say. Ministry changes in the span of a few minutes. Everything is constantly in flux: team members, ministry hosts, the country you’re in, local currency and language, your role on the team, and more. You learn to become very flexible!)

15. Comfortability (Your comforts are stripped away. Say goodbye to eating whatever you want when you want. Goodbye to your friends and family. Hello to not understanding the culture or language and when you start to get the hang of it, you move to the next country. Goodbye to comfortable furniture: good quality couches and beds, oh how we miss these. Hello to sleeping pads and plastic chairs or sitting on the hard ground. Goodbye to mug of warm coffee and hello to plastic cup of instant Nescafé. Goodbye to your favorite pair of leggings and hello to ministry appropriate below the knees pants.)

16. Warm showers (Oh, the joys of a shower in general vs a bucket shower! But a warm shower feels like home and is good for the soul. We treasure the months where we get these.)

17. Connection (Connection to the US and what’s going on in the world. Connection to your family and friends. WiFi connection: some months you lack it and others it’s there but has a weak signal. But you do get the chance to make deep connections with local ministry hosts and your teammates and for that, it’s all worth it!)