Growing up with World Travelers

Have you ever longed to go on the trip a friend of yours was taking?  I had this experience many, many times growing up.  My life long best friend, Sarah Gaither, and I met in the sixth grade.  She came from a family of travelers and adventurous eaters.  She was my only friend whose parents served me cow’s tongue, Yorkshire pudding, and Japanese food for dinner.  For the Midwest, this was certainly non conventional.

Sarah’s parents had the traveling and learning bug as well. I remember phases of trips to Europe, learning Japanese, and flying lessons.  My family got “crazy” by simply playing tennis and perhaps an afternoon at the pool.  So the Gaithers had a big impact on me, and I enjoyed my growing collections of post cards they sent me from around the world.

As we entered high school, Sarah and I grew closer and stronger in our Christian faith.  We sought to encourage each other to make good choices and have our faith shine.  We would leave each other notes and Bible verses in our shared school locker.  Like most teens, we sought mostly to show Christ’s love to our other friends and peer group.  (Looking back I dread recalling how my acts of kindness were less apt to show up at home with my younger brother and parents…)

Erin and Sarah make it to Seattle.

Most summers, Sarah would go on a fabulous trip, sometimes for fun, and sometimes to a foreign mission field.  Since Sarah studied Russian in high school, there was the YWAM trip to Russia just after the fall of the Berlin wall.  I still have the small hand painted oval trays that were given to her by Russian hosts.  Then there was Sarah’s mission trip to Brazil after college, where she even lived on a boat on Tapajos River, a tributary to the Amazon.  Portuguese was added to her former study of French, German, and Russian.

While Sarah’s family traveled the world, I soaked up every detail I could about each foreign land.  Her sister Laura lived and studied in Scotland.  I soon got hooked on “Thistles and Shamrocks” on NPR to be like Laura.   I longed to skip my boring life of summer jobs and travel too.  Looking back I see how working hard and saving money for college was a good move for me, but during those days I was heart sick to be a world traveler.

Indiana to the Pacific Ocean to Arizona.

One trip Sarah took was a hard one to watch from afar.  Sarah and our dear college roommate Erin did a cross country trip to explore the American West.  And what girl from the flat land of Indiana doesn’t have romantic notions about that?  (Cue music from “Dances with Wolves” and scenery from “Little House on the Prairie.”)  They invited me—and I was crushed to say no.  I was living in DC at the time, and I didn’t have permanent employment lined up yet, and little to no savings.  And yet, it seemed so responsible to “see the world” and take in the beauty of our National Parks…how could I say no when my heart and lust for adventure said a mighty “Yes!”

While I didn’t travel in the faithful red LeBarron, my heart went with them.  I was thrilled that these two friends took some risk and bucked some convention to live life to the fullest.

The strange twist to the story is that now I live out west. I have more than travelled here in Montana, and God has been beyond generous with me. I’ve traveled to Kenya, Jamaica, the Bahamas, England, Scotland, and now we’re gearing up for a new life in Bolivia.  In middle school I was sure that I’d never really make it anywhere “thrilling” and yet God has spoiled me on many, many occasions.

My heart was full of (healthy) pride for Sarah and Erin that summer as they wrapped wide circles around our beautiful country.  I truly felt as if I were a part of the adventure as I clamored for every details and sought to learn everything I could, vicariously though their road trip.

Would you do that with me as I head to Bolivia this winter?  I hope for my friends and family to join our hearts for Bolivians, and soak up what we are learning and be thankful for what God can do through some risk, prayer, and God’s people willing to step out in faith.

Mind you, now being a mom of a 3 and 5 year old, beginning my 40’s, I am much less adventurous in many ways than I was in my 20’s.  I haven’t slept in my car to save money on a trip in a long time.   I ask questions about insurance, coupons, seeking wisdom, etc.  So I hope that what I learn and how I grow in faith, will be a blessing to our partners for Business As Mission, back in the States.

I hope you will join in this adventure…I may even send you some Cochabamba postcards.