Caroline!

You're OVER HALFWAY through the World Race. You made it to Turkey! And it's absolutely breathtaking! So much has happened in the past 7 months. Here's some advice I wish you knew:

1. Be prepared to wear dirty socks. Laundry is VERY inconsistent and you never know when you might get the blessing of wearing clean socks.
2. Get ready to go deep; with friends, with strangers, with the Lord, and with yourself. Don't be content staying on the surface.
3. Honor the Sabbath and keep it holy.
4. Don't make assumptions about anything! Don't assume someone is closed off to hearing the Gospel, don't assume there will be toilet paper in the bathroom, don't assume anyone speaks English or will be on time.
5. Remember that you're an introvert! When you find yourself getting short-tempered or burned out, take time to be alone.
6. Learn to tell other people what you need. They aren't mind-readers.
7. Be thankful for community. It's going to get crowded and overwhelming, but you'll never do life in this close of a community ever again.
8. The only way to survive is to live out of the overflow of how you're pursuing God and your sanctification. You'll never make it relying on your own strength.
9. STAY PRESENT. Even when your beautiful niece is born and you miss your family like crazy, remember that time is fleeting. Don't wish it away.
10. When the lights go out in the bathroom, don't ask the family upstairs to replace them. Just learn to adapt and be thankful for the dark bathroom.
11. Pray always. It's not about results, it's about relationship.
12. When it comes to sharing your faith, know how to play defense, but never get defensive.
13. Invite people into your heart and your head. Even though you'd rather do it alone, your invitation is powerful, so invite your community into whatever you're working through, EVEN if it's unfinished or inarticulate.
14. Spend money on experiences, not on things. Say yes to the hammam in Albania. Say no to that green hoodie in Romania.
15. Don't create boxes. Don't create boxes for your squamates based on their enneagram number, don't create a box around ministry and what you think it's supposed to look like, don't box yourself in and assume you can't do something, and definitely don't put God in a box. With Him, all things are possible.
16. You're going to see miracles! You're going to pray big prayers and they're going to happen! You're going to get a little more charismatic than you are now! Lean in, test EVERYTHING with scripture, and keep surrendering more of yourself everyday.
17. Keep challenging yourself to travel as light as possible. It's difficult but oh so worth it.
18. Enjoy the chicken bus in Guatemala; you're going to miss it when you get to Europe.
19. Get used to telling people you're from Miami. It's the closest place to South Carolina that anyone overseas knows about.
20. Be quick to say yes. It will make you bolder, wiser, more experienced, and more humble. By saying yes, you might just find yourself on the top of a volcano, making life-long friends, leading a team of women, riding on the back of a motorcycle, and eating crickets.

Strap in Carol, it's about to get wild. You'd be so proud if you could see me now! Praise God for how He is about to work in your life.

Yours truly,

7 months older Caroline