Twenty

This has been the best year of my life.

Okay, so we might all look – a little – alike

Alumni basketball game. Don’t know how I snuck in there.

Beaver Lodge 705

STUCO love

Boats and Becky

The best prom photo you have ever seen

FRESHMAN WALK AND TALK

THE BEST MOMENT OF MY LIFE

Jo-burg peeps

Harmsy

I think this was Dennis’ first selfie

Mafia Family For Life

Hannah has my heart

Jordan, my brother

Fam

THE FLASH Premiere party with the best

Welcome Banquet Vibes

This is apparently what “Student Leadership” is all about

When I say “Upper”, you say “Kindred”

SQUAD love is real

Photo Creds: Alex Holden

The most beautiful graduate

Ballet beauties

YO

Took us 2 years of living together, but I finally like them!

 

It’s a bold statement, I know, but it is 100% true.

Now, you have to understand that this wasn’t the “best year of my life” because it was the easiest or the happiest  year of my life. In fact, my twentieth year of life has been the most challenging, hurtful, lovely, and rewarding time of my life.

So much has happened since July 23, 2015 that I don’t even know where to begin. I have been at my ultimate low and have also experienced pure joy. Truthfully, it’s been kind of exhausting! I know that this past year would not have been the same, or ,maybe even possible, without the amazing people God has put in my life. So, thanks guys. Love you all.

I’ve been having trouble trying to summarize this whole year  into a neat paragraph, or trying to pick one specific thing I am especially grateful for, or even to share one thing I have learned this past year. Instead, I have elected to create a list! A list of the “20 Things I Have Learned – or wish I knew – Before Turning 20.” 

Hopefully I can share some “knowledge” (ha.) to those who are younger, and maybe it will be a little reminder to you older folk!

Here it goes:

2o Things I’ve Learned in 20 years of Life

1. You are going to do some really embarrassing things. Don’t dwell on them, but rather laugh about them!
2. Always cover your stomach while cooking. No matter how cute that crop top and leggings may look, it is not worth a huge scar on your tummy. #Modesty
3. Think before you speak. It seems simple enough, but I’m still learning this one.
4. Be open and honest with your family!  It is actually so much more fun to experience things together and get their input, rather than just telling them about the aftermath.
5. Stress and pressure don’t have to motivate you. After letting myself stress out over every detail at the beginning of this year, I realized that the stress and pressures – I placed on myself! – weren’t actually helping me.
6. You don’t have to be everyone’s friend. But you should still be kind to everyone!
7. Quality over quantity. This applies to all things: friends, food, etc.
8. Buy toilet paper now. No, you are not going to “do it tomorrow”.
9. Say “Yes” to challenging/scary/tough opportunities. I wouldn’t be on this adventure in Johannesburg if I hadn’t!
10. Makeup is not the devil. It can be fun or it can be a burden. Analyze the reasons why you do/don’t wear it.
11. If you’re going to drive alone to Carman, MB in the middle of winter: check the forecast, fill your gas tank, and make sure you have a phone charger that works.
12. Fireworks make anything – even Finals Week – magical.
13. There is a difference between being opinionated and educated.
14. Tinder is only admissible when being studied for a final writing assignment. 
15. Learn how to drive a standard. One day, you might find yourself in a country – surrounded with only manual transmission vehicles – and need to get somewhere. Plus, it’s fun.
16. Sleep is important, but friends and homework are more important. That next episode on Netflix, is not.
17. Put your phone down. Social media is awesome – heck, my job is to be on it everyday – but I promise, the world and people outside of your phone screen are just as awesome, if not more so. Building a relationship without a phone is a lost art.
18. Take the corners slowly – especially in winter and especially when driving your sister’s minivan. Yes, you may think you can beat that oncoming truck, but just sit back and wait.
19. Buy an external hard drive. You’ll thank me after your laptop crashes 12 hours before a huge paper is due. Twice.
20. Trust God. Even when you’re more depressed, anxious, and confused about what is going on in your brain than you’ve ever been. Even when you think you’re going to be single and alone forever. Even when you don’t win that presidential election – in high school or university. Even when you lose your voice – for the umpteenth time – and you’re supposed to lead worship. Even when you’re sitting alone in your South African apartment, crying to your mom and dad on the phone. Even when…

If I have learned anything from being on this planet for 20 years, it is that God is worthy of my praise and trust. Seriously, without Him, none of the exciting events and amazing adventures in my life would have meaning. Without Him, all the pain I have ever felt would be without purpose and I would’ve never had any hope.

Without Him, this birthday would be just another day.

 

Learning to trust God and His plans has been the greatest lesson I have learned this past year. Now, I see that His plans and love for me are the best gift I could have ever received.

Happy Birthday to me!

Time

Believe it or not, I am at the half way point of my South African Adventure. I still can’t believe it. Often, I have to remind myself that I haven’t been here ‘just a couple weeks’, but have actually been here over a month. I live, I cook, I work, I drive, and I am making friends here in Johannesburg. Every morning is as surreal as the last, as I remember that I am alone on the other side of the world, from anything or anyone familiar. It’s pretty great.

I realized after my second week here that this is my first time living alone. Sure, I’ve been ‘out of the house’ for two years now,  but this is my first time being alone. You see, at Prov I am surrounded by my friends all day, every day. My meals are made for me and I don’t have to do my own dishes. In Joburg, I have been making my own meals, I clean tidy my house, do my laundry – instead of just holding out for as long as I can and bring a mountain of dirty laundry for Mom to do on the weekends I go home. I’m full on ‘adulting’ here, people!

If I’m being honest, at first, this swan dive into adulthood was a lot, all at once. Almost too much. I remembering asking (my beautiful, incredible, caring, funny, awesome, etc. sister) Jenni ,”Who let me do this? What was I thinking?!” I had never done anything like this before, and here I was doing it and without anyone else.

If you know me at all, you know I am sort of ‘excitable’… you can imagine how worked up I was. I couldn’t believe what I had done.

Since then, I’ve calmed down a bit. I have started to truly appreciate what an amazing opportunity this is for me. Yes, I have always been aware of what a great vocational and educational experience this would be. I never doubted that for a second. But finally, after I have already been here over a month, I am understanding what a great personal experience this is for me.

Everyday I learn something new about myself. For example, I thought I was a wild extrovert. I was convinced that I would never have a problem meeting and interacting with new people. For those of you who know me well from church or Prov, you would probably agree. Folks, it turns out I sometimes still get shy. There are still times where I have to push myself, get out of my comfort zone, and talk with complete strangers. It’s gotten easier, but believe me when I say that my first three weeks here were probably some of the quietest weeks of my life.

Getting this chance to examine myself – my fears, my beliefs, my passions, where I need improvement – in a completely new environment and without my usual things and people to fall back on, is invaluable. I know that now.

I have 40 days left here and, to most, when I’m able to know my departure date so easily they assume that I must be homesick. They think that I must miss my family! My friends! Warm weather! Of course I do. But when I think of my last 40 days here, I don’t see them as ‘just another 40 days’ to endure. I see them as my last chance to experience this new life. I only have 40 days left to learn, to grow, to leave my mark.

“So what are you doing with your last 40 days?”

Friends, the last half of my stay here is going to be so busy and full of adventure, but so good! I have lots of work to do here at TWR Africa: re-vamping our Twitter and Facebook with new and exciting content, writing articles for our TWR Africa newsletter, helping the MarCom team get ready for the Swaziland transmitter dedication, and much more.

I also have fun outings planned with people here. A trip to a game park this weekend, maybe an amusement park the next week. Who knows?! Lots left to do, and so little time to do it.

My most exciting piece of news is that I am going on vacation! I get a few days off from work, so in the first week of August I am going to Cape Town for six days. I’ve had lots of fun finding accommodation, booking flights, and researching all the fun things there are to do there. I cannot wait to tell you all about that trip. Also, because I am travelling there alone I would love and appreciate your prayers!

“So what, Liss? Are you saying that you don’t miss us?”

40 days, fam. I cannot believe how fast the time has gone and I am sure it is only going to speed up. I almost feel as if I don’t have enough time left and that it is all slipping away too quickly! So much has gone on at home without me there: proposals, sickness, vacations, accidents. It has been tough to watch it all from a distance – feeling helpless through my phone screen – instead of getting to experience it all alongside you. So, of course, I am looking forward to being home, but it’s no longer my ‘finish line’. I’m not living for that August 16th departure date anymore. I am cherishing this time I have, day by day, and trying to thank God as much as possible for this gift He has given me.

Without question, I am making the most of my final 960 hours of this South African adventure.

PS. I am so thankful for all of your support both through your prayers and financial donations. I am so blessed and would never be able to thank you all for how much every single one of you has impacted me. You’re all bomb. Love you.