Well, I can offficially say we made it throug our first ATL month in Laos last month and are now in Nelspruit, South Africa. We flew into Johanasburg about a week ago and then took a bus in. We have been staying at an amaizing missionary house for several days and have been truly blessed by the caretakers here. Yes, we should be in Mozambique by now but the Lord had other plans for us. We were not able to bus out on the scheduled day last week so we, as a squad have been staying here waiting for our transportation to come through. I am so happy to say that we will be getting on a bus tomorrow for 20 hours to Mozambique! We will be doing some type of orphanage ministry, I am not exactly sure what it will look like but hopefully we will have some sort of communication to you know what we are doing. We are on a tight budget so we will in tents and cooking our own food, please pray for us that we will be able to find a can opener and something besides beans we can eat out of a can! The Lord has done such amaizing things while we have been here in South Africa, blessed us and has gone before us on our journey to Mozambique. We have been deffenitly living the "Acts" life while we have been waiting to see where God was going to lead us, but he has confirmed our travel plans and we are set to head to the bush!
So the L/ord has been so faithful in His ways. My passport arrived about 2 days ago, even though it wasn't supposed to come in until the 26th, so we were able to keep our original travel arraingments and the team will be able to stay together. This country has been very interesting, yet much needed for our team. We have really gotten to spend a lot of time together and learn things we should have already known. Being in a closed country has been hard, not being able to p/ray at meals, except for "Thanks Big Guy for the grub" have our b/ibles out or talk about c/hristianity or just be able to stop and p/ray. It has given me a new perspective on how great it is to live in the US and have that kind of freedom.
We are officially in the rainy season here and I have none of my rain gear...go figure. We were able to leave some things we didnt think we would need at the YWAM base in bangkok so I left my rain gear and some other things because it has probably rained once since we have been on the race. So I have learned my lesson in that...always be prepared; right mom :) The country we are in is one of the last Asian countries that has not been totally weternised and it has been nice to be in a city and not see chain restaurants or starbucks. There is a local cofee shop here we have pretty much made our second home, ecspecially since we are all 7 staying in one guesthouse room. Yeah; I dont really want to go there... It is a beautiful town though, right on the Mekong River Valley with restaurants on the river and night markets selling homemade goods. Asia has been an amaizing continent and I will be sad to leave it but I absolutley can't wait for Africa. We leave June first so keep us in your thoughts and p/rayers. We don't even know exactly where we are going yet, just that we will fly into South Africa. Thanks for all of your posts; I enjoy hearing from you and reading them. Peace love nd Blessings.
So on Saturday afternoon, I was robbed; my purse was stolen along with my credit cards, cash, insurance info. drivers license, and most importantly my passport. Hanna and I are on an adventure today to try and fill out police reports, contact the embassy and get a new passport. I know G/od will provide in the money situation, but as of now, I am pretty much relying on my $5 a day food budget. I need your support and p/rayers more than ever considering in will be 2 weeks before I can get a new passport and we are scheduled to head back to Bangkok before then. We leave for Africa on June 1 and it is crucial I get the money, visas and passport before then, even if I have to stay and wait on it in this country. Please please keep me in your thoughts as this has been quite a difficult experience. It is costing a lot of money for me to stay here, get documents paid for and purchase train and hotel tickets. I p/ray that our gracious G/od will provide for me in this. I was not hurt, my team leader has been amaizing in helping me deal with this. Your p/rayers and thoughts are needed for not only me but my team as well. Thank you for your support, Our heavenly father is so gracious, faithful, and will provide. I love you all!
This past month in Thailand has been one of the hardest of my life. Sickness, spiritual warfare, and a feeling of being so isolated from God and my friends, teammates and family brought me down to an all time low. The intense ministry in Chang Mai Thailand was one of the hardest yet most rewarding experiences I have had on the race. Working in the bars in the red light district building relationships with the prostitutes was challenging on a completely different level. I had a hard time understanding that this lifestyle was a reality for those girls and a way of life. God truly broke me last month, I ended up back in the Thai hospital because I collapsed and hit my head open, causing a pretty deep gash in my head and a slight concussion. I was by myself when this happened and dont remember anything except waking up in the hospital covered in blood and the Thai doctors telling me they didn't know exactly what happened to me, but I was brought in by the rescue squad. I had my purse, credit cards and passport with me at the time, but nothing had been touched or stolen. I just couldn't understand why this was happening to me and what the Lord was trying to teach me. Our Gracious God delivered, I was healed sent back with my teammates and headed off to debrief on the island of Kho Samed. What happened there was truly a turning point in my life....
Our last night in Cambodia! We woke up this morning at 4 to go see the sunrise at Angkor Watt. It was so beautiful; we also just explored the temples and the ruins. We have been here in SIem Reap for debrif for about 4 days. I have been pretty sick; in and out of hospitals and clinics but I am feeling much better now. My squad, family and friends really lifted me up in prayer and God has healed me.
I am excited to be going to Thaliand tomorrow, its a 6 our bus ride, 10, if you include that wonderful process of crossing the border. We will be spending the night in Bangkok and then heading over to Chaing Mai to start our ministry, not really sure what we will be doing, but that is the beauty of the world race! I have learned to love the Asian culture and have enjoyed learning about the culture and history. It looks like Vietnam for May might be out of the picture; I think we will be headed to Malaysia wich I am so excited about! It is our "Ask the Lord" month and we really feel called to Malaysia, we have even established a few contacts. Hopefully this time next month I will be able to download some pictures; I have had a few problems in doing that now. I hope all is well at home and thanks for your continued prayers and support!
After several days of travel, a 2 day hospital stay, (I am fine, I just passed out at the Miami airport....hey, exhaustion and dehydration will do it) and one really long night in Bangkok, we made it to Phenom Phen Cambodia. This place has come so far in 30 years and it is amaizing to see thier progress.
The Khmer Rouge genocidal regime lasted from 1975 to 1979, and all of Cambodia was put into vast forced labor camps. One third of the population was killed due to disease, starvation, or execution. How do these people still carry on? Why did they decide to come back to Phenom Phen? Everyone from the age of 30 on has been affected by this. Yesterday at church, my heart broke and I just had to cry for the youth and the elders. They have so much faith and love for Jesus.
We had Saturday off and we went to the Royal Palace which was quite a sight. I have dreamed of seeing such adornement but never thought I would have the chance. The King and Queen of Cambodia reside here. It is full of monuments, temples and lavish decorations. Most everything there, from the ground to the water is considered holy. Since your feet are considered the least of you, you must take off your shoes to go into many of the buildings. There were statues of smiling Buddhas, monkeys and dragons. Many worship "dens" were around with cow head idols, or Buddhas with flashing lights or crazy pinwheels behind them. People would get on thier knees, loy on the ground and worship them. Offerings of food, money and flowers are left. What an amaizing place! It is so easy to be intrigued by the beauty and splendor of it all but we are in a place where true idol worship is the norm. The Holy Spirit is alive in this city though and his protection and provision is everywhere! The people here are so friendly and beautiful. They are so happy all the time and the children run to you with a joyful "hello" and hug you until you are forced to let go. Monks walk around in thier orange shrouds collecting offerings from the townspeople as they bow down to them. They are not permited to eat after 12 noon so they walk the town, study and worship. Women are not allowed to talk to them, touch them or hand anything to them so we keep our distance and exchange a few giggles and smiles.
There is so much to share and say, my words can't do much justice. I am having an amaizing, eye opening learning experience here and God has been so faithful to provide and comfort. I am off to our ministry, New Life Fellowship this morning to research on the Children at Risk here in Cambodia and help them update the website. Pray for our team and the protection of our squad. Much love and many blessings!
Tomorrow is our last day here in Haiti. It has been a long run, but God has really been here with us. After the 10 hour bus ride from Santo Domingo to Port au Prince, (with a 3 hour delay at the border-kinda sketchy!) then another 5 hour bus ride on a Hatian school bus, we arrived at our ministry sight in Gonaives. We have been staying at a YWAM, (Youth with a mission) base with a local pastor and his family. Pastor Maula informed us that we would be leaving Gonaives for 4 days to go and stay in the mountains at a village in Gros Mourne. While in Gros Mourne we hung out with the locals, and slept in the same beds with the Hatian ladies, gardened a banana farm and ministered to a 2000 plus congrigation at the church. It was a great experience except for drinking the local water, and being pressured into eating goat bones. They were extremely friendly and really catered to our every need.
Back to Gonaives... Last fall it was hit by Hurricaine Hannah and the floods destroyed the town, We started hurricaine relief at a local widows house; moving buckets and shoveling dirt out to the road. The city is supposed to come and pick up the dirt and debris but I have yet to see a city truck. At night, we went to a local orphanage where a "crusade" was happening. It lasted about 4 hours everynight. The orphans broke my heart, they were so happy, and were so eager to listen to our english songs and hear our testimonies.
The rest of our time here we have been doing pretty heavy construction work here on the roof of the YWAM base. We have all really enjoyed working with our hands and seeing the fruits of our labor. One night we went into the center of town and did street evangilism. We were surrounded by people who wanted to know why we were there. It got a little out of control and we knew we were not safe so we had to cut it short.
We have seen some interesting things here; thingts I never thought I would see or want to see in my lifetime like the main Voodoo compound in the country where all of the sacrifices and tree worship go on. It was like a big commune behind huge metal gates; you could look at the people there and see the emptiness in thier eyes. There was a very eerie feeling being there; almost surreal knowing that this was where people worship Satan and preformend living sacrifices to thier Gods. That place lays heavy on my heart, there were a lot of children there who did not have a choice but to grow up with that lifestyle. There is hope though. Pastor Maola came from a Voodoo home, and now he is an amaizing man of God.
Please pray for us as we head back to Port au Prince tomorrow. We have another debrief back in the Dominican Republic starting Sunday. I am praying for you all at home! We are excited about being in Asia in less than two weeks. Goodbye Carribien, hello Cambodia.
After a short debrief back here in San Juan, we are departing for Haiti tomorrow. We will spend the night in Santo Domingo, then take a 10 hour bus ride to Port au Prince. My team, just the 7 of us, will be seperated from the rest of the squad and travel to a desolate town that was all but destroyed due to the hurricaines. We will be sleeping in our tents, boiling our own water,digging our own bath rooms and preforming a full day of physical labor. The description my team leader was reading us it said to "prepare for the worst." After such good preperation at our last ministry in Azua, I am ready. I can only hope and pray that we will be able to build even half of the relationships me made there. I will most likely not have any type of communication available there so dont expect another blog until we travel to Asia the first of March. God is so good and I know he will protect us from the conditions and spiritual warfare we are about to encounter. I will be thinking and praying for you all.
Me, Paola and Veronica. I am staying with this family while I am here in the DR. Paola is 10 and Veronica is 8 months. Beautiful girls! Paola and I can communicate a little with the few spanish words and phrases I know. We are standing in the back yard.
Hanna and a few more of the kids that we live with. Behind that blue curtain on the right is our living quarters, bunkbeads and all!
Above this picture is Hanna and I on a moterbike, the main transportation, with Leo, another one of the boys that we live with. He is 19 and has a full time job as a sports ed. teacher at the public school. He is involved in the church we work in also.
Tomorrow is our last full day here in Azua. I am so grateful for my experiences here and the relationships I have made. I know I have a new family for life down here and it will be a bittersweet goodbye.
The days here in Azua are long and hot and we donīt find much relief from the surroundings we are in. It is hard to believe I have only been out of the states for 3 weeks but somehow God keeps me going. I have seen things here that I will never forget although some of the memories I want to. The children here really are the thing that gets me up in the morning and makes this all seem worth it. They seem to soak up every smile we give them and cherish every hello we speak to them. Teaching english has not been easy, most of these kids are not disciplined at all so sometimes it seems like we just cant get through to them. Thank God for patience and the constant encouragement from my teammates.
Yesterday we were able to have a day off and go to the local beach. It was beautiful and really refreshing to see a different part of the island. It is a constant 90 something degrees all of the time here so it was so nice to swim in the ocean and cool off. Today was back to school and teaching the kids. It was pretty hectic this morning because we had a lot more kids than usual.
God is really providing for us here. Although we are tired, dirty, and sometimes sick and hungry it is so amaizing to see our prayers answered. We are truly giving everything in us to serve theese people and to please God and he is blessing us in more ways than you can imagine. I have never been more gratefull for things that I have back home. I am so truly blessed with amaizing friends and family. Your thoughts and prayers are needed more than you know. We only have 4 more full days here in Azua and then we will go meet the rest of our World Race squad in Santo Domingo and head to Haiti on the 28th of this month. I look forward to filling you in on the last stretch of our journey soon.... Hasta Luego,
