The World Race - Anna Barnes

Indelible Gone Till November

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

2 minute year in review!

The Adventure Finale

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Its out last month on the World Race and I'll be honest, I'm tired. Most of my clothes have holes in them, I am down to one pair of socks and I have permanent indentations on my shoulders from lugging around a 40 plus pound backpack. I guess I really never though I would make it till the end. Back in December, when I would think about the last month of my race, my attitude was, I will either give up and come home, or I will probably be dead by then. After I survived Asia, (three hospital stays and a stolen passport) I knew that there was no turning back, that the Lord wanted me on this trip and there was nothing the enemy could do to stop me from bringing Kingdom to this earth. Even after making it through Africa, it was still hard for me to think about what November was going to look like. It wasn't until the conference in Romania that I checked my ideas with the Lords and knew there was still a lot of work to do. In Odessa, we met 2 boys from Poland who pretty much offered their parents house to us for a week, so we came. In Kiev, for our debrief, I strongly felt the Lord telling my team to just "go." So, our last month, the shortest month, we are (Lord willing) going to attempt to travel to four countries in Eastern and Western Europe to end on a high note. After being here in Warsaw for a week, we leave for Prague, Czech Republic on the third, fly to Milan, Italy on the sixth, and possibly travel to Switzerland after ending the journey in Vienna, Austria for a week.

It is time to use everything that is left in me to finish strong. This trip is not about me, its not about how tired I am and that I have almost finished the adventure the Lord set out for me, it is about pouring out all that is still in me to those I come in contact with. However, it seems to be a never ending feat when you consider how God continues to fill us up when we empty ourselves for His good. Jesus says, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." This message is for all of us, not just the ones who call themselves missionaries. As believers, this is our responsibility. And, as long as He wants me too, it will be my intention.

Poland, possibly Prague

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We found out a few days ago that our next country will be Poland. Two of the university students we have been working with here, are from Poland and thier parents live in Warsaw. God blessed us so much with putting these two students in our path to lead us to our next destination. The best part is, we will be living in thier house with thier family, and the mom will be cooking for us! We hope to stay in Poland at least a week and the head over to Prague, Lord willing! We leave tonight on the midnight train to Kiev and arrive early tomorrow morning. I have loved my time here in Odessa. The ministry, the people, and this place has been so good to us. Please continue to pray for our travels, we will be doing a lot these last few weeks. We are in the home stretch and getting very tired, pray that God will renew our minds and give us His strength. Blessings to all you at home!

The Odessa Seven

Fri, 2 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

After cancelled trains, sleeping on the streets of Moldova and backpacking through the city, we finally arrived in Odessa, Ukraine. We were met at the bus station by our new friend Natallica who took us to an apartment in the outskirts of town to stay the night with one of her classmates. They fed us borsch, a Ukranian potato type stew when we got there. After walking what seemed like miles and miles, we were so happy to have a place to stay for the night. After an interesting night of sleep we woke up and decided our first order of business was to find our own place to live for these next 3 weeks. Natallica helped us, (after about 5 options fell through) find a 2 bedroom flat in the center of the old part of the city. Although we don't all have beds, I cant tell you how nice it is to have a place of our own with hot water and heat! It is funny what gets me excited these days. Hanna, Kim and I are sleeping in the basement, it has no windows and is very quiet, kinda reminds me of our basement bedroom back in the states. We have a little kitchen and three TV's. We already searched all the channels, and they are all in Russian, even MTV. Having gone a year without TV though, we don't even miss it. I am really excited about our ministry this month, we will be working with college students from the local University. We went to "English club" last night and met several of them. A few of them came back with us last night to eat dinner and watch "Elf" with Will Ferrell. I don't think they all quite understand American sense of humor, but they had fun just spending time together and with us. We have already been to the black sea and have plans to pick nick there tomorrow and at least stick our feet in. Our team in the only one here in Odessa this month and I feel extremely blessed to be here. God has taken such good care of us already. I am looking forward to the relationships that we have already begun to build and just enjoying this beautiful city.

Top Ten Romanian Style

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Top 10 things WE love about Romania!!!

10: The town color is lime green

9. Gypsies are real...

8. Going to town to buy 2 pigs is easier than trying to buy a coke light.

7. My friend Kara's name means _____. in Romanian.

6. Hitch hiking. nuff said

5. Eastern European fashion...the good, bad and the ugly

4. The smell...cigarettes and manure

3. Our outdoor shower, you can have a conversation through the shower "sheet" while dinner is being prepared.

2. No dancing allowed. no questions asked.

Drumroll please......

The number one reason we love Romania....

1. Your more likely to get a ride into town on a horsedrawn cairrage than a car. go figure.

The Kingdom of Swaziland

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

After 5 days of traveling through 5 countries and turning one year older, in Zimbabwe, we made it to Swaziland. We are working with team Spectacle so there are 12 of us here. Our ministry, The Nsoko Project is dedicated to bringing care to victims suffering from HIV/AIDS. There are several "care points" throughout Nsoko which have feeding centers, school rooms and places for those suffering to come. In the mornings we are going to different homes in the village to spend time, pray and help with any chores the people might have. All of the homes we are visiting have someone dying of AIDS. In Swaziland half of the population is dying of this disease. Swaziland recently surpassed Botswana as the country with the world's highest known HIV/AIDS prevalence rate. It is estimated that between the year 2030 and 2050, Swaziland will no longer exist due to the rapid destruction of this disease. A few of us went into town to visit one of the local girls in the hospital who was suffering from HIV. It is a shameful disease for these people and she wanted to keep it a secret from her family. The hospital was similar to the village hospital I visited in Mozambique. There were three small beds in a crowded room with the girl we were visiting sharing a room with a lady who was pregnant and one with the flu. The conditions were anything but sanitary and comfort was the last concern for the patients. It is a huge blessing for them to even get to go to a hospital. The pastor that we are working with, Gift, has been a huge blessing to us. He has told us that the average life expectancy here is 30 years old. Most die a long, painful death due to HIV/AIDS. My prayer for this country is for those individuals to be educated and aware of the affects of this disease. The majority of the country is Zionist, a mix of Christianity and ancestor worship. Most of them do not know the Lord and therefore have absolutely no hope. Please join me in remembering Swaziland in your prayers daily. I have never been anywhere that has affected me so much as this dying nation.

Taken

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Maswane is 19 years old. She is an INNOCENT victim of HIV/AIDS. Maswane was raped by her uncle when she was 15 years old and is now dying of this disease. In the mornings Darci and I walk about a mile to get to her. She lies in a mud hut with her stepmother who is her primary caretaker. Maswane's body is covered in scabs and sores, she is suffering from a skin disease her body is not able to fight off due to her failed immune system. She lies in a mud hut, about the size af my closet in the states, and stares at the walls. She is not able to wear clothes and can only lie on her back, due to the condition of her skin. Her body is in such horrific shape she is confined to her mattress on the floor. We found out Monday morning that Maswane was out of all of her medication. I had some ibuprofen in my bag and gave her all I had left. She will not be able to get any more medication until she is able to go to the hospital and the possibility of her going is slim. I cannot describe what it feels like to go sit in this hut and do my best to put on a smile and give her an encouraging word. I can't hold back the tears and I leave there physically and mentally drained. How do you pray for someone like this? When do you pray for healing and when do you just pray that the good Lord will take her home? The only hope she has is in Jesus. She is a Christian and I believe she knows she has a new body waiting for her in heaven. My heart breaks for Maswane and her stepmother. This is real. You hear about it at home, see fundraisers and benefits on TV, maybe give to some of the AIDS relief organizations but until you are here, in Africa, holding the hand of a girl dying of the disease, you just can't understand. Please pray for Maswane. Tell others her story and ask them to pray. She fell victim to this disease. She didn't do anything to deserve this. She is a child, her life her health and her innocence were TAKEN from her. I know God is good, He is faithful and he has a plan. We read Maswane Psalm 23, please read it and think and pray for those who are dying here.

Much much love...

Malawi Pics

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Keltner and the girlsShakira!!!

MALAWI

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Thank you God for bringing us to Malawi. I am here in Lilongwe, Malawi at the Children of the Nations base with my Young Life leader from Atlanta and a few of my brothers friends from home and college. It has been just what I have needed, to see familiar faces, love the ministry and the people, and enjoy my time with the other interns and teams staing here from the States. God has blessed us with several amaizing ministry opportunities here including visiting village homes, sewing with the widows, playing with the children and holding sick or abandoned babies at the crisis nursery. I am learning SO much about myself, love and faith while I have been here. Trusting God to provide has been amaizing. He is constantly speaking to me and blessing me through other people and situations. I am learning to distinguish the difference between what I want and what I need and being in a place of complete satisfaction with what has been provided for me. My mentor, friend, sister, teacher and high school Young Life leader Keltner has been unbelievably accomidating and a God send for me! Having her known where I have come from and where I am now has been so comforting for me and truly a blessing in my walk with the Lord. Malawi is everything and more I could have imagined. This experience has been worth the race for me. I am excited now to see a glimpse of my future and somehow I just fit with this place. Thank you Lord for knowing, thank you for providing, thank you for hearing.

God, do Your thing.

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Head North. As of right now, July 8, 2009 that is the plan for the 17 of us who are still here in South Africa. We know that the Lord is calling us to Malawi, and we will do what it takes to get there. The little money we do have will be spent mostly on transport for our 3 day bus ride and multiple visa costs. Food and lodging is still up in the air, along with our ministry. I can confidently say (after a morning of prayer) that I am ready for the challenge. God is going to do His thing and take us along for one heck of a ride. We are ready to move on and get to where He is calling us. Thank you Jesus! Now its time for You to show off and do what You do best. Here we go on one huge leap of faith. To be continued...

"...For we walk by faith, not by sight...'

2 Corinthians 5:7

Video from Mozambique

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here's a video (thanks Hanna and Nick!) This was our month in the bush. Enjoy!

Africa...If you want us to.?

Sun, 7 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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!

Thank you Lord,

Acts 16:6-10

Its Raining in Asia

Sat, 23 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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.

Anna

I guess it could have been a lot worse...

Mon, 11 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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!

Redeemed

Wed, 6 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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....

God is so good

Fri, 3 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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!

A Long Way from Home

Sun, 15 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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!

Bonjur from Haiti

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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.

one down, ten to go

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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.

All my love and Blessings...

A few pics

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

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.

Friday

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The days here in Azua are long and hot and we dont 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,

Anna

A day in the life...

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We have been here in Azua, Dominican Republic now for almost a week and we are staring to get the hang of things. Although it has not been easy by any means, it has been amaizing to see how God is working in us and answering our prayers. I want to tell you all about how we are living down here so I thought I would give you a little taste of what my new life is like.

My teammate Ashli Hanna and I are staying with a host family up the road from everyone else so we have it a little different the others. We wake up everymorning at 7 am due to the pigeon coop on the tin roof above our bunkbeads. We dont really know what the birds are doing up there, but we wake up every morning to the sounds of atomic bombs droping on us. About every three days we have enough water in our bath house to take a shower with a cold bucket of water. After our bucket shower we throw on some dirty clothes and sit down to breakfast - usually a plate of ham and cheese or just crackers. Sometimes we get coffee which i am very happy about. We then walk down to the local Pastors house where the other group is staying and pray and get ready to walk up to the school to teach english in the morning. Around twelve is lunch time. Usually rice and cabbage, sometimes beef. We have a few hours of free time after lunch where we sometimes sleep and if not we walk about a mile into town to maybe treat ourselves to a coke or just sit in the park and read. There is another English class for the young adults in the afternoon which I teach. I have never taught English before so I am just using what little Spanish I know to teach these people. Most of them are illiterate so we teach with pictures and voice repitition. After class everyone plays games and goes back home when it gets dark. Hanna and I go back to our familys house and eat dinner. It is usually potatoes and onions, or bread. Our family gathers around after dinner to watch a Spanish Soap opera which we attempt to watch and understand too. We usually break out a deck of cards and play simple gmes that we have taught them. After a long day, we are pretty tired so we get in our bunk beads, thank God for letting us make it through another day and pray we get a good nights sleep.

I wish i could share more with you all about this experience but it is pretty hard to put into words what we are all going through. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. We need them.

here we go...

Thu, 8 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

hi all

obsevation number one of the world race, check all of your comfort and securities at the door. it has been an intense few days here in the dominican republic. the squad has shared some pretty meaningful moments together already and our teams are slowly becoming our family. we definitly stick out here, it is not everyday that the people here see a pack of 50 american kids walking around thier streets with water bottles and backpacks on. i feel so blessed to have this oportunity and i can already feel god changing me for the better. i am going to keep this short because i only have a little time here in the internet center but i just wanted to let everyone know that your prayers are working and we need them. we start our ministry on saturday and we will be leaving this town for the rest of our time here and going to another village 2 hours away. i am so excited to start working for the lord and doing what i came here to do. thank you again for your thoughts prayers and support.

love,

anna

Here we are!!

Mon, 5 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Well we made it down to the Dominican Republic! After flying into Santo Domingo yesterday we took a 4 hour bus ride to San Juan. There is a girls house and a boys house and we are staying right in town. It is beautiful and warm...really warm. We are exploring the city today and lerning what life will be like here for the next month. I miss eveyone at home and hope you email again soon

Meet Team Indelible

Mon, 3 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

INDELIBLE - cannot be removed, washed away, or erased

Get to know us! I love them all!

Cathy and Noah- An amazing example of a Christian team brought together by God to become life partners. They make me smile just thinking of them. When they speak, we all listen. Cathy's smile is addictive and Noah is the rock that I believe will guide our team.

Robyn- What a sweet spirit she has! From the moment I knew she was out team mate, she has not taken that grin off her face. Always up for anything and a beautiful gift for team Indelible.

Matt- is the bomb.com! He is so ready to help at a moments notice and is the most genuine, easy going guy I could ask for to be a strong male leader for the team.

Hanna- keeps me laughing all the time; I'm not even kidding I am laughing right now just thinking about her! She will keep it real with you and I love that about her, I love u Hannabananna!

Kim- our team leader, the best!! what can I say, I couldn't ask for a better role model and amaizing example of a Woman of Christ. You know I love u girl.

And me, Anna; I can only hope I mean as much to them as they do to me. I will do my best to the best team mate I can be.

To sum it all up, I miss these people so much! I can't wait for our journey together and to share the experience of a lifetime with them. God has put us all together for his magnificent plan to travel the world and spread His glory!

here and now...

Sat, 1 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Being home for me has been pretty difficult. I have become so restless because I was so used to a schedule at camp. I am not working right now, but I am hoping to just get a part time job for the next couple of months. I have really been praying about if getting a job would be the best idea, so please keeep me in your prayers! I suffer from migraine headaches and I have been getting one just about everyday. I am a little nervous about my health on the trip, but I know there will be some hardships and I am ready for what the Lord has in store for me.

I can't tell you how much everyones messages, pictures and videos have put a smile on my face! I miss you guys! I can't wait for a couple of months when we are all reunited and I get to spend time with the most incredible people in the world. I love you guys and I just wanted to tell you!

The Real World

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Today is the first day I have been without my squad. Let me tell you it has been quite an adjustment to say the least. I miss everyone so much! Yesterday I was so ready to take a warm shower and sleep in a warm bed it was easy t be distracted and not to think about the amazing ten days I spent with some of the most incredible people I have ever met. Knowing I only have a couple months until I see everyone again keeps me going. It was such a physically, emotial trip that I feel like I have truly changed for the better. I didn't think I would ever miss the cold showers, electricity, or daily bean dinners, but It is a little wierd to come back into civilization. I just wanted to write this short blog and tell everyone how they touched my life in so many ways.

Carry that weight...

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Two days ago we were challenged to think about what held us back from living a guilt worry free life, our negative experiences we have gone through, and any hurt we might have that we are still holding to. I'll be the firlst to say that it was a huge challenge for me because I had a lot.

A van took us to an undisclosed spot in a field and we were told to find a log. What was I going to do with this log and why was I sitting in a field? We were then told to use a marker and write down our burdens on this log. My little log was full of things that I knew I had to overcome so I grabbed another one and begin to write on it. (Still didn't know why we were doing this). As I layed in the sun in that field with my logs, someone approched me and asked if they could pray with me about what was hurting my heart. It wasn't hard to tell that I had a lot to deal with because it was written in front of me and all of a sudden tears started flowing, a lot of them. I was asked if I was ready to let go of my burdens and give them to the Lord. I said yes, kept crying and was told to start walking, that they had a "trail" for us to walk down and eventualy we would be able to lay these logs that represented physically our emotional demons at the bottom of a cross.

Well, it was not quite a trail-it was a mountain, a very rocky steep mountain we had to walk alone carrying two logs. There were several check-in points through the hike and each time I saw one I kept looking for the cross because I thought I was ready to lay down my burdens.

The cross didnt appear until about 2 hours from the start of our journey. I had never been so happy to reach a resting place. After praying with a leader, he asked me if I was truly ready to give these burdens that were too heavy for me to hold on to 24 hours a day to the Lord. I was! Not just because carrying two logs up a mountain by yourself is enough, but I knew it was time to let go. I threw my logs at the bottom of that homemade wooden cross and prayed the Lord wold never let me hold on to that weight again. I felt overwhelmed with the spirit of the Lord and tears came again. This time good ones. The weight was gone and my spirit was free.

I Believe

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I believe God is a faithful God. It says in Hebrews 11:1, " Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Going into this journey, I am not quite sure what I am getting myself into but I have faith it was no accident or coincident that I am following Gods will. In Mark chapter 5:36, it doesn't get more simple than this, "Dont be afraid; just believe." How comforting to know that at our lonliest, most fearfull times, God just says, "believe." I know along the way I will need to remember to "just believe" because right now, I am scared, I do have concerns but my faith outshines the dark. The great Billy Graham said, "Anxiety is the natural result when our hopes are centered anything short of God and His will for us."

A key word in that statement is hope. I know I have a specific purpose on this earth and one of those jobs is to spread the love, joy, and let others know there is always hope in Jesus Christ. "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31. What a verse to live by!

This brings me to strength I believe that God gives me strength on a daily basis. It is not possible to do simple, everyday things without the Lord's strength (let alone travel around the world for 11 months with just a backpack.) This brings me to my favorite verse in the bible," I can do everything through Him who gives me strengh." Phillipians 4:13 It has become my mantra; I find myself constantly saying it out loud (when I am by myself :) or running it through my head when I need a little push or a big one.

I believe in salvation. Through my journey as a Christian, I have witnessed to many people, some in different countries but the message is always the same. "If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." No matter what language this is translated into, God understands our prayer. It is on my heart to seek those who don't know this because I BELIEVE this is what I am called to do.

Raise This Up!

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Update Alerts

"Expectations of My Mission Trip" (9/29/2008)

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Expectations of my Trip

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I am truly so excited and feel so blessed to be participating in the World Race that I really don't have to many expectations. Last night I as I layed in bed I could not sleep because i was thinking about the trip, what I am going to pack, how I am going to say goodbye to my friends and family, If New Years Eve will be the last time I sleep in a real bed....on and on and on. I am ready for anything though. I think it will be so important to be able to lean on each other during our Journey. We will be each others family for the next year and I do expect highs and lows. I am so honored to be a part of this program and I am so proud of each and everyone of you that we are all on the same page.

I don't wan't to sugar coat my true feelings about this trip though. I am not apprehensive, but a little scared. I am not worried about anything, but a little anxious. Please keep me in your prayers that this weight will be lifted of me. I pray for you guys every night and I can't wait to meet you so I can find out what your voice sounds like and how you pray and see how all of the different personalities come together.

This is one of the hardest things I think I will ever have to do, but also I know it will be the most rewarding. I can't wait to see what God has in store for us and those we meet along the way. I am almost sad that some of my friends are not going to experience this because I know no pictures, video's blogs or stories will be able to truly describe our mission. You are all in my prayers and thoughts constantly and I can't wait to meet my new family!!!