The World Race - Heidi Jahraus

Top Ten - Philippines

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

1. You are suddenly very aware of the double takes you get everywhere you go simply for being: a) blonde; b) "tall;" and c) above a size 2. Strangers in the mall may even try to discreetly pose next to you for a picture.

2. Bathrooms are ironically called "comfort rooms," as the occasional lack of running water and everpresent lack of toilet paper would seem to deem them the opposite.

3. A Valentine's Day that includes Coke Zero as a gift from teammates and handwritten cards a la elementary school is way better than any Hallmark holiday at home.

4. A beautiful orphan child who calls you "Ate" (Auntie) and greets you by singing "I've Got The Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy Down in My Heart" can instantly warm yours.

5. When cooking American food for Filipinos to try, always be prepared with a large backup pot of rice...even if they smile and say they like it.

6. McDonald's delivers!

7. The poorest of the poor live amongst a paradisial backdrop of lush waterfalls and pineapple plantations - creating a disparate scene that breaks your heart.

8. Mango shakes are a little slice of heaven - especially when they are roughly a dollar a pop.

9. You are amazed that all across the world, there are Christians singing the exact same praise songs to God on Sunday morning at church.

10. When it's your team's turn to cook dinner for thirty people over an open fire, the process requires patience, stamina and an incredible determination to make Mexican food. What a World Racer won't do for some Mexican food no matter what country they're in... :)

*****************

This month has flown by and we are now approaching month 9 of the Race - whoa! Next month we will be in a "closed" country where we are not allowed to speak of where exactly we will be or what we will be doing to protect the identity and ministry of our contacts. I will likely not be able to blog during March or be on Facebook, but I will be back on as soon as we are in the following country with updates and pictures. Feel free to still email me during this time and I will try to get back to you if I can ** hint: my birthday's March 25th :) **, but please do not reference any specifics of the work my team has been doing this past year. Thanks for your understanding and prayers! I will be praying for all of you too!

A Filipino February

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Stepping off the plane onto Filipino soil, I have to admit I had no idea what to expect. Perhaps because I never gave much thought to anything past Africa on this trip - or perhaps because by now I have gotten used to being thrown into the unfamiliar every 3-4 weeks - I entered Asia basically clueless. After spending a week fighting jet lag and dehydration, I've now had time to soak it all in.

Here's a snapshot of my life this month: living at a Christian camp/orphanage called Mount Moriah nestled in the mountains of Mindanao, a southern Filipino island. I've found myself surrounded by pineapple plantations, sugar cane stalks, bamboo huts and bustling streets full of vendors selling fried fish...parts. Everywhere you look there are short, friendly people - and nowhere is this more true than in the locals serving at the orphanage. I have never met such hardworking individuals, particularly the house mothers living in and working at the New Faith Family Children's Home (part of Kids International Ministries). Their dedication to the children is more than admirable - it's truly a reflection of the way Christ loves us.

This has been a month of freedom where we've had the opportunity, besides working at the orphanage, to take part in various ministries in Malaybalay City. There have been groups visiting inmates at the local prison, college kids to hang out with at the university's Intervarsity Christian Fellowship chapter, and I have taken part in feedings to rural school children and sugar cane workers.

I was astounded to learn that the sugar cane workers make only 120 pisos - roughly $2.70 USD - per ton of harvested crops. While they are working in the fields they live in makeshift shelters of cots covered with tarps that reminded me of a scene out of MASH. Yet when we brought them lunch, the first thing these guys did was promtply cut down sugar cane stalks as a gift for us to try. As I sampled the juicy treat, it was the bittersweet taste of poverty that lingered on my tongue. No matter how many third world countries I visit, the vast differences in what constitutes normal everyday life for people as compared to the United States never ceases to amaze me. How I wish that all Americans could see what I've seen so that more people would beinspired to do something about it.

For now, I must be content to do what I can - to love these children and this community so that they may see Christ in me. Please pray for this ministry, for these kids and for good health for everyone here. Many of the children at the orphanage as well as my fellow World Racers have been getting sick this month. Please also pray for energy and for emotional strength - we are on month eight now and many of us are just feeling weary, myself included. I can't believe we only have a little over three months left - but I know God's still got some big plans for these three months in Asia. I am praying that I will take advantage of every opportunity He gives me, and I pray that you will do the same wherever you are. Be blessed!

Top 30 - Africa

Thu, 3 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

This one's better late than never. Here are my top 30 - 10 for each month in Africa. The first two months were spent in Malawi and the last month was spent in South Africa.

1. Teaching Africans to make tacos includes the improvised ingredients of cabbage and gouda cheese - luckily they don't know the difference.

2. Your running partners are four year old African boys, and they can beat you barefoot

3. Your teammate brings Febreeze on the bus ride to mask the lovely fish smell.

4. There is a high chance you may be sitting next to a live chicken on said bus.

5. Chitenjes are the new ShamWow - a piece of brightly colored cloth that may be used as a skirt, baby carrier, apron, beach towel or bed sheet.

6. When walking to a ministry site and your translator tells you that you're almost there, expect at least five more miles.

7. You are allowed to speak about Jesus in public schools and you witness dozens of kids accept Christ in front of your eyes.

8. As mzungus (white people) we seem to provoke a reaction of either laughter and pointing or crying in terror by small children who have never seen whites.

9. You don't bat an eye at grown men walking down the street holding hands (a cultural sign of friendship).

10. Church members literally give up their beds for the month and sleep on the floor so that you may use them. You have never felt such Christian love!

11. Who needs Krispy Kreme when you can have mandazi - fried little dough balls sold on the streets for about a nickel each.

12. You must pay to be a guest at a friend's bridal shower, and you learn the morning of the event that it's your job to literally shower the couple with money. Luckily the exchange rate is 150:1.

13. Goat and samosas make an excellent Thanksgiving dinner.

14. When doing house visits and passing a compound that is normally locked up 24/7, God provides an opportunity at the exact right time for workers to be opening the gate and for you to speak and minister to a young Jahovah's Witness couple from the States who live there.

15. Obama jeans, dresses, backpacks, lunch boxes, belt buckles, shoes, candy, jerseys and hats are all readily available for purchase at every street corner.

16. Rice and beans are not only served as a main course, but the next day as lunch leftovers - in the form of sandwiches.

17. Forget ibuprofen. Feeling sick? Drink a Coke.

18. White elephant Christmas gifts between teammates include earplugs, a concert poster from the Dominican Republic, dental floss and Crystal Light packets.

19. Spiritual warfare has never felt so real as when you're living next door to a mosque. Thankfully, you seize the opportunity to help your contacts be a light in the darkness.

20. African women both love and openly mock your attempts to fit into the cultural style of dress - especially when it comes to headwraps.

21. A proper Christian greeting is, "Up up Jesus!" to which you should expect the reply, "Down down Devil!"

22. It's perfectly normal to ask guests over for a barbeque where they are expected to kill and prepare the night's main course.

23. A toy horse made out of sticks and a Coca-Cola can by a 7-year old missionary kid is a better Christmas gift than any you would've received at home.

24. You see an African boy wearing a t-shirt with your high shool's name and logo - the world really is that small! Of course he has no idea why you're so excited about it and starts trying to sell it to you.

25. Children who are HIV+ or who have family members afflicted by the disease tell you about it like they're talking about the weather. It's that normal to them.

26. When it's your third month in Africa, South Africa may just as well be called the Promised Land.

27. Having something from every food group on your dinner plate is the best thing you've seen in months (although a close second is simply NOT seeing rice)!

28. Listening to a blind man sing "Amazing Grace" in a summer camp talent show can move you to tears.

29. Having your own room, even for just a few nights, can feel like a 5-star resort on the race.

30. You would've never guessed that the land you once both revered and feared would be so hard to leave. You're amazed at how God is moving in Africa!

Now I See

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Remember the blissful days you once spent at summer camp? The songs around the campfire, the hikes into the woods, the countless hot dogs and sandwiches you consumed, swimming until your body literally gave out...for those of us who went, I would venture that most of us can recall those memories fondly - and for those who never got the chance, I'm sorry to say that you definitely missed out.

The latter situation may have been the case for the amazing group of 16 individuals my team had the privilege of working with last week, had it not been for an organization called Higher Ground. You see, these amazing campers were just like you and me: wanting to experience life and, namely, an adventurous week at camp to the fullest. There was just one difference: they are all blind or partially sighted.

Campers and staff of January 2011 Higher Ground camp at Wortelgat

When my first team first found out that we would be working with blind people at a summer camp in South Africa this month, we were all pretty clueless as to what that would entail. In fact, we were all a bit puzzled when Emma, the director of Higher Ground, informed us that we would be taking the campers kayaking, horseback riding and practicing archery. Seriously - with blind people? Nervous laughter accompanied visions of dodging arrows, rescuing wayward swimmers, etc.

It turns out that the joke was on us (and people had to dodge the arrows that I shot during archery practice!). We were the blind ones. Blind to all the incredible things that God can do through people not just in spite of but sometimes even because of their disability - and that having a diability doesn't have to mean being disadvantaged. I'm so grateful to all of the campers for opening up my eyes (pun intended) to a world which I have never experienced and for ministering to me. I thought I'd share a few highlights from our week at camp below:

- Serving the campers their meals every day (not because they couldn't but because we wanted to), taking orders and trying to perfect how I made their coffee - it brought me back to my waitressing days!

- Hearing one camper, Reata, tell us how she "just had to prove to her sister that she could do it" as she kayaked like a champ accross the lagoon

- Seeing my teammate Will getting beaten at chess by Lynn, a blind camper who only had to touch the board for a second before making his move

- Watching Nadia, a camper, look out for her close friend and fellow camper Ilana, who is both blind and deaf by using sign language to communicate everything that was said into her hand

- Having Arne, a blind camper, teach me how to shoot a bow and arrow much better than I could explain it to anyone else as a sighted person

Archery practice!

- Being given a beautiful bracelet by Desiree, a camper who didn't realize that spending time with her that week had already been a gift

- Thinking I was doing a good deed by taking the three guide dogs running with me in the morning, only to find myself getting taken for a WILD ride by three energetic black labs

- Having ladies time everyday, where we all shared things like what we had wanted to be when we grew up, and learning that some of the women were held back much more by racism than by blindness

Ladies time at camp

- Hearing Sarah, a 76-year old camper talk about how Higher Ground camp was her perfect holiday, that she experienced things she never had before, and that she will keep coming back for years!

************************************************

I will never forget my week working with Higher Ground camp and the campers who inspired and taught me so much. I can't help but keep hearing the lyrics to Amazing Grace in my head, and realizing that now I see what I was blind to before. I thank God for ordaining our path this month so that we could be part of this ministry! Now it's on to the Philippines for my team - we will be departing Cape Town on Wednesday for Johannesburg and then we leave the country Friday. Please be praying for safe travel and for a quick adjustment into life in Asia for the next four months!

I'd also like to take a moment to let everyone know that I am FULLY FUNDED and that monthly supporters may be released to support other missionaries and ministries as the Spirit leads. THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me on this amazing World Race trip - you have been such a blessing to me and I praise God for how he worked through you to make this possible!

When Family Means HIV: Meet Christie

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

You would never know. On the surface, he seems like a perfectly normal, perfectly happy 13-year old boy. His big brown eyes light up when we arrive at the Ocean View Civic Center in Cape Town everyday for the teens club and he converses with us in nearly perfect English. His does not seem to be the stereotypical face of poverty, and yet after talking with him for just a few minutes you learn that there is much more hiding behind the sunny exterior.

Christie and I at the teens club in Cape Town

Meet Christie, a boy whom you would never expect to represent the sad statistics of the area in which our team is currently serving in South Africa. Christie has grown up knowing the harsh realities of poverty, HIV and AIDS all too well. Both of his parents have died from AIDS and his younger brother William is now infected with HIV, having contracted the virus when he was an infant from breastfeeding. Thankfully, Christie is not infected - but he still has to deal with his family being turned completely upside down. His older sister is currently locked up in Brazil for drug trafficking. The two boys now live with their grandmother. The crazy thing is I learned all of this while spending five minutes of craft time with him during teens club this week - and he told it to me as if we were discussing the weather. Imagine if AIDS were that "normal" to you.

William, Christie's HIV positive brother

Christie's story is just one of many that our team has heard this past week as we've been serving with Living Hope ministries in Cape Town. The ministry was started as a hospice ten years ago by a pastor and his wife in response to the AIDS epidemic in the area, and has grown to a hospital, home based care, AIDS and drug counseling, job creation programs, a Christian radio station, feeding the homeless and after school programs for kids and teens. After hearing them speak and share heartbreaking story after story, I sat amazed. The place where we're staying right now, the Team House, is in such a beautiful neighborhood right on the beach. You would never think that these problems existed so close by. In fact, as one staffer pointed out, it's easy to just drive by those communities altogether. I sat there thinking, what have I "driven by" in my life without doing anything? Yet these two didn't give us a guilt trip - they gave us inspiration. It's amazing to see what God can do through just two people with a vision and a heart for showing Jesus to the poor in hopes that they will desire to have a relationship with Him.

My team has spent the past week helping run a kids holiday club in the morning and a teens club in the afternoon for one of the poor neighborhoods in the area, Ocean View. The kids have been such a blessing to us and it's great to know that they are off the streets and getting at least one hot meal a day. It's also been great to minister to the full time staff there - Living Hope only hires locals from the communities in which the clubs are run so that the kids have positive role models around them. They all deserve medals for the work they do!

More Holiday Club kids

Today we are leaving to spend the next week of our time in South Africa at a campsite called Wortelgat, where we will be counselors at a summer camp for blind teens and adults. I'm sad to leave Cape Town as I LOVE it here, but it's going to be a whole new experience and I'm ready! After the week we will back with Living Hope to spend our last few days of the month ministering at their health care center. Please pray for Christie, William and for all of the kids we met this week, for the staff at Living Hope and for the campers and staff at Wortelgat that we will soon be meeting. You are all in my prayers as well! God bless!

A Merry Malawian Christmas

Tue, 28 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Merry belated Christmas! I pray you all had an amazing time celebrating the birth of the King. To be honest, it feels very strange to be celebrating Christmas so far away this year. This month we are living on the beach of Lake Malawi in a town called Senga Bay, staying with a missionary family from South Africa. It's about as different as you could imagine from America at Christmas time...and I'm not just talking about the temperature outside.

Walking down the roads here, it might as well be July. There are no festive songs playing on the radio, no overly decorated malls with crowds to navigate through, no tree to adorn, no snow...and, most of all, no family. I am missing home a LOT right now. Still, as He has throughout this whole trip, God has been teaching me a lot during my time here.

I've learned that although we often remind ourselves in the States that Jesus is the reason for the season, it's a lot easier to remember that when Santa, excessive gift giving and lavish feasts are stripped away. All that's left is Jesus. It's amazing to see this mentality in the hearts of the missionary family's children. Watching kids delight in and expect nothing more than simple, handmade gifts is a stark contrast to the scene in many American homes - mine included. You gotta love when you realize how much a seven year old can teach you about Christmas!

I've learned that our religious freedom to celebrate Christmas is something I've always taken for granted in the U.S. We're living at a Christian retreat center who are spreading the gospel smack in the middle of nine Muslim villages. We literally live next door to a mosque! They are not happy about Christians being here and most of the missionaries who have come to serve in this community have not lasted longer than six months. It's been awesome to come alongside our contacts, the Mathee family, to support them and to see the boldness of their faith.

I've learned that sharing about the gift of Jesus doesn't have to mean taking a step outside my door. This month my team and one other team from my squad are working together on several projects that the Mathees have in the works to minister to their community. I have been working with a group to build a coffee shop on the property where the hope is for local Muslims and tourists to stop by, interact with Christian staff members and pick up a faith-based book to read. Islam requires its members to learn about other religions, so that is a way to start conversations and relationships. We've gotten to do everything from picking out paint colors to designing the counters, so it's been fun to see everything come together in such a short time!

cutting bamboo for the coffee shop counters

We have one more week left here in Malawi before we move on to South Africa for our last four weeks on this continent. Next month is our Ask the Lord (ATL) month, which means that Adventures in Missions gives us a list of countries and asks us to pray about where we feel God calling our team. It is our responsibilty to find ministry contacts and lodging for the month. Our team has been called to Cape Town to work in two different ministries that I am very excited about - one called Living Hope, where we will work with a VBS/kids ministry and potentially do HIV & AIDS counseling; and one called Higher Ground, where we will be counselors at a summer camp for blind teens and adults. Please pray for us as we prepare for these ministries - and pray for our travel to South Africa. We will be leaving Malawi by bus on Jan. 2nd and catching a flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town on Jan. 3rd. As we learned from our first (84 hour) bus ride to Malawi, bus travel in Africa can be unpredictable, so please pray that things go smoothely at borders so that we arrive on time to make our flight!

Thank you to everyone who has supported me in prayer and financially to be able to go on the World Race - is has been the best present I could've received this year. I pray that you feel the magnitude of God's love for you as you celebrate the birth of His son this season. Much love and happy New Year!

Mzungus in Mzuzu (White People in Africa)

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Mzungus in Mzuzu (White People in Africa)

Hello from AFRICA! We are now on month five of the World Race which means a new season and a new continent. After finishing up our time in Romania, our squad spent an entire week traveling to our new location - including three flights, two nights spent in Johannesburg, South Africa and over 84 hours of bus rides to Mzuzu, Malawi! To call the experience stretching woud be an understatement. However, God is faithful and we arrived safely last Saturday to meet our contacts and begin our ministry.

To describe Africa is to speak in colors - the bright reds of the clay dirt roads; the toothy white grins of crimson-skinned children running barefoot on them; the orange streaks streaming through the fiery sunsets that surrender themselves to the night with a bang. Nothing about this place is pastel.

The brightness of Mzuzu's natural surroundings is equally matched in the personalities of its people. I have never met so many joyful individuals! The church we are partnering with here radiates with a warmth that has nothing to do with the blazing sun outside (it's summer here). You can feel it in the passionate prayers of Mama Pastor and in the footsteps of the dancers who pound out the pulse of each praise song. It is evident in the whisperings of the women who sit on bamboo mats, their babies swaddled against their backs wrapped in rainbow-colored fabrics, humming away as they lovingly prepare the daily meals. Every conversation is a chance to thank God for His faithfulness and for His blessings. It's been a good reminder for those of us who tend to take the little things in life for granted.

This past week we have spent several days going out into villages to meet with people and to tell them about Jesus. We have also gone to three different schools to talk to kids about our trip. Everywhere we go we are greeted with the word "mzungu" - white person - sometimes in hushed tones by surprised adults and sometimes in loud shouts by wide-eyed little ones. I have been amazed at the things I have seen in just these past few days: a glassy-eyed, depressed prostitute light up after learning to give her burdens to Jesus; a young girl involved in witchcraft fall to her knees and repent; a twelve year old boy ask us to pray for growth in his spiritual life; and children coming up in masses to accept Christ in front of their peers and teachers. I was in awe that we were even allowed to speak in public schools!

One thing that has smacked me in the face here is spiritual warfare. Africans are in tune with the spiritual realm in a very real way, and many of those we have come across are battling oppressive spirits in their daily lives that have manifested themselves in various forms, including physical ailments, alcoholism and witchcraft. Their willingess to openly share about these problems in front of total strangers - mzungus at that - has shocked and inspired me. These people are desperate in a way that makes them lift their hands in full surrender to the Lord at the chance to lighten their load.

On the surface we don't seem to have this spiritual warfare problem in America - or at least we would be hesistant to call it that. It's been bothering my teammates and I as we've wondered what makes us so special that we don't have to deal with it. Is it that we are better educated or have more money? Or do we use these things to hide what we're really dealing with? We've come to the conclusion that American spiritual warfare is simply masked...masked by business, masked by self-reliance and masked by unbelief. Africans aren't afraid to call out an evil spirit and ask for the Holy Spirit - so why are we? Perhaps we need to stop penciling our problems into our busy schedules and start praying them out. It may be a bit uncomfortable at first - believe me, I've had some awkward moments sitting on the floors of huts here in Mzuzu not even knowing where to begin - but the peace that prayer can usher in is well worth it.

This month will sadly be a short one due to our unexpectedly long travel to get here, but I know that God still has big things in store for His people in this place. As America gets ready to celebrate Thanksgiving next week, I can think of so many things I am thankful for this year, including this time in Malawi. And while I will be sad to not eat turkey & make my mom's mashed potatoes - it's looking more like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on a bus ride to Mozambique - I am still so happy to be right where God wants me. I pray that He has given you much to be thankful for this year as well. Take care & have some pumpkin pie for me! :)

p.s. Thank you for your prayers of protection over my health in Africa - so far, I'm healthy! God has even provided refrigeration for my insulin this month. One more thing for which to be thankful :) Please keep the prayers coming!

Top Ten - Romania

Tue, 2 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Top Ten - Romania

1. Gypsy children yell, "Hey, Lady Gaga!" at you as you walk down the street.

2. Bakeries are FAR too plentiful and pastries are FAR too inexpensive so that a daily stop isn't out of the question - and, sometimes, the sole reason to go into town.

3. There's no better way to announce you're American than by wearing a bright white ski jacket around a town of Romanians clad in black coats.

4. The Pony Express still exists! It is now called the Romanian Postal System.

5. When you get a craving for Mexican food and ask the grocer for salsa and chips, he gives you ketchup and bread. Luckily, you look up how to make homemade tortillas online and they are amazing!

6. When you aren't allowed to talk about Jesus to a classroom of school children, you teach them to sing worship songs in English instead - and their agnostic teacher belts them out with the kids!

7. Always be prepared with Lysol and rubber gloves when entering a hospital bathroom in Romania. However, doctors visits (for a teammate) are free!

8. You have no idea why Big Tobacco even cares about the U.S. when they seem to be kept in business and doing amazingly well in all of Eastern Europe.

9. You realize how easily Americans check church off their checklist each week when you sit through three hour long services in a building with no heat alongside Romanians who are joyful to be there.

10. Trying to fit in with the Hungarian university students you are supposed to minister to seems to have the effect of parents donning backwards caps and spouting, "What's up dog?" to their teenage children...soo not cool. Thankfully, your skills improve as time goes on and amazing friendships are made.

******

Please be praying for my team and squad as we are currently en route to Mzuzu, Malawi! We will be doing all kinds of ministry in Mzuzu including evangelism, construction and hospital visits for the month of November. I am excited for this next season of my World Race adventure and I'm grateful for your continued prayers over my health in Africa. I am praying for all of you as well and miss everyone very much! Love and blessings.

Bring out the Blind People

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Strolling through the streets of Romania the other day, I turned to my teammate Krystel and whimsically posed the question, "Don't you just feel like we're at Disney World, you know, in Epcot Center in the Europe section?" She laughed and informed me that she hasn't been to the theme park since she was three, but I reitterated that Walt had pretty amazing accuracy in his portrayal of the region. Well, at least in the bakery department - they are everywhere here!

Is it a bakery in Disney World...or Romania??

I am loving Europe right now, and particularly the city in which my team has the privilege of serving this month, Targu-Mures. After meeting up with our entire squad at the beginning of the month in Bucharest, we were put into new teams and sent off for our last few weeks of ministry in Eastern Europe. My new team is called Haven, and this month we are living and working in the Tranyslvania region of Romania.

My new team - HAVEN: Blake Rushing, Carrie Miranda, Alexandra Reiner, Will Diefenbach, Sara Hansen, Krystel Kemper, and me

A new month means a new kind of ministry - and this time it's been working with university students in the city, establishing relationships and inviting them to church. Sounds easy enough for a group of Americans just a few years out of college, right? Right...as long as you speak Hungarian, smoke like a chimney and don't wear bright white Columbia parkas for warmth when everyone around you is sporting sleek black leather jackets. I'm 0 for 3. Oh, and as long as you don't offend a Hungarian by speaking Romanian to them, or vice versa...make that 0 for 4.

Our team has learned that history plays a major role in the attitudes and views of all Targu-Mures residents. For over 1,000 years, the Transylvania region of Romania was ruled by Hungarians. The area actually used to be known as Austria-Hungary (where my great-grandmother lived!) until it disintegrated following defeat in World War I. The territory was officially returned to Romania after the Treaty of Paris at the end of World War II in 1947. The population of Targu-Mures was 100% Hungarian up until then, but today Hungarians make up about 45% of the population while Romanians constitute the slight majority. The tension between the two remains high - thus why we must try not to offend either people group.

Ethnic background also has a substantial influence on religious views in Targu-Mures, particularly amongst the Hungarians with whom we are mainly working. Hungarians are hard-working traditionalists who take pride in their heritage and culture, which means that they are not looking to change their religion - even if that religion is really just a label. As our pastor here says, the people are spiritually blind - they can only see the physical world in front of them. Our job is to bring out the blind people and let them see Jesus.

It's funny, the range of emotions you experience when you're told about a country with such deep-rooted tensions and told that you are to minister to them in just a few short weeks. Humility, insufficiency and unpreparedness all come to mind. Yet in thinking about it, I've realized that I've already encountered the same problems in America - we just do a cracker job of disguising them, running from them or making them look so pretty that we don't even realize they are problems. If growing up in a multi-racial family has taught me anything, it's that our country is still in deep need of racial reconciliation. Otherwise, my brothers wouldn't constantly get pulled over for no other reason than to figure out what they are doing in a nice suburban neighborhood of Minneapolis. Minneapolis! We're not even talking about the deep South...but since most of us like to comfortably assume that racial tension is an issue of the past, we are free to be blind to it. Perhaps we need to bring out the blind people right in our own backyard.

For now, it's my hope that these short few weeks spent in Romania will be impactful for the kingdom and that blinders will start to be removed. We've started to build frienships with some of the students from the Hungarian college here, Sapientia University, and I feel confident that it will be the young people of this city who will begin to chip away at the walls of ice built into the hearts of their parents. God is going to use them to do mighty things, and I am excited to see how He moves here.

Helga, one of the Sapientia University students, and I

I can't believe that my team will be leaving Targu-Mures a week from today and that in just 10 days we will be heading to Africa for three months! We will be serving in Malawi, Mozambique and one other country yet to be determined. Please pray for strength, for the people here in Romania and for the people that we will soon be serving in Malawi. I am also asking for a lot of prayers of protection over my health - going to Africa as a diabetic is going to truly mean trusting the Lord to watch over me. Thank you and God bless!

** please check out my pictures using the link on the left of the screen and, to see more, view my albums on Facebook (please send a friend request if we aren't already friends on the site)

Top Ten - Moldova

Sun, 10 Oct 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I can't believe month three of the World Race is already over! We wrapped up our time in Moldova last week. Since then, our entire squad met up in Bucharest and we were given new teams - I am now on Team Haven. We have settled in Targu-Mures (Transylvania), Romania for the month of October. More to come on my new team and new location in my next blog...for now please pray for our university ministry this month, for warmth (it's freezing here for a Phoenician!) and for unity in my new team. Thanks for your continued support and encouragement!

Top Ten - Moldova

1. You get a workout by doing home visits ministry because you haven't seen hills until you've seen Moldova.

2. Families welcome you with apples, grapes and walnuts found in trees all over the village.

3. Toilet paper is mistaken for crepe paper and considered as a decoration for the church grand opening.

4. Lack of suitable bathroom options leads to creativity and can involve running to use the church restroom a few blocks away at 6:30 am.

5. While still learning your contact's sense of humor, he pulls your van over to the side of the road followed by a car full of men. He then tells you to get out and run from the mafia.

6. Moldovan children consider your photography skills top notch and are ready to pose for several photo shoots when they hear you have Facebook.

7. A goodbye barbeque means killing, skinning and roasting a beaver. Surprisingly, it's quite tasty!

8. Heating options for your cottage include a wood burning stove but an apparent lack of a chimney. The well-intentioned boy helping you start the fire in said stove may also throw your dress sitting next to it in for kindling if you're not looking.

9. Snickers is a form of currency and may be used to pay for doing laundry, backrubs and to get on the shower schedule earlier in the week.

10. You see how many hearts God wants to capture in Moldova and understand why your contact constantly says in endearing broken English, "My friends, we have no time - we must fly!"

Marketing for Jesus

Mon, 13 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Step into a scene from my life last week: navigating the streets of Dublin to find a doctor, spiritually full but running on an empty energy tank with my stomach churning like the rainclouds dotting the Irish sky. As I entered the Clondalkin Medical Centre, my eyes turned upon a plump, friendly-faced woman with thick red glasses who immediately peppered me with questions.

"Age?"

"Twenty-eight." (Sadly I cannot lie to this sweet lady)

"Residence?"

"The Carmac campground I guess." (I figured that would be better than homeless world traveler)

"Surname?"

"Is that my last name?" (I don't speak Irish English)

....so went the prelude to my eventful day in Dublin. You could say it was not exactly how I had pictured spending my week in Ireland. After finishing up our time in Haiti our squad moved on to the land of leprechauns, Lucky Charms and the Lord for the Awakening, a week-long conference for all active and alumni World Racers. It was a time of refreshment and renewal...that is, until I got sick. While it turned out to be dehydration and I felt better a couple days later, for some reason I kept replaying the few words I exchanged with the ruby-spectacled receptionist in my head.

"Occupation?"

"Marketing. Uh, I mean missionary."

That was it. I believe I even turned to my teammate Megan and said, "That's weird." I'd never answered that question with that response before.

A few days, many cathedrals and a couple of Guinnesses later, my team found ourselves flying into Budapest, Hungary and from there traveling to Chisinau, Moldova by train for our next month of ministry. This month we are working in partnership with another team from our squad, and we spent some of our 35 hours of train travel getting to know each other better. It was during one of these conversations that I shared with my squadmate Tommy about my career in marketing before the Race and why I love it. For me, I explained, marketing is about fulfilling a need that people sometimes don't even know they have. Granted, there is a lot of marketing done towards peoples' perceived "needs" that really aren't needs at all. But there can be times when marketing legitimately helps people - for example, in my last job at PetSmart, informing customers about training tools which ultimately lead to a better behaved pet and thus a more enjoyable family experience. Or, of course, marketing events like the Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk I participated in last year. It's the reason I love what I do.

The Moldovan countryside as seen from our train

I've come to realize that this philosophy is exactly what I need to apply to my World Race trip...only this time I'm doing some marketing for Jesus. We have met people with great needs - both physical and spiritual - everywhere in the world. Nowhere is this more true than in Moldova, where the fridgid temperatures outside seem to sadly be mirrored in the hearts of the people who live on less than $2 per day. Yet while the physical needs are obvious, many of these hard-working people here and all over creation don't even realize the spiritual needs that their Creator is longing to fill. Their eyes are so focused on their daily struggle that they can't see where to get their Daily Bread. Thankfully, we have the opportunity to show them exactly that. In marketing, we talk about being the "face of the brand." We are literally the outward expression and representation of its values and lifestyle. Well, that's what I have to do - and God had better give me some grace if I am to be the face of His son.

It's not going to be easy. It's cold here, and living conditions are rough. It honestly feels like we've stepped back in time 50 years. Please pray for strength, energy and for some effective marketing for Jesus to be done! Our contact Vitale has a vision for planting 30 churches in 30 years in this village of Cornesti. I am praying that the beauty of that vision is what will inspire me to keep going this month. I will be with the half of our group who do home visits in the mornings and run a kids program in the afternoons. We've also already started to form relationships with some of the church members here, and I know that if all we do this month is encourage them that we will have fulfilled our purpose. The teenage girls in particular have such sincere hearts and they truly are the future of the church here in Moldova. It still amazes me how every place we go, the people we meet bless us more than I feel like we bless them. The body of Christ is richer and more diverse than I ever would have imagined, and if marketing for Jesus is going to be what makes it even bigger, then that's a job I'm ready to tackle.

Braiding Veronica's hair - our gracious church cook in Cornesti

Top Ten - Haiti

Sat, 11 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Top Ten - Haiti

1. Menu choices include hot soup or hot oatmeal on 100 degree + days.

2. Bonding with orphans comes through the music of Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber.

3. On a related note, the children have way better dance moves than you - even to worship songs!

4. You pray for rain to cool off the evenings, but not so much rain that your tent is flooded daily.

5. You know for a fact that Minnesota does not have the most mosquitoes on earth - Haiti does.

6. Being told that the beach is an hour away can actually mean up to four hours in Haitian time. But you really don't care because you're at the beach!

7. On any given day, the grocery sore may accept Haitian goudes, pesos or U.S. dollars as its only form of currency.

8. Traffic lanes, signals and blinkers are deemed unnecessary in favor of horns.

9. Eight year old Haitian girls laugh and point at your attempt to do laundry. Thankfully, they then help you do it.

10. You are amazed by the joy that children have in the midst of all the devastation around them and thank God for your brothers & sisters in Christ.

I Had One and They Have None

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

*** I thought it would be appropriate to post this entry today, August 17th, as it was my mom Cindy's birthday. I can't wait until we are reunited and I can celebrate with her in Heaven! ***

These past two weeks in Haiti have been eye-opening and stretching. The summer sun is relentless here, yet a cloud of devastation still looms over the nation, threatening to pour down poverty, hopelessness and desperation onto the already grief-stricken people. The children at the Foyer Renmen orphanage where we are staying are a light in all this, and their stories are nothing short of miraculous. Four of the children, including Esther below, were trapped underneath a fallen balcony here during the earthquake back in January for two days. All four survived and you would never know it to look at them today. Yet resilience is not something these kids have learned from a natural disaster - it has been ingrained into their very being since the day they were born. They are growing up in a community - albeit a loving one - in which you are made painstakingly aware of the missing presence of a mom and dad in each of their lives. My heart breaks for them.

Back in May at our training camp for the World Race I remember thinking, 'What business do I have going on a year long mission trip? I've only been on one mission trip before - and that was for a week!' The scope of the task set before me suddenly dawned on me and I was feeling like I had met my spiritual Everest. As I approached one of the staff members with my concern, she asked me a few questions about my background and what had drawn me to this experience in the first place. That week I had been working through my grief from my mother's death and I told her that my mom was my inspiration for the trip. With tears streaming down her cheeks, she prayed and thanked God that when I would hold little orphans around the world, I would be able to relate to them through my loss. That thought gave me some comfort, and so I pressed on, determined to continue the hike to the top of the missions mountain.

This month in Haiti, my team is living and working at Foyer Renmen orphanage as mentioned above (www.renmenhaiti.org). The kids here range from infants to high schoolers, and all are in deep need of love and attention. Upon arrival, they immediately greeted us with hugs, kisses and timid salutations of "Welcome, how are you?" It was a scene that brought new meaning to the phrase love at first sight. This week we have played countless handshake, card and soccer games; have sung English and Creole songs together and have even bonded over Hannah Montana (Miley Cyrus) music. I have spoken what little French I remember and since the kids are learning it in school, we've had some sucess communicating. Our team is teaching them English, holding Bible studies for the teens and playing with the little kids everyday. Watching their little faces light up like Christmas trees whenever we play has already mad me sad to leave them at the end of the month.

Yesterday I showed a group of the children a picture of my family that I've carried in my wallet for the past five years. The kids could not believe that I have brothers with black skin like them! As I was gazing at the picture and thinking about how funny my hair looked and how beautiful my mother looked, the words of the training camp staffer came to mind. I was supposed to be able to relate to these kids because I had lost my mom. As I stepped back to survey the boys and girls in front of me who will never pose for a family portrait, I knew that I could not relate to them at all. It was a punch in the gut straight from God.

The Lord blessed me with a beautiful, loving family growing up. I had two parents who cared about me and brought me to Christ. We had the cliche picnics, summer trips to national monuments (in the obligatory minivan!) and Sunday night suppers. I could not have asked for more. The fact that God chose to take my mom to Heaven when I was 26 is sad, but it still means I had 26 more years with a mother than the kids here will have. Real sadness is losing your parents or even your whole family in a split second to an earthquake when you are five years old. Real sadness is missing out on the parental lessons we think are pointless as teens but for which in hindsight we are grateful because they have guided our paths. The children here will never have the luxury of being pissed at their parents. They will never get the family experiences we took for granted growing up. I absolutely cannot relate to that. When I lost my mom, I still had an amazing dad. I had one. These kids have none.

Rather than lose heart, I have decided that learning to love these little ones is better than reaching to relate to them. I may not be able to share in their experiences, but I can enrich them now. Our team has struggled a bit this month with feeling like we are not "doing" anything. We aren't building something or fixing something - there may be no outward evidence of our time here when we leave. But we are striving to leave the evidence on the inside of these kids' hearts and minds. Of course, at the same time, God is using them to do the same to us. In the end, we can come together knowing that we are part of the same extended family in Christ. It's a thought that can not only part the clouds of doom here in Haiti, but can give you a glimpse straight into Heaven.

Top Ten - Dominican Republic

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

This is a little late since we're in Haiti now, but I'm planning on posting one of these for each country. Hopefully it will make you smile and be thankful for the American luxuries you enjoy everyday!

You know you're a World Racer in the DR when...

1. Men hiss at you like snakes as you walk down the street (this one only applies to women). You may also get the occaisonal, "Hey, white girl!" yelled at you from a car window.

2. Living in a 4-bedroom house with 50 people becomes your everyday routine.

3. The bouncer with the large rifle guarding the grocery store entrance is a photo opp.

4. The best tacos you've ever had are less than $2, and you will walk two miles in the pouring rain to get them.

5. The hot sauce served with the tacos makes you cry, but you keep coming back for more cause it's that good.

6. Bulls, cows and chickens are common front-yard finds in suburban areas.

7. Toilet paper goes in the garbage rather than the toilet.

8. Your group of 50 Americans buys out the entire city's supply of Coke Light (aka Diet Coke, but somehow much better than in the U.S.)

9. Your team argues over whether to spend an extra 100 pesos on Skippy rather than generic peanut butter, since you're eating it for lunch everyday.

10. God blesses you richly with amazing hospitality, new friends and His love for this country!

A Rice and Beans Life

Fri, 6 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

There's a lot to be said about travel days on the World Race. I have yet to experience long layovers, but I did experience a 13 hour bus ride a few days ago on our way from San Juan, Dominican Republic to Haiti. I expected to be tired, crabby (hey, we left at 5 am), and pretty much checked out for the day. I did not expect for God to teach me - and through lunch of all things.

As I've mentioned before, the food staple in this area of the world is rice and beans. During the past month in the DR, I ate this combo more than I ever have in my life. Surprisingly, I enjoyed it - especially when prepared by the locals. There's some kind of special seasoning they add to the mix that unfortunatley we Americanos have trouble recreating (I actually offered up my mom's wild rice hotdish recipe to one Dominican woman in exchange for her secret, but she either didn't understand or just didn't go for it - her loss!). The point is, this dish is as common here as PB&J's back home...which I have also eaten an extraordinary number of on this trip, but that's another story.

The regularity of rice and beans here really hit home when en route to Haiti, as the clock struck noon, the driver pulled our double-decker ride over to pass out our midday meal. As I dug my spoon into the increasingly familiar billows of snow white grains, the realization came to me: I've been living a rice and beans life. Always content with the staus quo, I'm more than happy to just plod along chasing after my slice of the American dream rather than chasing after God. I haven't questioned things, haven't considered the needs of others above myself, and frankly haven't given much thought to the populations we're serving before now. The sad thing is, I'm afraid that's the way many of us live.

After reflecting on this for awhile, it also came to mind that the people I've met here also live a rice and beans life - but it means something vastly different. The life the people are living in the Dominican Republic and Haiti - and I would guess in most of the third world - is the only life they know. They realize that others must have it better, especially when white folks like us visit, but nonetheless they appreciate what they have. Not one person I've met so far, including those with torrid pasts like Winer, has complained to me about how rough they have it. Rather, they rejoice in what God has provided for them. Their rice and beans life is nourishment not to just their bodies but to their souls. What a concept for us to swallow!

In beginning this month of ministry in Haiti, I am praying for intentionality. I want to spice things up and live a life where I am not content to leave things as they are. It's going to be a challenge for me this month as, in typical World Race fashion, things have already changed. My team is no longer going to be working with the tent cities but rather we are being sent to an orphanage for the month. We will be living in our tents and will only have electricity for a couple hours a day. I have to say, Europe (our next destination), is seeming like the promised land right now. But I know God sent us here for a reason and I am determined to make whatever difference I can in Haiti. We have already toured some of the devastation in Port-au-Prince from the earthquake and it is heartbreaking to see what you can tell was once a beautiful place reduced to rubble. Yet at the same time, beauty abounds...you just have to look for it. It's in the welcoming faces that greet us wherever we go. It's in the voices of the people singing praises to God at the church services we've attended. They are hungry for their rice and beans life - for restoration. Lord, please make me hungry too!

Walking By Faith: Winer's Story

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Throughout our time in the Dominican Republic, we have been blessed to meet so many wonderful people that have completely embodied what this trip is all about. Each one has a unique story and it's interesting to see how God has appointed this exact time in both our lives' and theirs to meet and encourage one another in Christ. A few times this month, however, we have met someone whose very existence is a testament to God's redeeming love and power. The following is the story of one such person.

We met Winer (pronounced Win-Air) on our first day of ministry in Mijo. Winer is one of the many children in the area whose smiles mask the struggles of their past. On the surface, he is a happy teenager who jumps to help out wherever possible at the church and loves posing for the camera.

Yet behind the jovial front is a fascinating story that says even more about Winers character. Winer is a 17-year old who lives by himself, provides for himself and relies completely on God. He was born in Haiti as the middle child in a brood of eight. At the age of three his mother told his father that she was going to the grocery store but she never returned. At that point, his family moved to the Dominican Republic and his father remarried a woman who disliked Winer. She would beat him and turn other family members against him. This made sneaking out to friends houses a nightly occurrence. After months of enduring this violence and pain, Winer made a decision: enough was enough. Although he loved his father and siblings, he felt he had no choice but to run away.

The next few days were spent roaming the streets of San Juan, scraping by for food and shelter. Yet in telling his story, Winer is emphatic: he knew at this time that God was with him. Soon he was taken in by a woman who found him and wanted to help him - which meant putting him in an orphanage. Yet on the very day he was to go, Winer received another surprise...his father showed up on the doorstep.

While his story couldve easily concluded here, Winers temporary caretaker would not let that happen. Convinced that his father was the one who had beaten him, she was reluctant give Winer up. The boy was given a choice: go to the orphanage or go home with his father. In an emotionally charged move that would forever separate him from his family, he chose the former.

Yet Winers story still did not stop there. Though we were told few details regarding his life at the orphanage, Winer felt that God wanted him to leave it three years later. Once again, he found himself homeless and humbled before God. He has since forged onward solo - spending the past six years as a teenage bachelor. His days are occupied by church services, helping the local farmers harvest crops and looking after the children of Mijo - which he does willingly with a toothy white grin on his face.

After hearing about Winers tumultuous past, our first reaction was to pity him. Yet we have come to the realization that this not a story of pity but of power: the power of an all-loving, ever-providing Father. Winers is just one in a community full of powerful stories - and we are so blessed to now be written into them. This past weekend, we were able to take Winer out to lunch with our team and to bless him with a gift: a brand new machete (used here for farming work and to cut grass). In return he gave us a huge bag full of mangos from his small plot of land. With the help of our translators, we were able to tell him that we will continue praying for him and that we will never forget him - and he told us his ambition is to become a missionary someday and follow where God leads him around the world like us! When I think of the self-centered kid I was at 17, this completely blows me away.

We said goodbye to Winer and to the rest of the community tonight at Mijo after a service of thanksgiving for the work we had done there. The past few days have been spent picking up trash, weeding around the church and visiting community members' homes - and it was wonderful to celebrate the time we had together. While we are sad to go, we are clinging to the promise in Philippians 1:6: "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it."

Saying adios to the DR means saying bonjour to Haiti! We leave Saturday morning for Port-au-Prince. Our team will be working with one other team there to help two pastors who have a network of churches numbering over 10,000 people. We will be working with three different "tent cities" there to build relationships with the people and help address their practical needs by distributing food, etc. Please pray for travel mercies, for our team's health and for our time there this next month. I would be lieing if I said I wasn't a little nervous about what next month holds, but I know God is good and that he will take care of us. We are told that internet access in Haiti is scarce so while I may not post for awhile, please know that you all are in my thoughts and prayers. Please also check the pictures section of my blog on the left for more photos. Blessings!

Humility is more than a Hyundai Sonata

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Its kind of a long-running joke in our family that we dont care too much about cars - at least, as status symbols. My dad has never been too interested in them, and when I inherited his vehicle after getting my drivers license at the age of sixteen - a 1988 Plymouth Reliant - the first question out of my friends mouths was , "Isnt your dad a doctor?" As he explained to me, while its fine to spend your money on a nice car, he simply cared to spend his on other things.

I suppose this mentality inadvertently got transferred to me when I chose to spend my college graduation money on a sensible used Hyundai Sonata a few years later. I didnt think much of the decision until I moved to Santa Monica, California. My street was lined with Lexuses, BMWs and Mercedes - with my white Sonata sticking out like a string of knock-off pearls in a ballroom full of rubies, diamonds and emeralds. At the time, I chose to laugh off my embarrassment by saying that my ride of choice "kept me humble."

These past two weeks in the DR, I have learned that humility is more than a Hyundai Sonata. My team has been doing ministry with Pastors Manuel and Cecillina, a husband-and-wife team who serve a small farming community called Mijo about 15 minutes outside the city of San Juan. The faces of Mijo are both beautiful and tragic. There is joy in the eyes of the children, but weariness in the creases around those of their parents. They are very poor and most are uneducated. Yet they are not complaining - this is the only life they know.

My team has spent the last several days doing house visits around the community. We have started to build relationships, have asked if there is anything practical that we can do to help them (i.e. fixing fences, etc.) and have invited them to church. Many of the adults in Mijo dont go to church but instead send their kids. They have heard about God, or at least about the Virgin Mary, but its hard to feel His presence when you dont have food to put on the table or money to go to the doctor when your child is sick.

I have no other words to describe these visits other than truly humbling. Families with four kids living in a one bedroom mud hut scramble to round up broken plastic chairs for us to sit on as their guests. Women who dont have enough food for their families make us corn to take home because they dont think were eating well (the Dominican staple is rice and beans, so when we bring peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch, they think we must be doing worse than they are). Their generosity is amazing.

This week we are doing vacation Bible shool for the beautiful kids in the community. Our theme is "Rise Up and Be Courageous for God." My prayer is that these kids will be a light in their families and that this community may be given renewed hope and strength through Jesus.

I am also praying for God to continuously humble me. After witnessing what we have already here, it's hard not to be. Still, when I think about how I used to be humbled by my perfectly good Hyundai Sonata - now seemingly a luxury vehicle here - I just shake my head. Humilty is so much more than that.

San Juan

Sat, 10 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Yesterday morning, my team along with 6 other teams from my squad left Santo Domingo, DR and headed to San Juan, DR for our first month of ministry. Let me tell you, it's no easy feat getting 49 people and their 50 lbs. backpacks into two small buses, but we managed to do some creative packing and find everyone a seat to safely make the 4 hour trek. We are all living together this month at an Adventures in Missions base, but each team has a seperate ministry contact and will be doing different service projects. My team has been told we will be doing anything from running Vacation Bible School for kids to teaching English - basically whatever our contact needs us to do. I'm excited as we already had befriended some kids in Santo Domingo, and you can tell that the kids in the DR are very loving and seeking affection. I am guessing we'll have fun playing charades to communicate as no one on my team speaks Spanish :)

While there are 7 teams here in the DR this month, the remaining 4 teams from my squad are in Haiti. At the end of the month we will switch and each of the 7 teams here will go to a seperate location in Haiti. I'm hoping I may be able to communicate better there if they speak French!

I'm so thankful for all of your encouraging comments on here and on Facebook. I have definitely already felt out of my comfort zone - when you're a large group of Americans you tend to stick out like a sore thumb and thus get honked at and pointed at a lot - but I know it's good for me and God is going to teach me a lot this year. I'm also already learning that when my worldly comforts are taken away, He is the only one I can look to for comfort.

Please pray for our minisry this month and that we may be a blessing to those we serve. Pray also for protection for our team & our entire squad and for good health. I am fortunate to have refrigeration here for my insulin and my blood sugars have been normal thus far - praise God! I had been very anxious when I left about my diabetes but a couple nights ago my teammate Derek prayed that the spirit of fear would not have a hold over me and I can truly say that right now I have a sense of peace. I am trusting that if I am faithful to stay healthy that God will take care of me!

I miss all of you and pray you are doing well. I'd love to hear from all of you this year and stay in touch. Blessings!

Arrived in the Dominican Republic!

Mon, 5 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Hello everyone! After an early morning flight, my entire squad and all our luggage has made it safe and sound in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. We are all tired and hot but happy to be reunited with our teammates and I am personally happy to be staying at a place with showers, beds and toilets!

We will be here until Friday doing another week of training and then head out to our first ministry site in either Haiti or the DR after that. I will post more when we find out where that will be. Thanks for all your prayers and encouragement!!

Humidity and Hunger: Training Camp

Thu, 27 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Humidity. Change. New friends. Hunger. Worship. Hunger. These are just a few of the words that describe the last few days that I've spent at training camp along with my 73 teammates in White, GA. Did I mention hunger?

While you can bet I'm talking about my grumbling stomach - each day we have eaten the food from a country we will be in and let's just say it's going to be a looong three months in Africa - I'm also talking about hungering for more of God and more of what He has planned for my life. We've spent a lot of time at camp working through issues in our lives so that we can be baggage-free when we minister to the nations. It's been a tough but freeing process. I can already tell this is going to be one of the most challenging and rewarding years of my life and right now I'm standing on the cliff of self-discovery terrified but willing to jump off. To say I will be pushed out of my comfort zone is an understatement, but I'm ready.

And just to give you a glimpse of daily life at camp - this week I have hiked through the woods to camp out under the stars (no tents!), I've had a bowl of rice soup with a sardine in it for breakfast, and I've experienced total strangers speaking life and truth into me. More to come on this training camp experience when I get back to Phoenix!

The crazy fun group of people I will be serving with over the next year P Squad!

Race Route

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Here are the countries I'll be ministering in along with my squad next year! Very exciting stuff! Please pray for the hearts of those whom we will meet in these countries and that they may come to know Jesus through our time with them.

July 2010 World Race Route

Haiti
Haiti was hit with a life-altering earthquake on January 12, 2010. While the nation was left in shambles, it's far from struck down and destroyed. Haiti is experiencing a spiritual revival right now. Communities are turning to pastors for leadership and the Church is becoming the driving force behind Haiti's rebirth. This month you'll help with relief efforts, establish connections, teach, provide for immediate needs, and more. Come prepared to work - come ready to be rocked...

Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is an island nation in the middle of the Caribbean. With a population around nine million, it's a country with more affluence than its neighboring country, Haiti. After the earthquake on January 12 in Haiti, the D.R. quickly became home to thousands of refugees searching for food, shelter, and comfort. This month, you'll serve at orphanages, refugee camps, and more.

Ireland
Each year, the Awakening is a time for World Racers, coaches and alumni to gather together. This year, it's in the land of the Irish. You'll spend a week in Dublin with close to 400 other racers worshipping, teaching and encouraging one another in your journey. The time spent there will help fill you so you can finish out your year strong. And in your spare time, grab some fish and chips and tour the Dublin Castle.

Thailand
With nearly two million people estimated to be stuck inside of prostitution in Thailand, it has become one of the most popular places for sex tourism. Change lives in the city and rock worlds in the countryside. Thailand's sure to capture your heart.

Cambodia
28 years ago, Cambodia experienced one of the most gruesome genocides known to man where over one third of the country's population was slaughtered. Still in recovery from their past, the people of Cambodia are thirsty for hope.

China
Host of the 2008 Summer Olympics and home to 1.3 billion people, China is known for its grandness, not just in land mass and population. While the Han Chinese comprise the largest people group, there are over fifty minority groups, including the Uighurs, a people without a country. Due to the legacy of Mao's Cultural Revolution, Communism is not just a political system, it is almost the state religion. Speaking of which, depending on where you are, you may meet Buddhists, Muslims, and Taoists; there are even churches � government approved and regulated. The exact size of the underground church is unknown (hence the name), but what it is known is that it is large and still growing, thriving even in the midst of persecution. While there, you'll have to pay homage to the Great Wall, and bring light and hope to a people in darkness and depression. How you'll do that exactly � you'll find out once you get there. ;)

Philippines

This Asian island nation, once a Spanish colony and an American protectorate, is a country in tension, trying to cross the threshold between the third and first world. It offers a variety of landscapes � beaches, mountains, volcanic lakes � and languages, with Tagalog as the national tongue. The Catholic Church is a substantial piece of the religious pie, however, Islam is growing in the island of Mindinao. The Filipino people and culture love music and dance and community. While there, you may find yourself living with and giving hope to the destitute, caring for orphans, and challenging the growing number of Christ-followers to rise up.

Mozambique
This is one of the most beautiful countries in the continent of Africa. This is a favorite location of the World Race for a variety of reasons (the people, beautiful landscape, ministry partnerships, and more). Although the stronghold of poverty grips this nation, Mozambique is seeing signs of redemption and economic recovery. Due to this extreme poverty � or perhaps in spite of it � the church is growing, as well. This month on the Race, you will be teaching, preaching, practicing "true religion" with widows and orphans, and more. You may also probably have one of your most memorable travel "days" here. You'll find out what we mean soon enough.

Malawi

Known as "the warm heart of Africa," Malawi is definitely a place that you visit to ignite yourself with the fire of God. This country has a beautiful landscape and an even more beautiful culture and population.
This month, you'll be helping plant churches, raising up leaders, and infecting the people with the love of God. Chances are you won't want to leave.

Pioneer Africa
Twice during your World Race experience, your team will take a month to ATL (ask the Lord) for a new mission field. He may lead you someplace in the middle of a buzzing city or somewhere that can't even be found on a map. Either way, it's a time of listening to the Lord's voice and following him with true abandon. Uncover more of your inheritance...

Turkey
A primarily Muslim nation, the country of Turkey is also the least evangelized nation on earth. One of the birthplaces of the Church, it is now a nation closed to the Gospel and home of persecuted Christians. This month, you're going to take some risks in sharing your faith. And while we would love to share with you what you will be doing, we can't for safety reasons. Just know - you're not going to forget this experience.

Romania
The northern regions of Romania are home to the gypsy people. Though strangers in their homeland and forgotten by society, the gypsies are a strong and vibrant people who embrace the light of Christ in an inspirational way. Here you'll teach English, lead sports camps, live life with the gypsies, and more.

Who's Heidi?

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Hello! My name is Heidi and I am so excited to be embarking on this adventure called The World Race. I am currently living in Phoenix, AZ and working in marketing, but I grew up in Minneapolis and I've also lived in Los Angeles for the past four years. Phoenix suits me though and I am fairly certain that I have no desire to ever live in a cold climate again!

I grew up in a loving Christian family comprised of my parents, younger sister, and two adopted younger brothers. To say I am close to my family would be a huge understatement :) Growing up in a multiracial household has had a profound impact on my spiritual walk and worldview - and the very diverse church I attended growing up has given me a deep love for gospel music! My mom's entire side of the family is involved in missions and my grandfather is a pastor, so I grew up reading Bible stories before bed and attending AWANA every week. I accepted Christ by praying with my mom when I was 11 after hearing a girl give her testimony during a baptism service at my grandpa's church.

While I have loved Jesus for a long time, these past couple years have definitely been a test of faith. In June of 2006, my mom Cindy was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. My entire family was shocked but optimistic that it hadn't spread anywhere else in her body. The next two years brought constant surgeries, endless rounds of chemotherapy & radiation treatments and, finally, the realization that God's plan was for my mom to be with Him. While we were heartbroken that human medicine was failing, at the same time our Heavenly Doctor was strengthening my mom's spirit and bringing our family closer together than ever before. Throughout my mom's battle with cancer, she made sure that people knew that the God who made her was not the one inflicting pain on her, but rather the one getting her through it.

My mom went to be with the Lord the day after Mother's Day in 2008. Losing her - basically one of my best friends - has been a huge wake up call for me. Specifically, what am I doing with my life, and what am I doing for God? Surely I can serve Him in my current job in marketing, but lately God's been telling me that I'm way too comfortable with that role.

A second trial I've recently experienced was being diagnosed with Type I diabetes last summer. Who knew you could get "juvenile diabetes" in your 20's? It's been a major life adjustment with taking insulin shots everyday, etc., but God has been gracious. I wouldn't be honest though if I didn't say that I (and my dad!) am a bit nervous about managing my diabetes on this trip. I'll be doing a lot of training, praying and preparing in the coming months!

So basically I'd say that these past few years have been about God stretching me - learning to expect the unexpected, to rely solely on Him and to trust that His plan is perfect. I know that He is going to stretch me even more on the race - and I can't wait!!

A Few Random Facts About Me:

I am all about being active - I like to run, dance (hurray for hip hop class!), swim and hike.

I have been camping once before in my life!

I have a Yorkie named Charlie whom I love to pieces and whom I will be incredibly sad to leave for a year.

I LOVE ethnic foods - I could live on Indian, Thai, Mexican and sushi for the rest of my life.

I hate bananas, tomatoes, sour cream and cream cheese.

I love to write and have a deep appreciation for good grammar and spelling.

I unashamedly love teeny bopper music and once skipped a day of high school to meet *NSYNC.

I love to cook and bake.

I was a Religious Studies minor in college and think we have a huge responsibility as missionaries to show Jesus to people through the lens of their own worldview.

I once won a karaoke contest at the Mall of America judged by Donny Osmond.

I led a mission trip my senior year of college to minister to Mormons in Utah.

One of my lifetime goals is to run a marathon. I should get on that.

I am all about women in ministry!

I am passionate about breast cancer awareness and will pretty much buy anything with a pink ribbon on it.

I believe that 20 years from now we will regret more the things we did not do than those we did, so when God says go, I will GO!