The World Race - Amy Christian

And He Shall be Called Jonathan

Mon, 4 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Our interpreter Collins, Jared, and I were walking through the village when we came upon a house where the family was outside preparing their lunch. They welcomed us to come over and visit with them. We spent some time talking to them and then we prayed for their specific prayer requests.

The next day we decided to go visit them again. They were so happy to see us, they were much more open and more talkative. They told us that their boy had a name that meant "trouble" and they wanted his name changed. They felt that his name might be influencing his general behavior.

Jared asked them who had originally named the child and why they had named him a name that meant trouble. One of the older sisters shyly said that she had named him, but she did it when she was young and did not know what the name meant. They asked Jared and I to give their son a new name. We looked at each other in shock! Jared said that we would pray and ask the Lord what his name should be. The parents said, "it's not a big deal, just name him". SO we prayed!

After we prayed, Jared asked them if a name popped into any of their heads. They all said no. The mom said "the ball is your court; you two give him a name". After standing there for quite some time, not knowing what to say, I finally thought of a name that I felt would be a nice name, "Jonathan". Jonathan means gift of God. Our translator asked the family if they liked that name and they all raised their hands as if they were voting.... yes they liked it! It was hard for me not to laugh through all this. I asked them if I could see their son, thinking they would bring a baby out, but nooooo,....a boy that was sitting nearby listening to this conversation stood up. This was the child. He was around the age of 12. He had been sitting there the entire time, through this entire process. I asked him if he liked his new name and he said he did. I told him that it was very important that he liked the name or we could change it, but he said he liked it. So, he shall be called Jonathan! In the picture, Jonathan is the boy on the far left with 3 of his sisters and 1 brother.

I have already named a child without even having one! News spreads fast in the villages and every one knows everyone else; most seem related in some way. Even while we were still there talking to them we could hear a lady down the road yelling out calling him by his new name and laughing. Everyone in the village seemed happy and liked his new name!

Mr. and Mrs. Jackson

Sun, 3 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The first house we went to while doing ministry in the villages near Lilongwe, was the home of an older couple, the Jackson's. They are Christians and attend church in their village. We asked if they had a prayer request before we left and they asked us to pray for their health. Mr. Jackson told us that he has tuberculosis and his wife has high blood pressure. As I prayed for the wife she said that she felt her heart rate go down immediately.

The next day we went to visit them to see how they were doing. Mr. Jackson was so happy to see us. As we walked up he came out to greet us. He told us that his wife slept through the whole night without waking up. He said that she usually wakes up in sweats every night and has to go outside to get fresh air. Mr. Jackson told us that his wife knew we were coming to the village again today so she had gone to look for us to give us her praise report and ask for more prayer. Mr. Jackson also informed us that all his symptoms of tuberculosis had left his body as well. Behind us is where he sews and makes clothes for people. He told us that it was easier to work now that all the hiccups had stopped! We were so happy to rejoice with him and praise God. Our God is a good and healing God!

Mr. Jackson gave us a sack of fresh mangos for stopping by and praying for them. He requested a Bible and Jared and I were able to get him one. We also added a pen and notebook to take notes for their Bible study. In the front of his notebook I wrote a lot of physical healing scriptures and many scriptures on peace and joy. They were so thankful. Thank all of you who are helping Jared and me with our personal finances on this trip; because of this we were able to buy the Bible, notebook and pen.

Please put this Godly couple on your personal prayer lists and those of your church and small groups. Pray for continued good health and prosperity for this aging couple.

Malawi

Sat, 2 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We had a wild, dusty and hot ride on the way to Malawi from Mozambique. We all rode on a large flat bed truck that had a thick tarp over it. We were all squeezed in there with all of our big packs. However, I am able to sleep anywhere, and did not miss any of my sleep on the 41 hour ride.

Since we've been in Malawi we have been helping a man named Shadrack. Shadrack is a church planter. He has already planted over 60 churches in the nearby villages. Each week we've been going into the villages and doing door to door evangelizing. Our team of seven split into three groups. Jared and I were together with our translator. We go door to door telling the people about Jesus, praying for them, and inviting them to the church. Many of the people told us that they knew very little about Jesus, but really wanted to learn more about him. As we would walk door to door all the kids would follow us laughing and yelling "Muzungu," meaning white person. Some were seeing a white person for the first time in their life, some of the younger ones would run and cry because they were so scared, all the older kids would laugh. They followed us as we would go to the other houses listening to what we had to say. At the end of the day when all of our groups would meet back there would be many kids that had followed all of us all the way back. We would spend time playing with them, singing fun songs, and teaching them about Jesus.

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! Please read Amanda's Blog to see what happened and the deliverance that a young girl received Christmas Eve! We all got to eat a nice lunch together on Christmas and relax, it was great. We did secret Santa's within the two teams that are here. The people that drew Jared and my name went together and bought fruits and veggies for us! We were soooo happy! On New Year's Eve Jared and I took our two translators to a service and Amanda and Leigh came along as well. There had been signs put up all over town about this service so we decided to go to it. It was great to get to pray in the New Year with many other Christians. I was delighted to discover that the service was in English. I miss going to church services or any type of Christian service so much. We go every week, but our team is in charge of the service and one of the team members has to preach, so it is a lot of preparation and work. It was nice to just sit and receive!

Jared and I covet your prayers. We are beginning to pray and consider our future in the USA. We are requesting prayer concerning what we are to do when we return. Where we are going to live, work, and all of that. Pray for us to have opportunities in our career and job choices that will bring glory to the Kingdom and provide for us financially as well.

Lastly, we still need some financial help to finish our financial obligation to The World Race. We are so thankful that some of you have made very generous pledges and are extremely faithful to honor your pledges. We have been incredibly blessed by these gifts. In addition, we still need about $1,500 that is not part of the pledged amount. Once that obligation is met, any extra money in our World Race account can be used toward reimbursement for trip expenses we personally paid for before we left, such as health insurance, shots, ect. These items total approximately $3,000. If you would like to donate to our World Race account, you can do so by clicking on the "Support Me" button to the left. Also, if you would like to give into our personal account that would be greatly appreciated as well. You can send that to my mother. She has been a huge help taking care of our personal stuff back home. Please keep our finances in your prayers.

What a joy the past seven months have been! Jared and I know how fortunate we have been to have this opportunity and would like to spend time with all of you; sharing our stories, pictures, and experiences and letting you know what God has done for us and through us on this incredible journey. We anticipate being back in the USA the first week of May! I am still excited about where we're going and what we'll be doing, but I do have to admit I'm getting really excited about being back in America.

Thank you everyone for your continued prayers!!!

The Harvest is Ripe

Fri, 1 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

November and part of December was spent in Mozambique. It was wonderful! We were only able to get onto the internet a couple of times and not for long the whole month. Hopefully, this long blog will give you a good picture of our work in Mozambique. Jared and I were excited about going to Mozambique from the time we saw it on the race route. We were not disappointed.

Our assignment was to help a local church in Vilanculos, located on the eastern coast of Mozambique, within walking distance (African walking distance) to the Indian Ocean. Our work with this church "Jesus for Africa" was to do outreaches into the local hospital, prison and neighboring villages. "Jesus for Africa" was founded seven years ago by Pastor Jaco and his wife, Maria. They have two kids, Maggie (10 yrs) and Rudo (9 yrs). This was an awesome family. Even though their home was very small, they made all of us feel very welcome.

We lived in our tents, camping on Jaco and Maria's property near a beautiful small lake.   We had access to cold water showers and we had the luxury of a flushing toilet. On our first night camping by the lake, some of the Racers were awakened by lots of noise and yelling. Jaco had forgotten to tell us that the natives fish in the wee hours of the morning. They set out nets, then go to the other side of the lake and start hollering and thrashing the water to move the fish into the nets. This was a startling way to start our stay in our new camp.

All sorts of wildlife lived around us and they did not all have four legs. Some were pretty scary. One day we saw a Black Mambo snake and a Spitting Cobra snake. Jaco gave us a good lesson on recognizing these snakes and said that people are paralyzed within 20 minutes after being bitten by a Black Mambo and killed within two hours. Needles to say, both snakes were promptly killed.

Our weeks were very full. Here is a sample of our schedule.
Sunday:        Our team ran the morning and evening church services.
Monday:      Our day off.
Tuesday:     Hospital, prison ministry, and house visitations.
Wednesday: Ran the healing service at the church at noon every week.
Thursday:    Hospital, prison ministry, and house visitations.
Friday:      Showed the Passion of the Christ movie.
Saturday:     House visitations and/or prayer walking.

Many people gave their lives to Christ as we ministered during the week. It was amazing to see how God worked! The people were so hungry for the Word and so receptive of the message. The first Sunday we were there a Muslim man who came to the service gave his life to Christ. He is a very influential man in the city. He works for the city. The following Wednesday a man who was working for Jaco gave his life to Christ. Jaco asked Jared if he would spend a lot of time praying and discipling him while we were there. They were able to spend many hours together praying, talking and reading the Word. This was a wonderful mentoring time for that young man to help him get his feet firmly planted in the Word.

Shortly after we arrived in Vilanculos Jared was preparing to teach at one of the Wednesday healing services when he noticed some of the older village kids had followed our team mates to the church. They had all been playing soccer and decided they would like to join the World Racers at church. Jaco also noticed these newcomers at the regular Wednesday healing service, so he asked Jared to change the healing message into a salvation message. This was definitely the hand of God working. Many of the guys confessed Jesus as their Lord for the first time that day. Jared spent time praying with them afterward as well. Praise God!

Their hospital is made out of UN tents. Their original hospital was destroyed in a cyclone in 2007. It really looks like what I have seen on the old TV show MASH (with mosquito nets). Some of our group spent lots of time in the burn unit. One man who was burned by an oil lamp over a huge percentage of his body just 2 days before we arrived has new skin growing on his back without any scars! By the time we were leaving Vilanculos, almost every person in the burn unit had been sent home, fully recovered.

Jaco wanted to start a prison ministry. This had been one of the things that he wanted our team to help with while we were in Vilanculos. The first time we went to the prison almost all the prisoners raised their hands that they wanted to receive Jesus into their hearts and confess Him as their Lord. We saw a change in the men from the first time we went to the last time. They seemed full of joy and on the last day we went to the prison they were singing praise songs. Jaco is continuing to go, even though we are no longer there. Please read my teammate Amanada's blog about the prison ministry. It seemed that most the places we went people would want us to tell them about Jesus. I have never seen so many people wanting to hear about Jesus.   Everyday our team was able to touch lives and teach about the love Jesus. We were truly able to be messengers of the Word this month.

Mozambique

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We have been working in Swaziland at Remar Christian Rehabilitation Centre. It has been great loving on the kids for those two weeks. We stayed at a place called The Cowshed. It use to be a dairy farm and is now a small hostel. It was on beautiful land. Jared and I spent a lot of time helping two of the kids garden. We made flower beds, fixed ones that were already there, and pruned trees. II will try to write more about that later. We came to Nelpruit, South Africa for debrief for 5 days and are now headed to Vilanculos, Mozambique. We will be driving for about 17 hours. Please keep our travels in your prayers as well as our upcoming ministry. Internet is very slow in Africa, but I hope to write some blogs soon with pictures. I'm not sure if we will have internet yet or not. We will be tenting in Mozambique. Also, please pray for all of our health, this is a malaria area. Thank you so much for all your prayers! Jared and I know that there are people back in the states praying for us! It means so much to us!

While in Turkey

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The beginning of October we stopped in Istanbul, Turkey for about two weeks. We weren't able to fly into Turkey because of the high cost during their Holiday. We had a contact there that had us do Ethnography. Ethnography is the study of people based on their culture and lifestyle. While doing that our team went into a nearby smaller town for a few days. The ministry we were working with has a huge vision for the the area. I was glad to get to play a small part of that. They are all about learning the people and the cultures there and building relationships with the people, before ever preaching the gospel to them. Some of course receive Jesus right away, while others, they just continue building relationships with and praying for them.

We went to one of the Universities one day to spend time with people while they weren't in class. Here is a group of people that we had fun talking to on their pretty campus!

Back to Blogging!

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We have been through Turkey and Israel and now I'm back to blogging! I'm just sending out a quick email letting everyone know where we're headed. We left Israel and drove into Egypt. We stayed here last night and we are leaving today for Swazliand, Africa. I hope to get some blogs up soon with some pictures of the past two months.

October 13... Our 2 Year Anniversary

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

On October 13th Jared and I had our 2 year wedding anniversary! We got to spend it at the Dead Sea! It was so nice and relaxing. I have wanted to go to the Dead Sea since I was young, so I was so excited. It was only a 30 min bus ride from the house we were staying at. The bus ride was a bit scary. We were going down hill most of the time and taking sharp turns the whole way. They said that they don't ever use their brakes because then it would make people car sick.

The whole bottom and the Dead Sea was covered in salt. I could pick up huge chunks of salt and also small amounts of salt, like you would buy when buying bath salts. I wanted to take a lot home with me, but it would be too heavy to fit into my backpack.

Jared and I got mud and put it all over us. I had never had a mud mask all over, it was so much fun!

After we spent most of the day floating in the warm and salty water, we went to the hotel across the street and got a nice 30 min. neck and back massage before we went back home.

What an amazing day! I thank the Lord He gave us the opportunity to go there, esp since it was on our anniversary. It was a special day for me!

A Week in Jerusalem

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

One week while we were in Israel we stayed with an Orthodox Jew, David. Only part of our team was there, it was just Scott, Jared, and myself. We learned how to keep a kosher kitchen while we were there. There was a lot more into being "Kosher" than I thought. Jared and I helped him make his kitchen "easier" to be Kosher. All the silverware that was to be used for dairy we painted the tips white with finger nail polish. Then the kitchen drawer that was for dairy we put white tape around the handle. David had assigned each of us parts to read and study out of the Old Testament and then New Testament. We were to talk about them on Shabbat. Scott did Fridays diner and I did Saturdays lunch, while Jared did Saturdays diner. The majority of the time we were there was focused on Shabbat and getting ready for it. We had to make sure the house was clean, buy tons of food, some traditional and some of whatever we wanted, and we had to read and study to lead the discussion during our part of the Shabbat.

We got to go to the market in Jerusalem called the "Shuk." We had to buy a lot of food for Shabbat. They eat small meals during the week and then spend a lot of money and eat a lot during Shabbat. Jared and I had a lot of fun walking around the Shuk and seeing all the amazing foods.

Jared and I ate Falafel's almost everyday while we were there...they are so good! There are falafel stands everywhere around Israel. here's a picture of Jessica and I eating a wonderful Falafel!

We got to go into the Old City twice while we were there. One just, Scott, Jared, and I and the other time was with our whole team and another team. We got to take a tour together. Our contact Eldon, is training to be a tour guide right now, so he gave us a tour. We had a great time walking all over Jerusalem and learning so much history!

The first time we went Jared and I got a tour in Christ Church. A lady named Hadar gave us the tour. After she told us all the history behind that church and churches built in Jerusalem, we sat and talked to her for a while. She told us her testimony of when she, a Jewish girl received Yeshua, the Messiah (Jesus). It was a great! She is doing so much for God's Kingdom now!

We had a wonderful time learning while in Jerusalem, even when we weren't on a "tour" we learned so much in the Holy Land!

Where we're headed

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We are boarding a train from Romania to Istanbul, Turkey at 7 am. We will be there for ten days before going into Israel. They are in the middle of a holiday so we won't be able to enter in yet. We will have little contact with people back home for this month. These are "closed countries." Please to not comment to my blogs. I am not allowed to even be on the site for the month. I may try to send my mom some emails and she can post them on my blog for me.

Please keep us in your prayers. We are still financially behind some. Also, if anyone is interested in sending money to our main account please contact my Mom at sehansontx@yahoo.com. We are in need financially there as well. She can explain what all we have to spend our own money on as well.

Love you all and thank you so much for your support by prayers and financially!

FREEDOM and VICTORY

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Jared and I went to a conference held at our contact, Becky's church. It started Friday night and went all day Saturday and then Sunday morning. The conference was called "The Encounter: an inner healing and deliverance conference. On Friday night Pastor Ed was talking about the consequences on sin. After it was over they were praying for people, so of course, Jared and I go up for prayer!

It has been over a year since we had put our truck up for sale and we were living in debt because of the truck payments. We wanted to get prayer for the truck to be sold and live debt free. As the Pastor's wife, Pastor Cheryl, began to pray for us, I saw in the Spirit realm big green eyes looking into my eyes. The eyes were the color and texture of American money. It looked like eyes from a huge cat, the size of a lion or bigger. When Pastor Cheryl prayed over us to break the generational curse of poverty and cast the spirit of poverty out I saw it leave! It wasn't a huge cat, but a small rat. I saw it run down the aisle of the church and out the door. Then she prayed for the truck to be sold and declared it sold. While she was doing this, I pictured the truck in my mind, then it turned into the same size as the rat and drove down the aisle real fast and out the door. PRAISE GOD! We are FREE and the truck is SOLD! It was a great night of rejoicing! Afterward Becky took a few of us to McDonald's and got us some food. Even though Jared and I don't normally eat or even like McDonald's we were soo happy to be there. We had a great night of celebration! At midnight the group we were with sang Happy Birthday to Jared! Friday night we got to celebrate spiritual freedom and Jared's Birthday at McDonald's!

More Change...

Thu, 3 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Our team mate Rachel Richard is leaving the Race. Though we are sad to see here leave we are excited for what God is doing with her. While we were in Nicaragua, she grew to love the people and the ministry there. She left this morning to head back to her home in Oklahoma. She needs to go to the doctor before she goes back to Nicaragua, but will soon be back in Nicaragua. She said she will be committed to staying there through April and then she'll see what God wants her to do from there. She really has a heart for the people at La Quinta, the childrens home.

We love you Rachel and are so proud of you!

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Psalm 37:23 NLT

Financial Update

Thu, 3 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

There is a letter posted on Jared's blog that's from the both of us. So, those who don't get Jared's blog updates, I am putting a link to his blog here: A letter from Jared and I.

Change for Next Month

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We were going to be going to Ukraine next month, but the plans have changed...why? I have no idea. We will be staying in Romania. We will be seven hours away from the village where we are now though. We will head back to the Capitol, Bucharest. Our whole Squad will be together this month, all five teams. I'm not sure what we're doing, but I'm excited. I'm excited we'll be with the whole squad and I'm excited we'll be in Romania. I like it here so much!!

Debrief in Ireland

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We left Nicaragua and went to Ireland for one week for a debrief. All the teams on our squad meet together during debrief. During this time we worship, pray, and hang out together. Tom and Cindy, our coaches for the year talk to us about the past months of ministry and see how things went. We talk about what we liked, what we didn't, what we'd like them to pray about, and just spend some time with them. They are soooo sweet!

We camped out for the week right by the ocean. It was so beautiful and so cold. Camping was the only thing that would fit in our budget and I was glad. It was so much fun to camp out for the week. Ireland cost more than America.

By the campsite there is a long walk way that goes along the town and the ocean. People are walking and running all day long. I spent a few morning walking along the ocean.

It was nice to be able to spend some time with the other people on our squad. One day Luke, Jessica, Jared and I went to hang out in the city. We had a lot of fun. When we first got there we all ate together and then Jessica and I split off to have some fun together. We went shopping!!! NO..I didn't buy anything haha, but it was fun to try on the clothes. Jessica on the other hand...well I just won't say anything haha. Her clothes were cute though! Along the walkway of all the shops were people set up singing, dancing, and some just standing frozen for money.

Jessica and I went to the spot where we were going to meet the boys early. We were listening to some nice traditional music while we were waiting for them and two little girls who were walking by stopped their mother so they could show off their dance moves. They were so cute to watch. They drew a crowd. I told the mother she could set a bucket out and get money for this, she just laughed.

Jared enjoyed being able to pick wild black berries

while we were walking. It reminded him of his childhood, picking them at his grandmas. Even though the food might of cost more money there, we were still able to get some for free! God always provides! We ejoyed our time in Ireland. We then flew off to Romania. Our plane ride was a little dangerous at towards the end. We were flying through a storm. There was a lady screaming and praying really loud and doing the sign of the cross. She had some mental problems, but we could tell she was in torment. Jared and I were praying for her and everyone else on the plane. We were coming againt fear and the storm. The lady anounced on the speaker to locate our nearest exits. That brought a lot of fear to people thinking we were going to crash, but we landed and got off on the runway. We jumped into a bus that took us on up to the airport. There was about three inches of water on the runway when we got off. Everyone was clapping once we landed. O and they gave that lady a tranquilizer to calm her down and they made Jared leave. Thank you for all your prayers. We can see the fruit of them!

We will be in Romania next month as well. We were scheduled to be in Ukraine, but our plans changed. We will be in a different city though. I am excited, because I really enjoy Romania.

I Feel at Home

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Romania is beautiful! Jared and I both feel at home here. The older generation here remind us of our family. They cook the same, look the same, and grow the same types of food and flowers. The house we're staying in even smells like our families. It reminds me of my Uncle Darrel's house. We use to go to his house every year for family reunion and I enjoyed it so much. We would run all through his fields and play volleyball in the fields with the cows. We were always fed more than enough there. One of my favorite memories there was with my cousin Paul. I was really young and he took me out in the fields at night and we caught fire flies and put them in a jar. There were so many in the field that night. I remember them lighting up the field!

When I think of my Great Uncle Darrel I think of a man filled with joy. He knows how to work hard while being full of joy. Everyone that knows Uncle Darrel would say the same, he can make anyone laugh. He is a very caring man. He cared for his wife so much all the way up until she passed away earlier this year. They loved each other so much! They showed a great example of marriage. Here's a picture of my Uncle Darrel after his wife's funeral.

The older people here in the villages remind me of them. They seem to work so hard tending to their gardens and animals. The houses are filled with so much love. All the families we've spent time with seem happy to be working together.

We had a women's bible study the other night and it was filled with ladies that were in there 50's to 70's... maybe even older. One lady reminded me of my grandma, she even wore the same type of scarf. I told her that I wanted to take my picture with her because she reminded me of my grandma. She was so happy when I told her that and started kissing my face and saying something that seemed so sweet, but I didn't get it translated. Here's a picture of the Lady I met on the left and my grandma on the right.

The people that own the house/hotel that we're staying in our so sweet. They are Pastor's here in this village. I've been spending a lot of time with their daughters hanging out and praying with them. They live only four houses down, so I go over there often. They are in their mid to late 20's. We've been talking about everything from food, to how I met Jared and knew he was "the one" for me, to the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I've been having a great time in the kitchen with them! They're teaching me to make some great traditional food. Jared climbed a tree the other day and got a lot of plums for them to can and make jelly and other desserts. I will miss them when we leave.

Jared and I like to walk up the hill close to where we live. It's beautiful farm land. We listen to teachings up here or watch Sid Roth's television show It's Supernatural, eat, or just hang out. Jared and Scott played frisbee up here the other day. We are really enjoying our time here in Romania.

Nicaragua

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We arrived safely in Jinotepe, Nicaragua. We drove to El Salvador and spent the night in the capitol, San Salvador. Then another 12 + hour bus ride to Nicaragua. It wasn't a problem going through Honduras. The scenery on the road was beautiful, but b/c of the wild driving I chose to sleep through most of it. We stayed at Hotel Casa Mateo the first week that our contacts, Glenn and Lynne own. We've been staying at La Quinta Esperanza "The House of Hope." That is the children's home that Glenn and Lynne run. Here's their ministry web site: http://ministeriomateo516.org/history.html We've been going to the "Barrios" where the poor people live and playing with the kids there. Some of our team plays soccer with the older kids and the rest of us play with the hurd of smaller kids. They enjoy jumping and haning all over us. We've also done small skits and services with them. Tonight we're going to have a Talent Show at the Quinta and we've invited all the kids from the Barros to come. I'm sure many of them will come, esp. since we said there's prizes.

A way of transportation around here. No reigns either!

Some of the kids at La Quinta. Most of them can speak English, well enough to have conversations.

Here's a picture of some of the young kids at another childrens home we drive to a few times a week.

Check out Dan and Becky's blog about the Quinta.

Here's two videos. One video Dan and Becky made and the other Amanda made. If the videos don't work on my page you can click HERE for Dan and Becky's video and HERE for the one Amanda did.

Our Time in Puerto Barrios

Wed, 1 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Kelly Kramp and I had gone to Maxi Bodega (aka Wal Mart) to get supplies that morning and also to Pollo Campero (fast food chicken restaurant with internet) to get the lesson and activities ready. My mom and her friend at work helped us out on finding the song Zacchaeus was a Wee Little Man in Spanish. The kids were excited to see us return to the orphanage. Today was our first day of VBS (Vacation Bible School). They came running down the steps of the unkept orphanage hugging us so tightly while a few of the shyer ones smiled at a distance. We all gathered on cement basketball court/ soccer field. The kids of all various ages sat down ready for what we had. Kelly did a great job of telling the story in Spanish and using the kids to act it out. We also had a short cartoon in Spanish about Zacchaeus that we watched off of my laptop followed by a few songs. We had made bookmarks for the kids with Jeremiah 29:13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. They had fun coloring the words. While some kids colored, others played soccer, and most of the girls let us paint their finger nails. They enjoyed getting their nails painted. Their faces lit up while they were getting painted. They felt just as pretty as they are. They all wanted their picture taken once their nails were painted.

Here are some other random things we did while in Puerto Barrios:

-Went to the trash dump, gave out food and scripture. Some people went back to give more food and minister. It was really sad to see the way they lived.

-We spent some time with Pastor Willy, the pastor of El Cavario in Santa Thomas. He even asked Jared and me to go to the church early one night to pray with him before the service. Jared got to spend some good time talking to him. A man from their church asked if Jared was a Pastor. He had a good word for us and so did Pastor Willy a week before.

-Jared & I went the dentist and got cavities filled; afterward the dentist and Freddie took us to get a coconut to drink and to get a piata for Rachel's b-day. We went back to the dentist a few times to say hello and to take Marissa to get her teeth worked on. The dentist wife took me on her bike to the laundry mat.

-Rachel Richard and Scott Sexton had a birthday so we had two b-day parties. We had a lot of fun and spent a lot of time hitting the pinata. We had a lot of kids that came up and took turns as well. Here's a picture of the food I got at Scott's B-day dinner.

-Two guys, Josiah and Ryan have spent a couple weeks with us.

They are from South Carolina and are spending their summer in Central America. They are walking and only have their backpack... no money, just faith. Jared got to spend a lot of time with Josiah. Look, they even have matching shoes haha. Our team will def miss them. Their flights leave out of Honduras. Please pray that they will make it back into Honduras safely. Their passports are being kept safe with some friends in Honduras, so we are praying they can make it back into the country w/o them. It's another story of how they even got into Guatemala. They are with us right now in Antigua.

-Jared and I spent a lot of time with a tourist named Freddie. We met him at the dentist office. He's friends with the dentist and he came in to interpret for us. He was so nice and took us all over on his motor cycle. We all three squeezed on his two seat bike, nothing unusual around there though. He also took several people to the doctor, including Jared. One night he interpreted a service that we did, asking for nothing in return. Jared, Josiah, and I went to church service with Freddie and his family the last Sunday we were there. It was so amazing. The music was good and loud and a lot of the people were dancing around.

-I got to spend some time with a lady named Natalie that we ran into on the streets, who happened to know English. I was able to hear her amazing story and pray with her.

-We left Puerto Barrios June 29 at 2 am and took a bus to Guatemala City, arriving around 7 or 8 am. We met with the rest of the I Squad at a seminary and spent the night there. It was really nice being back with everyone. Because of the problems going on in Honduras we're not able to travel through to Nicaragua. We are now in Antigua, arriving July 2. The weather is much cooler here than in Puerto Barrios... PRAISE GOD! We will get to hang out with the October Squad who is now on their 10^th

month. They are here for debrief, meaning we'll also get to spend time with some of the World Race leaders.

We will be here around a week as they decide on the safest way to get us into Nicaragua, prob by plan or boat so we don't have to go through Honduras.

Thanks for all your prayers. As many of you know, many people have been sick. Everyone is doing MUCH better now. Also, if you have a facebook and we're not friend on their yet ask to be mine. I am always posting a few sentences of what we're doing.

On The Streets of Guatemala

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Guatemala is extremely beautiful; there are mountains, trees, water and little Guatemalans everywhere! We spent the first week (for our last training period) in Panajachel. It's a busy tourist spot. Most of the tourist that come here are hippies. The Guatemalans line the main street with baskets or small stands ready to sell their handmade crafts. There's so much bartering for every item there, even the food. Our team would get excited, thinking that we made a good deal only to realize we were still over priced on many things. Though many of the people there are Christians there is much oppression. There were so many demonic wooden carvings in many of the stands. There are a lot of drugs in Guatemala. They would even sell tools to use the drugs on the streets. We were continually praying in the Spirit and in our understanding.
The kids were so sweet. There were a few of the kids that would follow us around everywhere, while we were grocery shopping, just walking around, or even while we were in a teaching session. Sometimes they would come in and sit while we had our session and sometimes they would sit by the glass door looking in and giggling, and one boy,Jose, would give an occasional spider man reenactment as if he was shooting his spider web.
Some of the little boys that would shine shoes for money would follow us around and lick their finger and put it on their eye pretending they were crying saying "we so poor, so poor." We would just laugh and play with them, always making sure they had more than enough food.
The Guatemalans are so little. There were two ladies that I would always stop to talk to (the best I could) and pray for. I would say loud in the street "does anyone know both Spanish and English" and someone would always come happily to practice their English.

One was a 20 year old who would always have her baby in a sling behind her back. The second time I saw her she got angry with me for not giving her money and as I was walking with the rest of the group she ran up behind me and punched me hard in my rear end haha. I was shocked as I turned around to see that it was the little lady that I had been talking with and she followed us for a while speaking harshly in her language at me. It was funny, kind of scary/weird at the time though. A few days later she asked me to pray for her after she saw me pray for another lady!

The other lady I prayed for was an older woman on the streets selling hand made bracelets, scarves, ect. I believe she said she was 77 years old. She had a pin on her shirt of a crucifix. I asked her if Jesus was in her heart and she said yes. It was so amazing how I was able to talk to her. I first did my usual (does anyone here speak both Spanish and English) and a young Christian man selling in a booth close by came to me. We realized that the old lady didn't speak much Spanish either. She spoke a native tongue. All the sudden the lady who had hit me a few days before began interpreting this native tongue. So through the two people I was able to talk to the older lady and ask her if I could pray for her. Becky and I laid hands on her and began to pray as tears filled her eyes. We spoke life into her body, soul, and spirit. After we prayed she was so happy that she leaned in and gave us both a kiss. It was so sweet as my cheek was sucked in, only held out by her one tooth. The next day as we were walking the streets she saw me again. She was sitting on a curb selling items out of her basket and she motioned me towards her. She quickly grabbed me, hugged me and gave me another kiss. Before I left, she grabbed my hand and placed one of the bracelets on my arm that she made. I began to tell her that I didn't want to buy one thinking she was selling it, but she let me know she was just wanting to give it to me. WOW! That really spoke to my heart. The only thing I think she knew in English that she would keep telling me was "I'm so poor, so poor." Knowing she had near nothing she still gave me something. That showed so much love to me.

Our time there was great. We were able to relax some, get good teaching, and worship together with our whole squad.

After that week was over we drove to Purto Barrios with team Neon. We have been doing various forms of ministry. We have worked on a house for a family, building them a fence and putting a water tank up and a gutter to catch the rainfall to fill the tank. Jared was amazing at the gutter by the way. They build their gutters with PVC pipe... (I'll try to get pics up of it). We have also played with kids at an orphanage and tonight we're going to love on the prostitutes. They made cookies to give them and we've also bought flowers. We're going to tie with ribbon some scriptures for them. I'm excited to see what scriptures the team used and how they look. I've been doing our teams laundry today and I haven't seen them yet. I know they'll be great though!

I'm going to add some pictures, so go check them out!

Great Time in Boston

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We had a great time in Boston! We stayed with Hannah Olsen who is also on the World Race with us and her mom. They were such great host! We got everything we needed to get done there, plus had a great time of walking around the town. We ate breakfast with Hannah's friends one morning in a cute little restaurant and got to see the ocean at the "Fisher's Memorial."

We picked up two other World Racers while we were there, Leigh and Erin. We had a great time spending the day with them walking the streets and riding the trains.

We went to a Burger place for our last dinner in America. We met a man on the train and he gave us 20% off coupons to eat at the burger place he worked at. Boy, was it good! I was so thankful, because I had told our friends that I was craving a burger for dinner. The man also offered to buy our drinks! I was so excited to get one last sweet tea in before I left, but I don't quiet think (most) the people in Boston understand "sweet tea." After explaining what I wanted he took off to the convenient store that was next door and bought a bottle of Nestea and poured it over a glass of ice. Not exactly what I was wanting haha.

They had different kinds of burgers all named after a certain region. I got the plain American burger. When they brought it out it had a toothpick in it with an American flag. I was so excited to have that to take with me to remember America for the next year. I also asked for a Texas flag... since they had the Texas Burger, a way to remember home for the next year!

Boston was definitely WAY different than Texas. Tons of fun, tons of history, tons of people, tons of beauty, but not home. Great place for a vacation though!

We got to the airport on the 30th around 9pm. We met with some of our team and waited for the other to fly in. I think I was the first to go to sleep in the airport. I pulled out my sleeping pad and bag under the escalator and went right to sleep! Our flight left at 7am on the 31st. We made one last stop in TEXAS at the Houston airport and then we flew off to Guatemala City and drove another 3 hrs on the crazy streets to our hotel.

I had to write this blog fast, b/c I don't have much battery time left on my lap top. I'll get another blog up soon about Guatemala. We are leaving the place we're at on Saturday to go somewhere on the Coast. A man has a radio station and we'll be helping him with whatever he needs. I heard it will be evangelizing and some minor construction (prob) things can also change here on the race! Thanks for all your prayers. Please pray that we find a good way to get to this other city on the coast and that we get there safely. Guatemala has some crazy drivers :)

Love ya'll

Support Update!

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Thank you everyone who has been praying for us and supporting us financially!

Jared and I need a total of $27,600 for our trip. Currently we have a total of $8,695.00 in our account.
PRAISE GOD!

We still need $18,365.00 in our account to reach our total goal for the entire trip.

$27,600.00 Total Trip Cost

-$ 8,695.00 Current AIM Account Balance

$18,365.00 Needed to Cover Total Cost of Trip

Our current needs for the trip:

We are scheduled to leave on our trip June 1, 2009. We have a May 15 deadline for 60% of the total funds to be in the AIM account. 60% of $27.600.00 = $16,560.00
Minus what we already have, we still need $7,865.00 to reach the May 15th goal. If you would like to contribute, you may do so by clicking the link to the left "Support Me" or contacting Jared or me directly. We would appreciate your prayers as we continue to have faith that this money will be provided.

More Blessings:

Also, thank you to everyone who have given directly to Jared and me for supplies, shots, insurance, ect. My backpack was bought for me by some dear friends and I like it sooo much!!! Here's a picture of me with my backpack on right before we left for training camp. Wow, it was so heavy and that was only for 10 days.

There is a shoe, a sandal rather, that the World Racers highly recommend. I'm proud to show you a picture of my new Chaco Sandals! I thought they were so ugly at first, but they grew on me. They're so comfortable, durable, and... they make me feel more like a World Racer! )

Training Camp... Part 2

Wed, 8 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Meet my new team, Agape8! They're amazing!

Scott (the tall one) on top, then Jared and Dan (the two married men), Amy (me) and Beckey (the two wives), Amanda (the 7th grade Social Studies teacher), Rachel (works in the family business some...they have the finest of meats), and Patricia (another teacher and she's also an amazing singer).

In this picture we were bowling. Once they told everyone who was teamed up with who they told us to go out and make a memory with our team. So...we went bowling and ate at some chicken place.

Our team name is Agape8. Christ love is what is compelling us to go around the world sharing that love and telling them about Jesus! Someone even said that the theme for the WR June '09 Squad was LOVE! And well, there's 8 of us on our team and that's where we get the 8 at the end of Agape. Christ love is compelling all 8 of us to do this and to also grow together as a community, a family, well...just being the church!

They are amazing and they are my family! I'm looking forward to spending the ups and the downs with them this coming year!

Training Camp...Part 1

Thu, 2 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Healing, deliverance, and restoration.

Those are the three words I use to describe training camp. It's been so amazing to see people open and receive things they've never been taught before and let go of things they've been holding for way too long....knowingly and unknowingly.

Oh what sweet peace and joy that soon filled the room after the healing and restoration had come. Tears of sadness, shame, and hurting soon turned into tears of joy, righteousness, and for some for the first time knowing they're loved and called the sons and daughters of the Most High!

The teachers and staff are AMAZING here! They are not afraid to speak the truth, but when they do, they do it in sooo much LOVE!

It's so amazing seeing people from all backgrounds and denominations coming together in unity. And for my brothers and sisters on the June '09 team, well words can't describe how incredible they are. I love them all!

Jared and I had a prolonged time getting to camp b/c of flight problems so we got there the next afternoon. O and by the way, we got to stay in amazing hotel/resort/or something of the sort! It was even nicer than all the resorts in Cancun that we saw on our honeymoon. I had no idea this area was even in Dallas. PRAISE GOD! We were able to be there for four hours until we had to catch a bus back to the airport. We slept deep there!

When we arrived at training camp and they were in the middle of a teaching session. We grabbed some food they saved for us (thank you AIM staff) and snuck in to eat and listen. When we walked through those doors I felt such a strong presence of God's love and family. What a sweet family I have and I've fallen even more in love with them this past week. They are filled with the Spirit of the living God and it radiates from them!

The girls are amazing here! We've been able to minister to one another and speak life and blessing over each other. This is one thing that AIM leadership asked us to do each evening on the World Race to end the day. It's so encouraging! As for the guys, the are so great! They are a picture of what men of God should look like. Thanks guys!!!

God is so good! I've never connected with people this fast before. Now that the restoration has come we will be able to minister more effectively and I know God will bring more restoration and unity to us throughout the year. I'm ready for the next two months to fly by so I can be back with my World Race Family being the church together around the world!

Ok...so I'll be home late Sunday night from training camp. It's been amazing and I def have more blogs just about what all God did at training camp in more detail.

Off to Training Camp we go....

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to let everyone know that we're going to training camp today (March 27)!!! We leave Midland at 9:55 am and we will return next Sunday April 5. Jared's in the bedroom right now packing and me, well I'm taking a break! It's hard to pack for 10 days in only a backpack....and I'm going to have to do it for 11 months ahhh. We'll be in Gainesville, GA for training and it's suppose to be raining a lot and highs only in the 60's. We are sooo excited to be there and meet everyone! A lot of the girls who are going have been talking on facebook a lot, so it's been nice to get to know them a little before training camp. This week all we've (the girls) been talking about is how are we going to pack using only a backpack and what are we going to pack. It will be fun seeing what all "stuff" we didn't even need.

Right now it's 4:30 am...(I know Mom, don't even say anything, I'll sleep on the way)! I'm so tired I'm not even thinking straight right now, much less writing correct senteces or even making any sense.

I'm watching a moth walk around on the computer screen and it keeps distracting me from getting this blog sent out :) I'm also listening to Jared behind me as he's getting all his meds...you know, his probiotics, vitamin, fish oil...who knows what else, prob some stuff for me to take as well.

I better get off and finish so I can get a little bit of sleep, but I just wanted to fill everyone in on what we're doing!

Hope you all have a good time, until we chat again!

Much LOVE to you all!

WR Route Change

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Ok... So when we first found out our race route to be honest I was a little disappointed. I was excited about some of the places we were going, esp. Mozambique (I've been wanting to go there for a few years now) but, I had a huge desire to go to Thailand and work with getting the girls out of the sex trade, to speak life to them, to let them know their true value, to tell them about their Creator and the love He has for them. It's been on my heart more and more and the I'm constantly reading blogs of people who have been there and who are there right now. I'm talking to everyone I run into about those girls and also about human trafficking.

I knew that God was going to take me there, but I just didn't know when. I'm constantly praying and crying out for them.

I saw that the July WR team was going to be going to Thailand and also to Israel, which Jared and I have both been wanting to go to. When Jared and I were praying about which month we should apply for we were deciding between June and July. When I saw that the July race route was going to both of those places I thought, had I missed it God, were we suppose to go on that team esp. since the girls in Thailand are on my heart all the time? God do I need to see if we can change months, or am I just being selfish, wanting to go where I "want" to go? I talked to Jared about it some and I prayed about it. I felt that we were suppose to stay and just trust God. I just put it all in God's hands, but I was still praying for the Thai girls.

Well...I just found out that we had a change in our race route. I was shocked! We are now going to both Israel and Thailand. I was sooo excited! I could hardly believe it. God is sooo good. God has put those girls on my heart for a reason, He is already preparing me to minister to them, I am already praying and speaking the Word over them!

A lovely lady named Peaches once told me that she knew God was going to take me to Israel one day. I never had a huge desire to go there until she told me that. I knew it was true once she spoke it out, a few years later... I'm getting to go. PRAISE GOD!

God is sooo good, sooo faithful, and He knows the end from the beginning!

Here's our new RACE ROUTE:

Guatemala. The nation of Guatemala is a region known for its spectacular beauty, volcanic ranges, rich cultural heritage and Mayan roots. Temple ruins from the past speckle the landscape and stand as tributes to the historical significance of the country's spiritual history. Guatemalans are people of art and expression; yet, very few see the beauty around them as evidence of a divine Creator.

Nicaragua

The nation of Nicaragua has been heralded as one of the poorest regions in the Western Hemisphere. Homelessness, slums, addictions, destitution, poverty and a severe lack of medical, educational and spiritual resources make Nicaragua a challenging environment to communicate hope. Yet, God's love is reaching the far corners of the country in miraculous ways.

Romania

The northern regions of Romania are home to the gypsy people of Romania. Strangers in their homeland, they are segregated, ostracized and forgotten. Yet, they are a strong, proud and vibrant people who are beginning to embrace the light of Christ in a whole new way. Teaching English, leading sports camps, and planting churches are but a few of the tasks set before us as we enter this area of the world.

Ukraine
The developing country of the Ukraine stands caught between its past oppression under the U.S.S.R. communist regime and the desire to be accepted into the Western world. The forgotten and marginalized of this area are quick to be found if one looks close enough. Come be a part of a revolution, taking back a region from the bondage of Islam and other folk religions. It's a new day for the countries of Eastern Europe!

Israel

Israel is the epicenter for pilgrimages worldwide. The Holy Land attracts Jews, Arabs and Christians alike to be a part of a location so rich in our combined religious roots. Serve in this new World Race location while walking the paths that Christ Jesus once did.

Mozambique/Malawi

Enter a world of lions, elephants and monkeys, and welcome to Africa. Potentially the most fruitful of mission fields, northern Mozambique and Malawi is seeing sweeping revival in the form of mass conversions, miracles, and churches planted on a daily basis. Teams will be a part of breaking the hold of fear on the people bound by witch doctors and animism.

Swaziland

Swaziland made history by being the first country to reach a 51% HIV/AIDS infection rate across the general population. Through lack of education, superstition and other such deceptions, it is speculated that in 50 years, the country will no longer exist. Though small, Swaziland has great potential to spread the light of Christ to all of Africa.

Malaysia/Indonesia
Enter a world entrenched in Islam. A people with the thriving metropolis of Kuala Lampur, Malaysians still live in ignorance of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Delve into this culture of works-based religion, strong self-discipline, and uncanny faith, while delivering hope and pointing the people to their Redeemer.

The 17,508 islands that make up the nation of Indonesia are as diverse as their population. Certain areas are completely untouched by outside influences; others carry the exposure, even if only for a moment, of the Gospel story. Be prepared to explore uncharted territories and forgotten areas to further the cause of the kingdom of God.

Philippines
The Philippines exists as an Asian nation marked by notable Spanish influences. The Catholic church and the Spanish derivative of Tagalog (the national language) display a developed and developing front. Yet, the Filipino people are in need of truth to combat their folk religions and deceptive fronts, allowing them to understand God's greater purposes for their lives. They are a strong, beautiful people found in a marvel of God's creation that includes volcanic lakes, island beaches, beautiful mountains, etc.

Thailand
Even though the official law states that prostitution is illegal, it is estimated that nearly 2 million women and men engage in this practice daily thus creating the lucrative sex industry of Southeast Asia. In addition to reaching out to the rural communities of Thailand, we go to the streets, into the darkest of spiritual environments to share what is most needed: hope. By helping women learn practical vocational skills and providing an alternative form of income, the face of Thailand's premiere sex industry is being changed one life at a time.

Christmas/New Years Plans...

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I'm sooo exicted about this Christmas! I'm going to fill you in on our Plans for Christmas and New Years. I will try to post another blog with more details & pictures. First....We're (my mom, Jared, and I) going to Ronnie's (my dad-in-law) on the 24th (Christmas Eve) and eating lunch there in Blanco, TX. After we spend time there for a few hours we're going to my mom-in-law's house in another small coutry town, Hallettsville, TX. I'm so excited we're going to be able to spend time with ALL (trust me, it's big) of Jared's side of the family. They're all amazing and I love them so much! I love how they have such a big family. I grew up in a small family, but I love being around a lot of people! Then, on the 26th we're going to my sister's and her family in Tyler, TX! Woo hoo! This is the first time Jared and I will be going to my sister's together! I'm so excited to see them all. I miss them O so much!

Ok, there's more. My mom's staying at my sister's for the week and Jared and I are getting up really and are headed to Kansas City, MO. We're going to the One Thing Conferece with IHOP (International House of Prayer) It's going to be amazing..check out more about it at www.ihop.org. I went w/my friend Cari two years ago and it was that most amazing conference I've ever been too, really! Jared and I will be staying w/ a really sweet family that I met online 2 years ago (that's who Cari & I stayed with) through www.couchsurfing.com. It's a great way to find a free place to stay! I'm sooo thankful that we're able to stay with them this year as well, they are so welcoming! Jessica Phillip from the World Race is going to try to come to the One Thing Conferense as well (at least part of It). I am sooooo sooo so excited about that! I really want to meet her as well as the rest of our team. I think it would be way cool to meet some of our WR family before training camp! After we bring in the New Year at the Conference we're going to stay with Rachel Richard from the WR in Tulsa. I'm soo pumped about getting to meet & stay with her! Ok...and finally, we're getting to stay at my cousins! They are Pastors of a church and we're really excited to spend time & go to church with them. Then we'll be making our way back home to Midland, TX! We'll be driving over 2100. I'll try and be good about taking pics so I can post them for you all to see! Please pray for our travels & for us to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in all that we do while we're gone!

Our One Year Anniversary

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Our One Year Anniversary

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give me the desires of my heart.

Psalm 37:4

I know this verse to be true time and time again. I am so in awe of how great our Abba Father is!

October 13, 2008 marked the day of our one year anniversary. Jared knew this day meant a lot to me and that I was wanting to do something special. I was blown away by how special he made it for me!

I wasn't thinking we were going to be able to do much of anything. I thought about what I would like to do, but at the same time I was looking at our checking account. Silly me to be limiting our amazing Father. God knew the desires of my heart before I even told Him.

So here's what happened:

We got to go exactly where I was wanting to go, Ruidoso, NM! We stayed at a nice, huge house in a really nice neighborhood. An amazing family from my mom's church was letting us stay there, however long we wanted, for a really cheap amount (only the clean up fee). I was so excited and so thankful, knowing that was God who did that. Wait, it gets better. Once we got there we noticed the cleaning lady hadn't come from the last people that stayed there, seeing the sheets taken off the bed and their check still there. We called the family who owned the house, not knowing what to do and guess what...we got to stay there for FREE (I think 3 nights)!! Wow, God had really blown me away.

I had packed a lot of food so we wouldn't have to eat out all the time, then Jared surprised me. A dear friend of Jared's gave him $100.00 for us to go out to eat at a nice resturaunt. At this point, I could of cried... me not cooking, oh so heavenly! Everything was going beyond what I had asked for. I didn't pack anything real nice to wear, thinking we wouldn't eat at a nice place, so I got to go out and buy a new shirt for dinner!

I had a blast!! We got to go shopping and hiking! Everything I wanted to do and more (I actually got to buy something instead of just look haha). Jared found a GREAT deal on a backpack for the World Race that was 1/2 off. PRAISE GOD! It was incredible!

On the day we were leaving we were going to take hike for about an hour and it ended up taking six hours. That's a whole story in itself. It was fun though!

We took our trip the week before our actual aniversary date. I thought we wouldn't do anything execpt maybe eat out on the real date b/c we already had a great time! But no, Jared went far above and beyond what I would of ever thought!

You know that dear friend of Jared's I was talking about earlier that gaves us $100.00 to eat, well he was so sweet to the both of us. He owns a cute local Italian restuant, that just happens to be my favorite resturaunt. He let us eat there for FREE! Not only that, when we got there, they took us to our table pulled out our chairs for us. I have NEVER felt so special as I'm looking at our table with a huge vase of roses sitting there! God was showing me how special of a daughter I was to Him. I really felt like a Princess! I looked at the roses in awe and shock knowing that Jared didn't get those for me b/c he already got me some pretty purple (my fav color) flowers that day. That's right, I got two bouquets of flowers that night! Jared also got me a cute jacket I had been wanting. Jared and I were both treated royally that night! We got to eat whatever we wanted and they even brought us a "special" dessert out!

God truly does know the desires of our heart and He loves to treat us royally!

Praise our Abba Father!

Purchase with a Purpose, Christmas Ideas

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This blog is from another missionary with AIM, Ericka Bennett. There are some great gift ideas for family and friends to help support orphans & women who have gotten out of the sex trade. There's another organization that sells fair trade coffee and mugs, that supports orphans called Saints Coffee. Saints Coffee even has gift packages!

As you're Christmas shopping, why not buy something that makes a real difference in the world? Check out these three options that take your buying power up from more than just getting a great product. With each purchase you bring hope to orphans, widows, and women being rescued from the sex trade. You're also impacting their families and their communities! Who knew a t-shirt, scarf, or purse could have that much power?

The Sound of Hope - click here to buy a T-shirt!

www.thesoundofhope.org

The proceeds from just one t-shirt is enough to feed an orphan in Swaziland one meal a day for over a month! The Sound of Hope is a music-driven campaign that raises money and awareness for orphans in Swaziland, Kenya, and India. Find out more by finding our fan page and group on Facebook, or add us as a friend on myspace!

Corridor of Hope - click here to buy handmade jewelry and beautiful silk scarves from Thailand and India!

www.corridorofhope.org

At Corridor Of Hope we are devoted to connecting orphans, poverty stricken communities and YOU. We are the corridor, a passageway to help people who can't help themselves. We help bring them hope by bringing you quality and affordable products from these countries. In turn, Corridor Of Hope will donate these resources back into their communities by supporting orphans, thereby empowering YOU to help in a multifaceted way. We will bring you updates and newsletters regarding the orphans and how your purchase made a difference in their lives.

Timbali Crafts - click here to buy a handmade African purse from Swaziland!

www.timbalicrafts.org

TIMBALI CRAFTS are created by women who work as volunteer cooks at feeding centers for orphans in Swaziland, Africa, where over 40% of the population is HIV positive.

Many of the women have been widowed or abandoned, are single mothers, or grandmothers raising grandchildren that have been orphaned. Craft sales help provide an income for these hard working women and their families who would otherwise have little or none.

RACE ROUTE!

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Hey Everyone! Here is the race route!!!
I'm so excited that I have an idea now of where I'll be going.

Guatemala

The nation of Guatemala is a region known for its spectacular beauty, volcanic ranges, rich cultural heritage and Mayan roots. Temple ruins from the past speckle the landscape and stand as tributes to the historical significance of the country's spiritual history. Guatemalans are people of art and expression; yet, very few see the beauty around them as evidence of a divine Creator.

Nicaragua

The nation of Nicaragua has been heralded as one of the poorest regions in the Western Hemisphere. Homelessness, slums, addictions, destitution, poverty and a severe lack of medical, educational and spiritual resources make Nicaragua a challenging environment to communicate hope. Yet, God's love is reaching the far corners of the country in miraculous ways.

Romania

The northern regions of Romania are home to the gypsy people of Romania. Strangers in their homeland, they are segregated, ostracized and forgotten. Yet, they are a strong, proud and vibrant people who are beginning to embrace the light of Christ in a whole new way. Teaching English, leading sports camps, and planting churches are but a few of the tasks set before us as we enter this area of the world.

Ukraine

The developing country of the Ukraine stands caught between its past oppression under the U.S.S.R. communist regime and the desire to be accepted into the Western world. The forgotten and marginalized of this area are quick to be found if one looks close enough. Come be a part of a revolution, taking back a region from the bondage of Islam and other folk religions. It's a new day for the countries of Eastern Europe!

PIONEER EASTERN EUROPE

Twice during your World Race, your team will take a month to "Ask the Lord" for a new mission field. He may lead you to a location developing, growing and booming or He may lead you to a land untouched by the World Race or even Christianity as a whole. It will be a time to listen to the voice of the Lord and, with true abandon, follow Him into the wild blue yonder.

Mozambique/Malawi

Enter a world of lions, elephants and monkeys, and welcome to Africa. Potentially the most fruitful of mission fields, northern Mozambique and Malawi is seeing sweeping revival in the form of mass conversions, miracles, and churches planted on a daily basis. Teams will be a part of breaking the hold of fear on the people bound by witch doctors and animism.

Swaziland

Swaziland made history by being the first country to reach a 51% HIV/AIDS infection rate across the general population. Through lack of education, superstition and other such deceptions, it is speculated that in 50 years, the country will no longer exist. Though small, Swaziland has great potential to spread the light of Christ to all of Africa.

PIONEER AFRICA

Twice during your World Race, your team will take a month Ask the Lord for a new mission field. He may lead you to a location developing, growing and booming or He may lead you to a land untouched by the World Race or even Christianity as a whole. It will be a time to listen to the voice of the Lord and, with true abandon, follow Him into the wild blue yonder.

Malaysia

Enter a world entrenched in Islam. A people with the thriving metropolis of Kuala Lampur, Malaysians still live in ignorance of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Delve into this culture of works-based religion, strong self-discipline, and uncanny faith, while delivering hope and pointing the people to their Redeemer.

Indonesia

The 17,508 islands that make up the nation of Indonesia are as diverse as their population. Certain areas are completely untouched by outside influences; others carry the exposure, even if only for a moment, of the Gospel story. Be prepared to explore uncharted territories and forgotten areas to further the cause of the kingdom of God.

Philippines

The Philippines exists as an Asian nation marked by notable Spanish influences. The Catholic church and the Spanish derivative of Tagalog (the national language) display a developed and developing front. Yet, the Filipino people are in need of truth to combat their folk religions and deceptive fronts, allowing them to understand God's greater purposes for their lives. They are a strong, beautiful people found in a marvel of God's creation that includes volcanic lakes, island beaches, beautiful mountains, etc.

*Race route subject to change.

Get to Know One of My Team Members

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Let me introduce you to one of my teammates...

I am so excited to introduce you to my teammate: Kate DiLeo.
Click on her name to go to her blog page and read about her.
We have been emailing each other some and she is so amazing!
I'm really looking forward to meeting her in person at training camp.
We have so much in common!