As the halfway point of the Race approaches in just three days, I have found myself really reflecting all that I have experienced and all that God has taken me through in these 5 and half months.
In India, I struggled with homesickness and intense culture shock. I wondered what the heck I had gotten myself into and why I would choose to put myself through the hardest thing I have ever done. Why would I put myself through this torture, was the question I was always asking.
In those moments of intense sadness and an aching for home, familiarity and comforts like I had never experienced before, God was spilling out His grace still. I saw his promise in Matthew 29:11 fulfilled. “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life”. I was blessed with an absolutely amazing ministry contact and family that took us in as family and called me “sister”.
Ministry was intense, but so fruitful. We would pray for people in villages and saw countless people come to Christ, as well as healings that showed all of us just how amazing and huge our God is!
In Nepal, God poured out blessing upon blessing. I had never felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be more in my life. I was able to do what I love so much (teaching) and love on people who had been victims of the heinous crime of sex trafficking. I fell in love with the organization we were a part of and pray that God calls me back there some day.
Every morning in Nepal, I woke up to the most beautiful mountains I have ever seen and was reminded of God’s majesty. I got to hug precious children that stole my heart with each passing day. Our nights were full of dance parties and laughter that I will treasure for all of my days.
In Thailand, the epic missing bag adventure started my month off on a crazy foot. I am so blessed now, looking back, to have a tangible testimony of God’s faithfulness. He showed me how beautiful surrender is and how fleeting the things of this world are.
I started to feel the weight of brokenness this month and seeing how my identity had not been placed in Jesus and the wounds that have taken claim in my heart because of it. It was hard to look at the brokenness every day, but I knew God was tearing away the walls and lies I’ve believed for a long time and allowing His love to break through in ways I had never allowed before.
I was also so blessed that God confirmed over and over this month that He has called me to be a teacher. It was crazy to see that the little girl who came home from Kindergarten and started “teaching” her stuffed animals had pegged exactly what she was created to be. Teaching brings me such joy and God has only grown the passion I have for it throughout the Race.
In Malaysia, I was on a new team that I felt like I could fully be myself on. I was able to be honest and vulnerable with them like I had never really experienced in community before. I struggled with believing lies that my faith was not good enough and I was not a strong enough Christian to be on this team. God was beautiful in His revelation that my relationship with Him is valid simply because He is. He revealed that all that matters is my seeking after Him and it may not look like anyone else on my team or squad, and that is beautiful. That is exactly how He created me and I am a part of the body of Christ that He created for a unique purpose. He doesn’t want a second Aubree, Shelley, Courtney, Sam, Andrew, or Grayson, He wants Ally Blackwell.
I was again able to teach English again and able to shine the love Christ in an area where we weren’t even allowed to speak His name. This brought about many challenges and doubts that we weren’t really doing much good, but we were continually reminded of the light of Christ within us and the fact that it dispels all darkness.
In Cambodia, I was able to see how ministry is life. We didn’t have much designated “ministry time” and that frustrated me at first. I was wondering why were struggling the heat and rough living conditions for what seemed like little to no ministry opportunities.
Instead, I was blessed to invest in guys around my age who had just accepted Christ 1-3 months previously. I loved laughing with them and encouraging them and showing them that a life following Jesus is worth it all.
This turned out to be one of my favorite months so far on the Race. We were put in so many random and hilarious situations that all you can do is laugh at the ridiculousness that is life on the World Race. We saw that even though we did not have very many comforts from home, we were richly blessed with beautiful community that took us in as family.
This month in Vietnam has been wonderful! We live in Ho Chi Minh city and our ministry is really based around forming relationships with people here that will lead us to sharing Jesus with them. The people here are so friendly and eager to talk to us because they want to practice their English. We have also been blessed with extremely random “we live the most ridiculously amazing lives” moments. We have already been able to share so much joy and love to people that are desperately seeking the truth of Jesus Christ.
I have been blessed with tons of time to be able to sit in coffee shops (my absolute favorite place to be anywhere in the world) and spend time alone. I have been able to pause and rest and process in ways I haven’t been able to so far on the Race. It’s been beautiful and much needed in this timing in the Race.
This is just a tiny glimpse of all that this first half of the Race has held and I could never have experienced this without each and every one of you who have prayed, encouraged and supported me financially. Because of your obedience to fulfilling the Great Commission, I have been able to the hands of feet of Jesus in 6 nations that desperately need the hope of Christ.
To be able to finish the World Race and continue to the nations of Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Latvia, and Estonia, I need your help now more than ever. I have more than $1,700 to raise before January 1st. That is 19 days from today. This is a big number, but God has been faithful to use all of you to meet every single deadline before and I know He is faithful to allow me to be fully funded.
I am asking you to please pray about being a part of the miracle of allowing me to finish the World Race. I simply can not do it without you. Every little bit adds up to allow for me to be closer and closer to my deadline. Simple things like forgoing one meal this week at a restaurant and donating what you would have normally spent for dinner can allow for the Kingdom of Christ to be spread in the nations like never before.
“The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work” 2 Corinthians 9:6-8
To give, you simply click the Support Me! link on the left side of the screen to donate online. It is quick and easy! This is also a great way to get a last minute tax deduction before the end of the year!
THANK YOU for being a part of this journey with me! I am so humbled and blessed to have a community that is passionate about the glory of Christ in the world! You have blessed me more thank you know!
