Panama
Our home for the month of September was in a little town called Las Lajas, Panama. We joined alongside a missionary couple, Danny and Heather, to serve families in the Comarca- regions in the mountains that are home to the indigenous people of Panama. Heather is specifically working to bring awareness and understanding as well as developing and preparing the next generation for the deaf community. We spent the month doing manual labor, English and Sign language classes, and street ministry (specifically with empanadas).
Highlight of the month: Day one of ministry, I was able to teach a man in the Comarca physical therapy. This was only the beginning of my awareness of the lack of access to physical therapy around the world.
Costa Rica
My hammock was my home for the month of October. My entire squad worked and lived together in one of the most dangerous slums in Central America, Los Guido- right outside San Jose. We worked with the Christian Light Foundation, which runs a feeding center in the middle of this slum region. They are truly a light in the darkness. The kids come and have a warm meal for lunch 6 days a week as well as play games while escaping their dreadful realities of abuse. My team spent the month building relationships with the community and helping with maintenance around the center.
Highlight of the month: One specific highlight was one morning I spent on the beach. I had been wanting to water-paint on the beach, but decided against it last minute. I wasn’t sure how I would have water unless I sat in the ocean. As soon as I arrived to my favorite location, there sat three beautifully broken pieces of a coconut, filled with rain water from the storm the night before. You better believe I spent the next few hours painting and worshiping on the beach. I could look at that situation as a coincidence, or I could look at it it truly was – The Lord providing, and sweeping me off my feet.
Nicaragua
The month of November, my team found our home in 7 different hostels throughout the Eastern half of Nicaragua. We traveled by bus, pangas (like a speed boat), trucks, and even an ambulance at one point. We were on the hunt for Unsung Heroes -future ministry sites to pair with The World Race. We lived in 5 different cities, and left finding 4 new hosts.
Highlight of the month: Being completely led by The Spirit in order to go to new locations and find new contacts. We did a lot of listening prayer this month. Sitting back and watching how God orchastrated our month was incredible.
El Salvador
Santa Tecla was our home for the month of December. We were partnered with Mi Casa Kids- a Christian orphanage with 14 kids aged 7-23. But it is not the Hollywood blockbuster “Annie”-style orphanage. It is a home. In fact, its called the hogar, which is Spanish for home. At Mi Casa, dreams are validated. The children may have been orphaned, abandoned, abused, or for some all three, but that doesn’t define them. Because their identity is in Jesus Christ. We were blessed to be able to spend Christmas with them when we couldn’t be with our families back home.
Highlight of the month: Baptizing one of my teammates in the Pacific Ocean- at the most beautiful place that I have ever been to.
Malaysia
My team started off a new year in GM, Malaysia. During the month of December, GM experienced torrential downpour leaving 1,000 people dead, 10,000 people without homes, and 15 evacuation centers completely out of food. We spent the month doing disaster relief including cleaning a restaurant that was destroyed by over 9ft of flooding and preparing and handing out disaster relief packages.
Highlight of the month: Being prayed for, prophesied over, and having our feet cleaned by our hosts on the last night we were in Malaysia.
Thailand
Chiang Mai is our current home for the month of February. Thailand, “The land of smiles”, is also the home to the largest red light district in the world. The unfortunate fate for many children who grow up in this country is to end up in the sex trade in order to provide for their families. We have been paired with an organization here that works with prevention for children at great risk of ending up in the sex industry. During the day, we are doing manual labor to build a new children’s home on the property. In the afternoon, we’re playing with the children and having dinner with them.
Highlight of the month: Building relationships with the construction workers and children. Regardless of speaking the same language, we all share the commonality of joy through smiles and laughter. Also, being given the new nickname of India by nearly every child and a few of the construction workers because that’s what they hear when I say Andrea.
My team heads into our 7th country at the end of the month; Laos. Because it is a new country for the world race, my team will be doing Unsung Heroes – what my old team did in Nicaragua. We are excited to be led by The Spirit in order to find new contacts to pair with the World Race in the future.
*UPDATE*
Thank you to everyone who has supported me through this journey through prayer and donations. I am nearly $1,700 away from being fully funded! Please prayerfully consider donating to help me meet my next and final deadline of March 1, 2015.
I can’t believe how quickly the first half of the race has gone. I have learned and experienced more in these past 6 months than I would have imagined in a lifetime. I’m excited for what’s to come in the second half of the world race. I’m excited to see God move.
