Well team Umoja left Kisoro, Uganda on a 5 am bus on our way to Kampala for a few days. From Kampala we took a 15 hour bus ride to Nairobi, Kenya. Let me tell you I am happy that I will not have to take another marathon African bus ride for a while! Especially since I was sick the entire last ride, throwing up out the window trying not to hit the women walking on the side of the road with baskets on their heads. From Nairobi we took a red eye flight to Ireland with a lay over in Istanbul, Turkey. We arrived in Dublin to attend The AWAKENING, a conference for all the racers on the field, alumni, and world race staff. We had AMAZING teaching by the likes of Andrew Shearman, Michael Hindes, and Anthony Chapman. Incredible worship was put on my by Jonathan David Helser and his wife Melissa. They are unbelievable! GO CHECK OUT THEIR STUFF ON I TUNES. Lyrics to a few songs will be posted soon. I’ve seen I AM and I will not be silent are my favorites… seriously go listen… Did I mention we were staying in tents this week and rationed to 2 showers?!?! Oh, the life of a racer. After a refreshing and absolutely delightful visit with my PARENTS 😀 team Umoja headed out to Kiev, Ukraine. From there we took an overnight train ride to our final destination! Whew! You tired??? I sure am! I share all of this with you because I sometimes forget how crazy this life is and that our schedule is not normal. I have lists and lists of blogs I intend to write and stories I really do want to share with you, but how do I share all that when life is so crazy. I LOVE IT THIS LIFE… LOVE EVERY SECOND… but you can imagine it is so hard to even begin to share with you what is going on in my life. So many thoughts, emotions, stories, and places I have been this year. It is nearly impossible sometimes to write all that I want to and still live life! But, like I said, I LOVE IT and wouldn’t have it any other way. Man I am blessed. So that is what the last few weeks have looked like logistically. The heart talking and spiritual updates take a little more time 😉
This month we are in Odessa, Ukraine working with street kids. There is a shelter run out of a Christian university so we also have the opportunity to help out with a bible study, English club, and a local church. At the shelter we get to play games, feed, teach, and simply LOVE kids who live on the street. To top it all off we have been able to do homeless ministry by walking the streets at night handing out food and offering prayer to those who want it. I cant tell you how amazing it is to see the gratitude on the faces of the men and women God loves so dearly when they receive the free gift of food and love. There are a few street kids who have already ABSOLUTELY STOLEN MY HEART. It is most likely to early to say this but Ukraine may be shaping up to be one of my favorite months of ministry!
Prayer Request:
~I still am in need of $1,000 to be fully funded. Please join me in a prayer of faith that God will provide. If you feel led to support me financially, you can do so by clicking the “support me� button on the left side of the screen!
~My squad mate Trevor Curington is very very sick with Malaria. His spleen also ruptured and he had to undergo emergency surgery. He was flown to London and is in stable condition. Please pray for continued healing and a fast recovery for Trevor as well as provision for his very expensive medical bills. Our squad is a tight knit family so it’s so hard to see Trev like this. We are just praising God he will be ok!
~ That I would finish strong. We are all very tired after non-stop traveling, investing, and serving over the last nine months. I don’t want to miss anything in the next two months because I am worn out. Pray that I continue to press in till the end!
