Most of my life, my restless soul has told me to “go.” “Go explore, go wander, go risk, go discover, just go run.” But within the last year, my sweet God has calmed my soul, yet asked the same thing of me. He whispered to my heart, “go.” “Go love, go share my name, go give, go grow, go confront yourself, just go with Me.” So, with a renewed heart, and a backpack in hand, I’ll go again. Here’s where I’ll be going to.
Eastern Europe:
–Bulgaria. Bulgaria is a beautiful country that has overcome issues with political unrest in its past and currently combats issues with organized crime and human trafficking. This entire month will be dedicated to connecting with locals and reaching out in hopes of finding individuals or groups interested in partnering with our cause in the future.
–Romania. Romania has a predominately Orthodox and Roman Catholic origin. During our month here, we may be teaching English or spending time amongst the gypsy community, building relationships with them and offering our helping hand.
Romania-Photo from WR Website.
–Albania. Albania is a nation that has undergone several foreign occupations in the past, but currently resides as a republic. Today, the predominately Islamic country has what is considered an “upper middle class economy,” but still deals with significant crimes revolving around family blood feuds. Here, our main focus will be to connect with the country’s youth.
–Kosovo. As the youngest country in the world, Kosovo struggles to obtain respect and recognition as an independent nation, and is still healing from its fairly recent war and political tension with Serbia. The majority of Kosovo’s citizens practice Islam and nearly half of the country lives under the poverty line.
Kosovo-Photo from WR Website.
Southern Africa:
–Mozambique. This gorgeous seaside nation fosters a variety of religions ranging from Roman Catholicism, to Islam, to Zionist Christian, and others. Here, most of our time will be spent reaching out to the overwhelming number of widows and orphans throughout the land.
–South Africa. Known as a popular tourist destination, South Africa is home to white beaches and vibrant cities. With a mix of races, religions, and incomes, the country is very diverse, all around.
Mozambique-Photo from WR Website.
–Swaziland. Swaziland is the smallest country on the African continent and one of the last remaining monarchies in the world. Swaziland has the world’s largest HIV/AIDS infection rate, with statistics at 26% of positive testing adults, 50% of which are in their twenties.
South America:
–Colombia. Colombia will be our first stop in South America, the last leg of our journey. This predominately Catholic country is one of the hosts to the majestic Andes Mountains, and was voted the happiest place on Earth.
–Ecuador. Ecuador, also covered with the awe-inspiring Andes, is named for its central location on Earth, laying right on the equator. The country struggles with 50% of its people ranking below the poverty line, and practices Catholicism as its primary religion.
Ecuador-Photo from WR Website.
–Peru. Following the line of the Andes, Peru has a stunning landscape from corner to corner. With past struggles in guerrilla violence and corrupt leadership, the country is constantly pushing towards healing and re-growth.
–Bolivia. Still sprinkled with the ever going Andes Mountains, Bolivia mirrors the wonderful views seen throughout the rest of South America. Diverse in its religious beliefs, the country has followers of Roman Catholicism, as well as worshipers of El Tio, “Lord of the Underworld,” and Pacha Mama, “Mother Earth.” Here we will work on a variety of projects such as orphan ministry, church planting, and more.
Bolivia-Photo from WR Website.
As you can see from these brief descriptions, our route over the upcoming year is quite diverse, as will be our missions in each location. We will travel from country to country with our squad of around 40 other volunteers and then divide into our smaller teams that will be dispersed to various cities throughout that month’s country.
Squad ‘W’ at training camp in Atlanta, GA.
We receive each month’s assignment and specific location around two weeks before arrival. Upon arrival we secure housing, which can be anything from our tents we carry in our packs, to a spare church room, to a dormitory hostel, to the floor of a local’s home. We then spend the following few weeks praying over and working on the given focus.
Team ‘Serendipity’ at training camp in Atlanta, GA.
The purpose of this trip is to spread God’s name and His glory to the nations simply through love, volunteerism, and the formation of genuine relationships. Feel free to follow the blog as I’ll share the stories, experiences, and emotions we encounter throughout the year.
God is love folks!
