Here it is, the blog you have all been waiting for.
Eleven months after I hit that huge “submit” button on the World Race application website. A click that changed my life forever.
Six months after training and preparing for this journey, this adventure.
Five months and five countries later. A ridiculous number of bus rides, airplane tickets, and beds slept in later, I find myself sitting here in Phuket, Thailand.
After the beautiful countryside of Kapenguria, Kenya. Visiting homes, singing worship freely in home churches, drinking lots of chai tea, and being introduced to delicious chapatti. Spending time playing with Noah and Sharon. Joking around in the kitchen with Meshack and Lydia. Living life with the Syokan family, and sharing the gospel wherever we went. Playing with and being followed by children constantly, and being called "mzungu" all the time.
After bungee jumping over the Nile River, then white water rafting down it and almost breaking my nose in Jinja, Uganda.
After the month spent in the small town of Bugiri, Uganda. Getting malaria, laughing at the mice running around our room and sliding down the mosquito nets, taking showers in the rain. Playing with baby Success and loving the faces she made while sitting in her bucket of bath water. Singing tons of songs with kids at each school we visited. Praying fervently over the sick in Bugiri Hospital, and seeing God work miracles. Feeling God move in each of us individually.
After arriving in the bustling, western capital city of Kigali, Rwanda. Marveling at electricity that was almost always constant, almost crying when we arrived at Pastor Innocent's home and being blessed beyond by words by his family. Going to the genocide museum and learning about Rwanda's dark past, but marveling and praising God for the restoration and healing He has brought to this land. Preaching, preaching, and more preaching. Feeling the Holy Spirit ignite my fire and my words. They were not my words, but His. Stepping into more freedom in my voice. Having God move my heart to art once more, and going deeper in my relationship with Him because of it.
After a few days spent in Entebbe, Uganda, and receiving our new teams and squad leaders.
After three months of Africa, our six months in the Philippines. What a culture shock Asia was, but in an extremely good way. I unexpectedly fell in love with Asia. The Philippines captured my heart with honking jeepneys, Christmas lights in November, and the faces of beautiful people and children. After spending time in Malaybalay with those amazing kids at the children's home. Little David's smile, kisses and hugs. Spending a few hours of the night on the streets in Manila, giving Jesus' love to the kids on the street.
After this time in Thailand, and now getting ready to embark on our journey as a squad to our sixth country, Cambodia.
After all of these months, prayers, places. God has brought me to this place, and He has provided every penny that I needed to stay and complete this race!
I AM FULLY FUNDED! $14,800 has been provided and I will finish my race.
THANK YOU. Thank you. Thank you.
Words seem completely insufficient to express the deep gratitude that I feel in my heart. Because of Christ I am here. Because of the lost, I am here. Because of YOU, I am here. You have given me the chance to spread Christ's love to these eleven countries in elven months around the world.
YOU are Christ's hands and feet with me in each of these places. Every hug, every smile, every tear, every hand shake and greeting, every word of Christ's love, is from you, and for you. You are with me each step of the way. You are allowing me to grow into who I am in Christ, and to share His love with the world.
That is a gift that I can't begin to fathom, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for it. Each and every one of you, thank you.
Please continue to pray for the next half of our race and the countries we will be going to, the people we will meet and serve. Thank you again so much for all you have invested into my life and the lives we get to touch around the world through this!
