Change. This one word could literally cause havoc in some
people’s life. Others say bring it on! Here on the World Race changes are
happening 24/7 every second of the day everyday. So when the phrase “team
changes” start coming around we brace ourselves. So for the last 4 months we got used to our
team. We knew each other’s like and dislikes. We knew if they were a morning
person or a night owl. So at the end of the 4th month it was time
for change. We were all handed cards and were told to take our time and open
them up by ourselves. Written on our cards was our new team. I went to my bed
and opened it right up. I smiled.
I want to thank Team SOR 11 for 4 great months together. I
love you guys very much. Scott, Kelly, Kristen and Erin thank you for all the
laughs, tears and most importantly the trekking trip. J It has been an honor to
minister along side each of you. Thank you again for everything.
I want to now introduce my new awesome team tRansfOrMers
12:2. Just in case if you don’t get it Romans 12:2 do not conform any longer to
the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good,
pleasing and perfect will. Yeah we are pretty cool like that. My new pretty awesome
and cool team leader is Steve Benson. He is a very chill guyed like me, which I
love. He is the youngest out of us but is
already a very strong leader and I’m honored to call him my leader, friend and
little brother. I’ve always wanted a little brother. J He is always so joyful and
that has totally rubbed off on the rest of us. The other guy on my team is John
Rebba. He is a very cool dude and the oldest out of us. He already has us
laughing all the time with his sarcastic humor. Then there is Robin Maldonado.
Wow! This girl is incredible. She has such a servant’s heart and is a total
sweetheart. I know I will learn a lot from her. Then there is lovely April
whose laugh you can hear from a mile away and all you want to do is laugh with
her. She is so beautiful inside and out.
She carries herself with such grace and elegance even for a world racer. J She is also very
joyous all the time and always looks on the positive side. Love her! Last but
not least I’m so very happy that my other half Melanee Zorrilla is still my
teammate. I call her my firecracker because she is not afraid to say what is on
her mind and I love that about her. I
know God put her in my life for reason and I’m so blessed by her love and
friendship. I love my new team and I’m
so excited to see everything God is going to do in us.
Our first month as team tRansfOrMers 12:2 we were with team
fuego in Swaziland which was so much fun, we were like one big family. To be
honest going into Africa you come up with some expectations of what you think
Africa is going to be. It was nothing of what I accepted. I loved every minute
of Swaziland. We worked with organization called Hope Rises. They have built kitchens in different
communities and are creating care point centers throughout Swaziland. While
there we stayed in an unfinished preschool building and helped plaster the
outside. We played with the kids that came to get food from the care point,
visited and prayed for people at homesteads and the clinic. We worked along
side an amazing woman named Corine. She is a single woman that about 2 years
ago was on a short-term mission trip in Swaziland and felt God calling her
there for a longer period of time. She is a very strong and courageous woman
that just trusts in God and allows Him to guide her every day tasks. It was a
pleasure to have met her and her wonderful team. Her team is compiled of Swazis
that just took us right in and made us feel like family. We had 2 ladies that
cooked amazing food for us. Then men were patient with us as we were learning
to plaster and mix cement. We love them all! They even gave us Swazi names. My
name is Jabulilee (I probably didn’t spell that right) which means happiness.
A special moment I had in Swaziland was in the first week
that we were there. We went to the clinic and met this older woman who had a
stroke a couple days earlier. We called her gogo, which means grandmother,
Sunday. She was hooked up to a feeding tube and couldn’t move any part of her
body at all. Everyday we went and visited her and her daughter-in-law almost
everyday. The day before we left gogo
Sunday was making a lot of noises like she was ready to talk. The feeding tube
was removed and the doctors told her she was going home on Tuesday. It was
awesome to see God’s hand on gogo even though the doctors told her that she
wasn’t going to make it. Gogo Sunday will always remain in my heart.
Swaziland was amazing month and not only with our contact
but also with my new team. Thank you again for your prayers and support. Can’t
believe we are halfway through our race. It’s tiring traveling and living out
of a backpack but I know my Daddy is taking care of me and I know I can’t do
this on my own. This trip has already been an amazing experience and I’m so
excited to see what the 5 months will bring. I still need about $4000 to be
fully funded. Any donations will help! Thanks again for everything! I love you
all!!! God Bless
Some of the guys working on the preschool.
Visiting a local school.
Our guys helping out. They pretty much rocked this month.
So while the guys worked, we worked and played with the kids.
My awesome team!
