This is the route that the September squad will be taking! I am super excited about the countries and looking forward to seeing what God has planned for us in each place! Please be in prayer as we serve in these location!
Pray for:
- God to speak to the people in each country and that His name would be made famous among all the nations.
- The hearts of our squad members would be broken for the things we see in each place. Also that we would be changed ourselves.
- We would build real meaningful bonds with the people in each place and that we would be intentional with the time God has given to us.
- Anything that you feel like the Lord has put on your heart to pray for; safety, health, etc… We need all the prayers and support we can get 🙂
Now check out the line up!!!
Philippines
This Asian island nation, once a Spanish colony and an American protectorate, is a country in tension, trying to cross the threshold between the third and first world. It offers a variety of landscapes – beaches, mountains, volcanic lakes – and languages, with Tagalog as the national tongue. The Catholic Church is a substantial piece of the religious pie, however, Islam is growing in the island of Mindinao. The Filipino people and culture love music, dance and community. While there, you may find yourself living with and giving hope to the destitute, caring for orphans, and challenging the growing number of Christ-followers to rise up.
"Closed Country"
This month we will be serving in a "Closed Country" and cannot say where we will be or the organization we will be working with. Please keep our team in prayer as we go serve this month. Pray for safety and for God to move in mighty ways through our team and the lives of those we become close too.
South Africa
While it's been several decades since apartheid has formally ended, there is still more healing and reconciliation to take place in South Africa. This country is one of the wealthiest on the continent, and yet, much of the population that lives outside the cities is poor.
Like the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, this country struggles with a high rate of AIDS/HIV. Host to the 2010 World Cup and breathtaking natural attractions, it is also a place full of kingdom potential, waiting to be released — by you
Mozambique
One of the most beautiful countries in the African continent, Mozambique is a favorite location of World Racers for a variety of reasons: the people, the landscape, the ministry partnerships, the miracles that this country has seen, and more. The former Portuguese colony is seeing signs of redemption and economic recovery; because of, or in spite of, the extreme poverty gripping the nation, the church grows. You will teach, preach, and practice "true religion" with widows and orphans while you grow in your identity in Christ. One of your most interesting travel "days" may happen here.
Swaziland
The Kingdom of Swaziland is one of the last remaining monarchies in Africa. Home to 1.1 million people and breath-taking scenic views, it's also where the world's highest HIV/AIDS infection rate lives (26.1% in adults and over 50% of adults in their 20s). It's estimated that by 2050, the country of Swaziland will not even exist. Young orphans are scattered throughout this nation that is in desperate need of attention. For years, AIM has been committed to seeing these statistics reversed. Here, you will most likely find yourself involved in a variety of outreaches, including education, orphan care, care point feedings, and more.
Bulgaria
This southern-central European country is the 16th largest in Europe. Its geography is varied with mountain ranges, plains and a coastline along the Black Sea. Its economy is growing, but among all the European Union members it ranks lowest in terms of income. Organized crime is an issue as is human trafficking. Bulgaria is mainly a source of trafficking in persons yet also, to a lesser extent, a transit point and destination of trafficking. Here, about half the population claims to be orthodox and over 10% are Muslim. You can bring light and hope to this nation caught between "developed" and "developing."
Eastern Europe ATL
Much of this region was under some communist regime for much of the latter half of the last century. Some countries are doing better than others in catching up; some of them are also sources, transit points, and destinations of human trafficking. You may live life with the Romani (or Roma), commonly referred to as Gypsy, a people group without a land of their own and long shunned by society. Through reaching out to orphans, teaching English, and running sports camps, you'll shepherd a generation caught between a Soviet past and the post-modern European present. Where in Eastern Europe will you be…? Just have to wait and find out!
Serbia
Formerly a part of Yugoslavia, this country has been through it. Under Slobodan Milosevic, ethnic Albanians living in Kosovo, now an independent nation, were either displaced or killed. After Milosevic, things haven't improved much. Here, too, organized crime and human trafficking are issues. In a place where the people seem to be leaving in droves, your presence will help bring about the redemption God wants to give them from their broken past.
Nicaragua
This location is always a World Race favorite. It's a country full of wonderfully warm and caring people, and participants always leave having had a powerful experience. However, hopelessness, addictions, destitution, and poverty still plague the many lives of Nicaragua. There are orphans who have grown up without knowing the love of a parent and families who get by each day by scrounging scraps from the city dump where they have made their homes. In Nicaragua, you'll have the opportunity to bring God's love through slum ministry, door-to-door outreach, outreach to children, and more.
Honduras/ El Salvador
You may spend this month in either of these Central American countries. Honduras is the third poorest in the region, after Haiti and Nicaragua; El Salvador, on the other hand, is the third largest economy in the region after Costa Rica and Panama. Both have had their share of political/military troubles: for El Salvador, it was a coup d'etat in 1979 that led to civil war from 1980-1992; Honduras went through a six-month constitutional crisis. In both countries, there's a need to reach out to the youth – not just to keep them out of trouble (like, gangs) but for them to know their worth and that they're loved.
Guatemala
A country rich in history and natural resources – fertile soil from the volcanoes help yield excellent coffee. Outside of its aesthetic appeal, it is a country in desperate need of God's touch. Gripped by poverty and bound to a spirit of religion, the people of Guatemala are hungering to see the kingdom of God invade their lives. World Racers radically change the atmosphere in which they find themselves. You'll have the opportunity to usher in the kingdom to this land and to these people in the form of relationships through incarnational ministry (read: living just as they do), reaching out to the people in the fringes of society, hard work, and maybe even a miracle or two.
