Wow… 11 months later… It’s such a weighty statement to think about.
Where do I start? My mind is racing, my emotions are all over the place, literally, my heart is filled with joy, but so heavy at the same time. It’s funny to me when folks ask the question, “Oh, hey! How was your trip?!” Because, I’m not sure how to answer that question, and really, I may never really know how to successfully answer it.
For whatever reason coming into this trip, the thought of being a missionary didn’t seem like that tough of a job. After all, a lot of people thought I was coming on an 11 month vacation to 11 countries. Haha, wow, we were both wrong. It was a fun trip, at times, but NOTHING about it was easy or a vacation. No, its absolutely been the hardest thing I’ve ever experienced in my life. In a lot of ways I feel like a soldier who’s been on the front lines and is getting ready to head home. I’m unsure what life will look like and not entirely sure what it means to “fit back into society." It’s a lot to process and take in. My life has been RADICALLY changed for Jesus. We may not have been on the front lines in Iraq or Afghanistan, but we have fought a difficult, bloody, never-ending battle on the front lines of our Faith.
Like I said, will take some time, but I’m excited to share what I’ve learned, though, and hopefully, challenge, help minister to and change lives back home with my experiences.
11 months later I’ve…
Lived through a typhoon on my birthday, eaten a “balut” egg, worshiped Jesus in one of the most dangerous and closed countries in the world, hiked The Great Wall of China, witnessed a little boy with down syndrome be rescued and see him get adopted. Oh yeah, and seen God provide $35,000 in one day to get Zi-Ping home!
I’ve ridden on 20 hour train rides, taught kids from the South African slums to surf, jumped off the tallest bungee bridge in the world (708 ft.), celebrated Christmas in a tiny house with close to 30 other folks in Mozambique, gardened from 5am to 5pm in 110 degree heat, went without adequate water for days, slept on a concrete floor for months on end, and walked no telling how many miles for church.
We’ve went weeks without a shower, worn the same clothes for 11 months straight, held orphans in Swaziland, Africa whom were fighting HIV/AIDS, built fences, drove on the wrong side of the road, eaten (no exaggeration) peanut butter and jelly sandwiches EVERYDAY for 3 months solid and no telling how many pounds of rice! 
I was blessed with the opportunity to preach on Easter in a Serbian worship service, pray over a young man named, Nicky, who had an infection in his tooth and a swollen jaw, after saying “Amen”, his mouth was COMPLETELY healed and no longer swollen. The Lord allowed me to witness the coldest winter in Eastern Europe in over 20 years, complete with 3 to 4 feet of snow and -10 degrees, with no winter clothes.
I met one of my heroes in the Faith, Brother Yun, “The Heavenly Man”, and went a solid month without being able to talk to my family and friends back home. I watched my teammate fight malaria in the worst conditions imaginable, and fallen on my knees knowing how absolutely necessary intercessory on her behalf was in that moment. We’ve set on planes for hours on end, been caught directly in the middle of a gun smuggling operation on a train from Bulgaria to Serbia, and I MEAN right in the middle!
I’ve cried myself to sleep many nights, rejoiced more in the past 11 months than ever before, hit rock bottom, and then had some of the best days in my life. I literally thought I was dying when I had dengue fever month 1 of my race, been cage diving with Great White sharks, and set through 3 hour long church services in a 10 ft. X 12 ft. room crammed packed with gypsies and our team for a total of 78 people!
I lived through an entire month sleeping in 1 room with our ENTIRE SQUAD of 40, hating it at times, but ultimately learning the true value of Biblical community. I’ve fought with my team, and then also spent hours and hours in deep conversations with each of them. I have fallen in LOVE with the Word of God, and truly realized the importance and absolute necessity of it to keeping focused and strong in the Faith.
I’ve been fought for like never before in my life, and had the amazing blessing of fighting for my team members who didn’t think they could make it another day. I learned who I am in Christ and what it means to really be a man of God. I was blessed to team lead for 8 months, and seen lives flipped 180 degrees because of coming face to face with Jesus.
I’ve swam in volcanic lakes, and been bitten by monkeys in the jungle. Learned what it means to wash clothes “the old fashion way”, and have been given the opportunity to pour into peoples lives, literally around the world. There’ve been days where I was one click away from buying a plane ticket home, and other days where I never wanted the journey to end. We’ve rode buses across Africa for upwards of 36 hours, and fought diarrhea EVERY month almost.
We’ve worshipped inside maximum-security prisons with the 2 most notorious gangs in Central America, and served a cup of food to thousands of homeless folks living in the largest and most dangerous dump in Honduras. Held numerous special needs orphans, and prayed over the blind, deaf, and the lame. I’ve come to realize that you never know Jesus is truly all you need, until Jesus is really all you have.
Chains of sin in my life has been broken, and my life has been healed. I went into a church service our first week on the race with a fractured spine from an accident I had in high school, and after being prayed over, walked out completely pain free ever since. I have realized that we serve and are loved by a BIG GOD. He doesn’t need us, but praise God, He wants us!
The Apostle Paul once said…
“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:11-13 (esv)
11 months ago I embarked on a journey to share Jesus with the world… Little did I know just how much Jesus would change me…
Love y’all.
P.S. We say "See yall after while" tomorrow and our squad will split ways. Some folks get home tomorrow, some on Sunday and some (myself included) not until next week. Continue to keep my squad and I in your prayers as we transition back into “normal life.” Looking forward to what the Lord has for us next.
