I realized I haven’t really talked about the countries I am going to! So I wanted to write a blog to announce the places that I will be traveling to, so all my friends, family, and supporters can be as excited as I am.
I also want to tell you some fun facts and spiritual facts about each country. Traveling around the world sounds amazing, and going for God to further His kingdom sounds even better. Excited yet?!
However, there is a possibility that I could be moved to a different route and travel to 11 totally different countries than the ones listed down below, but as of right now, I am going to these 11.
So I am officially releasing my unofficial travel destinations!
INDONESIA
– The world’s largest country made up of completely islands. 17,508 to be exact!
– The world’s largest Muslim country. Islam 88%, Protestant 5%.
– Currency: Indonesian Rupiah
– Language: mostly Indonesian, but there is also around 700 other regional indigenous languages
– Using your left hand is taboo, it is used only for wiping, cleaning feet, and other unhygienic things.
PHILIPPINES
– The only place in the world where skunks are found other than America is Indonesia and the Philippines, and they are called stink badgers!
– Many earn less than 15 cents per day
– Currency: Philippine Peso
– Language: Filipino/Tagalog and English
– 83% are Catholic, 7% Protestant Christian, and 5% Muslim
– Human trafficking is a problem here, please pray for these women and children!
VIETNAM
– 82% don’t claim any religion! 8% Buddhist, 7% Roman Catholic
– Currency: Vietnamese Dong
– Language: Vietnamese
– Extremely disrespectful to sit with your feet pointing towards people
– Chopsticks! I am going to have to learn.
CAMBODIA
– The only flag to have a picture of a building on it!
– In the 1970s, Khmer Rouge killed over 1.5 million people, and they are still trying to heal from this genocide.
– So much poverty and hopelessness has led to Cambodia becoming a source and destination for human trafficking.
– Currency: Cambodian Riel
– Language: Khmer
– 97% Buddhist, 2% Muslim
THAILAND
– The land of temples!
– 60% of tourists visit the Red Light Districts, which are streets of sex shops, strip clubs, etc. Basically an area of human trafficking and sexual tourism.
– 90% of Thai men visit local karaoke bars for the same reason, the hope found only in Jesus is desperately needed here!
– Currency: Thai Baht
– Language: Thai
– 94% Buddhist, 5% Muslim
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
– Rude to refuse food or drink when visiting someone’s home
– Still recovering from the Bosnian Wars in the 90s. The people here are separated and divided.
– Currency: Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark
– Language: Bosnian, Serbian, and Croatian
– 51% Muslim, 31% Orthodox, 15% Roman Catholic. You can see the people are divided by the different religions. The other countries listed aren’t near as divided as this.
KOSOVO
– Declared independence in 2008 after centuries of ethnic conflict
– The most popular sports are basketball, canoeing, boxing, chess, SOCCER, gymnastics, swimming, and table tennis
– Currency: Euro
– Language: Albanian
– 96% Islam, 2% Roman Catholic
– More than 50% of the people are in poverty
ROMANIA
– The largest population of brown bears in Europe
– Europe’s richest country in gold resources
– GORGEOUS country, I am so excited!
– Currency: Romanian Leu
– Language: Romanian
– 82% Eastern Orthodox, 6% Protestant Christian, 4% Roman Catholic
SOUTH AFRICA
– Known for SOCCER! And safaris, and shark diving
– This country struggles with a high rate of HIV/AIDS
– Currency: South African Rand
– Language: IsiZulu, Afrikaans, and English
– 73% Protestant, 15% None, 7% Catholic
LESOTHO
– Landlocked inside South Africa
– 2nd highest HIV/AIDS rate in the world, (Swaziland is #1)
– One of the highest literacy rates in Africa!
– 40% of the population lives below poverty
– Currency: Lesotho Loti
– Language: Sesotho
– 80% Christian, 20% Indigenous beliefs
MOZAMBIQUE
– One of the poorest and underdeveloped countries in the world
– The average woman has 5 children!
– 5th highest rate of HIV/AIDS in the world
– 45% of the population is under the age of 15
– Currency: Mozambique Metical
– Language: Portuguese
– 30% Animism, 28% Roman Catholic, 24% Protestant Christian, 18% Islam.
There you have it! My list of countries that I will be going to in 2018, God willing! I am so excited for this next year of my life. If you want to follow along with my journey, subscribe!
Please pray for these people. Pray that their hearts will be soften and they will be willing to listen to the Good News that is Jesus Christ. Pray that my squad and I have safe travels to these beautiful countries! Pray that my squad and I will also have boldness in us that we go all out for the sake of the Gospel, fearing nothing and no one. God is already moving there, and I can’t wait to document it, and share it with you all.
MuCh LoVe,
-a
