This race has been a gift; one that I’ve sometimes wanted and at other times wished I could give it back. But, today as I sit here about to go to China for the last month of the race, I am thankful.
Supporters, I don’t think I will ever be able to tell you just how much you have blessed me; your financial support, your prayers, and your encouragement has meant more to me than words in a blog can say.
In reflecting on the past ten months, I wanted to highlight snippets of what all of your support has allowed me to do…
(1) BULGARIA Our team jumped right into loving gypsy kids and teaching me about Jesus – singing worship songs and playing games on kids who are looked down upon my society. We ripped up a backyard full of weeds to make way for the first church in Zlatograd. I shared a testimony of how the Lord worked through my families move to Utah and strengthened my faith, not one, not two, but three times in front of different congregations throughout Bulgaria. Perhaps the main purpose for us in Bulgaria was to encourage our host and his family to keep walking forward confident of the faithfulness and provision of the Lord.
(2) ALBANIA I worked behind-the-scenes in the kitchen for three different youth camps, allowing me to build relationships with the full time staff at the camp- mainly Flora & Duche (the two beautiful and hilarious ladies in the kitchen). We pulled weeds and tended to the garden that they grow to be self-sustaining. During this all-squad month I was able to establish relationships with squad mates who would one day become some of my closest friends.
(3) MOLDOVA we shucked corn everyday for a different member of the community and then helped organize an after school program for the kids. During this month I had a special opportunity to meet little Maria and her grandmother, Mama Maria, who my teammate Bekah and I were blessed to get to build a relationship with. I fell in love with the people of Moldova – and learned about true hospitality from the way that they genuinely loved us and invited us into their lives.
(4) ROMANIA we worked off-season at Friendship camp. Dug a trench, shucked corn for some of the locals, organized the camp supply room, weekly visited a home for the mentally ill to teach them about Jesus’ relentless love and spend time with them as they are so often forgotten and dismissed by society. We helped build a well for our host – a long term missionary from Scotland who is in the process of building his own house. Perhaps my favorite part was connecting with the Babas – Dora & Fele. These sweet old women didn’t speak any English, but loved spending time with us, teaching us random Romanian words and giving us a little too many sloppy kisses. We also ran a kids club where we taught Bible stories to some of the children in the village.
(5) INDIA we spent time with the many brothers at Covenant School of Worship, praying and praising the Lord. We helped run a conference for the students at the school, and my teammate Victoria and I got to cut vegetables alongside sweet Vijayma who cooked for over 70 people. We played with kids in the slums right behind our building – they couldn’t pronounce my name so they called me “Umbrellica.” The Lord taught me a lot about patience and second chances this month as I got a parasite halfway through.
(6) NEPAL we spent the whole month in a remote village hidden in the Himalayan mountains. Our team and another lived with a couple who pastored a church in Hindi village, ran an orphanage, aided trafficking victims, and were in the process of building a school! We were able to assist them in many of their projects. I specifically helped to paint a mural on the new school building, and we trekked to a few nearby villages near the Tibet border to share the gospel and spread the love of Christ.
(7) SOUTH AFRICA our team and another lived in the beautiful surf town of Jeffrey’s Bay, with hosts Lyndon and Anthea. We scooped poop and groomed the horses on a nearby horse farm, which is run single-handedly by a woman named Hilmary who is slowly losing her vision. My team was able to encourage her in her walk with the Lord. We attended several substance abuse counseling sessions, swapping stories with people who are looking for recovery from their addictions. We worked with a soup kitchen, baking bread and serving soup to members of the very large township that isn’t visible to the many tourists who frequent the beaches of J-Bay.
(8) SWAZILAND womanistry month – my sisters and I worked at several carepoints around the capital, Manzini. We gave teachers a bit of a break as we took over teaching some of the lessons. I was able to connect with my teacher, Nonshlansla, and was really touched by her story of heartache. We prayed together for her family and for her classroom daily. This was a really good month for me to pour into other woman on my squad and visa-versa. We had a lot of time to intercede for Swaziland. My mom also got to come and visit me for a week at the end of this month and get a taste of what the race was like.
(9) BOTSWANA we spent the month in the middle of the Kalahari desert, mostly trying to survive, but also working with a family who encouraged us to persevere just as much as we encouraged them. We spent each afternoon playing games and teaching bible stories to the children, and shared what the felt the Lord was laying on our hearts in church on Sundays. We prayed for various members of the community, had worship nights, and danced our butts off.
(10) MONGOLIA we have been working alongside Antioch Church here, doing community outreach on the streets of UlaanBataar. We teach English classes twice a week and have and open mic night and game night other evenings throughout the week. Our primary purpose has been getting people plugged into a church that can aid them in discipleship. My team had the opportunity to go to the countryside to encourage some believers, pray for healings, as well as share the message of Jesus to people who have never heard of Him before.
(11) CHINA this is the month that I’m about to enter in to! It’s the month that you probably won’t hear much about until after the race because of their view towards Christians. We will likely be teaching English classes again, as well as working with foster care families. The embassy here in Mongolia gave us visas that are valid for ten years – so I think there are some big things in store for E squad!
