2017 was a year for the books. Here are some of my favorite moments that I captured on camera with some stories that go with them. Enjoy.
The Great Wall of China.
This was just before I left one of my most favorite seasons of my life. The people of January Expedition 2017 changed my life forever. The way they loved each other and worshiped was something which I had never before seen. I’m leaving 2017 with some amazing friendships.
Western Mongolia.
We stayed in a traditional Mongolian Ger (yurt) camp close to the center of this small and weird town nestled in the mountains. It was just about as far away from anything else that you can imagine. We ate so much horse meat. I kicked it with this k9 homie every day during my morning quite time even though he bit me once. Western Mongolia is primarily Muslim. The Christian community there is highly persecuted for their faith and is forced to meet in secret. We had some awesome opportunities to love and worship with a local underground church there.
Paris, France.
We had an awesome opportunity to serve in the city of Paris for a month. Our focus there was the refugee crisis. Everyday we would walk over an hour or jump on the metro to a part of town where hundreds of refugees from all over Northern Africa and the Middle East arrive each day. They are all seeking a better life than the ones they left behind them. Most come from countries that have no opportunities for their futures or are in a state of war and confusion.
What blew my mind here was how close refugees were to the “beauty” of what Paris is known for yet are never actually seen by the thousands of tourists that come here every day.
The two women pictured above, Tammy and Shannon, were my co-leaders for the 5 months I was with August 2017 Expedition. They supported and loved me so well. I could not have done that season without them. A good reminder that I need to trust and lean on those that the Lord has given me.
Jerusalem, Israel.
I got to spend a week here over Christmas with the team I led August 2017 Expedition with. This was right after Trump announced that the USA was going to recognize Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. I was overseas in Jordan during the announcement and there were protests almost every day against it. I’m sure the media portrayed a sense of fear towards the situation at hand but in actuality it was all good and we were in no harm. We did use precaution and locals were upset but once again fear was blown out of proportion.
I benefited from the situation because Jerusalem ended up being empty of tourists for the majority of our visit. It was awesome because tourists drive me crazy. It was an amazing time to debrief the last season with those I was closest with and it was a time of rest and exploration. Getting to live and walk in places that I’ve read about all my life was so rad. I’m a very visual person so it was a great time for me.
The picture above was taken at the Dome of the Rock where at one point the Temple of God stood. I was told before that it’s almost impossible to get inside the gates and in reality, I just walked right in after a security checkpoint. The Lords favor? I believe yes.
Etretat, France
While living in Paris, we decided to rent a car and get out of the city. After a little research we decided the northern coast line was where we wanted to go. Getting there was amazing. The French country side is so beautiful. We ended up in a small village called Etretat and camped in a parking lot for the night. The cliffs there were amazing and we got to explore the beach for a short portion of time while the tide was out. God’s beauty literally blowing my mind around every corner.
The next day we drove to Normandy and visited Utah beach. It was an eye opening experience to see where thousands of US Soldiers stormed the beach in defiance of the evil which caused World War 2.
Yangon, Myanmar.
Two years ago I was in this park with the first Expedition squad. We met here daily to get poured into and worship. As the week went on we decided to start inviting the locals to come join and ended up starting a church right there.
A year later I re-visited Yangon and got to see the fruit of the seeds which had been sowed the year previously. It was amazing to see and hear the testimony of what God had been doing. There were multiple people who had been discipled and were now following Jesus. Come on!
We once again met in the park a couple times each week and brought people to a free English class where at the end of each class there was a time where we talked about Jesus. It was awesome to see how God used us to draw people in so that we could then show them who Jesus was and lead them to a local to disciple them.
Indonesia.
Indonesia was the first country I ever visited internationally. Within the first 72 hours of being there, my team and I were invited to a traditional Sundanese wedding. My mind was literally blown away at how quickly the locals invited me in and welcomed me as an honored guest. They literally dressed me up and welcomed me into their family without even knowing me for more than 5 minutes. Later in the month we were invited back to the bride and grooms house where they showered us with love and food.
A year later, with a new team, I was invited back to their house where they once again dressed us up. This time just to take pictures. We stayed the night there and once again were showered with love. How crazy is that.
Patna, India
Over a billion people live in India. Local transportation often ends up being in a tuk-tuk that starts with just you and ends with as many people that can possibly fit inside or out. The night before this I sat on the roof for about an hour. It was awesome. I think we fit around 20 people on that ride.
While in India we had an inside joke almost everywhere we went: there’s always room for one more!
Calcutta, India.
Two years ago I was walking the streets of Calcutta with two of my homies when God highlighted a beggar sitting in the middle of a busy sidewalk. The beggar couldn’t speak English and we couldn’t speak Hindi. Out of no where this man, Sanji, stops and starts to translate for us.
Later he took us to his laundry shop down an ally way close by and I witnessed my first miracle of his foot being healed. That led into over 50 people being healed that day and countless more over the next 2 months.
A year later I returned to Calcutta with a new team and found Sanji right where we had left him. This man is easily one of my favorite people I have ever met while traveling.
Bihar, India
The laundry shop that Sanji works at is owned by him and his 2 other brothers. His family and his brother’s family live a 12 hour train ride north of Calcutta. Every 2 months, Sanji and his brother switch places either working in Calcutta or spending time with their family up north.
We had an amazing opportunity to head north with Sanji to visit his family in the middle of nowhere during my last visit there. It was a wild week filled with tons of people getting healed, more Indian food than you’d ever possibly want, showering at a water spigot in front of at least 20 people, no bathrooms other than popping a squat under a banana tree, and sleeping in a bed outside under a bug net with 3 of your closest homies.
This picture was taken after at least a 12-hour train ride which started out with just us in a small compartment and ended with at least 50 people jammed in. The weather back in Calcutta was in the 90s and we had no idea that further north the temperature would drop so drastically. It was freezing. I will never forget my time spent in Bihar. Bihar Boyz 4 lyfe.
Calcutta, India
While in Calcutta we took a day to rely on the Lord for all our needs. We literally walked out of our hotel with nothing but the clothes on our backs and a little direction as to where the Lord wanted us to go. No money. All trust.
Eventually He led us to a slum after we received a free bus ride. We had a sign that said, “Free healing.” As we were walking a man stopped us and read the sign and asked us to pray for him. That led to us praying and seeing so many more healed that day.
Bihar, India.
One day while we were staying at Sunji’s house we were invited to visit one of the neighbors’ homes. We got there and found out that the whole family had been invited to see us. We played some worship songs for a bit and started praying for anyone who wanted it. Once again we saw every single person we laid hands on get touched by the Holy Spirit and healed.
Hajipur, India.
One day while at Sunji’s we went to a city close by where there was some Hindu festival going on. It was easily the wildest place I had ever been in my life with the amount of people that were stuffed in this place. Later that day we went to check out the river where we started to pray for a couple of guys next to the shore.
This baba, a leader of the local temple, was present and knew something was different about us. He invited us to walk around this temple and after have tea with him. We got to pray for him and show him God’s love.
Triacastela, Spain.
I got to walk the Camino de Santiago for 20 days this past autumn. The Camino is a pilgrimage that stretches all over Spain and surrounding countries and eventually ends in Santiago. It is an amazing opportunity to reflect on one’s life and experience a community of people like you have never experienced before in your life.
Imagine walking 10-20 miles a day, day after day, through different climates and atmospheres, for a little over a month. With people from all walks of life seeking and searching for something. It turns out for some awesome ministry opportunities. You meet so many amazing people.
Border Crossing between Palestine and Israel.
The history of the war over Jerusalem goes back centuries. Who’s land is it really? The Jews believe it belongs to them. The Palestinians believe it belongs to them. I personally stand neutral, but it does bring a wild perspective to one who has “seen the wall.” It reminds me of the hate that stands in this world and that building a wall really doesn’t solve anything other than further division. It really causes me to think how much I desire to live my life as an example to those around me by loving my enemy even though they may do me wrong.
Paris, France.
Bringing a skateboard with me on the field was probably one of the greatest decisions I’ve ever made while being overseas. Yes, it is heavy and often times I don’t even get to use it but man the amount of joy and life that piece of wood, plastic, and metal has brought me. Almost every day I would cruise around the city and get lost with my dude Patrick in Paris. That was the beginning of a friendship that I know will last forever.
Mezouga, Morocco.
The adventures that the Lord takes me on are incredible. While in Morocco we got to spend a few days out in the Sahara Desert. We rode camels, slept underneath the stars, survived a sandstorm, and loved the people that were around us.
You can’t tell from the picture, but the homegirl second to the last I think had just thrown up and pooped her pants, all while sitting atop her camel. Probably one of the greatest things that I’ve ever been able to witness. Sorry, not sorry B:)
Petra, Jordan.
Spent a few weeks training up leaders within one of the squads this last November and got to visit Petra for the second time in two years. It was just as amazing the second time as it was the first. Easily one of the most wild and beautiful places I’ve seen in my life. It’s crazy the creativity and vision the Lord can give us as human beings to build such a wonder.
Gobi Desert, Mongolia.
This bus was my home for 40 something hours while I traveled across Mongolia, twice. It was easily one of the longest bus rides of my life. Not in actual time but more of emotionally. It was long. The road looks nice here but in real life most of the 1,000 mile bus ride was on dirt roads that had no real direction or flow to them other than you knew that you would eventually end up where you wanted to get.
Our bus started over-heating on our way back to the capital from the west so we stopped often for the engine to cool down. At each stop, always in the middle of no where, the women would walk off into the distance to use the restroom and us dudes would just use the side of the road. It was easily over 100 degrees on that thing at times also. Yuck.
Casablanca, Morocco.
I got to spend a few days in Casablanca for some much-needed rest between spending time with teams. God provided lots of beautiful moments such as this one right here. It’s a good reminder to me that even within the midst of a country that is very spiritually heavy, God exists and is SO much bigger than the darkness that is present.
Pyrenees Mountains, French/Spanish Border.
One foot in front of the other. Not being able to see further than 100m in front of you. While walking through the Pyrenees mountains on the Camino, there was a blanket of fog all around us. Even though we couldn’t see the beauty that was surrounding us, there was still so much beauty to behold. It’s a good reminder for me that even though often in my life I can’t see what’s in front of me let alone the things that are around me that I still have a God who loves me beyond my wildest dreams that is guiding me along. All I must do is keep pushing forward.
