It is true… I am poor, but YOU can help me to become rich to be able to finish my journey'! Let me just tell and show you what I have been doing for the past 6 months while on the Race.
Month 1- Zimbabwe
In Zimbabwe my team and another team were working with an unsponsored feeding program named Tafara. Almost everyday we would go to this public building where Tarfar was held and spend the morning helping the volunteers get ready for the afternoon feeding program. Once the children arrived we would serve them lunch and then spend the afternoon playing with them and just loving on them. One of the devotions we had in Zim was on Philippians 2:3-11, but verse 7 "But he made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant," really stood out to me. Verse 7 made me realize that I was on the World Race to literally be NOTHING, just a SERVANT. Not anything more. I am NOT hear to earn praises from God or anyone else. I am here to SERVE and LOVE Gods people.
Month 2- South Africa
Cape Town, South Africa was probably one of my favorite months so far on the Race. My team got to work at a school for children with fetal alcohol syndrome owned and ran by Pastor Daniel and his wife Auntie Vivian. As some of my teammates worked in either a classroom or out doing manual labor, myself and my teammate Beth had to privilege to work with some amazing women in the kitchen at the school. I loved waking up at the crack of dawn every morning to help cook and work with these ladies. By just seeing their smiles you could just tell that they loved what they did and how much they loved God. You would hear "thank you God for (blank)" or "God is good all the time. All the time God is good." and just hear songs of praises for Him. Another ministry opportunity that we got to do in Cape Town was to preach at squatter camps (which they call slums.) We created a big commotion so we could get people attention and then we did a play about the story of Jesus and just preached to them and sang songs. It was very eye opening to see 250 people crammed into this one small section of tiny tin shacks. It reminded me of this quote that my friend Stephanie said "What our eyes don't see our hearts don't feel." South Africa was the start of where God started breaking my heart for what breaks His.
Month 3- Swaziland
Nsoko, Swaziland was filled with joy, sweat, tears, pain, laughter, happiness, and understanding. Swazi was the month where I finally understood what it meant to see God as a Father and not a "boss" type figured. I learned to be a Daughter. Thats were 1 John 3:1 comes in for me, "How great is the love that Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God." Also, my team got to work on a ton of manual labor projects such as, weeding a giant garden, patching up a side deck, digging trenches for a new building, and harvesting. We also ran 10 Christmas parties for these feeding care points that AIM has placed there. We also got to go on house visits out in the bush, where we would just go talk to some of the people and ask them how there were doing and just pray for them . While doing house visits I also learned that God is always on time for everything.
Month 4- China
China was a bit of a blur for me… I only say that because I was mostly sick the whole month and china has lots of spiritual warfare going on there. Well folks, Satan got us good that month! He told us a bunch of lies and attacked us and every way he could think of. But we wouldn't let him bring us all the way down. Even though it was hard to meet some the college students only because they didn't really want anything to do with us and no one spoke any english, we were able to actually make a few friends. We got hang out and get lots of bubble tea, go karoking, and learned how to make dumplings.
Month 5- Philippines
The Philippines was another great month. After cold, depressed China myself and my team came full on in the Philippines. Ready to dig into the Word and grow! During our time in the Philippines we were able to working with college ministries, hung out with street kids, house to house visits, work at a children's home, AWANA Sport camps and did lots of ATL-ing (Ask the Lord). My favorite ministry during this month was being able to hang out with the street kids. There were about 6 or 7 or so that would hang out in front of the Jolliebee begging for money. One day some of my team mates and myself decided to buy them some mangos and bread and just spend time with them and get to know them. We chatted for a bit and got to play street games with them. Also enjoyed spending an afternoon in the children's home that was on the property we were staying at. Had a blast loving on Mary Grace for a couple of hours! I felt like that month in the Philippines God was really calling me to start over in His Word and learn more about His history. I started to read Genesis for the first time and basically blew my mind with all the craziness that happens! Just teaching me that even though there is craziness, God is always there to calm the storm and bring things back together. It also showed me how forgiving God is.
Month 6- India
So far my time here in India has been great! My team has been working with an organizations called Sarah's Covenant Homes. Which is homes for children and adults with specials needs. These Children and adults have been thrown out by their families and basically by the government as well. Sarah has taken these children in created homes for them. We have been spending our time with them and loving on them. We have also been given the chance to take some of these children to the beach for the very first time! We have also gotten to take them on their first boat ride ever as well. It has been amazing to see the joy and happiness on these children's faces when they are experiencing these things for the very first time. Another ministry opportunity that my team has had is that we were able to do some village ministry. We went to this village that was an hour away from where we are staying and would go and pray for people and invite them to a prayer meeting that is supposed to happen that night. At one of the houses we stopped at we started to pray for this man and his wife when next thing we know the wife falls to the grown. We find out that she has a demon in her. So my team prayed and prayed and casted out this demon. She was set free from that demon that same night.
After casting out that demon, I realized how normal and natural it was. If that had happened to me back home i would be freaking out and saying this is crazy! It has taken me 6 months to realize that crazy is normal for me here on the Race and in my life. I have learned that craziness is where all the miracles happen. God is crazy. Bottom line. But a good crazy. No matter where you read in the bible there is some sort of craziness going on and I LOVE IT! I love how crazy God is. And I am starting to love how crazy I am getting for God and I am starting to love living in Gods craziness. Its funny to me that 6 months ago I was soo against this craziness and now I am in love with it.
This is just a small part of what God is teaching and doing through me in these past 6 months. But God has so much more planned for me in the next 5 months… But I need YOUR help to see what God has planned for me. By March 1st I need about $4,100 in my account in order for my to finish the Race. If 100 people donated $41 ( a week of Starbucks) to my account I would be fully funded. OR If 41 people donated $100 to my account I would be fully funded.
I would like to give you a HUGE THANK YOU in advance if you feel called to donate. I really appreciate it. If you feel called please click on my "support me" link on my blog.
