Dear Family and Friends,
It is wild to think about how quickly this past year has gone by. 11 months ago I set off on this trip called the World Race. Calling it a ‘trip’ no longer seems right because it was definitely more than that. It changed my life and prepared me for many things, some that I know I’m not yet be aware of.
This past year I have been put in situations that were far out of my comfort zone, lived in community 24/7, been a part of 11 different cultures, lived on 4 continents, fell in love with orphans in Ethiopia, was practically adopted into a Colombian family, grew in my relationship with the Father, formed countless friendships, and SO much more.
When I say that God moved in radical ways, it is no exageration! I’m finishing the World Race with a renewed and fueled faith. The Lord opened my eyes to things I didn’t realize before. He walked me through deep inner healing. He helped me see a new depth to His love for His children. I’ve learned more about His character and the depth of His love for me. I’ve forgiven lots, loved big, learned, and grown, all because of Him!
One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Jeremiah 29:13;
“Seek me with your whole heart and you will find me.”
This is a verse that does a great job of describing my journey on the Race. Their were days where I was angry with God but still chose to seek and worship Him in that anger. I asked Him to help me keep a heart of thankfulness and give me wisdom to see things the way He does. A common prayer of mine is a request for Him to align my heart with His. By doing these things I saw the true heart of the Father and my anger evaporated.
Their were times when I had scewed views of His character and because of that I had loads of questions. But I still chose to seek Him and to invite Him and people that I trusted into those areas. I chose to trust Him even when things didn’t make sense (I still have to trust him even when things don’t make sense).***
Their were days that I was absolutely exhausted but still chose to seek Him and ask Him where and how He wanted to work through me.
Another verse that actually led me to sign up for the Race is 1 John 4:19;
“We love because he first loved us.”
If their were days that I was tired or completely out of my comfort zone, this verse reminded me of why I was there. It helped me remember that even in the midst of discomfort, exhaustion, or whatever it was, that I was there to love others the way I had been loved.
So when I was asked to preach, learn multiple spanish songs in 1 day, lead VBS, reach out to women trapped in sex trafficing, share my testimony with people addicted to drugs, visit local prisons, teach English, etc. I had to remember why I was there and that God wanted to work through me if I simply said yes and remained available.
God called me on this trip to share the love of Christ with people all around the world while personally being renewed and restored. At times sharing that love with others looked a little more literal. I remember having Bible studies in Vietnam with our host and some friends that we made. Each week we would spend time studying scripture, asking questions, praying with and for one another, singing songs, and talking about who Jesus is to us.
Other times love would look more like helping our host mom cook a meal, sports ministry with 24 orphans in Ethiopia, or listening to a 25 year old young man tell me his story about how he ended up on the streets.
This verse also causes me to reflect on all the times that people have selflessly and sincerely cared for me. Each of those moments played a role in me coming on this trip and loving others in a similar way. Man oh man! God’s heart for community never fails to leave me stunned. 🙂
With all of that being said I want to share a couple brief testimonies from the past two months. If you read my last blog I asked for some extra support so I could physically bless or help more people during my final months in Ecuador and Colombia.
From the extra donations that I recieved their were many people that were blessed in unique and awesome ways!
Meet Mama Maria! That is what I liked to call her anyways. This was our host and mom in Ecuador. When people talk about hospitality in South America it is no joke. The hospitality we were shown (specifically with this family) was incredible and a huge blessing. So since my team and I were unable to spend time with our moms this Mothers Day we decided to celebrate our Ecuadorian mother by bringing some flowers to her at work!
This is our friend Sarahi. She works at our favorite coffee shop in Ecuador. SHOUTOUT to Honey Coffee Shop! My friend Andrea and I formed a relationship with her over the few weeks we were there. It started with Andrea writing out English phrases for Sarahi so she could practice her English with people that came into the shop (we lived in a tourist town so their were many people that spoke English). During our time in that city, Andrea and I put together a gift bag with snacks, a friendship bracelet, and a massage package for Sarahi. The best part of it all is that our other friends own the massage parlor that we connected her with and they are Christian based. We had previously spent a lot of time with the owner named Yolanda and shared with her how we wanted to bless Sarahi with a massage. She ended up designing a special card for Sarahi with an encouraging note, Bible verses and a certificate for her massage! I’m telling you… the people we met in Ecuador were WONDERFUL and they found joy in serving others! We ended up giving her this gift on Mothers Day and saying our goodbyes since we were leaving that day. ~ Our friend Yolanda from the massage parlor messaged us a couple weeks later and shared that the two of them (Yolanda and Sarahi) formed a sweet friendship and that Sarahi and her family wanted to start going to church again. YAY Jesus!!
Yesterday I had to leave this little cutie. This is my little buddy, Mateus. This month we stayed in Colombia with Pastor William, his wife, and 3 of their 4 sons. Mateus is Pastor and Pastoras grandson and we bonded real quick! One thing you need to know about Mateus is that he absolutely LOVES soccer (or as they say in Colombia… futbol). Since the World Cup was beginning and Colombia made the cut, I thought it would be awesome to buy him a jersey. He was super excited when I gave it to him and he wore it all the time. This also led to a relationship being formed with his parents. 🙂 It is cool how God works!
Pastor William and Pastora Cristina… where to even begin I don’t know. These two people have a huge place in my heart! The moment we arrived at their home their was obviously something different about them. They are authentic, real, passionate about the Lord and much more. They have such a large desire to serve and do life with others. Pastor leads the church that is attatched to their home and it is unreal how much God is moving there. Ministry included going to really dangerous areas and reaching out to the lost and broken, people struggling with addiction, some without homes, youth and much more. Pastor also visits the local prison and has been able to share about Jesus with some of the most well-known murders and “trouble-makers” in the area. He has wild testimonies of how God has broken down walls and reached people that most would think are unreachable. Him and his family live in a four story building and Pastor has a vision for each floor.
Floor 1- As of now it is an open space. It has been put on Pastors heart to partner with a company that will supply him with sewing machines so he can employ women who’s husbands have left them or who had children at a young age (these are both common issues in this part of Colombia). Pastor William said that God gave him this vision for that space and that he hoped to eventually get sowing machines in women’s homes so they are able to better care for their children and not have to travel far or at all.
Floor 2 – The church!
Floor 3 – This is where their whole family currently lives while they remodel the 4th floor. It is also where future teams will stay as well as people that have to travel to visit their friends or family in prison. Pastor wants to give them a place to stay, feed them, and tell them about Jesus in between their visits to the prison.
Floor 4 – This is where we stayed for the month. This is also where their family will move once they are done remodeling.
Because of your faith in the Lord and your generosity I was able to pass on the blessing to their family so they could finish the upstairs! 🙂
Now for all of you that have supported me along the way; whether through prayer, monetary gifts, or even words of encouragement, I want to thank you!!
Please believe me when I say that your support made a huge impact! My life was not the only one that was changed. A lot of the people that I met went through radical transformation, experienced healing, and many heard of Jesus for the first time. You all had faith that the Lord was going to use me and work through me and I hope you can all see that He did. I want to give a huge thank you for those of you who fought for me in prayer. I believe that by ya’ll interceding for my team and I and the people we met, it shifted something. I’ve witnessed the power of prayer and it is evident that I’ve been blessed to have many prayer warriors in my life.
As you can imagine explaining the past year in a single blog would be crazy. That is why I would love to get together with those of you that would like to hear more about my journey after I return home.
Sending love your way from Colombia. ~ See you all soon! 🙂
**Song of the week: Give Thanks by Eddie James
