Greetings!
The World Race adventures continue on from Asia and into Eastern Europe!
Our month in Latvia was unique, in that we had the opportunity to work with the network of Methodist churches across four different regions of the country. It exposed us to an incredible community of hospitality and warmth, settled into the countryside and hidden between tall buildings in the capital city.
The work of which we we a part ranged from home visits to gardening, room demolition to leading worship at church gatherings. It was a busy month, as we packed up to move to our next site each week, but it was a wonderful way to view the tight-knit community within the Methodist Church.
I hope that these video episodes can give you a glimpse into the work and global exploration of which you are a part! Thank you for your continued support and prayers and positivity. I am so, so grateful for your role in this journey with me!
GOD bless!
TWR 4.13: sleeping in an indonesian airport
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our housing for a night before our international flight combination was a the floor of the jakarta airport. good thing we carry our sleeping pads and sleeping bags everywhere. ;0)
*this episode is dedicated to a woman who was my area hall director for the residence hall in which i lived for my senior year at north central college. i also had the opporitunity to work with sarah brice through my college’s orientation programs and while she served as a staff support during an alternative break service trip for which i was a student leader. sarah has a heart for supporting students and for supporting world-changing efforts and i am beyond grateful to count her among the incredible network of supporters who represent so many different life seasons for me. thank you, sarah, for your investment in me and in my experiences as an undergraduate student and as a participant with the world race!
TWR 4.14: fusion airport reunion
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it is always a joy when our entire squad is able to come together! in this episode, we all reunited in the jakarta airport to begin our journey to europe for our next few months of service. we also had the opportunity to meet landy, a world race “exposure” participant for this month who is from indonesia.
*this episode is dedicated to em barr, who was a graduating class behind me during our undergraduate experience at north central college. em has an amazingly dedicated heart for empowering and pouring into the next generation of CHRiST-followers and shares a bright sense of joy with all of those with whom she comes into contact. thank you, em, for the way you set an example of how to fiercely pursue JESUS and how to play a role in the way HiS light and love makes a global impact!
TWR 4.15: a resort in the sky
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the luxury of turkish airlines was a wonderful and overwhelming shock to a squad of world racers. we ate divinely prepared meals, sat and slept comfortably, enjoyed on-board entertainment systems, and treasured our gift bags. truly- it was a resort in the sky.
*this episode is dedicated to ryan shreve, a student leader during his undergraduate career with whom i had the opportunity to work in a variety of settings while i was an area hall director at north central college. shrevey has an incredible talent in graphic design and, from the very beginning of his time as a student, used his gifts to share the significance of the campus community and to also glorify and promote the work of the LORD. his passion for creative expression and his dedication to making a widespread impact is inspiring. i am especially moved and impressed to see fresh professionals contributing to efforts and opportunities to influence positive change across the world. shrevey- thank you so, so much for the way you have made an impression on me during our time at north central college and in the way you have made an impression in my experience with the world race!
TWR 4.16: turkey to latvia travel
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our final leg of our big journey from southeast asia to eastern europe was a flight from turkey to latvia. there are always adventures found in travel days.
*this episode is dedicated to todd macmillian, who i know from my worship small group at soul city church. todd has such a kind, compassionate heart and fully pursues CHRiST in all that he does. todd serves through multiple avenues at church and so richly cares for each person who is a part of the community. he is inclusive and encouraging and enthusiastic. todd, i am grateful to have you as a brother in CHRiST and so blessed to have your support in partnering with GOD’s impact throughout the world!
TWR 5.1: latvia arrival
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we have arrived to latvia! eastern europe has welcomed us with shockingly cold weather…but beautifully warm hospitality!
*this episode is dedicated to sue payne, whose heart and spirit is so joyfully shared with every.single.person with whom she comes into contact. i met sue during my time at illinois state university, where i was a graduate assistant in the dean of students office and she served as an office administrator. before sue’s retirement in 2012, she had served iSU for over 31 years, pouring into countless students and adopting them as her own family.
sue, you are truly an inspiration and example of what it means to love and i am so, so blessed by your friendship and to have you supporting GOD’s work and my participation with the world race!
TWR 5.2: church yard work
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this month, team KiMBERLiTE is working with the network of united methodist churches throughout latvia. during our week at our riga location, we assisted with various projects and programs, including a day of yard work and landscaping!
*this episode is dedicated to a fellow soul city church member and friend- kyle deming. i got to know kyle as we both served as table facilitators for the “starting point” small group sessions hosted at our church. and to have kyle contribute toward my support-raising for the world race, having only recently gotten to know me, was really moving and meaningful.
kyle, your generosity and support and enthusiasm to partner with the work of the LORD says so much about your character and i am so honored to have you be a part of this world race experience!
TWR 5.3: worship collaboration and campfires
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the united methodist church in riga invited us to be a part of a collaborative worship night- so we rehearsed before the gathering (or- in the case of makenzie and me, goofed around a bit) and then experienced a powerful evening uniting people of diverse backgrounds and nationalities. and we concluded our night with a teammie campfire on the church grounds. :0)
*this episode is dedicated to phill, with whom i developed a friendship through unusual and unexpected circumstances! phill served as one of my campus hosts when i was interviewing for positions at universities before the world race. though we have only interacted twice in-person and live across the country from one another, our mutual passion for supporting college students, desire for global exploration, and commitment to following JESUS served as a strong foundation for us to connect beyond being professional colleagues. finding a friend in phill, i believe, is an example and demonstration of the unique ways that the LORD weaves individuals together in CHRiST-centered community.
phill, i am so grateful for your friendship and your support, and i am incredibly moved by your contribution to the work of the LORD through the world race. THANK YOU!
TWR 5.4: double dipping churches
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while partnering with the united methodist church network across different areas of latvia, we served two different church communities at once. so our sunday schedule was packed with church visits and leadership participation.
*this episode is dedicated to erin thomas, from whom i had the privilege to learn and develop as an incoming professional in the student affairs field. erin was the coordinator of the dean of students unit in which i worked as a graduate assistant at illinois state university. additionally, erin co-instructed one of my graduate courses focused on assessment. being able to have erin as a role model and mentor to me during and beyond my graduate program most certainly has strengthen my skills, style, and values within the field of higher education. she has been an extraordinary support to me in my roles as student, professional, and friend and i am so blessed, erin, to have you and your family partner with how the LORD is moving across the globe through the world race! thank you!
TWR 5.5: demolition day
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the united methodist church in taši has a vision to create a community space for its neighborhood to utilize for events and resources. our team was invited to assist with the initial stages of demolishing the interior of an apartment unit for the future renovation and redesigning project.
*this episode is dedicated to rick ponx, who was my first ever supervisor as an undergraduate student worker. as i started in a role of student ambassador in the office of admission at north central college, i had been assigned to work directly with rick ponx. not only did rick ponx serve as a significant support and example of a strong work ethic, he continued to be a friend to me beyond my time as a student worker. we have also been able to collaborate as professional colleagues on the same campus and remained in contact as rick ponx moved on to an opportunity to serve as a head coach for a college football team.
to have a friend and available resource and encourager in a rick ponx for over a decade is such a blessing. rick ponx, i cannot thank you enough for all the ways you have supported me- as a student, as a professional, and as an international volunteer with the world race!
TWR 5.6: latvian countryside
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we spent a week in taši, latvia, which exposed us to the quaint and wonder-filled land of homemade beet soup, rope swings, and stork nests.
*this episode is dedicated to christina richardson, with whom i had the opportunity to work in the capacity of providing incoming students with orientation programs at north central college. my collateral assignment as an area hall director allowed me to collaborate with other students on campus and christina absolutely set a high bar for academically driven and holistically invested student leaders. christina had already made a significant impression in her accounting career field well before earning her bachelor’s degree and she graduated with high honors, outstanding recognition, and a humble spirit.
christina, thank you SO much for your support and encouragement and contributing to the opportunity to share GOD’s light and love across the globe through the world race!
TWR 5.7: TWR cribs- latvia edition
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throughout our service in latvia, we lived in four separate locations, housed in various churches. in this episode of “cribs”, kristen and i host a tour through our taši housing.
*this episode is dedicated my dear friends, alissa and aaron selburg and their two sweet girls (lola and sylvia). alissa and i were in the same cohort and worked together as graduate assistants at illinois state university. alissa has a bubbly, bright, beautiful spirit and aaron is creative, clever, and comical. and this couple has such a heart for inclusion and community and an extraordinary loyalty to their friends.
thank you, alissa and aaron, for your friendship and for your support and encouragement in making a global impact. it’s a privilege to have your family be a part of the world race with me!
TWR 5.8: blessing patients in a hospital hospice wing
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before leaving liepaja, we had the beautiful and heart-warming opportunity to visit patients in a hospital hospice wing and share testimonies, worship songs, treats, handmade cards, lots of hugs, and sweet fellowship.
*this episode is dedicated my friend and sister in CHRiST, shannon, and her husband, scott. i met shannon when i volunteered for my first ever alternative break trip as a first year student at north central college. shannon was two years ahead of me and really invested in me and helped me get more connected and involved as a campus leader. her brother was in my graduating class, and so i have been able to spend a lot of time with the peart family and see them as my own extended family. shannon and i have lived together, traveled together, served GOD together, and her friendship is one that i tightly treasure. thank you, shannon, scott, [AND BABY BENJAMiN!], for your love, prayers, and support as a part of the world race!
TWR 5.9: back to riga
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we traveled from liepaja back to our home-base church in riga for a few days of ministry and service before heading back out to another country church. we also had the opportunity to skype with our squad mentor, daniel, who works for adventures in missions and supports our fusion squad!
*this episode is dedicated to my sweet, energetic, animal-loving, dance-partying friend, chelsea armstrong! i met chelsea as she finished up her final year of undergraduate coursework at north central college. while i was working as an area hall director, she was serving as a student worker in the office of residence life. chelsea went on to graduate and work full-time for north central, excelling in administration and organization. not only does chelsea beautifully multi-task and manage demanding responsibilities of the office, she also serves with an incredibly selfless heart, willing to drop everything to prioritize the wellness and success of others.
chelsea, you have such a loving, gentle, kind spirit and i am so blessed and grateful to have you as a cheerleader and strong supporter of making positive change across the world through the world race!
TWR 5.10: riga church picnic
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upon arrival to the methodist church in riga, we were greeted with a picnic in the very courtyard we had helped restore and landscape earlier that month!
*this episode is dedicated to my friend, shannon, who i first met during an alternative spring break trip with habitat for humanity in my first year of college. an upperclassman herself, shannon really invested in me as a first year student and encouraged me to get more involved on campus. we served together in a variety of volunteer opportunities at the local and national level and worked together in a traveling summer program to teach vacation bible school in methodist churches across illinois. shannon and i also lived together while i was in graduate school. over our years of friendship, i have been invited into shannon’s family and have cherished having such a strong example of a woman in CHRiST through shannon.
i am so grateful to you, shannon, and your husband, scott, for being such a strong support to me through all of life’s seasons. and thank you, especially, for your prayers and encouragement in being a part of the world race with me!
TWR 5.11: lithuania road trip [part 1] | fortress, nature, & locally brewed beer
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for an adventure day, we decided to skip town [and the country!] and explore lithuania with one of our ministry hosts! daina brought us to 17th century biržai fortress and to one of the oldest breweries in the country- established in 1686!
*this episode is dedicated to the mother of one of my sweet friends. i earlier dedicated an episode to chrissy, who served as my supervisor when i worked for soul city kids camp. chrissy studied abroad in lithuania, so i thought it would be a great episode to recognize her mother. ms. bouchotte – without even ever meeting me – felt called to be a part of GOD’s work through global love and contributed to my support raising after hearing about what i would be doing from chrissy. wow. i am truly inspiried by your heart to serve and support GOD’s call, ms. bouchotte, and i am so, so grateful to have you be a part of this experience with the world race!
TWR 5.12: lithuania road trip [part 2] | kristen meets quicksand
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kristen and i share a love for birch trees. unfortunately, upon finding a cluster of these beautiful trees, kristen fell victim to the unstable, soggy ground that surrounded them. she maintained high, comic spirits, despite the situation. ;0)
*this episode is dedicated to my friend, sammi, with whom i worked at soul city church’s summer kids camp. it is from sammi that i first ever heard of the world race and so i certainly see her as playing a significant and integral role in leading me to GOD’s call! sammi has a bright, energetic, adventurous spirit and beautiful heart for sharing GOD’s light and love with those around her. sammi, thank you SO much for your friendship, for your prayers, for your support- AND FOR TELLiNG ME ABOUT THE WORLD RACE!!!
TWR 5.13: lithuania road trip [part 3] | in the treetops
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we spent some time in anykšciai to tour the treetops of lithuania. though i am very uncomfortable with heights, it was an adventure well worth encountering fear!
*i earlier dedicated an episode to my longtime friend, scott drucker [filmmaker- www.scottdrucker.com]. this episode is dedicated to his mom, mrs. drucker. she has generously and enthusiastically supported my service with the world race, as well as been a consistent cheerleader for me in many of my life endeavors. every time i have visited scott at his family’s home, his parents and brothers have always shared kindheartedness and hospitality and demonstrated genuine care and investment in my own life. to have lifelong friends is a gift; to see their families as an extension of my own is a blessing. i am immensely grateful for the drucker family’s warmth and encouragement and so thrilled to share this journey with them!
TWR 5.14: lithuania road trip [part 4] | exploring a church and the cosmos
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our side trip adventure to lithuania continued with a rainy exploration of a church and cosmos tourist trap [haha] experience in anykšciai.
*this episode is dedicated to one of my instructors from a course in which i was enrolled as a graduate student. dr. mohamed nur-awaleh is a faculty member in the department of education and foundations at illinois state university. he is zealously passionate about global and comparative higher education and brings an unmatchable level of energy to the classroom. dr. moe’s investment in his students flows beyond the academic setting, as he supports and encourages those who have taken his courses into their professional and personal lives.
i am so grateful, dr. moe, to have you as an incredibly accessible and caring resource and supporter. thank you for your heart and care to encourage me in all seasons of life and for your enthusiasm for make a difference in the world through international travel and service!
TWR 5.15: liepa methodist church after-school program
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for the week we were placed with the methodist church located in the country village of liepa, we supported a small, loving after-school program for the local youth.
*this episode is dedicated to my sweet friend, jamie christy. we each volunteered with “empower a child”, a christian NGO based outside of kampala, uganda. though we were not living or serving in africa at the same time in 2008, our mutual experience and heart for uganda, and the community there of which we were a part connected us. we’ve visited one another in our home locations across the united states and have attended weddings and events together to celebrate those we met in uganda. jamie’s family has hosted me in their home on several visiting occasions and treated me as another daughter and sister of the family. jamie has a bright, joy-filled spirit and a heart that magnificently reflects the gentleness and warmth of JESUS. i am so, so grateful, jamie, to have you as a beautiful friend, an adventure and travel buddy, and – most importantly – as a sister in CHRiST. thank you for your love and encouragement as i serve with the world race!
TWR 5.16: latvian nature walk
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our host in liepa, latvia led us through a 9K hike through the forest, sandstone, and brick factory! it was pretty neat. ;0)
*while i was in eastern africa volunteering in 2008, i spent a week serving in tanzania. jen was another volunteer who overlapped with me at the conference and ministry week hosted outside of dar es salaam. Though jen and I have literally only spent that one week together- over eight years ago!- we have remained friends. what an incredible testimony of how CHRiST can link to women of the LORD together and establish a lifelong friendship of encouragement, prayer and care for one another!
jen, I am so, so grateful for the unique way GOD has woven our lives together for a brief moment and carried that impact into a strong , everlasting friendship. and it is such a beautiful demonstration of your family’s commitment and obedience to the LORD to support the way HE moves across the world! thank you, jen and matt [and little miss kara!] for investing in this journey with the world race!
TWR 5.17: latvian ballet
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with another team joining us in riga, we decided to soak up the city culture and see a ballet showcase together!
*this episode is dedicated to my friend from north central college, jenny brown, with whom i worked and served together during our college years. jenny was a year ahead of me, but we interacted through a traveling vacation bible school instructing group, multiple service trips, and various campus ministry organizations. while i was in graduate school, jenny and i lived in the same town and attended the same church. her spirit is lovely and gentle, her singing voice is beautiful, and her loyalty as a friend is strong. the way jenny loves and serves others absolutely embodies the heart of JESUS and i am so, so blessed to have her as a friend.
jenny and her husband welcomed their daughter, claire, to the world just as i departed for the world race. to have all three of them as a family invest in what GOD is doing across the globe through the world race means so much to me and i am grateful to have the brown family supporting me and praying for me every day.
TWR 5.18: KiMBERLiTE farewell team dinner
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as we learned of upcoming team changes, KiMBERLiTE set out to make memories and celebrate our time together with a special dinner and outing in riga, latvia.
*this episode is dedicated to a beautiful friend i met while traveling with my mom in an organized international tour group. just two months before i left for the world race, i met corina as a part of the UK and Ireland tour of which my mom and i were a part. Corina has an incredibly generous and thoughtful spirit and gentle heart. she and i share a lot in common in our life seasons, values, and commitment to CHRiST, and it was a blessing to connect with corina, who lives in california. i was so, so moved to receive a package from corina before i departed for the world race – she sent me a box filled with supplies for traveling and backpacking!
corina, i am so thankful for your contributions to this world race journey, for your consistent support and prayers, and for a delightfully unexpected friendship that developed from an international tour experience!
TWR 5.19: leadership development weekend
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our entire squad met for several days to share and encourage one another in developing as leaders making a global impact and as followers of CHRiST.
*this episode is dedicated to a friend i met while volunteering in africa. we each served with empower a child based out of kampala, uganda, yet only worked together for one week in tanzania in 2008. I am so moved by the way the LORD can connect individuals and create a solid foundation of friendship between two people of GOD. kyle and his wife, rachael, live in texas, but we’ve remained friends and have been able to see each other a couple of times, encourage one another throughout life’s seasons, and uplift one another in prayer despite geographic distance.
kyle, i cherish our shared memories in eastern africa and the opportunity GOD has set before us to remain connected as a brother and sister in CHRiST. thank you so much, kyle and rachael, for partnering so generously with the LORD in an opportunity to spread HiS love across HiS big, beautiful world. it is a tremendous privilege to share this journey with you!
TWR 5.20: team changes
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as we enter into month 6 of the world race, we receive new team assignments!
*this episode is dedicated to a the sister of one of my friends, who i earlier recognized for supporting me. jamie christy’s sister, jess, has a sparkling, joyful, bright spirit and a beautiful heart for the LORD. i’ve been able to get to know jess through attending worship concerts together and exploring each of our home states of minnesota and illinois together, with jamie. and jess was a significant encouragement to me as i was sharing about feeling called to the world race and so generously contributed to my support raising.
jess, thank you for your support and encouragement and prayers. i am so, so blessed to have you journey alongside of me and of the LORD through the world race!
