Ok, friends, here is all the info you need to know about my route – August 2016 Route 3!!
Tell me about The World Race
The World Race is a program of the inter-denominational organization Adventures in Missions (Adventures or AIM). Adventures is an established missions organization that has been around since 1989, having sent over 100,000 people from different churches and backgrounds all over the world on life-changing mission trips.
What’s our mission?
The mission work that we will doing really differs in every country. Some days will be packed full with construction, Vacation Bible School, building relationships with orphans, helping sex trafficking victims, or praying for the sick at a hospital. Some days could be slower — shopping for groceries at the market, cooking for our team, and spending time praying for the community we walk through.
Fundraising 101
I ask you to support me because I want to invite you to be a part of the ministry! Fundraising is about the body of Christ joining together to see God’s Kingdom come.
The money I raise for The World Race will cover my costs for the 11-month trip. This includes meals, lodging, air, land, and sea travel, administrative costs, set-up costs, coaching costs, debriefing costs, and training camp costs.
(I will also be putting a good amount of my own money towards this trip!)
Here is a look at the countries I will be going to, in order. My squad will be the first ones from The World Race going to the 3 countries in Africa! I am especially excited to go to India (I’ve had a heart for India for a long time) and Thailand!
Cote d’Ivoire
Also known as the Ivory Coast, its name is derived from the profitable trade of ivory during the seventeenth century, bringing such a decline in elephants that the trade virtually disappeared by the eighteenth century. With the majority of the population being muslim and two civil wars in the past decade, the Ivory Coast is in need of the good news.
Ghana
With geography ranging from gorgeous savanna to underground cave systems, Ghana is a popular spot for tourists looking to explore Africa’s natural beauty. A strong economy and a democratic government makes it a highly influential country in its region. With such influence, Ghana is a country that needs to be firmly rooted in Jesus Christ.
Burkina Faso
This landlocked country is one of the poorest in the world. With about 90% of population relying on subsistence agriculture, a drought could cause a national famine at any time. Witchcraft and animism are also major parts of all religions, including Christianity. Despite this, the country saw a huge growth in Christianity from 10,000 in 1960 to over 1.4 million in 2010. With its poor economy and the prevalence of animism, Burkina Faso is a country in need of a move of God.
India
With nearly a sixth of the world’s population within its borders, India is a country bursting with people and culture. Home to a diverse array of beliefs from Hinduism to Islam, to a blend of folk religions and other faiths, it is a country of pluralism with twenty-nine languages spoken by over a million native speakers, multiple religions, cuisine, socio-economic classes, and political parties. India’s struggles with poverty and crimes of human trafficking, forced prostitution, religious persecution, and more. You might work with local churches to encourage believers and most likely be challenged by their testimonies. Your presence’ll bring hope and truth to those that society deems “untouchable.”
Nepal
Home to Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain, Nepal literally sits on top of the world. In addition to adventurous experiences you will have here, you may also visit widows and orphans in their times of distress and protect the innocent who are prey to human traffickers. This month of your World Race experience will submerge you in a culture that is desperate for an encounter with the living God.
Cambodia
Cambodia houses one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Angkor Wat, a Hindu temple and monastery built during the Khmer empire in the 12th century. It later became a Buddhist complex a century later, and today, just over 96% of Cambodia is Buddhist. Almost 30 years ago, 1.5 million Cambodians died at the hands of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge regime. Today, Cambodia is a source, transit point, and destination of human trafficking. Unfortunately, the government is struggling to stop it. The people of Cambodia are thirsty for the hope you can bring.
Thailand
The kingdom of Thailand, known as Siam until 1939, is the only country in the region not colonized by Europe. Their 2000 census showed that 94.6% of the population is Buddhist, 4.6% are Muslim, and 0.7% are Christian. Approximately 600,000 people live with HIV/AIDS in Thailand. With nearly two million people estimated to be forced into prostitution, it has become one of the most popular places for sex tourism. Change lives in the city-where you, like Jesus, might befriend prostitutes-or in the countryside-where you may serve youth, care for orphans, and encourage a remnant of believers.
El Salvador
El Salvador is the third largest economy in the region after Costa Rica and Panama and the smallest country (in land mass) in the Americas. A coup d’etat in 1979 led to civil war from 1980-1992 in this country. Oscar Romero, a Catholic bishop well-known known for supporting liberation theology, advocating for social justice in El Salvador, and protesting the government’s persecution of the church was assassinated in 1980 while conducting mass. Much of the country’s revenue comes from remittances. In a land whose name translates to “The Savior”, you’ll be the signs that point to the one true Savior – not a better political system or economy – Jesus Christ.
Honduras
“Hondo” comes from the Spanish word for depth and there’s lots of depth to Honduras. It’s home to the Aztec and Mayan civilizations, whose ruins are still stand. Honduras is mostly mountainous and the weather’s as tropical as it gets. What really runs deep in Honduras are its needs. Honduras is the third poorest in the region, after Haiti and Nicaragua. Like her neighbors, Honduras has had her of share political/military troubles, e.g., the six-month constitutional crisis in 2009. There’s a need to reach out to the youth, not just to keep them out of trouble (e.g., gangs) but for them to know their worth and that they’re loved.
Guatemala
A country rich in history and natural resources – fertile soil from the volcanoes help yield excellent coffee – Guatemala is the perfect place to initiate your World Race experience. Outside of its aesthetic appeal, Guatemala needs God’s touch. Gripped by poverty and bound to a spirit of religion, the people of Guatemala hunger for the kingdom of God to pervade their lives. You’ll have the opportunity to usher in the kingdom to this land and reach out to the people on the fringes of society through hard work, relationships, and maybe even a miracle or two.
Belize
The only country in central America with English as an official language, it’s easy for tourists to get around its beaches, eco-lodges, and scuba diving. Home to the massive Belize Barrier reef, it attracts around a million tourists each year. Even with 84% of its population claiming Christianity, only about 10% regularly attend church and the church is need of revival. Whether you spend your time soaking up the sun on the beaches with tourists or in the cities ministering to locals; you’ll be sure to remember your time in Belize
Please don’t hesitate to ask me any questions by going to the Contact tab on emmawieringa.theworldrace.org! Also, go hit Subscribe for Updates so I can continue to share my journey with you, and let you know how you can pray for me!
