The hot flame of a prayer lantern illuminating my outstretched arms as I raise it up and send it off into the dark night sky of Thailand.
The precious face of an oppressed orphan in Africa wearing a smile the size of a watermelon slice and sharing half my name at that. Sweet Georgito.
The toothless grin of an old widow I met in front of a Hindu temple nestled away in a tiny village of India.
Spending the afternoon with our newlywed Ukrainian friend, dividing beneath the roaring crests of waves that made up the great Black Sea, catching jellyfish just for fun.
The tight lace dresses and hollow screaming eyes of prostitutes working the nightclubs and bars of the Red Light District of Chiang Mai.
The feel of an elephant’s skin as it’s wrinkly surface grazes mine and I hop upon it’s back to ride through the Nepalese jungle amidst the morning fog.
The longing eyes of countless children encountered in the streets.
The rustic sound of waves crashing and crisp, fresh, air filling my lungs as I climbed to the top of a cliff overlooking the Irish Sea.
(photo by the talented KJ Blair)
The dirty outstretched hands and empty open-faced palms of beggars lining the streets of Kathmandu.
Adelina’s Russian gibberish and giggles echoing through my ears as I give her a piggy-back-ride through the streets of Moldova on our way to church every Sunday morning.
When my neighbors looked like this:
Days off looked like this:
My backyard looked like this:
And afternoons at “work” looked like this:
Flashes of the life I’ve lived this past year, the sights, the smell, the people, the friendships, the sounds…they all ripple through my brain like scenes from a movie.
A compilation of memories, adventures, shared experiences and stories all contributing to my very own unique story.
How do I put into words this past year that came and went in the blink of an eye? I can’t even begin. I’ve been home from The World Race for over 3 months now. To say I’ve had a hard time processing all that I’ve seen/experienced would be a flat out understatement.
In all the haze and whirlwind of this crazy past year, I am however, certain of this: in a dark and unexplored corner of my heart, the Lord dusted off an untapped skill and an unfamiliar craft.
When I joined the World Race, I was asked to keep a blog. Not something I was either familiar with nor stoked about but I went along with it. Capturing my day-to-day life through the lens of my Cannon and jotting down my thoughts and experiences occasionally as they occurred. Looking back in retrospect, I’m glad to have a journal of sorts that chronicles my journey and saved some sweet memories and stories along the way. But even more so, I am overwhelmed by the response from people who read and viewed these stories.
Weather a gripping tale of adventure or a heart-wrenching account of abuse and neglect; story tugs on our heartstrings and propels our hands to move.
Stories teach us, they persuade us, they define us. They give us the power to know and act.
And so, I am so incredibly thankful to the Lord for revealing a sincere passion in my heart for writing and photography! Through storytelling, I have been given a sphere of influence far beyond what I could have ever imagined or anticipated. And all I did was say, ‘yes!’ to His calling. I choose to LIVE A GREAT STORY.
And share it.
This whole World Race thing was one immeasurably epic chapter of my story. The stories of these individuals, families, and nations, their lives and hearts…they matter. And my story. The story of my life that, when it comes down to it, is actually all about Jesus, it matters too.
My story is one that, with pen in hand, is still being written.
And so, I shall release my inhibitions, and introduce you to, the next chapter of my story:
In less than one week I will be moving to Gainesville, Georgia to be a part of CGA (the Center for Global Action) – a program offered by Adventures in Missions to World Race alumni for further growth and discipleship in the context of America.
The program has two components: the first is discipleship which includes taking development classes and being mentored by the leaders of Adventures. The second is the apprenticeship where I will be serving in the Adventures office. I’ll be participating in the ‘Story Track,’ learning from a number of talented professionals on how to use stories to make a difference in people’s lives through tools such as writing, photography, videography, and social media. I will be learning the ins and outs of these new passions of mine and am SO excited to see how God uses them for His glory!
This next chapter is looking to be a bit unpredictable. And that is both exciting and scary. It’s going to be challenging and stretching and full of growth and most importantly, HIM. I don’t know exactly what to expect. I am yet again leaving behind loved ones, friends, family, a job and an income. Entering into another dreaded season of financial support and being taken off the path my life looked as if it were heading, a career in the medical field. I am surrendering the authorship of my story and letting Him write the pages, one line at a time. Yikes! I do not know what will happen, what the next chapter after this one will look like, but I do know with certainty that God is calling me to do it. And so I go. Plan B is completely out the window and the Good Lord is all I’ve got to hang onto. This is undoubtedly the biggest leap of faith I’ve ever taken.
As God once said to Joshua, “I am with you where ever you go.”
This gave Joshua the confidence to move forward knowing he carried the will of God with him, regardless of weather he went to the left, the right, or into the promised land.
Once again, I’m graciously asking for your prayers as I dive into this new chapter of my story.
Furthermore, I have been asked to raise a small amount of financial support in order to get me to CGA. I have committed to 4 months and the cost for these 4 months is $2,400. If you feel led to give and invest in the advancement of the Kingdom by investing in my story, I humbly ask you to do so by clicking on the ‘Help Support Me’ link in the upper left side of this page.
Thank you all so much for blessing me through your stories and for being a vital part of mine.
I hope to hone this craft and keep on sharing the colorful and powerful stories of those who don’t have a voice, continue touching the lives of those who ache for the Father’s encouragement, and never cease in extending a hand to those who need His healing.
And although the majority of chapters remain unwritten, my prayer is to always define my story by faithfulness to the One who calls me His own.
Cheers to the next chapter!
