For starters, no I am not in America anymore! Communication has been very difficult, as my friends have now expanded to over 15 different countries as well as all over the states. Skype calls, emails, and facebook posts get a little overwhelming at times, so I apologize if you have been hurt or confused by my lack of response. It goes both ways, so know grace is extended to you as well. 🙂 The first four months I spent traveling all over the states, living a nomadic, homeless lifestyle on my own. I visited friends, went to best friends weddings, retreated to bethel church in california, had dinner with street dwellers in san francisco, sat with the homeless in birmingham, went to conferences in georgia and chicago, road tripped w/ my good wr friend in new york, saw a ton of r-squad (ptl!), visited family, met new friends, did a ton of other stuff and tried as best as I could to continue living out the gospel…bringing the kingdom with me wherever I went. I saw God do incredible things….provide new tires for a friend in need, heal lots of sick people, heal a man in a wheelchair, heal another paralyzed man in the hospital, provide for every financial need I had while jobless and homeless, restore and love on my family, encourage a group of radical missionaries in georgia, help send out more crazy world racers on the field, and many other things. It was so exciting and encouraging to see God working in the homeland after seeing him move all over the world. Yet, even with all of these amazing things happening, I was breaking down. A lot. Ive traveled before, done the whole re-entry thing. Yet this time, I had a really hard time. I didn’t feel comfortable in America. I didn’t feel comfortable and I didn’t feel like I was home. Everything was making me breakdown. And I admit, the nomadic lifestyle was hard. It’s not easy never knowing how you will eat or where you will stay or where you will go or ‘how’ God will provide. You will be surprised by how many ‘no’s’ i received. I didn’t need a bed. Or a couch. The floor is great for me. You look like a fool to the world…and to your friends and family. Aimless. I cant tell you how many times I responded with “I dont know what I am doing… I am just following God as he leads.” Doesnt really do it for most. The biggest thing I battled was loneliness. I wasn’t the same. I tried to fit back in…to sink into the groove of my old life. But I couldn’t. And I won’t. EVER. The things I saw, the people I encoutered, the extreme situations that tested my faith….the babies I loved, the prisoners I discipled, the red light tourist men I challenged…it changed me. Forever. After some time on the road, I ended up with my world race family and the community at the AIM office in gainesville, ga. It was INCREDIBLE! I helped out at a training camp, went to a Kingdom Dreams searchlight to brainstorm about how to make my dreams a reality, and ended up being blessed with a job offer from AIM as a support coach. I felt like I finally belonged somewhere. It felt like home. I lived in an apartment with 9 people (holla hoodrats) and fell in love with them! Everyday conversations were about the kingdom and this person going here and setting this person up to go there. It was kingdom dreaming and living everyday. And I loved it despite working a 9-5 desk job. I was planning on continuing there for atleast six months, but a few weeks into it, I started feeling change. I started to feel like God was going to take me somewhere in the nations again… I went to a meeting where Jimmy McCarty was talking about stages of development of World Racers, and how they come home from the field and they are stuck, unable to make a decision and keep momentuum for their dreams/future. The whole time he was talking, I felt this huge sense of ‘that’s me!’ and ‘oh crap!’ You see, I had dreams coming home from the race but had been unable to take some risks for fear of making the wrong choice. I thought I had to make the perfect decision, and if I was wrong, it was going to screw up my destiny or some crap like that. FEAR was paralyzing me, making me stuck. FEAR was settling for good, and not for best. FEAR was causing me to forget Im a daughter of the king, and w/ that comes favor and partnership. So I left the meeting and immediately went to Abba. I made a list of my dreams, and decided I just needed to go for it, despite the fear I felt. There were many things on that list, but I’ll only mention the two that sent me on this journey: 1. Nomads. I love backpackers, hippies, the homeless.. people on a journey…people seeking. 2. Fighting Human trafficking and any form of Modern Day slavery Through a series of God-events, I ended up discovering a christian hostel in amsterdam that is placed right in the red light district and ministers to homeless people. Bingo. It was so hard leaving the new community I walked into. They loved and encouraged me well…despite being a newbie. It was really comfortable and incredible, and Im so thankful God led me there, even if it was for one month! So here I am. In Amsterdam. I’ve been here a month and a half, and I have already experienced new things that I struggle to find the words for. I’m working in a christian hostel, ministering to tourists coming to amsterdam looking for cheap legal drugs, sex in the red light district, students, or homeless people looking for work. Its slow season, but so much has happened. Everyday on my way to work, I pass drug shops called coffeehouses, gay bars, sex toy shops, and the red light district where women are forced into prostitution and trafficked. “Hello, world!” Ive had muslims, hindus, buddhists, and athiests in my Bible studies. Ive had an american guy leave my bible study puking his brains out from too much ‘stuff’. I’ve learned how to treat overdoses….oh hey coke. Who knew, right? It’s been interesting, yet Jesus continues to encounter and love and reveal truth to the people here. Several people have encountered love and truth and are now walking with Jesus! I live in a community house w/ 30-ish people from all over the world. Its incredible and I love it. The night before my 24th bday, we had a water fight… It was snowing outside… I have a few more weeks at the hostel, then transition happens again. I am hoping to do the Shine Seminar with YWAM. It’s a 6 week course on the ins and outs of human trafficking. Ill gain knowledge and wisdom, as well as field experience in the brothels in Amsterdam and Riga, Latvia. Its an incredible opportunity, and I’ll tell you more details in my next blog! 🙂 Thanks for being patient with me! And thank you for reading this book of a post! Pray for this city….that the Father’s love would pierce the hearts of those here, and that this city-known for its liberal, free choice thinking-would be transformed into a city known for its compassion and kindness and humility and justice. Pray for me- that I would know the height, width, depth, and length of God’s love for me, and that this love would pour out continuously to those I meet….that I would continue to be obedient- knowing that whatever loss ive had is nothing compared to knowing Jesus! Pray also for healing- Ive been sick a lot here. Pray for finances- the cost of the Shine Seminar is $1600. Pray for a release of God’s resources! Thank You! The Son will shine again, Janell
Hello again!
It’s been six months since I’ve finished the World Race. Six extremely hard, amazing, unexpected, awesome, crazy months. To begin to share in detail all that has happened would indeed be a book in itself, but I wanted to share a little of this journey with you.
And he is using us, me.. to do it! He is moving in this dark place. And He isn’t stopping. Ever.
