Adventures WorldRace SethBarnes Sponsorship Giving

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              Our new year began on a beach, at an island, in Nicaragua. We had to take a boat (rickety, oversized canoe with a motor) across a small river and then hike 15 minutes (with all of our stuff) to the other side. We set up tents in the sand and slept under the stars to the sounds of crashing waves. Our entire squad was reunited for a few days to celebrate what the Lord had done and where he had brought us. 

            
            We have been so blessed to do life with Team Transformation Station for the first three months. We bonded so well and became like family very quickly. It was evident from the beginning that we needed each other, especially for our transition onto the mission field; we grew together, cried together and laughed together (oh boy, did we laugh!). On New Year’s Day we learned that all the teams were going to be changed and that we would be beginning ministry in Asia with different people. One reason that this happens is because our squad leaders are only with us for four months, so they have called up 3 new squad leaders (who are former team leaders), and 3 new team leaders and therefore have to rearrange the teams. Although we are very sad to leave Becca, Ben, Kenra, Nate and Ash we know that God has a plan. 

            Our new team mates are Dan, Kearston, Emma and Wade and our new team name is The Plunge. We are striving to go deeper than we’ve ever gone before…with the Lord and with each other. Please pray for this time of transition, that we will seek each other out and learn how to live with and love one another. 

            We left Nicaragua on Wednesday, January 4th and said adios to Central America. We also began the most intense travel day(s) that I have ever experienced! 

4am – wake up, tear down tent, hike 15 minutes, take a boat and then a bus to Managua

5pm – flight delayed by 3 hours, 4 hour flight to Atlanta

11pm – check into a donated hotel and free meal from Chick-fil-a, open Christmas packages from home (hooray!), re-pack, take the first bath I’ve had in 3 months (heavenly!)

Jan. 5th: 4am – back to the airport after no sleep

7am – flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles

10am-6pm – spend the day in LA with Becca as tour guide

11pm – board flight from LA to Seoul, South Korea (best flying experience ever!) for a 13 hour flight

Jan. 7th: 5am – arrive in South Korea (we skipped Jan. 6th when we crossed the international date line) for another 12 hour layover at a crazy awesome airport – we got a taste of culture via making traditional necklaces and trying on traditional Korean dresses for free at their cultural experience centres

5pm – board flight from Seoul to Bangkok, Thailand for 5 hours

9pm – arrive in Bangkok

12am – arrive off of trucks at YWAM base

Approximate total travel time: 73 hours

            When we arrived back at the LA airport, I got so nervous about going to Asia. I love almost everything about Central America and feel very comfortable there. It’s been a very long time since I’ve ever experienced culture shock and it just feels weird to be going somewhere COMPLETELY different. However, God has been working in my heart and today I have a new-found excitement for the next four months. I believe that this will be a time for me to truly discover and understand my passion. I want to be broken for something near to the heart of God and use my voice in a radical way. Thailand is the country I was most looking forward to, and I can’t wait to explore the food, the language, the markets and so much more. For me, Asia is a place of mystery and intrigue; it is lovely, yet crazy, beautiful, yet scarred and I can’t wait to get started here!

  
                                       –> Becca and I in the Incheon Airport trying on traditional Korean dresses

         Please pray for our ministry this month. We’ll be spending the first couple of days in Bangkok and then traveling about 11 hours north to the Chiang Rai area. Happy New Year from the sky! May the Lord bless and guide you through the year 2012.