In the next few days I will be announcing where God is leading me next, but before I do that, I want to recap the past 11 months in an attempt to convey how truly amazing the year really was. Each link will take you back to a previous blog that expands on the stories I’ve summarized here. Also, If you would like to pray for some of the people mentioned you can email me for a more detailed prayer request.
Ministry – Working with Pastor Nestor and his wife, Selena, at their church El Olivo, leading church services on Sundays and Wednesdays and going door to door throughout the week visiting church members and seekers
Lesson – The importance of a strong and supportive community
Memory – Getting to know my teammates… laughing over dinner, cramming 6 people plus a guitar into a tiny taxi, not being able to walk up the driveway because of the snarling dogs, sharing testimonies on a rooftop overlooking the beautiful Mexican sunset
Ministry – Working with three different churches, doing daily house visits to pray with church members and seekers, and leading kids programs.
Lesson – Sometime I get to sow the seed and sometimes I get to reap the harvest
Memory – Playing numerous games of go fish with the pastors daughter Dubexi despite the language barrier
Ministry – Traveling with Steph, our squad leader, to visit the other teams
Lesson – The importance of allowing God to change the ones I love
Memory – Eating homemade Argentinean empanadas at Marco’s house (a local street artist that we befriended) while his roommate played guitar and sang in French, Italian, and Spanish. Also, getting stuck with hundreds of dollars in Nicaraguan Cordobas and not being able to exchange them anywhere.
People to pray for – Marco, Gustavo, and Gabo
Ministry – Working with a variety of ministries including university students, helping the elderly make jewelry, and visiting an orphanage
Lesson – The importance of putting on the full armor of God
Memory – Finding an amazing little Indian restaurant and inviting some of the students out to eat and sharing Christ’s love
People to pray for – The students that gave their lives to Christ
Ministry – Visiting two different orphanages and joining Campus Crusade for Christ to evangelize on various university campuses
Lesson – Realizing that everyday is a ministry opportunity waiting to happen
Memory – Playing badminton with the orphans for hours and hours and going home with broken shoes and drenched in sweat
People to pray for – Issac and his university ministry
Ministry – Helping out at the Eden house, working on the Bang family farm, and teaching English
Lesson – God is the ultimate provider
Memory – Seeing the joyful look on the girls face when they saw the finished mural we painted in their bedroom and cornering, capturing, and feeding a herd of goats worm medicine
People to pray for – Vern and Audrey and girls at the Eden house, The Bang family and their ministry in Kanchanaburi
Ministry – Working with Operation Mobilization doing street evangelism
Lesson – Learning from the challenges instead of complaining
Memory – Eating a delightful meal of soup, a baguette, and brie followed by 5 hours of talking with Kira, Tara, and Gareth in the kitchen at Harpenden
People to pray for – Patrick and Neal
Ministry – Moving an orphanage from one location to another
Lesson – True happiness and peace comes from God
Memory – Walking three miles to get water and then having to carry it back
People to pray for – Jaco and his family
Ministry – Joining up with an AIM vision trip and visiting the carepoints in Nsoko
Lesson – God is good all the time even if I don’t understand it
Memory – Getting to wash the feet of hundreds of kids, pray for them and give them new shoes
People to pray for – Pastor Gift and the children at the carepoints
Ministry – Working with HIM ministries planting churches, giving pastor seminars and preaching in the local prison
Lesson – Leadership is much easier when you look to God to lead you before you start to lead others
Memory – Walking 45 minutes to and from each meal and actually enjoying it
People to pray for – The local rastas and all the pastors in the area
Ministry – Networking and scouting out new ministries for future World Race teams
Lesson – God has plans even when I don’t and His knowledge of exactly what I need at any given time never ceases to surprise me
Memory – Making crepes at 3am with our new friends, having great conversation and feeling like I’d known them for years
People to pray for – Our new friends… Mate, Andreas, Andras, Austin, Catherine, and Jordan
Ministry – Joining YWAM and a local Hungarian pastor to preach, teach, lead worship, and put on kids programs
Lesson – God doesn’t fit into any box that I try to create and that’s a very good thing
Memory – Enjoying my new family whether we were laughing together, praying together, crying together or worshipping together
People to pray for – The YWAM staff, especially when it comes to finances and support raising
Ministry – Working with pastor Vitali and the transition homes that he has started
Lesson – Prayer is a powerful thing
Memory – Cleaning up and painting a small house, taking it from disgusting to quaint and cosy
People to pray for – The kids in the transition home
