WR Newsletter | Being a Missionary, Sludge and Hugs

 

Willingness is the Difference Maker | Michael Hindes

I find that’s it’s much easier to be obedient than willing. I’m stubborn enough that I can do things asked of me just to prove I Can. But doing them with a good attitude, a smile, some joy, and a little peace is quite another thing…

And yet the promise of God is that we’ll “eat of the good of the land” (be blessed, prosperous, fruitful, etc) only if we do what He asks with a resounding “yes” in our hearts…

 

Ever ask your children to do something but when they do it they have all kinds of attitude? Maybe they storm around, or pout, or sigh, or even put it off until the last minute and then [do halfway] what you’ve asked them to do? Wouldn’t you just rather do it yourself? Do you really feel like blessing their obedience?

Wonder if God ever feels that way about our response to His requests? I wonder if He ever thinks, “I’ll just do it myself” or “I’ll find somebody thankful to do it”? I’m sure He feels that way often with me…

God help me with my willingness, I can be such a spoiled child… 

 

Beginning this July, go to eleven countries – South America, Eastern Europe, Southern Africa and Southeast Asia – for eleven months.  For more information on the route and to apply, click here.

 

It happened again today.  Someone referred to me as a missionary.

Nearly 8 [now finishing 9] months into the race and that word, when used to define my being, still takes me by surprise. In recent months, my name has been attributed to far more ludicrous claims such as prophet, healer, angel, preacher, messenger, & magician… even in the midst of all these seemingly outrageous attributions; missionary is the one that never fails to leave my head spinning.

Me, a missionary? Impossible.

Toxic Sludge Isn’t Normal. But Neither is Hope | Tiffany Berkowitz

Eating rice every single day, not throwing my toilet paper in the toilet, and having at least four different currencies in my wallet at any given time… have all become perfectly normal to me.  Traveling the world is a normal part of my life.  Exposure to unusual circumstances and intense experiences has become a daily occurrence.  Challenging situations are a given.

But the site of thousands upon thousands of people living their entire lives on a mountain of garbage and sewage is never normal.

Things like that are not normal, and seeing it never gets any easier.

Rukungiri | Carl Wilson
About four weeks ago [now eight weeks] we arrived in Kampala, Uganda after a collection of bus rides that were all longer than necessary for various reasons.  We spent a night in a hotel with the 100+ people of M and N squads, catching up on the past few months, recalling characteristically “African” moments, that all shared a streak of far too much similarity to be coincidence.  We left the next morning and boarded a bus to a destination we had no knowledge of, apart from its name. After seven long hours of dust and rattle through winding hill roads we arrived in Rukungiri.

Rukungiri is full of green hills, beautiful people, and a character that is nearly impossible to deny – though it may be easily applicable to the whole of Uganda, and I may never know any different.  From the moment we arrived I think we all felt that something was different about this this place and this month.

Read the rest of the story here and here.

A Hug Revolution | Logan Kaynes
Beautiful Feet is a homeless outreach ministry located in the city center of Belfast, Northern Ireland. They meet every Tuesday night, preparing sandwiches, tea and coffee that they then go and hand out. We had the opportunity to work with them… and it blew my mind…

After talking with various homeless people, we then met 3 men in a hidden back alley behind a side road. Sam is 52 and has been homeless for about eight months… They were sitting helplessly, their eyes filled with sadness… I felt really led to go and sit next to Sam so I did…

Healed at the Awakening | Jedediah Smith, Trevor Curington & Jake Kennedy
 Jedediah Smith, a January 2010 World Race (“M” Squad) participant hurt his leg before spending three months in Africa.  During the Awakening, a worship conference for the World Race, Jed was prayed for.

God heals a World Racer during the Awakening from sara choe on Vimeo.

This is Africa | Emily Conner
 See some of East Africa through Emily’s camera lens.

This is Africa! from Emily Conner on Vimeo.