The World Race - Tommy Sullivan

One year ago

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

One year ago on this day God divinely protected and saved a handful of his children from a near fatal car crash in the African bush.

Much love to- Melissa, Daniel, Woody, Kimbo, Nat, Juliette, Calebu, Felix(driver) and the other two Malawians. (the survivors)

Much thanks to God, his son Jesus, his Holy Spirit and His ridiculous LOVE that we are utterly lavished in.

That's all she wrote.

Sun, 29 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

I can see the end in sight, the end of the chapter coming very soon, only a few pages left. What an incredible chapter it has been. How could I possibly recap the past year of adventure, soul searching, joy, happiness, love, highs, lows, trials, fear, pain and just about every feeling one could possibly feel?

One -twenty-second of my life on spent circumnavigating this planet in great effort to make it a better place. Hundreds of lives touched along the way, but none more so than my own. The journey spent with dozens and dozens of my brothers and sisters who were all but strangers not long ago. I peer back at the pages of my life in the past several months and memories begin to flood my mind. How do I possibly move on while there is so much to look back upon and relish?

After spending a year with the same people every moment of every day how could I possibly leave their side? We crammed into small vehicles, piling onto one another's laps. We shared hotel beds and even limited floor space to lay our heads down. Life was crowded as we traveled around, but ever so cozy.

I sit here in the Los Angeles airport alone and sad. My brothers and sisters have all gone their separate ways, each to continue their lives. Some are flying home. Some are road tripping. Others are preparing to go back out into the nations because their calling overseas has not yet been fulfilled.

Alas, this amazing chapter has drawn to a close, but a new chapter has officially begun. Every single person I was privileged to travel the globe with is beginning a new season. So let's make the most of it. Let us easily recall the past memories and experiences we went through for it is these very memories and experiences that define where we are and WHO we are today. Let us remain present and lead by the Spirit at all times, making the most of every single moment as we eagerly anticipate what the future holds.

It's been a beautifully, bumpy ride. I love you all.

Rock out , Finish Strong, Malayisan style

Sun, 22 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

I am chalking up Saturday, May 21, 2011 as one of the best days of my life. Curious? Don't worry, I will oblige that curiosity. Read on...

We probably all heard about the world ending this day according to a 'Christian' preacher. My take on this situation- that guy is a complete jackass. Pardon my French. I cannot believe people say things like that, even more so, I cannot believe that so much commotion is caused by people who listen. I mean, honestly, is that really front page news for worldwide news leader CNN?

That man needs slapped across his pretty little face... out of love of course. Being a believer of Jesus Christ, I find it difficult to imagine a greater disservice to the advancement of the Gospel. Through it all, God will get His glory that He deserves and life goes on though, eh? Life on this planet is the most astonishing of things to witness. Reaching into the archives, I'd like to bust out a quote from the 1993 cinematic gold known as, Jurassic Park:

"Dr. Ian Malcolm: If there is one thing history has taught us it's that life will not be contained. Life breaks free, expands to new territory, and crashes through barriers, painfully, maybe even dangerously.
Henry Wu: You're implying that a group composed entirely of female animals will... breed?
Dr. Ian Malcolm: No, I'm simply saying that life, uh... finds a way."

Thanks for that nugget of truth Dr. Ian Malcolm, life does finds a way. I can give witness to this claim in that May, 21^st marked the sixth month anniversary since I should have lost my life in the plains of Africa. Six months to the day since I found myself pinned underneath that van against the dusty, orange clay wondering if this was it. That was the most painful and terrifying day of my life, but by the divine hand of God, life found a way. Half a year later the eight survivors of the wreck: Caleb Galloway, Daniel Durick, Kimberly Kaim, Melissa Ventura, Juliette Steele, Natalie Swartzendruber, Stephanie Woody and myself, each look back and we each celebrate the day that God saved our lives.

It turns out that the country of Malaysia coincidentally has one of its largest festivities of the year on May 21^st as well. It is an event called 'The Colors of 1 Malaysia' that celebrates the many different cultures in Malaysia uniting together as one. Malaysia is rich with Malay, Indian, Muslim and Chinese cultures but there are nice blends of smaller sub-cultures that add even more variety to the mix. Tourism is important to the Malaysian peoples, and of course to the Malaysian economy. 'The Colors of 1 Malaysia' put on a parade that zigzagged through the city streets leading to the heart of Kuala Lumpur where a massive concert was rocking the concrete jungle. Differences were laid aside as all peoples came together to dance in the streets to rejoice at how beautiful life is... together.

It was a pretty big deal- flashing lights, loud music, fireworks overhead. Even the King and Queen made an appearance.

Some fruitcake preacher claimed the world would end this day. As I partied downtown with well over 10,000 brothers and sisters from all over the world I shouted up over the thumping music, 'End of the world my a**!' I realize I said ass, twice, no now three times, in this blog... pardon my French again. Merci. I just get so fired up. Six months ago to this day my back was swollen, black and blue and my legs were tingling as I lay in a hospital bed wondering if I would walk again.

This day my legs were kicking and my feet tapping as I danced in the streets all night long, wishing morning would never come. Praise the Lord.

Malay Jungle- May 12th, a day remembered. Part 1

Fri, 13 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Today was quite the day out in the wilderness of Malaysia. It started like any typical day as my watch chimed away at 8 am trying to lure me out of bed. I groaned and blindly groped the watch until it stopped making that awful racket... Just a few more minutes.

I get a nudge on my butt from Craig's foot fifty minutes later telling me we're leaving in ten. I stagger out of the room yawning and rubbing the sleepiness out of my eyes. First thing I see is three of our girls sitting at the kitchen table, each pair of eyes glued on their individual bibles. I can't help but grin and praise God for the new morning, that kind of stuff is contagious you know.

Daniel, noticing I am lagging a bit behind this morning, kindly offers to make me breakfast and I gladly accept the offer.

He's a good guy.

I glance down at my leg and run my fingers over the skin starting to heal on the infection on my ankle. I raise my eyes and behold, scrambled eggs and potato wedges appeared out of thin air.

I raise my arm and mumbled a tone resembling, 'thank you' towards Daniel. He gestures and mumbles back, 'yeah, don't worry about it'. I lift my fork, actually spoon now that I think of it... all the forks were dirty. I lift my spoon and watched the steam slowly raise into the air as I take the first bite. Delicious... uh-oh it's time to go...

As everyone files out of the front door each person picks up their respective yellow rain boots we bought at the convenient store down the road. I average putting on 3.5 wrong boots before I finally put on the right pair.

We hop into our van and drive several minutes until we reach the farm that is nestled right on the edge of the jungle on the outskirts of town. My knuckles are pure white by the time we get there due to my death clinch on the 'Oh ___ handle'. Turns out Malay drivers do not drive like it is Sunday and the roads happen to be quite windy and narrow. The absence of seatbelts makes that handle my very best friend each and every time we get into that van.

I jump out of the van upon arrival and we all start to walk down a dirt path toward the farm. I start to slow down and let the pack pass on by to stop in my usual spot to 'water the plants'. The perfect spot where the bush next to the path clears up... right here... and I look at this...

It doesn't matter how many times I see it because I always say, 'Wow, that is a big tree.' .... Every time without fail.

At the farm we see Maleak and Nordstrom, our brothers from other mothers, Bangladesh mothers to be more exact. They both live and work here on the farm in Malaysia to support their families back home. We greet and make small talk. Nordstrom doesn't speak English and Maleak speaks only a little. He tries to explain what we are going to do today but we are all left confused. He says, 'Pipes' , and points up the hill. We say, 'Alright! After you', all of us curious to see what we'd be doing for the day.

The farm is irrigated with an ingenious system of pipes syphoned from rivers up the hill in the jungle that allow gravity to do what it does best to supply limitless water. Turns out that the water flow was too weak, so the pipes had to be rearranged so the plants could get the water they needed. The process is ingenious yes, however as I learned today it is quite difficult to set up.

There are several pipes, each pipe approximately 3 inches or so in diameter and several hundred meters long. Each of these long pipes are drug through the jungle from the water source to the farm. Task 1- disassemble existing pipe system. This was pretty easy because the pipeline was on a trail. Task 2- drag pipes to a new location. This was slightly more difficult and tiring to drag the cumbersome pipes to the different river, we were still on a trail nonetheless. Task 3- assemble new pipeline in new location. The kicker... no trail this time.

So there we go, lugging these awkward huge pipes off the beaten path, down a steep hill into the heart of the jungle. As we become engulfed in the lush green beauty I try to recall if I got all of my shots as I swat at bugs while slipping on wet rocks and logs. As I am looking down I step onto a leaf that is so big that I could easily use it as a blanket. I smiled and needless today, I stopped caring about the shots. No worries in paradise. (Cue Bob Marly's, Three Little Birds- 'Don't worry about a thing, cause every little thing is going to be alright.')

Keep Reading Part 2! Click Here!

Malay Jungle- May 12th, a day remembered. Part 2

Fri, 13 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

So hot in there, ever so hot. The humidity increases immensely as the trees block out the refreshing breeze and lock in the hot sticky air. Where is my water? Back at the top?... yeah, back at the top. I just keep lugging that pipe along, hoping over logs, ducking under branches and doing my best to keep my footing all the while huming, '... cause every little thing is going to be alright'. I wipe my brow and kneel down in a stream and splash cool, refreshing water on my sweaty face as I hear Maleak yell out, 'Lunch time!'

We trek back to the farm and sit down with Maleak and Nordstrom to eat lunch that was prepared by the girls. Fresh lettuce and green beans picked straight from our farm that were steamed with a curry seasoning, and a side of rice. Delicious. Utensils in the jungle? Pffffft, ha! We use our hands.

Maleak proceeds to say, 'So your... uh... Prime Minister... he is negro', in a matter of fact type statement. We all look at each other and slowly let out a laugh and say, 'Yes... our President is black.'

'Obama right?'

'Yes, Obama.'

We continue to chit chat with Maleak, mostly trying to describe what words are in English while he does the same with his native Bengla dialect. Some of our girls that have been growing out their leg hair for months (don't worry about them, they're... uh, just being all-natural) ask him if women have leg hair in Bangladesh. With an unfortunate look on his face he looks down and replies, 'Yes.'

Oh, Maleak, you're so funny.

To communicate with him we use a lot of gestures because body language really helps bridge the gap when verbal communication lapses. Lots of 'thumbs up' to indicate good, that kind of thing. During lunch Maleak informed us that giving a 'thumbs up' is unbelievably offensive in Bangladesh. It would be like a bunch of Bangladesh people coming to America and flipping people off with their middle finger to indicate 'good job'. Good thing to know... especially since we've been giving him a thumbs up multiple times a day everyday up until this point.

After lunch the dreaded food coma starts to set in. I get up and wash the dishes in an effort to avoid falling asleep, only to be grumpy when I am woken up to work in a few minutes. Hi ho, hi ho, back to the jungle we go. We clumsily carry a pipe to its final (fingers crossed) resting place only to retrace our steps, grab another pipe and drag it to where we left off.

The path of traveling pipeline cut right through another farm while in route which offered a great view of the mountains off in the distance. Every time I passed through I noticed a hazy cloud growing ever closer. Sure enough, before long we are literally inside the hazy cloud getting pelted with heavy raindrops. Ever been in a tropical rainforest during a rainstorm? Quite a sight to see.

The once slippery rocks and wood below became even more slick. Slabs of mud suction onto every yellow rain boot trespassing through its midst creating a lovely smacking sound. Leeches come out of hiding and slowly crawl towards your bare skin to feast on your blood. Thick drops of rain pelt your body soaking you to the very core.

Best part of it all, the further along we ventured with the pipeline, the rain picked up, the thicker the vegetation got and more difficult trekking became. Maleak was leading the pack, and taking the absolute harshest course possible, at least that is what was going through my head. We follow the pipeline along, laughing and soaking in the experience of following a pipe in the Malaysian jungle in a torrential downpour when we see the pipe disappear underneath an impenetrable mashed together pile of thorny branches. What the heck Maleak?!

A small opening on the bottom was the only way, so army crawl through the mud it was. The crawl lasted for forty or so feet. As we inched on a few comments came out along the lines of, 'How about those poor saps sitting in their cozy houses right now? Pfffft yeah, probably drinking coffee. Who'd wanna be doing that right now?' In the middle of our rant we flop out onto a trail, muddy and flabbergasted. The trail was running parallel to our path and it was only a few feet to the left. What the heck Maleak?! Following the trail, we came upon the farm in only a few seconds to see Maleak laughing. We embraced and couldn't wipe the smiles off of our faces. The girls asked, 'So how was it?' In unison, Daniel, Craig and I reply, 'You have no idea.'

This is right after we emerged from the jungle... Craig, Daniel and me. 3 happy campers.

Hopping into the driver seat of the van I hightail it back home so I can hop into shower. Heated shower... Ahhh yeah. Stripping down I look down and see circle shaped blood marks on my legs and torso. LEECHES! I frantically check my crotch... and then the rest of my body... and then my crotch again for more leeches. Clear. Thank God.

Just another day in the jungle. I currently am setting the alarm on my watch. Will I get up at the time I set it? Probably not. Only tomorrow will reveal what adventures lie ahead. Until then...

Malay picture update

Sat, 7 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

A brief synopsis of my time here in Malaysia so far.

I have toured Kuala Lumpur, seeing the various sites. I had to stay back in the city for a few days to treat a nasty flesh eating infection on my leg I got while working with goat poop last month. Not a bad trade off to see buildings like these.

The Petronas Towers, former tallest buildings in the world.

We have 10 people living in a small house off a windy road in the jungle. Check out interesting plumbing in our house. We have to keep the water running or else the pipes will explode from the pressure.

This is a ghetto rig in our front yard that helps with the pressure. Pretty sweet fountain huh?

So far this month I have been working on a farm with the team. Our task as of late has been collecting bamboo from the jungle and piling it up on the farm for future use.

I have been driving this tractor to haul the bamboo. Pretty sweet ride huh?

The other day our van broke down so we walked to a small resort minutes from where we work.

I can see where we work from this pool. Quite refreshing after a long day of work, but it gets me questioning the disparity of wealth as I see my brothers and sisters doing backbreaking work on the farm all day for hardly any money at all.

I am enjoying the simple life on a farm for the second month in a row while enjoying luxuries in life on the side. God is good.

. Pseudo Jazz Bar

Tue, 3 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Here I sit on the balcony above Canteen, a small restaurant in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, calmly watching the world go by. Sheets of rain drowning out all noise as the heavy drops collide with the city street. The soft sounds of smooth jazz pouring out of my laptop calm my nerves even more. The screeching of brakes and occasional car horn from down below slightly disrupts my trail of thought. The overwhelming thought at the moment-

Life is good.

I am sitting comfortably while enjoying the lazy afternoon unfold before me. Not a care in the world. The rain collecting on the street below washing away dirt and grime lodged on its surface, cleaning the sidewalks that are frequented by so many passer-byes. It is almost as if the rain has a transcendent effect on my soul. Although I am physically covered from the open sky above, I still feel as if the rain is washing away the dirt and grime inside of me as I gaze upon it. I feel anxiety and worries melt and slip away into gutters of an eternal abyss.

Unknown paths yet to be traveled in my near future cry for my utmost attention. I make the transition out of being on an adventurous, year-long missionary back to a 'normal' life in less than a month, and the future holds so many uncertainties.

Who, what, where, when, how, why?

The intensity of it picks up, here it comes. More rain. The cool downpour of droplets raining from above continue to wash away anxious, polluted thoughts from my mind. Not a care in the world. Truly, there is no place I would rather be than the present. A coffee would be nice, but that would require getting up and temporarily leaving the most peaceful niche in all of Malaysia. Couldn't possibly do that, no, not now. The rain is so calming to my soul at this very moment.

Life is good.

Here I sit, covered by an awning on a balcony above Canteen this lazy Tuesday afternoon. I tell you, I am sensing the oddest feeling at the moment. As I sit upon the ledge above the street below I see it, yes there it is. My very being is down there, my spirit, my very soul. It is splashing in a puddle and dancing underneath the myriad droplets descending from above. Yes, there it is, there is me, there I am, there goes the filthiness dissolving and being swept away to the sewers. My being so clean and free. I see them disappear beneath the street below, the former thoughts that have plagued me for so long, yes, there they go. The-

Who, what, where, when, how, why?

-have vanished before my very eyes. A pleasant piano solo chiming out of the electronic device in my lap brings delight to my ears as I notice the rain begin let up. Fewer and fewer drops falling on the city street below. I am beginning to smell the fragrance, ah what a glorious smell it is, that fresh, clean, unsurpassed aroma. You know it quite clearly, it is that wonderful, subsequent scent that follows all rain storms where ever they go. It entices those cooped up inside to come on out and experience the purity that the storm brought about. The scent of freedom if you will. What a lovely scent it is.

Yeah, life really is that good.

Why do I believe what I beleive? (pt 1)

Mon, 2 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

I have seen overindulgence and vain pursuit of riches in the United States of America. The people of the nation have been lulled to a numb stupor as their senses are overwhelmed with entertainment, advertisements and propaganda. I see the mounts of material possessions that are horded over their lifetimes, only left to be corroded and eaten by moths.

I have seen families living in a filthy town dump rampant with disease in Nicaragua living off of the waste of others. Some of the parents would prostitute their daughters to the dump truck drivers so that the parents would have first dibs on the new loads of garbage coming in. Some of the girls weren't even teenagers.

I have seen the repercussion of a disheartened neighborhood in slums of the Dominican Republic through the actions of the children living there. Young kids, with egos far inflated past their years, violently fighting with each other constantly because their only influences are gang bangers and drug dealers.

I have seen the absolute reliance for foreign aid in Haiti because the immense poverty was magnified tenfold when the earthquake hit 15 months ago. Some photos were taken of the destruction last year look no different from photos taken in the same spot today.

I have seen the iron grip of addiction in the form of alcoholism in the beautiful green country of Ireland. Moderation is a term without meaning in the pubs that are commonplace for the Irish. The laughter, singing and cheerful atmosphere of drinking environments masks hidden sorrow and pain that is temporarily eased by the reaching the bottom of the glass.

I have seen the gloominess and despair of a forgotten part of the world in Eastern Europe in Romania and Moldova. The remnants of a communist reign have left the people of these countries poor, downcast without hope.

I have seen African children in Malawi, old enough to run and talk, breast feeding on their mother's breast because the family cannot afford any other food for their children. Their society is stuck in the stone-age because of a lack of opportunity and resources.

I have seen the disparity between rich and poor in South Africa as clearly as white is from black, and ironically enough the skin color tells the story. A township of thousands of tin shacks lays only minutes down the road from multimillion dollar homes.

I have held orphans in the Philippines and heard them call me daddy because I was momentarily their father figure. One day one of the older girls ripped a boy out of my arms and snarled at me telling him that I am NOT his daddy. This girl was old enough to realize that I was only a temporary volunteer and if the boy opened up and attached to me that he would feel so much pain and hurt when I had to leave him.

I have seen young women trapped inside of prostitution rings in Thailand being used and abused by lustful men who will never be quite satisfied. Some girls were sold into this life style by their parents because their parents couldn't afford to raise them. I've seen the sadness on the faces of beautiful daughters who were turned into sex objects with a price tag.

I have seen the burden of an oppressive government that weighs heavy on its people in China. I have seen people attacked and persecuted for their beliefs; beliefs that transcend self and government. I have heard a Chinese man say he feels all alone in his faith because everyone else laughs at what he believes in.

Those people would probably laugh at me too. Everyone is looking for hope in the midst of a broken world.

In my twenty-two years living on this planet I have witnessed firsthand some of the most distraught and hopeless conditions fathomable. My eyes have been heartbreakingly privileged to witness the true state of mankind on this pale blue dot floating in space we call Earth. Looking back in history, mankind has indefinitely been in this wretched state of being. I have concluded that the human race is essentially looking to find happiness and peace amidst the unkind world they live in.

Those who are wealthy enough seem to find comfort in the material things in life, the things that do not really change the world to make it better, but simply add a distraction and a buffer between themselves and the wretched. Those who are not born into wealth may find purpose in gaining it at any means necessary. Others may keep a 'moral' code by following the rules that are governed by society and work hard to achieve this happiness, thus entering the 'grind'.

Some find purpose in religion, the belief that a higher Deity exists, and that somehow life will be better in the next life or that someway enlightenment is achievable in this lifetime. Largely, religious beliefs derive from our roots, what our parents believe, what our parent's parents believe, etc.., what our peers believe, what our community believes, what our nation believes, what our founding fathers believed, what our founding father's founding fathers believed. Some blindly accept the torch passed on from their roots, never fully examining other options, just simply taking what has always been either because they wish not to make waves and cause conflict, they are indifferent, or they do not know anything else besides what is presented to them.

I was raised in a Christian environment in a Christian nation. Naturally I feel into the Christian belief system. Christianity as I have come to know it is as follows:

God exists. He is perfect in every way, the epitome of Love. He created everything we see, experience and know, he created you, me, the animals, planets, stars... everything. He created a perfect world and put two human beings into the world. The humans disobeyed God, thus evil entered into the world and a disease, sin, and sin has been inherited throughout generations up to the present day. Offering sacrifices to God forgave men of their trespasses in times of old. However, because God loved the world so much he sent his son, Jesus Christ, so he could be the final sacrifice on man's behalf. It was foretold that a 'savior' would rescue the world from its wretched state and Jesus claimed to be this man. He was a humble, meek carpenter who hung out with prostitutes, drunks and everyone that society rejected. He was not a valiant, noble king or strong warrior that descended from heaven on chariots of fire. He flipped the world on its head, putting the lowest of the low on the top and the top on the bottom. He was rejected by the world. Jesus was crucified and his blood was shed as a sacrifice for all of man's sin, past, present and future. Man can do nothing to redeem himself, but only accept the gift of Christ's sacrifice. No good works can please God because he already loves us immeasurably. He desires to have a relationship with mankind. It is the hope of Christians that Christ will one day return and restore the world back to its perfect state. Until then we are called to be in relationship with our Creator.

Depending on your background, that may sound like the exact thing you have heard from church pews and pastors your entire life. This may be the first time you have ever heard the story of Jesus. I'll be the first one to admit that this sounds like a fictional story, truly like a fairytale. Yet I find comfort in believing in something bigger than me. I find comfort in believing that life is not vanity and chasing after the wind, but that I have purpose and that anything is possible. I find comfort in believing that I am part of the greatest story of Love ever told. A story about how a being, God, loved his creation so much that he offered his son to die for us. He died for me. I find peace in this. I find happiness in this. I find joy in talking to the God of the universe, knowing that He hears me because he is everywhere, even though I cannot physically see him... or can I? He is invisible yet fully visible. I can see Him in the sunrise, in the way my brothers and sister love one another, in the stars at night, in the intricacies of leaf on a weeping willow, in laughter, and the list limitlessly continues.

A sobering question has lingered in my mind as I come across communities in different countries that have different religious beliefs. What if I grew up in a community with a fundamental belief other than Christianity? Would I be a Christian? What if I was taught Islamic principles by my parents? Would I believe in Buddhism if I was born in China? Would I be agnostic or atheistic given an unbecoming 'Christian' upbringing? These are questions that I cannot answer, and I dislike speculating about because I truly would never know unless I actually lived in such a situation. Would I believe that Jesus really is the Savior, the Christ foretold by prophets of old, the Way, the Truth, the Life if it were presented to me? As it is, I find myself in a situation that would never allow me to experience Christ from any other viewpoint than the one which I currently find myself in.

continue reading:

Why do I believe what I believe part 2

Why do I believe what I beleive? (pt 2)

Mon, 2 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The debate over which religion is the truth has raging for centuries. Wars have been battled, people have suffered and history shows us that the boiling pot of 'religion' has been the kindling that has fueled unparalleled animosity throughout time. As humans we tend to compartmentalize all we know about 'religion' into its own little box. Through our personal experience, knowledge and lens we view this box, each one differently. Different memories of the past have drastically shaped this box differently for each of us. The trigger word 'religion' has neuronet links in our brain, meaning that our minds will naturally piece together information in a trail, leading to predispositions, indefinite and sometimes definite conclusions. Or, the thought trail may be incongruous, leading towards something entirely different than the trigger word. For instance, I may say the word banana, and the word triggers thoughts of the color yellow, food, hungry, what time is it?, I need to make dinner tonight, she is coming over at seven, I wonder if she will wear her hair up or down, I like it when she wears her hair up.

So, 'religion'... what comes to mind? Some may have been burned by a church, some may have witnessed extreme hypocrisy, some may have been treated unfairly by nuns in a Catholic school, some may be appalled by the violence and hate stemming from 'religious beliefs' in the Middle East. Others may have had their lives drastically change for the better, been miraculously healed, been released from an addiction, or have experienced a loving community for the first time. Although we all share the title as human beings, we each are so uniquely different that the word 'religion' does not trigger the exact same thoughts for any of us. Disregarding the disparity of what the end-trails of our mind's behold from the prompt word religion, we all come to an end nonetheless. What is your end?

I have examined my belief system, believing that a Jewish revolutionary named Jesus Christ is the actual Savior of the universe, and I believe this to be the truth, thus I have committed my life to serve Him. Not to say that I have never questioned or doubted but I've realized in those times of uncertainty sometimes it is just the wakeup call I need. It comforts me that the King I worship has no crown. I find joy that he humbles the proud and exalts the humbled. I love learning more about Him every day of my life. I have been called to be a missionary for this season of my life, to be an ambassador for Christ to the ends of the Earth. I am walking into this new life lead by the Spirit, a new experience that truly is amazing. I have been called to simply live and share my belief through action and deed of everyday life. I realize that other people have absolutely no reason to believe what I believe in. My stomach repulses at the thought of forcing my belief system upon other people, or scaring them into believing what I believe by preaching fire and brimstone. God, and God alone, is capable of stirring within a man's soul and convicting his heart, I am nothing more than His vessel. But simply by living and truly following what I have committed my life to is amply sufficient. God doesn't need me to do anything, but I believe that He chose to use me for his purposes and will continue to use me as long as I abide in Him.

It is a hard concept to allow myself to accept that not everyone will believe what I believe in, and according to that belief, not everyone will come to know what Life is, both before and after death. Jesus warns his disciples that anyone who believes in Him will bring division into the world.

Matthew 10:34-35

'Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.'

Jesus foretells warnings that family members will disagree about beliefs, thus creating division in households. He goes on to talk about how if you love your family more than you love God, you are not worthy to follow Him.

Matthew 10:36-37

And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

Christ says that He longs to be the utmost desire of our lives and that loving Him is more important than anything. This does not mean that we cannot love our family, it means that when our priorities are in order, God taking all precedence, we will be able to love our family better than we could imagine. Christ asks for us to abandon all else for Him so that we may discover what life is truly about.

Matthew 10:38-

And who ever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his for my sake will find it.

Losing my life so that I may find it... this is the quest I have set out on.

Despite the terrible conditions I have seen in the world I have seen one common thread throughout every circumstance- Jesus Christ is the one remedy. He represents universal hope. Without Him we have no true hope. No-one can cure the pain, the hunger, hopelessness, and the aching world we live in except for Him. Jesus lives vicariously inside of any person who will accept and believe in Him through the Holy Spirit. I have done nothing good to change the world, but it is only his Spirit inside of me that has brought Light into the world. Believe me, no matter how dark and daunting situations are, His light will always shine through it all and He will get glory. Every circumstance I have experienced has been flipped on its head in that they look grim from the outside, but truly amazing things are happening. God is changing hundreds of thousands of lives every day through His body, those who allow Christ to work through them. I have witnessed individual lives, communities and nations transformed in front of my eyes.

I believe that I am nothing, but the One who I believe in is everything. All good things come from Him. God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit- the holy tri-fecta Being that is transforming my life and perception of reality daily.

This is what I believe.

April in Thailand. A month to remember

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

April has come and gone in the blink of an eye. Time seemed to move so slow in the hot, sluggish afternoons on the farm in Thailand. Shoveling goat poo and spreading it in the fields seemed like it would never end as the hot sun shone down. As time seemed to move so slow, it really was flying by and wouldn't ya know it... Thailand has come and passed. I sit here in a hotel in Malaysia beginning my final month. It seems like not so long ago that I was sitting at home, eyes glazed over as I read blog after blog of current world racers wondering how I would fare out there in the big world.

The amazing thing that I have learned while on the world race is that this trip, and life for that matter, is full of opposites.

Time seems to move so slow, but fly by at the same time.

I miss home, yet love being away from home.

----------

I was blessed to be surrounded by such great people during the month of April...

...we found a lot of interesting creatures while together, we ended up eating this scorpion... because that is what boys do...

...we found this spider in a cave... it was bigger than my head... we did not attempt to eat him...

... we also managed to witness some of Thailand's beauty...

...after working the fields of course... I'd say we got pretty good at planting kasava....

...and one of the coolest parts of the month...

...was seeing the transformation in our labor....

.... and in our relationships with each other....

... here is to you Thailand. Thanks for the memories.

---------

Word on the street is that my team will be posted up in the Malaysian jungle during the month of May. I'll keep ya posted.

African Memoir

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

November 2010 through January 2011 marked a very unique time in my life, a time that will not quickly fade from my mind. During this time I experienced a taste of sub-Saharan Africa. The thought of the continent stirs countless mixed webs of memories and emotions that force me sit and reflect.

I will never forget the tears of sorrow that formed and slowly rolled out of the eyes that witnessed poverty, disease, hunger, pain and hopelessness in the African bush. I will never forget the tears of joy that poured out when villagers first heard about unconditional Love from a Savior and their response to chase after it.

I will never forget the time my life was nearly cut short in a devastating car accident. I will never forget the grief of wondering if I would ever walk again as I lay in hospital bed that night. I will never forget the joy when I took a few staggering, painful steps the next morning.

I will never forget the excitement I felt from helping a missionary couple start a coffee shop. I will never forget the wise words they spoke over me as they displayed a humble, devoted life.

I will never forget the first time an idea was thrown out about road tripping across a third of the continent and how impossible it seemed. I will never forget the anticipation when we actually began the drive. I will never forget the fun we had along the entire journey and the relief upon our arrival.

I will never forget how much I enjoyed sitting down and talking with homeless men in Cape Town. I will never forget hearing their stories as I shared with them the beautiful story King without a crown.

I will never forget the numerous times my jaw scraped the ground when I witnessed the splendor and natural beauty throughout the land. I will never forget the myriad of new friends I gained along the way.

I will never forget Africa.

Deep conversations, Knee Deep Manure

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

What does a Godly man look like? What does a Godly woman look like? Certainly we could attribute certain characteristics and infer certain 'requirements', so to speak, of what that person may look like, but could a concrete definition of a Godly man and woman be asserted? Poets, Psalmists, writers, lyricists and great minds have tried to capture the essence of what it means for mankind to embody the almighty living God since the beginning of time. Some may have captured some, if only a fracture, of what it looks like to embody God but it is utterly impossible to capture to the full essence of something, or Someone rather, who is beyond human's ability of comprehension. Even in that, each and every individual displays characteristics drastically differently. The slightest differences on a subatomic level will amplify throughout our very being causing vast variations in our very existence as humans. Something as simple as an 'X' chromosome substituted for a 'Y' chromosome in a person's 23^rd DNA strand would change a 'he' to a 'she'. The complexities of our physical bodies reflect the complexity of our spiritual beings.

In recent days in the farmlands of western Thailand such topics of conversation have allured countless thought-provoking ideas, theories and discussions amongst the twenty-two men of our squad. Even though we all have different ages, experiences, education, strengths, weaknesses, giftings, lifestyles and backgrounds we share countless commonalties. The utmost being our relationship with the living God and our desire for more of Him in each of our lives. We each desire to draw nearer to Him, to dwell with Him, to talk to Him, to praise Him, to worship Him, to love Him as He loves us. We hail the King of the Jews, Jesus Christ, and bow before Him as faithful servants. We marvel at Christ's ability to live a perfect life free of sin, and we desire to follow His narrow path He has set before us. We rely on His strength to survive, not our own. The Christ inside of each one of us cries out to the Christ in the other, encouraging, inspiring, teaching and molding our hearts and minds.

The daily, mundane, manual labor we are taking part in this month has fostered a great environment for conversation while working out on the farm. Of course, given a set amount of time, conversations between men inevitably turns toward the ever elusive opposite sex. Great points have been made about our takes on what a Godly woman looks like. Something I have really taken and held onto was the idea that a man and woman prospecting a long-term relationship need to come to an agreement on standards. A simple example: a man desires to marry a woman who works out to keep her physique, but the man is not willing to work out himself. No one may hold a standard for the opposite sex that they are not willing to keep themselves. In a Christian relationship, standards are vital for a successful relationship. The utmost standard for the opposite sex is being a relationship with the living God and a desire for more of Him.

Pressure is instantly relieved from either side of the party as both male and female counterparts realize that they each must love God more than they love one another. He is the One bringing them together and sustaining them. With this being said, God has conveyed His standards for relationships that must be abided by. No sex before marriage. Could it be a cruel rule enacted because God desires to watch us suffer in our abstinence? Not quite. He understands that sex leads to consequences, procreation being one of them. I do not desire to indulge in statistics about orphans, one-parent raised children and abortions to convey a point on why sex is not acceptable outside of marriage. I'd like to highlight a standard that couples need consider before marriage. If God has decreed no sex before marriage, then what constitutes as sex? As humans abiding by rules, we desire to get as close to 'the line' as we can before we break the rule. We find loopholes and excuses to tip-toe along the edge of what is acceptable. Hugging the line between following God and sinning is not what God desires at all, he desires that we are a thousand feet away from the line. Jesus says that lusting after a woman in your mind constitutes as adultery. What if kissing your fiance caused your mind to lust after her? Would you be willing to forgo nearly all physical affection until the wedding bells ring to honor your to-be-wife? Would she be God fearing enough to agree with you and help you through the process?

These are the conversations we are having in midst of shoveling goat manure and planting crops in the middle of nowhere Thailand. It is odd how the one desire we have, pursuing a deeper more fulfilling relationship with God, truly shapes every facet of our lives.

Thailand... where boys become men

Wed, 6 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

I'll be spending the month of April in the beautiful western farm country of Thailand. Twenty of us men are working with a Thai couple who is setting up a YWAM (Youth With a Mission, Christian organization) base in a rural community. Our work so far has consisted of planting Kasava, a plant that is later processed into Tapioca pudding.

Here is a Kasava root that we stick into the ground.

So far we have planted a few fields of the plant.

The fields typically look like this. Just over the mountains is the country of Myanmar or Burma as we call it..

After planting the Kasava we have been privileged to gather massive amount of goat feces and spread them amongst the plants as fertilizer.

Work has been strenuous and tiring forcing all of us to hit the sack early every night but I have enjoyed every second of it. Life really does just slow down on a farm making it easy to reflect on God.

Conversations amongst the men here have ranged from lighthearted and funny to intensely deep and enlightening. I love doing life with the people around me.

I am really taken back by the number of great friends I've aquired along the way.

On our day off I was able to make even more new friends. They are pretty wild.

More detailed posts about Thailand coming soon.

The Chronicles of China- Chapter 5

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Remarkable Story

To conclude my account of the month of March I spent in China I will tell a story about two people I came across while in the mainland. While in our city, we befriended a guy, we'll call him Rambo to protect him, and Rambo was a pretty cool guy. He wore leather jackets, rocked tattoos all over his body and frequently made humorous comments. One day after Jeremy and I finished grabbing some spicy noodles (a huge bowl for 5.5 RNB or about $1 USD) we were on our way over to a tattoo shop where Rambo frequented regularly. Rambo introduced us to his friends over there and two of my team members, Daniel and Woody, both decided to get a tattoo. Jeremy and I wanted to support them as they endured the needles so we hopped onto a bus to go meet them at the shop.

Our novice navigation led us onto the right bus going in the wrong direction. We laughed while waiting for the bus to complete its route and begin to backtrack into the right direction. While waiting we were approached by a girl, let's call her Scarlet, and Scarlet seemed to know us very well despite Jeremy and myself having not a clue who she was. She started asking us how we were doing and what we were up to today. We soon realized that she knew Rambo and that she knew about us through him. She was very friendly, almost too friendly, and after some more small talk she invited us to dinner that night with her friends. Jeremy and I looked at each other with eye brows raised. I sheepishly replied to the strange friendly woman, "Umm, yeah, we will talk to Jesse and we will let you know."

I had been praying, everyone on my team had been praying, for 'divine appointments' to meet with people every morning before we left our house. After we arrived to the tattoo shop I realized that I had obviously experienced a divine appointment with Scarlet on the bus earlier that day and that I had no choice but to go to dinner. So that evening Jeremy, Daniel and myself went out to eat dinner with Scarlet and two of her friends at a restaurant and ate a phenomenal shrimp dish. We got to talking with the two guys, small talk at first getting to know them. Before we met them, Scarlet told us that both of these guys were relatively new believers in Jesus Christ and she really encouraged us to talk to them about God and encourage them in their faith. Soon enough our conversations sank deeper than surface level questions.

We asked one of the guys, John, how he came to know Christ and he told us a remarkable story. Scarlet was born in Korea and while she was in church there two years ago she heard God telling her that she would take a man named John to Korea. She did not understand what this meant because she did not know anyone named John. Well, two years passed by and finally God spoke to Scarlet again about John. She was sitting in a university classroom and God told her that the guy sitting in front of her was the 'disciple who Jesus loves'. Scarlet was confused. God then led her to read a few passages from the Gospel of John in the New Testament. In that book, John frequently refers to himself as the 'disciple who Jesus loves.' Scarlet started a conversation with the guy and they became very good friends. He had a Chinese name, but as it is common for Chinese people, he adopted an English name: John courtesy of Scarlet.

Scarlet took John to Korea and they attended a church there. This was the first time John had ever experienced anything like it. The congregation was made up of a lot of Chinese people and John expressed that for the first time he felt like he wasn't alone in his beliefs. I asked the other guy we were having dinner with if he had ever been to church. He said no, because he has never had an opportunity to go. That strung a chord so deep within me that I cannot express how much it hurt to hear. It made me think about how over-saturated America is with churches. There is nearly one on every block but people choose not to go out of laziness while this man had never even had an opportunity to go.

The guys on our teams poured into Scarlet's friends day after day. We would go eat meals, explore their university, play basketball and spend quality time together. We had a bible study one evening at a coffee shop where we talked to John a lot about holding on to what he has come to know. He expressed that a lot of his friends laugh at him for believing in Jesus but he doesn't care. The Holy Spirit must had been all over John because there was literally a twinkle in his eye when he said that. We prayed for him for several minutes and once we were done John told us that he had seen a vision. He said that he saw himself as a small baby and that Jeremy, Daniel, Jake and myself were holding him above our heads towards the heavens.

Can't make this stuff up. Truth is stranger than fiction.

The Chronicles of China- Chapter 1

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Prologue- I have spent all of March, the 9^th month since leaving home on the World Race, in the People's Republic of China. I unfortunately was unable to use the internet this past month because Christian missionaries are not welcome here in China. Under the rule of the Communist authorities governing this nation there are many laws and regulations that prohibit anyone speaking of Jesus Christ the Savior, the Holy Spirit and of God, the Father. All electronic communication is monitored by the government meaning that every e-mail, text message and phone call is combed through to protect the People's Republic. I have kept an account of my month here in China that I have turned into a blog series called the 'Chronicles of China'. Now that I have left the country I am able to post the blogs.

The Unknown

I can still remember when I was a little kid learning about planet Earth back in elementary school. My teacher would do her best to try and explain how the world was round and how gravity worked yet many of us were left with a long list of questions and a stupid look on our faces.

If the world is round, then wouldn't people on the other side of the world, like the people in China, be upside down? Wouldn't the blood rush to their heads?

Then of course there came the ultimate 7 year old epiphany:

So if we dig a hole deep enough... we will end up in China.

I set out one lazy weekend afternoon to accomplish such a feat in my very own backyard. I was fascinated with the absolute alien world that was China. All I knew about China at the time was that they talked funny, my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle toys were 'Made in China', the fried rice from the Chinese restaurant over on 3^rd street in Laramie, Wyoming was killer, Jackie Chan was a kung-fu king, and that people wore large 'rice field' hats like Raiden from Mortal Combat. Sounds ignorant and racist? Possibly. Growing up, I never learned about the far East in school so my young mind did the best it could to tie the little I bits and pieces of Asian culture I knew about together.

My determination to reach the other side of the Earth faded when I realized I only was about a foot closer to China after a couple exhausting hours of digging. My fascination about the other side dwindled through the years following. Little did I know that one day that God would call me to China for a season to be His hands and feet.

Would have never guessed that I would end up here in Tianamen Square... Or sitting on the Great Wall.

Out of the eleven scheduled countries to visit on this mission trip, no other country was quite as hyped as China, and for good reason. My own personal lack of knowledge combined with a sense of secrecy from the World Race organization made the country all the more fascinating. The secrecy was implemented to ensure our safety and the safety of our contacts we were working with because China is a closed country.

There is a branch of the Chinese government called the Public Security Bureau (PSB) that aims to keep the public safe as the name implies. The PSB is specifically interested in suppressing Christian belief and keeping missionaries out of the country. Christians today, much like the first band of brothers and sisters that proclaimed the Good News of Jesus over two-thousand years ago, are being persecuted and imprisoned for their beliefs. Here in China, there were laws passed deeming what is acceptable for people to believe regarding religion. For example certain government-sanctioned churches (Three-Self Churches) may teach about Christ, but not about his resurrection or returning. Teaching or talking about the final book of the bible, Revelations is prohibited. Bibles as Westerners know them are illegal to own, and only modified versions of the bible are 'legal' to own. The Chinese government is exercising excessive and unjustified control that is based out of fear. Fear that the 1.6 billion inhabitants might rise up, find a voice, discover the Truth and over throw the powers that be.

In speaking to the people who live here in China it is disturbing to hear about the oppression exerted by the government. Truth is being distorted and twisted to 'keep order'. Like mentioned in the prologue, ALL electronic communication runs through a filter. If 'Big Brother' doesn't like what it sees it will block, edit and delete information and seek to detain the source of the information. There have been major disputes between China and Google because of the government allegedly spying into Gmail accounts. China has gone so far as disabling 'Youtube' and 'Facebook' through the entire country to keep communication down and more easily monitored. There was a major earthquake in a northern province here that was kept a secret by the government from foreign nations and even other provinces so no one would panic. Major news websites like CNN are currently being blocked so that people will not be able to read about the debacle in Libya and northern Africa. The riots happening over in those nations might give the Chinese people ideas about rising up against their own government. Protests happen all of the time here in China, but no news coverage is allowed to broadcast so no one ever hears about them. In an attempt to protect the public, the tyrannical government has successfully created a manipulated, brainwashed, disheartened society.

I was shocked as I learned these new things that the Western world simply does not hear about. I took on an attitude of a learner this month to help absorb the new culture and thoroughly soak it all in.

The thing that I love the most about China is that all of the odds are stacked against the people, yet the battle is being won. Despite unfavorable conditions here in China, God allowed us to enter and to embody the change that this nation needs. We were a handful joining the thousands, if not millions of people who are already making a difference in this country. We simply came in and fanned the flames that are already burning brightly in the underground.

Light always penetrates darkness and darkness can never overcome the Light.

Keep reading-

The Chronicles of China:

Chapter 2- Goodbye American Asia, Hello Other American Asia

The Chronicles of China- Chapter 2

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Goodbye American Asia, Hello Other American Asia

I spent the month of February in the Philippines, a fantastic country with amazing people. It is hard to put a finger on the exact culture of the group of 177 islands bunched together in south-east Asia that make up the country. There was Spanish settlement on the Philippines several decades ago which gives the atmosphere a Latino flair. It initially reminded me of Nicaragua and other Central American countries especially because of small nuances and phrases like, 'Hola' or in counting numbers, 'uno, dose, tres'. The Philippines is also hopelessly in love with everything American, from Western entertainment, to lifestyle, to clothing, to slang.

American flags, signs and pop culture are plastered all over Jeepneys, limousine jeep vehicles used for local transportation. (Maverick, going supersonic, see you in 30 seconds)

As an American I was placed on a pedestal with near celebrity status as I walked around the city we stayed in. We were in Asia, but the Philippines felt nothing like the foreign Eastern world that I have heard so much about. It was a pleasure to be there and to be treated so well, truly the Philippines is an amazing place, but deep down I wanted to experience the real Asia. Our teams were informed that we would be going to China for the month of March and I was very excited.

There was a lot of secrecy surrounding what exactly our month would look like because China is a communist country that has a questionable, problematic government. Applying for tourist visas was a nightmare, it has only been very recently that the government has released a vice-grip over the borders of the country. For the longest time no one was let in or out and even though the reigns have been let up, it is still difficult for outsiders to enter. Thankfully, we were all accepted and we flew from Manila, Philippines to Hong Kong in early March.

Most of the teams hopped onto trains and traveled north up into mainland China as soon as we landed. A few teams stayed behind in Hong Kong, my team being one of them. My teams plan was to stay in the city for a week before taking a long train ride up into the mainland. Upon arrival in Hong Kong I realized that I was still not in the real Asia that I desired to experience. The verdict over whether Hong Kong is or is not a part of China depends on who you ask. You see, Hong Kong is like its own separate country, separate from the mainland. It has its own currency, the Hong Kong Dollar as opposed to the China RMB, its own official language, Cantonese as opposed to China's Mandarin, and its own governing authorizes that are not dictated by China's Communist government. There is a border between Hong Kong and China that is recognized and secured. A strange fact is that vehicles drive on the left side of the road in Hong Kong, while in mainland China they drive on the right side of the road.

Hong Kong was under British rule until just a few decades ago, so there is a subtle British influence here, much like the Spanish influence in the Philippines. This would explain why cars are driven on the left. Yes, I know, it is quite strange. Hong Kong is a metropolitan, commercial, financial hub that is a major player in world trade and economics.

This is a picture taken from International Finance Center building number 2, the 8^th largest building in the world, aka the Batman building. The real reason we went here was because this is the building Batman jumps off of in the Dark Knight movie. He jumps to closest building with the spikes on top.

So being in Hong Kong... are you really in China? Yes, no, maybe.... I don't know. All I know is that Hong Kong is not the real Asia that I longed to experience either. It really just exemplifies America's capitalism and advancements. Some have dubbed Hong Kong the place where 'East meets West'.

Keep reading-

The Chronicles of China:

Chapter 3- Labor and Fruits of Hong Kong

The Chronicles of China- Chapter 3

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Labor and Fruits of Hong Kong

While we spent a week in Hong Kong we partnered with an American association, whose name I am not at liberty to post online. There are over 1,000 Christian churches in Hong Kong and even though there is spiritual freedom in Hong Kong, I cannot say the name of the association we partnered with because they are active in a lot of mission work in China's mainland, where spiritual freedom doesn't exist. We stayed in the oldest village in Hong Kong, nearly 950 years old, at the compound of the association. The village literally was a starting point for what is today known as Hong Kong. Despite the towering skyscrapers and hustle and bustle of the city only a few miles down the road, the village is very much so isolated from city life.

The cement laden labyrinth is congested with towering apartment complexes and ancient temples that are frequently visited by local residents. Nearly one-thousand years ago cultural and spiritual rituals were established here and are still practiced today. Ancestor worship can be seen, and smelt, on nearly every block as incense is burned to commemorate heritage.

Paul reminds the Corinthians in his second letter to them that the battle we Christians fight is not one fought between flesh and blood, but between spiritual forces in the realm unseen. Invitations to all different sorts of spirits are sent out excessively with the amount of prayers and rituals offered daily. Every couple of weeks there are festivals with fireworks in the village to celebrate the new and full moon. The spiritual atmosphere of this area could be described as nothing less than a war zone. There is a dark, heavy blanket that seems to manifest and weigh down the neighborhood but we took part in combating it daily. Every morning we would wake up and take part in prayer and worship to our Lord and Savior alongside our brothers and sister from the association. It is sometimes hard to comprehend, but by simply worshiping God in a group, the entire atmosphere morphs all of the surrounding area as His presence is ushered in. We would ask for His covering and He would supply it amply every morning. It is a real treat to be able to join together with other members of the Body around the world and connect with them at all different levels.

I've discovered a reoccurring theme of my team's role on the World Race. We have played a vital role in energizing, encouraging and inspiring people we meet and stay with as we travel along from country to country. Specifically in Hong Kong we were able to fellowship with a bunch of teenagers, and twenty-somethings who were preparing to head into the mainland in a few months. Our team has been there and done that, living in community in a foreign place, so lots of tips were shared. I also shared the testimony of how God saved all of my team-member's and my own life in the car accident in Africa a few months earlier. Exchanging stories about missionary living is always fun and interesting because the conversation inevitably turns to talking about diarrhea, uncleanliness and other delightful things... and everyone has a one-up story.

Oh you think that's bad? Let me tell you about this one time I at 'belute' in the Philippines.... (Belute is a 17 day old duck embryo cooked like a hard-boiled egg. Bones, beak, feet and if you're lucky you even get feathers. Yummy.)

One day while in Hong Kong we took the train across the city to volunteer at a Christian organization called Crossroads. Even though I was only there for one day, going there changed my life. I have been keeping tally of different organizations I've come across on this trip, but no organization has been quite as phenomenal as this one. What started as a married couple sending a couple of boxes for disaster relief a few years ago has turned into a worldwide goods distributer. Millions of items, from used furniture from businesses, blackboards from schools, school supplies, medical supplies, and just about anything you could imagine are donated to Crossroads and then sent to people around the world in need. Click here to check out their website.

We spent the day organizing a shipment of chairs that were going to be sent to Africa and a shipment of bedding that just came in from an airline.

Cross roads has a poverty simulation on their compound that is open to the public for awareness and a coffee shop which all proceeds go towards overhead costs.

Here is a shack that depicts a home in an impoverished community. A true representation of how a lot of people around the world actually live.

They have been blessed with many helping hands from volunteers, many short term and a handful long term volunteers from around the world that actually live on site in apartments. I had the best conversation with a man from Canada who retired early, forfeiting his retirement plan, so that he and his wife could spend their later years in life making a difference in the world. It is never too late to make an impact in the world we live in. Never.

Keep reading-

Chronicles of China:

Chapter 4-Mainland Niceties

The Chronicles of China Chapter 4

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Mainland Niceties

After a week in Hong Kong the time came to trek thousands of kilometers on a 30 or so hour long train ride to the mainland. Imagine sardines over packed into a filthy tin can and each sardine has oversized carry-on luggage. This is the absolute best description for the train ride, and pretty much all affordable public transportation in China.

Guess this is inevitably what happens when an overpopulated area meets an underdevelopment society. There are always good memories that come out of situations like that, when a baby is crying for seven hours straight in the car next to you, a woman is screaming, annoying music is blaring, kids are causing a ruckus, old men are hauking loogies and spitting onto the floor, oh, and it is three a.m. and you are trying to sleep on the top bunk of a quadruple decker bed. Welcome to the good life.

Like we experienced in the train, spitting everywhere is common place in China. It is not uncommon for people to snort and gather all of the snot physically possible and spit chunks onto the ground in all public places. Snot rockets, or farmer's blow, are quite popular as well. Fun right? Especially when you accidently step in it. Another thing I found very peculiar was that squaddie potties were common place in all homes and public establishments. What is a squaddie potty you ask? It is a hole in the ground that you must squat down to poop and pee in.I would have posted a picture of a squaddie potty in all of its glory, but I was too scared to take my camera into such a place because of the looming possibility that I might just drop my camera into the hole.

The city we visited had a McDonald's right next to where we were staying. I was surprised to see that Micky- D's actually had a normal, western style toilet, one where you could sit down. This was a huge mistake for whoever 'gave the ok' to install this toilet. You see, people do not know how to use this kind of toilet after spending their entire life using squaddie potties, so you would find shoe marks on top of the toilet as people were standing on the seat to do their business. Hilarious.

The city was very trendy with a lot of western restaurants like McDonald's and KFC but thankfully we met up with some locals who showed us some traditional Chinese delicacies. All meals are eaten like a small buffet of sorts where multiple dishes are set in the middle of the table (usually) on top of a lazy-susan and each person will dish up as much as they can grab with their chopsticks as different dishes pass by.

One thing I learned quickly- those who have poor chopstick skills will go hungry. Without a doubt, Chinese food takes the prize for the best foreign food I have eaten during my travels thus far. And to my delight, the age old 'spicy in, spicy out' theory has been proved wrong during my stay here.

Fun fact-: Snacks in China come in a variety of savory Asian flavors:

Seaweed Pringles,

Cool and Refreshing Lemon Tea Flavored Lays Potato Chips,

and of course the succulent Squid Flake Crackers.

Fun fact:- 1 out of 3 people in cities in China wears thick black frame glasses like the lead singer of Weezer.

Fun fact-: Arcades in China are A LOT of fun.

Keep reading-

Chronicles of China:

Chapter 5- A Remarkable Story

Something isn't right.

Tue, 1 Mar 2011 00:00:00 GMT

While standing in the middle the kitchen of an orphanage in the Philippines I experienced a hard truth. I would not say that I learned a hard truth per say. This was not something that I could have gained through reading about it in a book, listening to a lecture or having conversation about it over coffee, I was participating and interacting.

I spent four weeks of February on the island called Malabalay living on an orphanage compound just outside of the capital, Malabalay City.

The orphanage house where all of the children stayed.

We had about 30 people with our organization working at the orphanage which housed about 30 kids ages 1-13. There were several other projects and activities we were involved with, but our main focus for the month was caring for the kids 24 hours a day. We would work in groups of 3 or 4 people in 8-10 hour shifts every other day or so. There was a baby section of the house with 3 babies and a handful of toddlers. There were a lot of crying and poopy diapers in this section but the kids were so precious.

Mowing down on some grub.

There was an 'older boys' and an 'older girls' section upstairs in the house. We would wake these kids up, get them ready for the day and send them off to school during the week. When they returned home we would play (some of them would whip me in chess), have them do their chores, do a small devotion and tuck them in. On weekends the compound would host AWANA camps for the community. Basically hundreds of kids would be shuttled to the compound to play, sing songs, learn about God, eat some lunch and have fun with friends. These days could be hectic with so many random kids running around but it was enjoyable to see the kids have so much fun.

Tara holding it down on the dance floor during the signature AWANA song. Face to face, shoulder to shoulder...

One of the first nights of the month I was on 'older kids duty'. All of the kids piled into the kitchen and they were rowdy. Kids were screaming and throwing food. Multiple times I un-successfully attempted to get the situation under control. I would assume that anyone who has ever cared for small children for a substantial period of time has at least one point in time where they have found themselves at a boiling point. There I was telling a child for the 37^th time to stop poking their sister with their dinner fork and to eat their vegetables. The reply I receive is a tongue stuck out at me. A moment later another kid ran by and spilled spaghetti sauce all over my legs. Boiling point reached.

I couldn't understand why these kids would not listen to me. Countless thoughts went through my mind as to how I could get the situation under control.

'How much duct tape do I have? Do I have enough to tie up 30 kids?'

While I was seeing red my gaze turned to a piece of paper attached to the wall next to the fridge. The paper was written in sloppy block letters with crayon and it read: "WELCOME KANSAS TEAM".

All anger dissipated from my body. My hand fell to my sides and my clinched hands slowly unwound. My heart sank as a sobering wave of reality engulfed me. Thoughts poured into my head...

'Welcome Kansas team... I wonder how many 'teams' have come. One? Two? Twenty? Why the hell should these kids listen to me... I am just part of another 'team' that will be gone in a month. I have done nothing to earn their respect. I wonder how many times different American have told them to behave... Why are Americans from half way across the world caring for these kids anyways? These kids need a steady figure in their lives. Random Americans dropping by every now and again is not healthy...They need their parents. Where are the parents? Don't they know their kids need them? Why do we live in a world where something like this can happen? Something isn't right...

At this point my knees are getting weak and my stomach is in knots. I walk outside and slump into a ball onto the bottom step. Every fiber in my being feels numb and I do not know what to do. In my broken state one phrase continues to echo and rattle my fragile heart.

Something isn't right... Something isn't right... Something isn't right. This isn't how it is supposed to be.

I was comforted by the Lord's presence. He began to console me. I didn't hear a voice thunder from the sky but I felt a soft voice speak within me saying that I am right, that this isn't how it is supposed to be. This isn't right. Kids should ideally have their parents to raise them in a healthy loving environment, but that doesn't always happen. Why? We have to take a step out of the limited perspective of man and his small understanding to look at the grand scheme of it all. Sin was integrated into our humanity back in the Garden of Eden. Long story short, sin has evolved and become so incorporated into society that orphan children are now a norm.

As un-ideal as the situation is, God still gets glory out of the situation. These kids are beset with an unfortunate state early in life, but so many doors of opportunity are revealed because of it. These kids are blessed with amazing care from a loving full time staff that treats them all like their own kids. They all have a roof over their heads and a warm bed to sleep in. They get new clothes, shoes, school supplies, and toys donated regularly. They are raised knowing that God loves them very much, my prayer is that they never deviate from Him their whole life. Nothing is more important than knowing who created us. Best of all, they have each other. Tons of brothers and sisters that they can do life with and have fun doing it.

No, I wasn't respected by the kids that day in the kitchen, but I earned their respect by the time we left. I loved them all as a big brother and told them that they are loved regularly. Those kids stole my heart and it was rough saying goodbye.

Life doesn't always make sense while we are only viewing the world from our limited perspectives. In the end, we always have the choice to get caught up in a pessimistic mindset and let situations drag us down or to rise above the situation and make the most of it. I'd like to think that we made the most out of the situation in that orphanage on Malabalay Island.

What a day

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

I don't think I'll ever forget February 16th. We woke up early and went traveled to a high school seminar for seniors who are about to graduate. There were over 500 kids there in this huge stadium.

I had been feeling less than average due to some explosive projections coming out of my back side around that time. When we arrived and saw the hordes of screaming kids, my stomach sunk a little bit more. I did not want to be there.

We were volunteered to host small groups. The seminar was broken up into three parts. I really did not pay too much attention to what would be covered because I truly wanted to be any where else.

But then the conference started. A speaker shared the simple gospel of Jesus Christ. All of us (Americans) leaned toward each other and asked if this was legal. In the States this would not fly at all. After the talk about God, Jesus, and salvation I was lead to my small group that consisted of 25+ giggling girls and a few boys.

I introduced myself and all of the high school girls looked star struck. I have always heard that American males have an amazing status in Asian culture but this blew me away. They hung on every word I said. I told them about how God saved my life in a car crash in Africa and I got lots of 'ooooohs and aaahhhhhs'.

Next, a speaker talked about majors and jobs that the kids can pursue after high school. We had another small group session and we talked and joked a lot. I ended up taking my lunch break with about 8 of the girls and we talked about a wide variety of things 16 year old girls talk about. (They graduate at 16, not 17 or 18). We talked a lot about prom because it was a few days away. I had a lot of fun with them.

After lunch there was the final speaker. He talked about.... drum roll please.... SEX. The main topic was based on how if you truly love someone you will wait until marriage to have sex with them . It was all biblical based. The small group break out session after this speech was a sight to see. The girls were giggling uncontrollably. It was an interesting, kind of awkward, very hilarious, and overall good time. I feel like the kids learned a lot.

There were some songs played at the end by a band and the whole place erupted. It was just like a concert with dancing and singing.

Most of these kids grew up with out knowing God, or knowing him as a judgmental dictator. They have never seen learning about God and praising Him as something that could be fun. It was a great time.

We took a lot of pictures with them. We had celebrity status. I'll post pictures later.

Later that night we played a couple really close games in basketball with some Filipinos. The place was rocking, like a high school atmosphere. We ended the night watching Rocky IV.

What a day it was.

We have since started watching the Rambo series at night.

The kids at the orphanage have taken my heart. I love them all. I'll be posting a blog about them soon.

Life doesn't get much better in the Philippines.

Philippine Madness

Thu, 3 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Apologies for the lack of updates. I enjoy breaking free from electronic chains that used to hold me captive. Nonetheless, here is an update.

I am currently in Malaybalay, City, on one of the many islands that makes up the beautiful countries of the Philippines. We have 5 teams here and lots of different things we are taking part in. We are primarily here through an organization called Kids International Ministries, or KIM. KIM is an orphanage that reaches out and help impovershed Filipino children in every facet that they can. We are living right next door to an orphanage that we are lending our hands at with continual 8 hour shifts. There are a few dozen kids, a handful younger than 3 that require a little more attention.

We are also going to a prison just up the road daily to meet and establish relationships with the inmates. There are over 200 men and around 20 women there. The age range is from 14-upper 60's. The crimes they are incriminated range from smoking dope to murder. Surprisingly they are all very friendly and receptive, this is really a part of the Filipino culture that is ingrained in them. The first day I went I ended up singing some Beatles songs with a new friend. Let It Be was a crowd favorite. We play games out in the yard with the adolescent kids during their 1 hour exercise break. It is fun to just do life with them. They don't get many visitors so it is quite a pleasure to hang out with them.

We are working on a lot of service projects here around the orphanage. Our main task lately has been fixing a muddy dirt road that keeps entrapping vehicles.

It turns out Filipinos LOVE basketball. It is funny how different countries will adopt different sports. The majority of the world we have been to will play and follow football (soccer). Last night we went to the city courts to ball it up with the locals. We figure this will be an 'in' to establish relationships with them. We hope our sportsmanship will resemble Christ. We ended up losing our first game, 37-40, but it was a ton of fun. My leg isn't quite 100% since the accident back in November, but it is improving.

Turns out it is my birthday today. It was our day off so we went and hiked on some trails in the jungle. We found a few incredible waterfalls. Contrary to what the eye sees in the pictures, the water was crystal clear in the rivers. We even found a cliff diving point. Kimberly used my back as a diving board... on accident... long story about how she almost died.. ask her.

Best Road Trip Ever: chapter 1

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Best Road Trip Ever: chapter 1

8 days + 4,300 KM + 1/3 of Africa + Donkey + 6 friends + new experiences = best road trip ever

1/2/2011-
Departed Senga Bay, Malawi at 10 am.

We said our bittersweet goodbyes to Johan, Marie, Johan Jr., Dr. Drik, Zenika and Erasmus in Senga Bay, Malawi. December 2010 was one of the best months of my life. I learned so much about this life and how to live it out properly. We stayed on a resort and built a coffee shop. We celebrated Christmas for the true meaning of Christ, yet still threw in gifts and had an amazing meal. The New Year was brought in with a bonfire on the beach with s'mores, fireworks and dipping (skinny in nature) into the lake at the stroke of midnight. The entire stay was immaculate. Nonetheless, good things come to an end, only for other good things to begin. Like taking a road trip across Africa in an old Toyota Hilux named Donkey.

Arrived in Chipata, Zambia at 4 pm.

In Chipata we stayed at Mama Rulas, a renowned campsite/ hostel in Zambia. It is so popular, apparently the President of Zambia stays there often. While in Senga Bay we befriended a Zambian family, who happened to own Mama Rulas. We were in good company that night while we enjoyed fantastic lasagna on the house.

1/3/2011-
Departed Chipata, Zambia at 5 am.

We had an early morning and drove most all of the day. Zambia provided gorgeous views the entire way.

Arrived in Lusaka, Zambia, the capital, at 3 pm.

Upon arriving in Lusaka, we met up with Jeremy and Stacy (from another team) at a backpackers hostel. It was such a blessing to have friends to meet up with in the middle of Africa.

1/4/2011-
Departed Lusaka, Zambia at 4 am.

We shoved off early again so that we could spend the whole day in Livingstone, home of Victoria Falls. We checked in at Jolly Boys Backpacker, a very well-run hostel, and dropped our bags off. The hostel even repped the legendary Mabuya Camp in Malawi. (The hostel I recovered in after the accident) Shout out to the man, myth, legend Brian.

Arrived in Livingstone, Zambia at 11 am.

The afternoon was spent exploring the Falls. The initial sight of the falls almost brought me to my knees. The greatness and splendor of our Creator literally brought tears to my eyes. We joked about how we were still in Africa because there were no real rules prohibiting how close you could get to the edge. Slowly but surely everyone made their way to the edge to peak over. I ended up sitting on a rock on the edge of the cliff on the opposite side maybe 100 meters across from the falls, gazing at the water crashing down. This was without a doubt the most euphoric experience of my entire life.

My feet precariously dangled above the river below. I gazed down and witnessed layers of beauty. The background was the water crashing off of the cliff walls, cascading into the river below. The mid-ground was the most vibrant double rainbow I have ever seen, the immediate foreground consisted of beads of water flying upward. See, the falls crash down and there is such a powerful force that the water is actually propelled up the opposite cliff face, so where I was sitting, and it was almost like rain coming from the wrong direction. I was getting soaked in the massive spray of the water. Beads of water were literally suspended in midair before my eyes. I could reach out and could touch them as they hung in limbo before me. I pulled some grass off of the cliff side and threw it into the upwards current of water. The grass would suspend in the air for several moments and then slowly escalate into the sky.

As if that wasn't amazing enough, we saw people on the opposite side of the canyon, walking on the edge of the falls where the water was coming off. We ran over and began to journey out right on the edge. We were warned by 'tour guides' that people have fallen off very recently and that we should hire them. To save a buck we decided to venture out on our own. We would wade in the river and mostly stay on rocks if we could so we wouldn't get swept off the cliff by a current. There were stunning small waterfalls and pools of water on top of the bigger falls.

We spent the entire day exploring Vic Falls and soaked everything in. It might just have been the best day of my life up to that point. However the very next day gave it a run for its money for that title of the best day ever.

Continue reading-
Best Road Trip Ever: chapter 2

Best Road Trip Ever: chapter 2

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Best Road Trip Ever: chapter 2

1/5/2011
Victoria Falls was the most beautiful natural display of beauty in the world that my eyes have had the privilege of witnessing. There is a man-made structure n the area that compliments the landscape. It is the 333 meter high bridge overlooking the falls connecting Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Main attraction: bungee jumping. It is the allegedly the 2^nd highest bungee in the world. This is what you jump into...

We headed over to the building to sign up. To our delight we find out that we can do a zip-line, bungee and go on a gigantic swing off the bridge for just a little bit more money. We all signed up by signing our lives away on forms.

We began by doing a zip line over the gorge to the middle of the bridge. This provided fantastic views and really helped us warm up for what was to come. There were 50 some middle school boys, all in short shorts and rocking mullets, that we had to wait behind, but we got to study the best form for jumping off. First up was the swing. Daniel and myself teamed up to get optimal velocity. Here we are just before our drop.

We were instructed how to step off the ledge properly. All I remember is stepping off wrong and hearing Daniel scream, "Shalom Ya'll!" This was in fact the most terrifyingly awesome moment of my life during free fall. That damn swing made my heart race a million times faster than when I sky dove a few years back. It was intense. We all survived the swing. Up next... bungee.

Melissa was volunteered by the workers there to go first. She was really brave and took the dive. I was so proud of her. Next was Daniel. He screamed, 'U.S.A!' as he jumped off. Hilarious.

One of my favorite pictures.

Before I knew it I was up. Suddenly I got very spiritual. My mind hated what I was putting my body through, so I focused on the unseen in the heavenly realm. It was really neat to try and battle the sensation of fear and try to replace it with a calm feeling. I said a quick prayer of psalm 23, Lord is my shepherd, and leaped off. Wow, words can't really describe the feeling. Next was Kimberly, she rocked it. Then Natalie, she probably had the best form. Last but not least was Woody. She was terrified, but we encouraged her to finally do it. She had the last jump of the day as the sun was setting. When she was hoisted back up onto the bridge we all ran towards her and hugged her. It was a special moment. The team has never bonded so much as we did that day.

1/6/2011

Departed Livingstone, Zambia at 6 am.

After a couple of euphoric days, we were rooted back into reality as our car broke down at the sketchy Zambia/ Botswana border.

Arrived in Panamatanga, Botswana around 1 pm.
We spent most of the day at the auto garage. We stayed in a Dutch Reform Church that night. It was a great place with mattresses and fans. We mostly rested that day after our intense adventures earlier.

Departed Panamatanga, Botswana at 6 am.

We heard from many people to never drive in Botswana at night because there are a TON of animals on the road. We shoved off right at sunrise, and wouldn't you know it, in the first five minutes we saw a giraffe.

Such amazing creatures they are.

Wouldn't ya know it, five minutes after the giraffe we stop because a gigantic elephant is crossing the road.

We were blown away by that elephant. Within five more minutes we saw another large male on the side of the road. We stopped the car and Daniel and I jumped out of the front seats to get up close. The elephant got riled and started to flap its ears and stomp. We wanted a picture but the girls were screaming, 'No! GET IN THE FLIPPING CAR!'
We replied, 'No! TAKE THE PICTURE FIRST!'
Melissa says, 'No! We're not going to take it!'
The elephant angrily stomps and flaps its ears.
Then Melissa screams, 'Ok! Take the picture!'

Epic.

(I was planning on writing more chapters, but I lost interest in writing on this.... send me a message and I'll tell you what happened next!)

Common Grounds

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

I spent most of the part of the month of December helping build a coffee shop from the ground up.

In what started as empty office space in loft of the conference room ended up as an almost functional coffee shop. We just missed the new year opening date, but we aren't upset about that, everything in due time.

With a lot of help from the Lord and of course from our new friends we got a lot accomplished last month.

On the left is Dr. Dirk, rocking the brown and gold and on the right is the-man-the-myth-the-legend: Johan.

The work was at times tedious and time consuming...

... but in the end ever so rewarding.

So if you are ever at Lake Malawi on holiday, make sure to stop by Common Grounds coffee shop.

--------------------------------------------------------------
Working on building a coffee shop from the ground up in Africa sparked dreams of entrepreneurship lying somewhere within me. These sparks are yearning to start a blazing fire that I hope will change the face of the planet someday. I have put thought into and sought after what that spark may ignite within me, but I feel the need to let it be right now. The Lord has his perfect plan and timing, and right now isn't the time to think about such things in detail. Right now He wants me to enjoy making the most out of every single day.

Stop and Smell the Roses

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Tim, my father, used to say, "Always stop and smell the roses."

My young mind would respond, "Flowers are for girls, why would I waste my time on something so girly and lame?"

His usual response, "Life is too short."

Cheers. The older I get I am learning that life is in fact too short. I've discovered that taking a minute out of your day to stop and smell a flower while passing by is a small pleasure that yields larger implications. Implications along the lines of being able to appreciate the small things in order to better appreciate life as a 'whole'. The 'whole' being the sum of the human experience on planet Earth.

I heard a quote in the movie 'Into the Wild', that has resonated within and captivated me:

Experiencing new things is the very essence of the human soul.

One must abandon comfort zones and step out into the unknown to experience new things. This can be a scary thing, to let go and have less control over our lives. Our brains naturally will seek pleasure and avoid pain simply because they are wired that way. It takes a conscious decision to deny our ingrained logic to abandon our comfort in our desire to experience new things.

Think of the first time you ate sushi. It probably took a lot of energy, maybe even encouragement from a friend to muster up enough strength to put that raw fish into your mouth. Nevertheless it was an experience that is unique to you and your situation that you can always look back on now. You may have loved it or hated it, but it is a memory you will forever have.

I was so fortunate to have to opportunity to bungee jump off of the 2^nd largest bridge in the world at Vitoria Falls. Every fiber in my being told me to get the hell away from that edge, but my desire to experience something new overdrove my fear. Jumping off of the perfectly good bridge was the most exhilarating moment of my entire life up to this point.

Bungee jumping is an extreme example, however I have discovered that simply traveling opens up innumerable doors. There are new people, cultures, customs, foods and experiences all over the world. The differences from country to country are staggering. The great thing is you don't have to travel all the way to Africa, you can look at places in close proximity. Wyoming as opposed to southern California. Rhode Island compared to South Carolina. Texas to Mexico. Take a look at your calendar. I think your next vacation may be due.

The more this mindset has sunk in that new experiences are the very essence of the human soul, the more that everyday occurrences are becoming pleasurable opportunities. Waiting out the rain underneath a shelter turns into frolicking and jumping in puddles like you did when you were a kid. Avoiding contact with the homeless man on the corner with a 10 foot radius 'bubble' turns into sitting down with him and talking about great white sharks.

These are the things I am learning and experiencing. My soul can't get enough.

Support

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Support
[suh-pawrt, -pohrt]

-verb (used with object)

-To bear or hold up (a load, mass, structure, part, etc.); serve as a foundation for.

To all of my family and friends, thanks for supporting me. Thanks for holding me up in prayer so that I may be closer to our Creator. Thank you for exchanging money in such a fashion that it glorifies the Father. Thanks for being a part of changing the world and making it a better place. I assure you it is not me who has done any of this good, it has been God working vicariously through this imperfect vessle. You supporting this vessle has allowed the Loving outsteched arms of God to stretch further than they would otherwise. It is not that God choses not to reach out more often, he is just looking for vessles willing to let Him work through them.

With that being said, recently I have become fully financially funded for this trip. There are still some people on this trip who are not at that goal. Pray and see if God urges you to reach out through them as well.

Alicia Hodges         $3,564                     aliciahodges.theworldrace.org
Lauren Newborn     $2,400                    laurennewborn.theworldrace.org
Melissa Ventura      $1,655                   melissaventura.theworldrace.org
Brittany Smith        $1,739                    brittanysmith.theworldrace.org
Robin Jarrett           $1,357                    robinjarett.theworldrace.org
Samantha Moor      $946                       samanthamoor.theworldrace.org
Krystel Kemper      $759                      krystelkemper.theworldrace.org
Carrie Miranda       $690                       carriemiranda.theworldrace.org

Learning Myself Some Life

Sat, 1 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Life as a missionary can be summed up in a few words- random, unusual, dirty, diarrhea, challenging self-sacrificial, humbling, worthwhile, exciting and adventurous.

I have experienced an abundance of all of the above this past month. There are peaks and valleys and whether I am in the valley of the shadow of death or on the peaks of bliss and delight I'm learning to be thankful in all situations. Whether I am eating a few pieces of white bread and butter for the tenth day in a row or eating a delicious honey roasted chicken with mash potatoes, macadamia nut stuffing and apple crisp with ice cream for dessert (Thanksgiving meal at Mabuya Hostel in Lilongwe, Malawi) I am called to be consistent in my thankfulness. Of course Thanksgiving Day was incredibly easy to be thankful, but how about the time I was served that African-knockoff-Spam for dinner? I don't think I said any thanks, rather I mumbled some unmentionable words under my breath.

I truly think God didn't think much of it when I gave thanks on Thanksgiving day because it was so easy to be thankful, but he was interested when I received the spam. I could see Him leaning forward on His chair and hear him saying to Himself, 'Ok, let's see how he responds.' It is only when we are challenged that our true character comes out and that is what God really cares about.

Cape Town or Bust!

Sat, 1 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

To start the New Year, my team will be road trippin' from Senga Bay, Malawi to Cape Town, South Africa.

It's going to be the journey of a lifetime.

An ode to Donkey- Our ride:

His name is Donkey. Quite a beauty, eh? Why Donkey you may ask? Jesus rode one on His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. If a donkey was good enough for the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, The Lord God Almighty incarnated into a human being for His immaculate entry, then a donkey is more than sufficient for our entry into Cape Town.

My first experience driving Donkey was on Christmas Eve. I was summoned to fetch some ingredients for Christmas Eve dinner (steak fajitas with sauted onions and peppers... ah yeah, that's what I'm talking about). First, I walked to the driver side to get in, which of course is the passenger side in Africa. Already off to a good start. I received a rundown of how to start it. You have to prime it, kind of like priming a lawn mower, then you turn the ignition, which is detached and hanging below the steering column. It almost looks like you are hot wiring the truck to start it, but the funny thing is that if Donkey doesn't start, you really do have to hot wire it. You have to pop the hood and arrange some wires just right to get a spark to get the motor going.

I was told that if the hot wiring fails to start Donkey, you must detach the fuel line and blow into it as hard as you can to dislodge some sludge blocking the fuel. I chuckled and said, 'Thanks for showing me, but I'm sure that won't ever be necessary.'

Come on everyone, help me finish this statement: If something can go wrong....

So there I am driving for the first time in 6 months down a sketchy African road into town. My teeth are gritted, sweat on my brow and eyes darting every direction. I am ungracefully grinding gears as I am learning to shift with my left hand. On numerous occasions I have the backseat drivers screaming, "Wrong Way!" as I start to drive on the right side, which ironically is the wrong side, then I would jerk the top heavy beast into the left lane causing more jeers.

Finally we pull up to the grocery store. I wanted to just release myself from the white knuckle tension in my body so I pulled the E-brake and turned Donkey off. Bad call.

Fast Forward 30 minutes later:
There I am soaking wet, standing in the middle of a torrential downpour, surrounded by a curious and imposing crowd of African onlookers, my face bright red with a vein popping out of my forehead as I blow as hard as I possibly can into the fuel line. Finally Donkey decides to turn over.

We stopped a couple more times for ingredients at various markets and shops, and wouldn't ya know it, I kept the truck running the whole time. Finally, maybe an hour later we had all we needed to have our Christmas Eve feast. Oh, but the trek wasn't over yet.

African roads around here are SO much fun to drive on. There are no shoulders or any lee-way on the sides of the road. So picture a narrow two lane paved road that rests a few inches above the dirt. Now picture a half-meter of pavement haphazardly missing on the outside edge of the road on both sides. The narrow road gets even more narrow. Now picture hoards of stray goats, people walking and bicyclists on the edge of the narrow road. The narrow road gets even more narrow yet! Now picture crazy African drivers driving WAY too fast on this narrow little road. Now picture Donkey sporadically pulling to the left every now and again due to a bent driveshaft. Now picture me, wiping diesel off of my lips onto my sleeve, soaking wet, and slightly irritated as backseat drivers heed my every movement.

Ok, you are officially in the moment. Coming up on top of a slight incline I see something on the side of the road, spilling into my lane. I see a man standing above it with his hands propped up on his hips. 'Hmm, wonder what this joker is doing?', I think to myself. I start to drift into the other lane to avoid what appears to be a bag of rice in the middle of my lane. Sure enough a car is flying towards me in the other lane. Uneasy moans are uttered as everyone embraces for the worst.

I swerved out of the other lane just in time. The wheels on the left side fell off the narrow road and then jumped back on causing a rocking motion. I thought for a split second that we were going to roll. Yep, that's right, 1 month and 3 days after surviving a near fatal rollover accident in Africa, here we are again.

We pulled through and survived. Donkey handled like a champ. I even learned a valuable lesson about braking when there are foreign objects in the road.

Some may be alarmed that we are road tripping over a third of the continent of Africa in Donkey. Don't be alarmed, God is our Protector. I'm just storytelling and my Mom has inadvertently taught me how to over exaggerate. So let that be encouragement to my worried family.

Cape Town or Bust!

Life on the Lake

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT

For World Race standards, we are in paradise this month. We are located on a tropical water front, living in an amazing hostel compound. We have a roof over our heads, electricity, beds, running water, hot showers, internet (sometimes), amazing food and awesome company. Our contacts here are gracious people that are incredibly warm and welcoming. They have poured into us so much and loved on us like parents.

I could not be happier with where we are this month, but even more so I could not be happier with what we are doing this month. There are a few projects that our contacts are working that we get to lend helping hands. There is a school project where the walls and floor need to be plastered and cemented. A boat project that involved restoring the boat out on the beach so it can be used to reach villages on remote islands in the lake as well as rural villages along the coast that are inaccessible by road. The boat will help spread food, clean water, medicines and preventative procedures for disease. Lastly they told us a vision they had about starting a coffee shop on their property in the loft of the conference center. The coffee shop would be a means to help them become self-sustaining but more importantly it is an invitation for the community to come so relationships can be formed.

The biggest goal of our contacts has been assimilating into the culture. They live in a Muslim community, in fact the community mosque is right next door and unfortunately they put on their loud speakers at 4:30 in the morning to pray. Not exactly fun to wake up to every morning. This compound is in a prime location right in the center of the village. For the longest time our contacts were really looked down upon as Christians when they first moved in. After eleven months of living here, the neighbors just now started to wave back at them and smile when they would drive by. They are earning the respect of the community slowly but surely.

A soccer game outside the compound.

Our contacts are missionaries, but they are conscious that they will never try to shove their beliefs down anyone else's throats. They imitate Christ and living a simple life. It is simple but not easy. They believe that they have no right to judge others for what they believe in. There is mutual respect for every person's belief system. Our contacts merely walk out their Christian faith and others are naturally attracted to them by the fruit in their lives. It is incredibly encouraging to watch. Last month I was asked to preach the gospel and it was not primarily focused on establishing relationships. This month I am asked to live out the gospel through relationships, and to talk about God and our Savior Jesus only when necessary. It is quite refreshing.

Right now, with the help of 5 others, I am primarily focused on the building the coffee shop from the ground up in every sense. I really like being behind the scenes, especially with the business side of it all. The coffee shop will be named Common Grounds, and like the name indicates, it is intended for all ages, races and for those of all faiths to feel welcome. The hope is for the local Muslims, mzungus (white people, usually tourists) and backpackers to stop by in search of a refreshing drink, snack and a safe, comfortable place to hang out. We want customers to experience a loving and warm environment that fosters learning and dialogue. The business will embody Christ through the employees, music, spiritual literature and overall atmosphere and vibe. We hope to create a friendly setting rooted in God's love, while relying on the Holy Spirit to stir in the hearts and minds of our customers. We are basing the coffee shop off of principles found in Psalm 1.

Psalm 1:1-6

"Blessed is the man who walks not in the console of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish."

Here is a picture from the front door of Common Grounds.

Here is a picture on the inside.

We are basing our color scheme off of this fabric.

We plan on painting the walls yellow and blue so the place will be very bright and vibrant.

We are hoping to be opened before the New Year... Yeah I know, there is a lot of work to get done, but we are making progress every day. I will post updates on how the shop is coming along soon.

Thanks be

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Thanks be to our Father in heaven for being so good to His children. Thanks be to His son Jesus for coming to the world to show us how to love. Thanks be to Jesus' sacrifice so that we may come into relationship with the one who made it all. Thanks be to His angels He sends to guard His children. Thanks be to God for divinely healing us and being the ultimate physician.

I am recovering and improving daily from the car accident on November 21^st. Every day my cuts are healing more and the swelling is diminishing. I've got a bit of a limp and my left knee is sore but I believe I am healed in Jesus name. Everyone else in the accident is healing up from the bumps and bruises quite nicely.

To everyone who prayed for us, thank you. Seriously, thank you. There were hundreds, if not thousands of people all around the world lifting us up after the accident. God listened and miracles happened. Something remarkable that I did not really even think about is that I was coughing up a lot of blood right after the accident. I am no doctor, but my prognosis would indicate that I was bleeding internally. However when phone calls were made and prayers started going up around the world for my healing I stopped coughing up blood. Miracles are nothing special to God, it is normal routine for Him.

Those who know Jesus know the one who sent Him. We are called Jesus' body. Thanks be to the body of Christ who fights for their members as we strive towards the same thing. The body unites and rallies around people. We are called to rejoice with others in their victories and to mourn with those in grief. We are called to fight for those who need help. I admire the phrasing that Joel 3:10 says about a transformation the body can make from one state of mind to another.

"Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears, let the weak say, 'I am a warrior.'"

Everyone who took time to pray for us stopped whatever they were doing and they used their resources (time is money) and energy to fight for us. Thank you. I have learned the sheer power of what prayer can do. Thanks be to warriors.

Right after the accident I felt spiritually numb and I was expecting to have my view of life radically changed overnight. I was expecting an epiphany or revelation or breakthrough or new pattern of thinking to just happen in my mind because of the near death experience. I was focusing on this instead of just living life and thanking God for saving me.

Sure enough, once I started to focus on how good He is, naturally my mind has been following new grooves of thinking. Some things he has been teaching me:

The best thing to do with the best things in life is to give them away.

Life following Christ is simple, but not easy.

Life following Christ is upside down and backwards.
'For Jesus did not seek out the rich and powerful in order to trickle down his Kingdom. Rather, he joined those at the bottom, the outcasts and undesirables and everyone was attracted to his love for people on the margins.' (From Shane Claiborne's book, Irresistible Revolution)

Christ was a young Mediterranean revolutionary who flipped the world order upside down. First will be last, last will be first. The greatest will be the least, the least will be the greatest. He told us to die to ourselves so they we might live. He stressed His Kingdom is not something we get to experience not just after we die, but we experience before we die. Life before death.

Basically when viewing the world through the eyes of Christ if something makes no sense it makes perfect sense.
...
I am learning to be vulnerable and willing to become transparent.

Living in community requires transparency. It is hard, but so incredibly worth it. I love the community I have become a part of. I know they will fight for me and I am willing to fight for them as well. I love my new friends I've met the past 5 months.

I am learning that it is important to love others like I love myself. I found out how selfish I am lately, and realized I love myself a lot. I want to channel that selfish love out to others.
...
I want to see poverty and suffering eliminated.

I want see the Kingdom of God here on earth. I want the Body, the community to believe so much in another world that we cannot help but begin enacting it now.

I am learning that we can throw money and resources at the symptoms of poverty all day, but the root of the matter needs to be fixed. The system needs to be changed. As Martin Luther King Jr. put it:

"We are called to be the Good Samaritan, but after you lift so many people out of the ditch you start to ask, maybe the whole road to Jericho needs to be repaved." - Martin Luther King Jr.
...
Thanks be to knowledge and wisdom for the taking in life.