Brooke Witt - The World Race 2007

All for a smile

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

By the time I got to Cambodia, I was tired. Being five months into the Race, I felt homesick and ready to move on from Asia. Basically I went into the month with a bad attitude. I had no desire to be in that place and to really do anything. It was a short month for us, and I was glad it would all be over soon.

Our ministry partners were great and they gave us opportunity serve in different ways and have some down time as well. University of the Nations had well established ministries at a local A.I.D.S. hospital, a government orphanage, and an after school program. All of these were wonderful and running smoothly. We were able to participate wherever we wanted but because things were done so well, it felt like we were just visitors most of the time and not really doing that much. It was a little discouraging.

I did not really feel led to the hospital and only went one time. My place was at the orphanage. The very first day we went, I met a very special person. As we walked into the room where the children were waiting for us, I saw a boy about 9 years old sitting off by himself. Immediately I was drawn to him. As I walked over, I noticed that he had a disability. I sat with him all afternoon, trying to make him smile. He did not talk and when he walked it was with a limp. He was dirty, drooled, and played with garbage. I loved him. That first day, he hardly looked at me and I was only able to get one smile from him. The other children told me that he could not speak and that he was crazy (their word for disabled).

As the week went by, I found out more information about this boy named Sinah. He was 8-10 years old, never spoke, hit a lot, and bit himself. His "house mom" was old and could not care for him. He was not bathed for the most part and was beat at night by a boy in his room because he made noises. Sinah's birth mother brought him to this orphanage five years earlier because she could not care for him. A woman from France about a year ago decided to adopt him and sent money to give him nice clothes and things. Sadly, when she arrived in Cambodia and saw Sinah and his disability, she decided she did not want him and stopped all support. This was the saddest part to me.

My heart went out to this boy; he needed to know someone cared about him. As the days went by, Sinah began to smile more, laugh even, and play with me. We went on walks and I talked to him and we had a great time. By the end he would see me and come as quickly as he could to give me a hug. I was so touched the first time he hugged me. We built a great friendship over just a week or two. He trusted me and looked for me each day.

I began to see why I had come to Cambodia. I did not want to be there and was even asking God why he had placed me in Asia for five months when I had never had a desire to go there. I felt like God said "I sent you here for the One." It wasn't about me or where I wanted to go, but it was about a little boy in Cambodia who needed someone to make him smile. You see, God cares about that one person. He sends people across the world to make that one person smile even for just one day. God loves that much. We should too.

The last day we had there, I went back to say goodbye to Sinah. I went into the orphanage and looked everywhere for him but could not find him. I remembered the last time I had seen him, he had hugged me a hundred times. It was kind of strange and at the time I just thought it was cute. After not finding him, I asked someone if they knew where he was. I was told that because it was so hard to care for him, Sinah was sent to live in another home in town. I never got to say goodbye to Sinah. I think that he knew he was not going to see me again though, and that is why he blessed me with all those hugs the day before. Remember him and all the other children who need to be loved. Remember them all by taking time to bring a smile to someone's face each day.

Phuket, Thailand

Tue, 2 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Team Zion and Concrete have been here in Phuket for a month now. Our time here was to be spent working with the S.H.E. (Self Help and Empowerment) organization and to build relationships with the girls who work in the bars. None of these were difficult tasks; in fact, this has been a great month. We are down to our last week and I wanted to just take a moment to reflect on all that has happened.

I started out the month in good spirits, knowing that the Lord had a lot to do here. I was a little concerned that the situation with the girls would be overwhelming but it really was not as I expected. The first week in the bars was really fun and I met a couple great girls and even met one of the bar owners who was from Tennessee. I was really excited to see where the Lord would take us through these relationships. The one girl that really touched me was Thep. She was a lovely girl who worked at one of the bars we went to regularly. She used to make jewelry before she started working in the bars and really did not like her current job all that much. I was thrilled because S.H.E. offers these girls' jobs making jewelry and it just seemed so perfect. Sadly, after a few visits, Thep was no longer at the bar. Every time we went by, she was not there and when we would ask about her, no one knew who we were speaking of. It was very strange. I was a kind of sad to not know where she was or what had happened to her.

The next week or so was really strange too. Every time we went to the bars, we ended up not seeing any girls we knew and really not able to strike up any new relationships. I had a weird feeling every time I went down there and just began to feel very discouraged about our work here. One night, after seeing these men all over these young girls, showing them no respect at all, I left the bars in tears. I prayed all the way home but felt little peace about the situation here in Phuket. There is so much that is wrong in this place and it is accepted as okay and normal. It really breaks my heart.

Over the next week, the Lord really helped me to get over feeling discouraged. He began to give me a peace about the situation here. God even opened up some new doors with other girls in the bars. My favorite girls are at the Star Bar. The three ladies there are awesome. They are so sweet and just adorable. We always have the best time when we go to visit them. My heart goes out to them and I truly believe that the Lord is calling at least one of them out of the bars. I am excited to see how and when the Lord will bring her out. We play games with them, talk, laugh, and just enjoy getting to know each other. These girls have really made my time here feel fruitful just because I know we have built a friendship.

So, at the end of the week we are leaving Phuket, Thailand. I am happy to move to the next thing the Lord has for us but also a little sad to leave our friends and the work we have been doing here. My prayer is that the girls at the Star Bar will find a way to come out of the bars. I pray that they are not content with their current jobs or situation in life. I pray that the Lord continues to draw them out and send Christians into their paths. I also pray for Phuket, that God will do something mighty and new here. I pray that more Christians will flood this place. I pray that there will be more churches than bars one day. I pray that the whole nation will turn to the one true God. Please pray for Thailand too.

Goodbye to my friends

Tue, 2 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

One of the best parts about being here in Thailand has been getting to know the girls we have worked with at S.H.E. These girls are so wonderful! They are fun, smart, talented, and growing and learning more about the Lord everyday. I am so proud of them and learning about their lives and all they have overcome has been remarkable. They are all on the right path and just the best girls ever.

Glon, Kae, Wan, Rose, and Kung are the amazing girls I am speaking of. I love them all and will be so sad to leave them. They were so welcoming to us when we arrived and have just shown us so much about love and service to others. They have a all come out of the bars and are now working at S.H.E. helping to support not only themselves but their families. They love to see others girls come out of the bars and go out of their way to help them find a place to live and make them feel at home.

These girls will be greatly missed by us all. Please say a little prayer for them. They are great and could always use some encouragement.

Great News!!

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

So, thanks to the wonderful staff at AIM and all you wonderful people helping to support us out here on the field, I am now up to $10,000!!!!! It is so unbelievable that God has brought in so much support in just a short time. Thanks to everyone who has been helping me along the way, I only need an additional $3,000 to finish the race!

Thank you again to all of you praying for us and supporting us. It means more than you know.

Here are some more picutures of us here in Phuket.

Pictures!!

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

I just wanted to put up some pictures that I have of Thailand so far. I hope you enjoy them !

True worship

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

My question while I have been here in Thailand is what do you even pray for this place? So much is corrupt and just not the way it should be. Sin is looked at as normal and even right. On top of that there are so few Christians here in Phuket. There is about one church on this island and it is not overflowing with believers. In the states we have a church on every corner.

All of these things have been running through my head the past few days. What if there was more of a Christian presence here? Would things be different? So I just began asking the Lord to raise up believers in this place and to call others out to join in the battle that is going on here. Phuket needs Christians with pure hearts and pure motives. Some of the people here have been put off by Christians in the past because they made it mandatory for them to become Christians or they would not help them. We do not need to force anyone to believe. God can take care of that all on His own. Phuket needs people to come live a life like Christ. They need to see someone's witness and not just hear about it.

As I was thinking about this, Mark and Sharon popped in my head. They are the couple we are working with here. They are an amazing team. They simply live their life the way God has called them too. Simply by doing this, already four girls from the bars have come to know Christ. I also remembered that they had told us that some people had spoken that this place would be changed through worship. So I asked the Lord what does that mean. I felt the Lord saying that it does not mean through songs or anything like that but through living a life of worship. He gave me Romans 12. More specifically, Romans 12:1. It says, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to Godthis is true worship."

True worship to the Lord is living a life of sacrifice. That means living in obedience to God each and every day! This is how we can bring change to the nations and our whole world. It does not have to be going around preaching to everyone you meet. It does not have to mean you tell people all that they are doing wrong. All that we have to do is live the life God has called us to - A life of true worship.

What do you pray?

Sun, 9 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

What do you pray for a place where their whole existence is based around sin? What do you pray when you walk into a bar and there are 5 to 6 girls working there just waiting for a "customer" to come along? What do you pray when you see old men walking around with young Thai girls? What do you pray?

This has been my struggle. I do not even know where to begin to pray for this place. There is so much here that needs the touch of God. To start off this country is about 80 to 90 percent Buddhist. Then you have a $27 billion a year sex industry. In Phuket alone there are over 200 bars on one street with about 5 girls working at each one! That is about 1,000 girls working a night trying to earn money by selling drinks and themselves to the men here, mostly tourists.

I just do not even know what to think. The only thing that I do know is that God loves each one of those girls and He loves each one of those men. I know that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. I know that the Lord brought us here and wants to do a great work in my heart as well as a work here in Phuket. So that is my prayer Lord do what you want to do with me and this place. Turn their hearts back to you. Make your glory known all over Phuket and Thailand. Leave no place to the darkness. Give me your love for the people here and show me where you would go and what you would say. Use me in those places and speak through me. Set me apart and let that be evident to all I meet.

Please remember Thailand in your prayers everyday. It is a dark and confused place. Pray for change, pray for the Holy Spirit to move like a wildfire through the land here. Pray for us, that our hearts and minds will be protected and that we will not become desensitized to all we are seeing. Please pray.

PRAISE BE TO GOD!

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has supported me in the past couple of weeks. I was not sure if I was going to be able to stay in Thailand but my team and many other people pulled together on my behalf. Because of my wonderful team members and their amazing friends,family, and supporters, I now have enough funding to remain in Thailand for the month!

I was beginning to feel sorry for myself because so many other team mates have had funding poured into their accounts. God has just been so faithful and good! Then the other night the Lord just told me, I have not forgotten about you. So I knew that He had a plan even if I did not know what it was. The Lord put me on peoples hearts to pray for and on my way to Thailand I received an email saying I could stay.

So once again I just wanted to say thanks. It may be hard to believe (because I currently live on support from others), but it is really difficult for me to ask people for money or to even let people know that I am struggling and need help. So this whole experience has been very humbling. All that to say, please know how grateful I am. I may not always express it in the best way, but I am so blessed by everyone who has helped me along this journey. Praise the Lord for his provision!

Not much time.

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

We leave for Thailand in less than a week! It is so hard to believe that we have already been on the field for almost three months. I am really excited to see how God is moving and working in Asia. I still need over $7,000 to finish the race. If I am not able to get at least another $1,000 by the time I get to Thailand, I will be returning home once I land in Asia. Please keep this in your prayers. I am not the only one in this situation either. So please pray for us racers who still need more support. There are about 5 or 6 of us. Pray, Pray, Pray! We need financial help :).

New team, New place

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

At our last debrief a lot of change happened. Teams were switched around so that there was a guy on every team. This caused a lot of sadness and joy. We were sad to loose our precious team members but happy to now have a new member. Our team Daughters of Zion is no longer. Because we added a guy, Casey, we felt we needed to revise the name and now we are simply Zion. Our revised team now consists of Jessie, Gina, Beth, Gabrielle, Casey, and myself.

We also found out our location for the month of August. Team Zion and team Lego are now in Botswana! We have been here for about a week now, and things are going well. This is the first time I have had to use my tent. At first I was not to sure about living out of a tent for a month, but I must say that I actually like it for the most part. We are in the desert so there is no rain to worry about. During the day it gets really hot and then really cold at night. I am not too fond of the cold nights but I love the heat of the day.

Our ministry is working with an organization called Love Botswana. Everyday is something different. We are working on a mural for a nursery, doing a prison ministry, and other odd jobs. Mondays are dedicated to Asking the Lord. This is really the first time many of us have really been able to not have anything planned and just see where the Lord leads us.

This past Monday was great. I think we all really enjoyed where the Lord led each of us. I was with Jessie and Beth. After seeking the Lord, the three of us started out on foot out of the gates of the plot. We thought we were going to be walking towards the left and visiting with people who lived in the opposite direction of town. However, once we stepped outside the gates, we felt led to go right down behind Love Botswana. Everywhere you go there is sand. So this makes walking a little difficult. Through the sand we trudged for about 30 min. and still we had not seen one house or one person along the way.

Then I turned around and there was a man walking down the road behind us. I started talking to him and by the time we got to where he was going, he accepted the Lord. Praise God! After that we went and ministered and prayed for a couple more families down the road before returning home.

Things have been slow here in Botswana but the Lord has just been so amazing showing up when you least expect it. I am in awe of how God is working and moving and just feel so blessed to be able to be apart of what He is doing. Thank you Lord for bringing us here and for doing all that you do.

Freedom!!

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" Luke 4:18-19.

This is what Gina preached on when we went to Maun Prison yesterday. This was my first time going to a prison. It was not really what I expected. Everything was very relaxed. The prisoners gathered around and we listened as they did to the message. Afterwards, Gina asked if anyone wanted to ask the Lord to be their personal Lord and Savior and four or five men came forward. It was really wonderful. After that we all stood in pairs and prayed for the prisoners who wanted to be prayed over.

When we began to pray, the Holy Spirit really just started to move. I was praying with Silas. Each prayer was specific and directed by the Lord. I cannot really describe it, but it was so cool. The man who had been translating came over and asked us to pray for him. Silas began to pray and as soon as he did, I felt the Lord saying that this man needed to be a minister. No sooner than I thought that, Silas began to pray that over him. After we prayed, I felt so strongly that I needed to tell this man that he was a minister. In prison and when he is free, he needs to spread the word of God to everyone he meets. It was such a strong impression from the Lord. After I told him this, he told us that he knew he was to be a minister and he is currently trying to pass his test in theology. This man was already working on becoming a minister! The Lord told us that before he did though. Man, I was just blown away.

The whole experience was just so awesome. God was moving and His spirit was touching the lives of these men in prison. They are physically in prison but many people are spiritually in prison. They are bound in their sin. Jesus came to proclaim freedom for them. His desire was to set them free from their bondage through the cross. He died so we could be free. Jesus passed that message on to us and I feel so privileged to be able to share this message with others and proclaim freedom for the prisoners!

Cape Town

Wed, 8 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

After finishing the children's camps we were doing, we were able to pick the next place we would minister. We had two weeks left before debrief to go where we felt led. Through a lot of prayer and waiting on the Lord, my team agreed that we would all head down to Cape Town and stay with Tom and Cindy. We had met Tom when we were in Swaziland and since then, Gina had wanted us to go and spend some time with him and gain what we could from what the Lord was doing in his life.

So onto the train we went for our long 30 hour trip to Gordon's Bay (read Elizabeth's blog on this experience. It was quite the trip!). Tom picked us up from the train station and we all went back to his house. Our team stayed there for the two weeks and really enjoyed it. Cape Town is a beautiful place and I really loved being by the ocean. I feel like I think better when I can hear the ocean beside me.

Most of our time there was spent just praying and listening to the Lord. That is really what Tom wanted us to gain from the time we spent with him. How can one know the Lord's will and what He is doing if we do not take time to spend with Him? A relationship with God is like any other relationship; it takes time spent, talking, listening, and learning. Taking this time is the only way that we will grow closer to God and really be in tune with Him.

I must say that this was a really difficult experience for me. I am really not good at sitting and just being. I like to be moving and doing something. Long walks became a way for me to get this out. While I did not spend as much time as some just sitting with the Lord, I feel like He really worked on my heart. This time in Cape Town was the most difficult for me so far on the race. I was really homesick most of the time, community living was frustrating at points, and the sitting still felt like it was killing me! However, the Lord really just ministered to me about giving everything to Him, my heart, my mind, everything.

It is a struggle to do this at times because it requires complete trust and faith. My heart's desire is to truly give all of myself to the Lord and live a life that is pleasing and glorifying to Him, but there always seems to be a little fear that creeps in with that. I begin to fear what that will really mean for me. Will I have to loose everything and everyone that I love? Will God ask more of me than I am willing to give? Those thoughts are not from the Lord though and fear is not of God. He is showing me this everyday and helping me walk the road He has called me to.

Our God is such an awesome God. While my time in Cape Town was really hard, I feel like the Lord really used it to show me places in my heart that I need to give to Him. Places that are dark and that need the light of Christ, those things that are not of Him, like fear. So my prayer is that God will continue to work those things out. That He will remove those dark places and fills them with more of His spirit, stirring my trust and faith in Him.

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."
Hebrews 12:1

Give us a King

Wed, 8 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been reading in I Samuel. I have read this book many times but so much stuck out to me this time that I had never paid attention to before. It is a really good book of the bible, and I recommend taking some time to study it. In saying that, let me share some of what the Lord was speaking to me.

As we all know, the Israelites had a tough time following God alone. They often worshiped idols and let their hearts turn from the Lord. God was always seeking after them though. In I Samuel, it is really no different. Samuel was chosen by the Lord to be a prophet and judge over His people. Samuel told the Israelites to turn back to God and seek after Him with their whole hearts and they agreed to do so. Once Samuel was along in years, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel. His sons did not do very well though, they were unjust and turned too wicked ways. The people saw that Samuel's sons did not walk in the ways of the Lord and so they asked for a king to lead them like the other nations had.

Samuel was not very happy about this so he took the matter to God. "And the Lord told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do" (I Samuel 8:7-9). What I do not think that the Israelites really understood was that no matter what was going on, God was their king and supreme authority.

So God said okay, if they want to make someone other than me their king fine, but warn them that it will not be good. Samuel went back to the people and told them this but they insisted on having a king. "'No!' they said. We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles" (I Sam. 8:20). God's people did not trust that He would go before them and fight for them. They wanted a man to protect and rule over them. God warned them but ultimately let them make the decision. "Listen to them and give them a king" (I Sam. 8:22).

In my own life, I so often run to another person for help, advice, and many other things. I do not always run to the Lord first and trust in His rule over my life. Many times I try to fight my battles on my own and with my own strength, but that never really works. God has been showing me that He wants to be king of my life. He will not force His way into that position though. I have the choice to place Him on the thrown or to take Him off. Just like the Israelites, God is already our King. It is our choice to allow Him to be King or to put someone in His place.

The Lord's desire though is for us to place ourselves under His authority. When we are under that authority, He is our protector, provider, our everything. Of course doing this takes trust and faith in God. But who better to trust than the God of the universe. Man will always fail you but God never will. It is safe to trust in the Lord. He always has our best interest at heart. Things of the world do not cloud His judgment. He is never swayed. God has proven faithful to us so many times, yet just like the Israelites, we tend to forget how He has saved us numerous times. The Lord has brought us out of Egypt and the bondage of slavery; He has parted the Red Sea and made a way through the desert for each of us. Let us not forget these things. "But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you" (I Sam. 12:24).

Update on Support

Wed, 8 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

My time here on the race has been amazing. I am so blessed to have such wonderful supporters who have helped me get this far. The Lord is Alive and moving around the world. He is doing some amazing things and it is so wonderful to be able to be a part of what He is doing. I have raised $5,300.00 so far for this year. The total amount of support that is needed is $13,000.00. Therefore I still need $7,689.00 to finish the race. If I am not able to raise most if not all of this money within the next month, I will be returning home. I trust that the Lord will provide whatever His will may be. So thanks again and keep praying for this ministry and the support needed.

Mothers

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

So it has been a while since my last post. We are still in South Africa, but we have moved from Refilwe to another place called Alabanza. We are in our last few days of camp now and things are going really well. I have really enjoyed getting to meet all of these kids and teach them about God's love. This has really been a rewarding time for me.

Last week we did our camp at a school. Most of the children spoke English and it was Great! I had a small group of students, about 6 or 7, who were 11 years old. They were amazing. They were so smart and knew so much. They asked amazing questions, and we really got to have some good discussions about God and the bible. I was really blessed by these kids. One day I was feeling sick and they prayed the sweetest prayer for me. I just loved being with them!

This week is a bit different but still wonderful. I have a group of nine year olds this time and there are about 21 of them in my group. Not one can understand what I am saying. I teach using an interpreter and it is just so much fun. God has really blessed me with great kids. Even though I have so many, they are so well behaved that it seems as though I only have a few.

On Monday we were able to go to a daycare ran by a lady we are partnering with for the camp. I looked in one of the rooms and saw a couple of babies lying on a bench and one seemed as though something was wrong. I asked the worker about the child and she told me that he was a year and four months old but could not walk and really had no muscle control. Immediately I thought that I wanted to hold him because I thought that he might not get much attention with all the other toddlers around. She let me hold him and the first thing I noticed was that he could not breathe well. His lungs were very raspy and congested.

Sean started praying over him right away and then many of us followed. After we prayed I took him over to the swing to play a little. When I went over there Eric asked about him and I explained about his condition. He then wanted to pray over him and many others came to pray as well. We just prayed for healing of his lungs and legs. We prayed that his lungs would release what was keeping him from breathing well and that his muscles would become strong.

After we prayed a young woman came up and said that she was there to get her child. As soon as she spoke this baby started trying to move and looking over at her. You could just tell that he was so happy to see his mom. Steve asked if she was a believer and she said that she was and then he asked if we could pray with her. She agreed and so we did. When Steve finished praying, this woman was crying and she just embraced him. She was in so much pain for her child. She told us that he was sick, and she had come to take him to the doctor. She was worried for him and did not know what was wrong.

I just felt so bad for this woman. She was very young and struggling to raise a disabled child. I am not a mother myself so I can only imagine the pain and worry you would feel when your child was sick like that. There must be such desperation there. Since then God has just really placed the mothers and grandmothers of these children on my heart. We are teaching the kids here about God and His love and provision but how many of the people who care for these children know that message? I pray that God will just grant us many more opportunities to pray for moms. They need it and want it. Pray for moms around the world today. Thanks to my mom for being so great J .

CAMP!!!

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Today was the third day of camp. Everything is going well. The only thing that hinders us is this freezing cold weather!!! So, I just wanted to post some pictures of my kids so you guys can see how awesome they are and pray for them :) Here they are!

Refilwe

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Well to catch everyone up, we left Swaziland last week and have been here at a place called Refilwe in South Africa ever since. Our time here has been great. The main ministry we are doing is a camp with the local kids. It is very much like a Vacation Bible
School. We have a lesson from the bible, a craft, recreation and lots and lots of singing. Today was our second day of camp and it is all really fun.

Near Refilwe there is a squatter's settlement. This is a place where people just decided to live. They picked up what materials they could find, built a shelter and call it home. Because this is so close, some of us wanted to go and visit the people here and share about Jesus with them. Today the first group went out, and I was one of the ones who went.

The settlement is relatively small. It covers the side of a hill, granted there is a shelter every five feet. We split up into two groups and started walking around praying and asking the Lord to bring out the people who He would have us to speak with. I simply prayed while Gina and Eric spoke with several people. Towards the end of our time there, Eric saw a small group of men sitting outside their house and he thought that he recognized them. He went over and said hi. It turned out they were not who he thought they were. However, it did give us the opportunity to sit and talk with them.

Basically, Eric asked them if they knew about Jesus and they said that they did not. Eric then was able to break down the story of Jesus for these men. While he was talking with them, another man came up. Around this time I started to have these overwhelming emotions. I started to tear up and had to turn around while they were speaking. I just kept thinking that these people have nothing. They live in these homes that most people in the states would not even keep their lawnmowers. How do you tell people about God and his provision and love when they struggle so much for everything that they have. I know that they must have many prayers that go unanswered.

Then I felt like God was saying that He is enough. They have nothing else without Him. "If they have so little now, what will there life be like if they do not know me? I am their only hope."

After this I sucked up the tears and walked back over to where they were talking. The man who came in during the middle of the conversation began to speak. He was asking when Jesus was going to be coming to his home because he wanted to speak to him. He said that he prays everyday to Jesus. He has not had a job for over 6 months. He goes out to look and he prays and prays but still he has no job.

So I'm thinking good question, but I do not have an answer. Eric lets him know that he should continue to pray because sometimes God is trying to teach us to trust him. God was totally speaking through Eric and Gina to all of these men. It was amazing. By the end they all accepted Jesus into their lives. What a blessing it was to be there and witness the Holy Spirit moving the hearts of these men. They asked tough questions though. They asked questions that I am struggling to find answers to. I felt so selfish looking at these people in their "homes." I have so much and still I complain. I cry and weep when I feel like something did not go my way. These people struggle everyday to just get food on the table for their families. Who am I to complain when I feel a little cold or when my car needs a new part? I am no different then any of the men and women I met today. I was simply born in a different part of the world to a different family.

I know that God made every detail of who I am so He is the one who put me where I am. I pray that over this next year that God really just reveals to me how He wants me to use what He has blessed me with. He brought me here for a reason, to share His love with his children of the world. I just pray that He gives me words that speak clearly to these people and that they know no matter what that God loves them. I pray that through their struggles they will still praise you Father! You are so good and you provide in ways that we may not know or see. I also pray that you just always remind me of this day and of how I felt. Let me never be so comfortable that I do not think of all the people who have so much less than me.

Cora

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Being here in Swaziland has been great. We have been having lots of training classes learning about how to cook our food, how to stay as safe as possible and lots of other very important information. Every evening we have a worship service and a speaker. Most of this time is spent in prayer and it is wonderful.

The other night while we were in prayer, we were all praying about what we are going to be doing over this next year. As I was speaking to the Lord, I felt like he was laying on my heart the phrase "I have not forgotten my children." I was feeling like that was going to be what he wanted me to show to all the people we are going to be ministering to.

Well, the next morning when I woke up I started looking for scripture related to this phrase and 1 John chapter 3 was one that spoke of God's love. Later in the day my team and I went into town to use the internet and go to the market. After searching for a bit we found the cultural market and began to look around. We walked through the vendors selling fabric, then the food section and finally the crafts. Once everyone had made their purchases, one of the girls said that she wanted to go back to the fabric section.

I happened to stop at the first vendor where two ladies were standing. The first lady was younger and said how she would love to travel to the "land of milk and honey." The other lady was a little older and started asking me questions about why we were in Swazi. I told her that we were missionaries trying to tell people about the Lord and also helping serve people with physical needs they may have. After I said this she asked me "Well then what can you do for someone like me. I am very poor, my husband is dead and I need help. I am suffering." I really did not know what to say.

The first thing that popped into my head was to tell her that I would pray for her. She said that she would like that, and I asked if she believed in God. This lady then told me that she did, but it is very hard to even pray to God because she feels as though the Lord has forgotten her. She suffers so and feels as though God is not helping her. The words she spoke floored me because that was exactly what the Lord had spoken to me.

Immediately I told her that God has not forgotten her. He sees her need. He knows her tears, and He weeps when she weeps. God's heart breaks for her, and I suggested she read 1 John chapter3. After that my leader and I prayed for her and her family, and when we were done, her eyes were filled with tears and she could not speak. It broke my heart. I know that God loves this woman and cares for her. I just pray that she knows that without a doubt. God is there even in our suffering, and although we can not always know what he is doing, He is working it all out for his good.

This is the message I hope to share with the people of the world. God has not forgotten his children. He loves them. We are His heart. I pray that the Lord will show me how to share this with others and to show them that He cares. "Are not 5 sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed the very hairs on your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more that many sparrows" (Luke 12:6-7). Please pray for our nations. They need to know they are loved and not forgotten.

Safari

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

So far being in Africa has not really felt like being in Africa. I guess people tend to think of Africa like what they see on the Discovery Channel or something. In reality most of the cities are similar to ours (well to a degree). Swaziland is wonderful. There are beautiful green hill sides everywhere and the stars are so clear at night. However, since we have been here we have been in training and have not really been able to get away from the house all that much. So, AIM decided to take us on a Safari!!!!

If I understood correctly, most all of the African wildlife like elephants and lions are on reserves. So the only way to really get to see those kinds of animals is to drive through a reserve and see them. Our team left really early in the morning and drove a little over an hour to get there. We loaded up on one of those vehicles with no walls and started on our way through the gate.

At first we really did not see much. The driver took us through different paths and we saw some pretty cool birds and boars but nothing else. As we are driving I am looking through the brush and see this gray stone. The longer I looked at it, I started to see eyes. It was no stone, it was a baby elephant! Once we spotted the baby, here came to mom. It was so awesome to see them so close. Elephants are crazy animals. Throughout the time we were there, we also saw rhinoceroses, giraffes, and lions. It was so much fun.

Taking a day to see some of the wildlife was great. It was a lot of fun and a really great experience to have with your team. God created these grand, majestic animals and set them here in Africa. How cool is that? I am anxious to really start our ministries here and start to get to know the people of this great land as well.

And the adventure has begun!

Wed, 6 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

I knew that this next year would be full of surprises, I just did not realize it would have so many right at the start. My adventure began before I even arrived at the airport in Atlanta. The day before we were supposed to begin our journey was full of frantic packing and getting things I had forgot. After finishing that at two in the morning, I began the drive down to Georgia with a fellow World Racer. The normal two hour trip to where we were staying the night ended up being a five hour drive after we lost our way. Once we figured out the correct way to were we were going, we were able to catch a few hours of sleep before we started for the airport.

Once at the airport, I was able to meet all the amazing people on my team. Everyone was super nice and excited to begin the first leg of the trip to London. We all hung out in the airport for a number of hours and then got in line to check in. Well, after standing there a while, we were informed that we were not going to be allowed to get on the plane because we did not have proof that we were leaving Africa once we got there. Right away everyone began to pray, and to our great relief, they decided to let us go. The airline people started checking a few of us in when, to our surprise, they decided not to let us go until they had the correct documentation. Crazy right!

Well, we have now been at the AIM base for a day. Half of us were able to fly to London today and the rest of us will be able to leave tomorrow. Being detained was defiantly not in our plans, but we all knew that it must have been in the Lord's. It has really been a blessing to have an extra day in the states. Many of us really needed rest and others were able to purchase things they needed and many other great things have happened because of God's great timing in all of this. I am so excited about the adventures we have yet to experience. The beginning has already been full of unforeseen things and I am sure the next year will bring us many more. God is good and it will be exciting to see how he leads on this journey he has set us on.

Almost There

Wed, 9 May 2007 00:00:00 GMT

We have less than a month before we leave now!! It is so crazy and exciting. I am looking forward to June 5th when I am able to meet up with my team and start our journey to South Africa. This is going to be a year of growth, change, surrender, and so much more. I can not wait!

In order for me to leave on June 5th, I still need to raise at least $3,000 to have at least half of my money. Thank you so much to everyone who has helped me so far. I am so grateful for your support and prayers. Please continue to pray, pray, pray. Prayer is so essential. I know the Lord will provide. He is so good. Thanks again to all of you helping me along the way.

Fired up!

Sat, 21 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

This past week has been so awesome for me. I was not able to attend the training camp in GA and was a little disappointed. However, my friend who was able to go came back fired up! He told me all kinds of stories from training camp, about the people, the talks, the activities, and how the Lord was moving in his life. It was awesome being able to hear about everything and it really encouraged me and got my fire going as well.

Over the past five or six days, I have just felt so close to the Lord. I know that he has just been walking with me everyday and blessing me every step. I have had the opportunity to share with a lot of people about what we are doing with the World Race, encourage people, and be encouraged myself. The other night at church Silas and I were able to talk with a girl who is in our Wednesday night group about missions and AIM. She is 17 and just starting out with missions. She will be going with our church this summer on a trip and she is so excited. She was really interested in what we are doing and her eyes just lit up as we talked about it all. It was so cool to get to talk with her. I was so excited about what we are doing that I was rambling all my words together. I just felt like I could not tell her fast enough about what God is doing here! We are so blessed to have this opportunity to serve God's people. Raising the money and everything is a big task but luckily that is something that God can take care of. Leaving the people we love for a year is a little sad but guess what? God is with us and there to comfort us when we are missing them. God planted this mission opportunity in my heart over a year ago and I am sure that he will bring it to completion. I can not wait to meet my team and begin this journey with everyone! It is going to be AMAZING!!

Thanks so much.

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT

I just wanted to let everyone know how thankful I am for all of your support. I really feel that the Lord has blessed me with the best friends, family, and co-workers. Everyone is so supportive of me going on the World Race, and it means so much to me. The Lord is going to do such amazing things over the next year!! Thanks to all of you who are apart of this.

I also wanted to say how happy I am to let everyone know that I now have a new baby cousin named Piper. Also, in just a few days ( I hope :)) my first niece will be born!!!! I can not wait to meet this cool little person. I love you Jamie, Justin and little Hailey.