The World Race Aug '09 - Andrea Pasquan

VIDEO: Life in Uganda

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Because of the lack of internet in Uganda last month, I didn't get to share much about it. But I absolutely loved it so I might have a couple of "late" blogs about it. Here is a video that my teammate Kristin put together!

CHANGE= a theme in my life

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Internet has been scarce, so I have not been able to update you with everything that I've wanted to. The biggest change has been that God has called me to be a team leader of another team. So after being in Tanzania for only 3 days, I left to go join Team Sofia in Kenya. This adventure with God has been a crazy ride but I really do love every minute of it. While I miss my team of women that I've been with since the start, I know that this is where God wants me to be. I will try to post a picture of my new team soon. They're all so great and I'm excited to see what God does through us this month. They have welcomed me and made me feel a part of their family already.

By the way, thank you for all of the birthday wishes. My Ugandan birthday was the best one yet! I hope to write more and share some pictures of a very special day.

Please pray for me as I transition into a new team and role. Much thanks!

Mud Huts and Milking Cows

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Greetings from Uganda! We made it to our location after 27 hours of travel, only to be welcomed by African music, cheering, and a bonfire. I was blown away by such a warm welcome. It has been great to experience the bush of Africa and getting a taste of how the locals live. It is 3 hours to the nearest town with internet, and I am grateful I got to go today...it's my birthday present =)

So much can happen in one day here, so here are some highlights of this past week:

Compassion International...There are 230 kids in the area who are sponsored through Compassion. We did some home visits of these children to evaluate how they are doing and what their living conditions are like. We also visited 2 new homes that Compassion built and did a ribbon cutting ceremony. It has been a blessing to see how this organization operates on this end, and I will assure you that people's sponsor money is being stewarded well. These are the children who are at the top of their classes and love being part of the program. It has only been here for 2 years and growing rapidly. They plan to add 50 more children in the next couple of months.
Sharing the word of God...This happens not only at church on Sunday. We've gone door to door, have tons of people over for fellowship every night, and did some open-air preaching at an area where people hang out and drink all day.
Gatherings under the mango tree...We had a group of HIV/AIDS victims over and gave words of encouragement and prayer. We did the same with a bunch of women from the church we are working with. And since Mike and Denise, our squad leaders, have been staying with us...they held a gathering for the married couples of the church. This week all the pastors in the area are coming over for us to encourage and share with them. We have all joked about it because we do not feel qualified to do the things that we've done, but God is qualified so Amen!
People travel for hours to come and see us, the "visitors". We get to learn the language of Luoa (sp?) and hold their babies if they aren't too scared of us. Sometimes we get a TV and generator, which draws a large crowd to watch African music videos and Nigerian movies.
Learning how to do daily activiites like milking the cows, fetching water from the well, and killing a chicken for dinner (only Mike did this one).

This week we will be visiting churches in the surrounding villages, talking with the leadership, and praying for them. I can't believe we only have about a week left here.

Thank you for keeping us in your prayers!

A Glimpse of a Travel Day

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Here's a video that my friend Ashley made about our travel days to get to Kenya!

Picture Blog of Uganda/Kenya

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Here are some pics of our time here in Africa this month. I spent some time in both Uganda and Kenya.

Mama Tom and I she is a widow who cares for 15 orphans, amazing woman of God!

The day we left Uganda to go to Kenya

At the church building classrooms for the kids

Lindsay and I we were called to serve the teams from the Novas Project for 2 weeks

Obama candy is all the rage...even my hair is called the Obama!

Sunset over Lake Victoria in Kenya

Environmental ministry planting trees

The baby goat was only 4 days old it's mom was spitting on me at this point

Our backyard for a week beautiful Lake Victoria

The Novas Project teams and SEEK staff miss these guys so much!

I have no words.

Half Way There & Livin' on a Prayer

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

No, I am not just talking about one of my favorite karaoke songs. It really is the half way point of the Race, crazy! And often times I do feel like I'm livin' on a prayer.

As you probably know by now, things on the Race can change and move pretty quickly. It turns out that there is a team of 12 people (ages 18-24) that are serving right next door in Uganda. They are with another AIM program and have 4 months left on the field. There has been a lot of stress, struggle, and they just have an overall feeling of being drained. God has called me and my squad mate Lindsey to go and spend the rest of the month with them. We get to love on them, listen to their struggles, encourage, pray and speak life over them. I don't really know what I'm doing, but God knows what He's doing. He is faithful and mighty and loves His kids so much. What a blessing it is to be used by Him to love this special group of 12.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Cor 12:9

This is what I'm looking like these days...

Jesus Doesn't Need a Sumo Suit

Sun, 10 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I am hot and sweaty.

I am cooled off by the afternoon rain shower.

I am exhausted.

I am invigorated by the heartbeat
of God's people here in Kenya.

We have been here only one week and something has been confirmed. I cannot do Africa in my own strength --especially for 3 months -- That is a fact.

Every morning when I open my eyes and see my mosquito net (my new best friend!) I pray something along the lines of, "God, I NEED your strength for today. I need you. I am depending on you."

So far we have spent a few days going door to door, sharing God's Word and praying for people. And some made the decision to accept Jesus as their personal savior, praises to God!

One day we spent time at the hospital, going from bed to bed, talking and praying over people. I am uncomfortable in this hospital, being surrounded by the sick -- those suffering with malaria, unknown illnesses, and those dying of AIDS (2 out of 5 people here have it).

Jesus IS comfortable. It is the power of Jesus living in me that prays healing over the sick. I knew before we even stepped in there that it would have to be Jesus and His strength. Me and my own power would want to run outside, overcome with nausea and just feeling funny.

This is a good thing. God has been faithful to His word that says "Ask and you will receive." Jn 16:24

One of the things I said before the Race was, "I want to know what it's like to fully depend on God...to be in a place where I just plain need Him." He is answering that prayer and it is just the beginning.

I should also mention that plans have changed and we're staying in Kenya this month instead of going to Uganda. Meanwhile, I am loving the people of Kenya! Everyone greets you with a handshake and bright smile, they make us feel very welcome. And we hear, "Mzungu! (white person) How are you? How are you?" about 100 times a day from the local kids. They are precious!

Thank you for praying that I would rely on God in ways I never have before. He is GOOD.

Shalom Yall...and Merry Christmas

Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Merry Christmas from the Holy Land where Jesus was born! It is a beautiful sunny day here in the Negev desert. We got the wonderful gift of the technology ban being lifted yesterday and today! So we're listening to Christmas music, watching a Christmas movie, and catching up on Internet stuff. Thank you so much for all of your blog comments this month, they were wonderful Christmas presents I got to open yesterday.

We leave in a few days for Uganda, with a stop in Cairo to see the pyramids! I hope to give you all an update once we get settled there.

Here is a video of our whole squad...

The Village

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The weather here reminds me of Seattle. You walk out to the market in sunshine, and then get stuck in a rainstorm for the trek back home. But that's about all that reminds me of life in the states...with the exception of the bowling alley we found for Leize Marie's birthday.

Talita, the pastor's daughter, and I

We're living in a village up in the hills.

We get hot water on Friday and Saturday.

We boil our drinking water.

The cold running water is rationed every day (although they're shutting it off for a week starting tomorrow).

We use space heaters (and are so thankful for them!)

We rarely flush the toilet.

Is this all prepping us for Africa in a couple weeks? It really isn't that bad. I just wanted to give you an idea of our current living situation as I know some of you enjoy those kinds of details.

Walking around the village, almost everyone asks where we're from, and they respond with a friendly "Welcome!"

The kids see us coming and shout "Hello!" about 10 times because that's the only English they know.

The church we're here to serve has invited us (that's 7 of us girls) over for dinner and then a pajama party with their teenage daughter.

Our "grandma" next door gave us coffee, tea, cookies, and then fed us lunch just because we spent a couple hours cleaning her house.

These are just examples in Israel, but everywhere on the Race I have been humbled by people's hospitality. I thought I had the "gift" of hospitality, but people around the world have shown me a whole other level.

The Bible calls us to practice hospitality and to do so without grumbling. In Luke 14, Jesus says, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors. If you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

It makes me think about who will be at my Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner table in the future. I love having friends over for dinner, but we should also look beyond our comfort zone or bubble of people and invite those in that cannot repay us.

Rejoice!

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

"Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel...O come to thee o Israel"

I'm not kidding when I say that every single day, our team is humming and singing this. Because of our technology ban, we haven't been able to listen to music (Luckily I listened to Christmas music the whole month of November.) God has still been waking me up with worship songs in my head...what a blessing!

Taking all technology out of our daily lives makes a huge difference. In the evenings we find ourselves playing Rummy Cube, reading books, talking, and often going to bed by 10pm. Is this what people did back in the day?

We get so used to having the noise of music, TV, and movies, even if it's just background noise. A season of being "unplugged" is both challenging and refreshing. For example, I've realized that watching movies on the Race can be used as an escape for a couple hours (or more if we do a double feature!)

But what am I escaping from?

The abnormal and crazy lifestyle of the Race sometimes battles my flesh's desires for the normalcy and comfort of my "old" life back in the States. God is persistent as he gently continues to teach me what it means to be a Jesus follower...a Kingdom dweller.

"The Kingdom dweller obeys the King and in the process, becomes more like the King. It is a lifetime of demanding, humbling, beautiful, risky ventures that are worth every ounce of sweat."

Don Everts, "Jesus With Dirty Feet"

The whole Race is like an initiation and training ground for how to live life beyond July 2010. Getting to serve ministries and love people in our path is like a bonus.

Is watching a movie on the Race unhealthy? Not at all. But I need to check my motive. Maybe I need to have an intentional conversation with someone rather than get lost in a movie I've probably already seen 10 times. Or maybe I need to spend time praying for the people I am longing to connect with back home.

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" Phil 4: 4-7

P.S. As an update on what we're actually doing these days, things have changed, as I mentioned they probably would. We are now living in Galilee, working with a church. We get to serve them via cleaning, praying, teaching, and having a presence in the community.

We Hit a Donkey!

Sat, 5 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Yes, our bus hit a donkey but I guess it would be equivalent to hitting a deer in the states. I'm just glad it wasn't a camel! We have now been in Israel for a week and already have learned so much. There is so much history here, but I've never been much of a history buff. I am praying for the supernatural hunger and excitement for everything the Holy Land has to offer. What a privilege it is to be here, yet I question why it doesn't really feel that way. Maybe because I look outside and feel like I'm in Palm Springs, CA. Or maybe the lifestyle of traveling from country to country has become the norm or something.

We floated in the Dead Sea yesterday and it was amazing! Especially since I can't normally back float. Some fun facts about the Dead Sea:

- At 1300 feet below sea level, it is the lowest spot on earth

- It is at least 25 percent salt, which is 4 times higher than the ocean

- It separates Israel from Jordan

- David fled to escape assassination from the jealous king Saul and hid in the caves along the Dead Sea shoreline

In the next few days we head out to Jerusalem to live with the Bedouins, a Muslim people group. We've heard it will be a culture shock, but I'm up for it. It will definitely be different in that we'll be like guests and will have to be "on" at all times. We may be teaching English, but things always change on the Race, so we'll see when we get there.

For the month of December our whole squad is having a technology ban (no internet, iPods, movies, etc). We still get 3 hours per week to write a blog, so I apologize if this blog is quite random. I usually take a long time to think through and write a blog, so it's a challenge to begin and complete a blog in one sitting. The whole point of the ban is to help aid in the process of abandonment...coming into a place of complete dependence on God. I will write more on that in the future.

Until the next blog...

Tofurky

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We didn't actually have tofurky or turkey (it was out of our budget) for Thanksgiving, but we did have 12 chickens, mashed potatoes, stuffing, pomegranate sauce, apple cobbler and more! And I got to be on the cooking crew with 7 other amazing women. We celebrated with our whole squad and coaches, so there were about 50 of us. Definitely the largest group I've ever spent Thanksgiving with and it made for a very memorable day.

Here are some pics of Thanksgiving and other randoms from this month!

The friendly locals we could only communicate with via smiles, pointing, and laughing!

Women making delicious Turkish crepes

The infamous Turkish delights!

Trading (or Invading!) Spaces

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Time and time again, we step into a country with the intentions of blessing and serving the people we encounter. And every single time, we feel so blessed by them. This month we got connected with my sister's friends, a married couple who moved here a few months ago to teach English. They opened up their quaint apartment (that they've lived in for only one week!) to us 7 girls to invade their living space. Their perspective on what being a follower of Christ looks like is backed up by their actions. It has been refreshing for all of us to see firsthand a lifestyle that we hope to continue when we get home from the Race.

A life that is fully devoted to Jesus, being led by the Spirit every day, no matter where you are.

They are here in Turkey until God tells them to go elsewhere. Oh, and they actually love and embrace living in community! They've always lived with other people until just recently. This has been a concept that I've now been able to experience while on the Race, and an area that God is stretching me in. I've had to ask myself, is this something that I am trying to just endure for these 11 months, or will I be intentional about community living even post-Race?

Our new friends that I'm inspired by are going against the grain, living in an unconventional manner-at least, if compared to most young married couples in the States. But wasn't Jesus like that? Living in a way that most found a little odd?

What a nice surprise it's been to our time here in Turkey...genuine fellowship with new friends who are great role models for our generation.

Change is in the Air

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Change can happen quickly and abundantly on the Race. And while it can be tough and stretching, I know that God is sovereign and has us in the palm of His hands. It is good stuff so I will try to get you up to speed! Last weekend our squad came together for debrief in Sofia, Bulgaria. By the Lords leading, leadership has spent significant time praying into how teams will be switched around as they raise up new squad leaders to take us through the rest of the year as our current leaders (Stacy, Brian, and Caitlin) will be leaving us after debrief at the end of our time here in Turkey.

Denise and Michael Murphy along with Tamica Sloan have been called up to be our new Squad leaders! We are so blessed and honored to have them on the front lines fighting for us and behind the scenes working out so many of the CRAZY details involved with taking 45 people around the world for a year!

The women on my team have changed slightly. Katie moved to another team as a team leader, and we now have Drea Statzer on our team! Also, Hollis was appointed as our new team leader and I know she will be great in her role. Our new team name is Team Fresh.

This is the beautiful Drea! She's already awesome because her full name is also Andrea ;) Her love for God flows naturally and I'm excited to do life with her and spur each other on.

We are currently in Turkey for the month of November and I am looking forward to soaking up the culture here, which is drastically different than anything we've experienced so far. Turkey is 99.9% Muslim and it is evident in many ways. For example, the call to prayer we hear 5 times a day and the gorgeous mosques everywhere. We'll be seeking to build relationships with the women here, learn about their lives, and LOVE them with God's unconditional love. We appreciate your prayers always!

Here's a couple snapshots of Istanbul....

Serbia in a Nutshell

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here's a sweet video that my teammate Kristin put together to share about our time we spent in Serbia!

Help a Sister Out

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In case you were wondering, my 6 beautiful teammates have truly become my sisters over these past 3 months. It is a safe group of girls where we can be real and honest with one another. It's not always easy being vulnerable with people. They hear what I have to say and I know they won't judge me when I share my raw feelings about my day, life, anything. I love them!

Right now I want to voice their need for financial support for the Race. If you can help out, even a little bit, we would all be so grateful! Here are the five that still need support:

Katie

You can click on their name, which will take you to their blog page. From there you can click on the "Support Me" tab on the left. Thank you for your help!

This was a special night going out to dinner. We don't normally look this clean!

Serbian Thugs 'N Harmony

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Below is a blog that my teammate Hollis wrote, sharing about a Serbian experience we had. She titled it "Bad boys. Bad boys. Watcha gonna do?" I just decided to re-name it because I like coming up with blog titles. =)

I want to tell you a story about how God can intervene in unexpected ways, all you have to do is pray...

The Incident

So Andrea, Kristin, and I decided to go find a cafe and get some coffee. We were walking down one of the main city streets in Belgrade and I was in the back. Suddenly I felt a tug on my purse and my stomach dropped. I had been pickpocketed. I knew without even looking what had happened. I calmly told Andrea and Kristin that my wallet had been stolen, and that the three men standing to our left had done it.

I don't know why I was so calm, but because I was not panicking the girls did not believe me at first. They kept asking if I was sure and to check my purse again. A woman standing at a safe distance away silently motioned that I was correct. Those men had reached into my purse and taken out my wallet. Although she was not much help, her confirming what had happened was enough to convince all three of us to confront the men.

The Showdown

So now picture this with me if you will. Three young American girls marching up to three Serbian street thugs demanding my wallet back. As you can imagine, we did not accomplish much. We knew they had taken it, yet they insisted they had no idea what we were talking about. It felt like we were ten years old and having that ridiculous argument of "yes you did," "no I didn't," "yes you did," "no I didn't." Just throw in some swear words and that was the situation.

The Chase

We were obviously getting nowhere fast, when the men decided hey had had enough and turned to walk away. Without a word to each other, we followed them. So now you've got three Serbian men running away from the three of us girls. Somewhere along the way, Kristin grabs this 6 foot something tall chain-smoking Serbian man to join our pursuit. In between puffs of smoke he asked what the men took while the three of us ran alongside him to keep up with his long strides.

The Dilemma

All I kept thinking was what are we doing to do? When every other day the streets were filled with police, there were none to be found now. I just kept praying for God to intervene somehow because I did not see how I was going to get my wallet back.

The Unexpected Victory

While I was silently asking God for help, the men in front of us came to an abrupt halt. Suddenly I was being handed back my wallet. Dumbfounded, I mumbled a quick thank you and then checked to make sure nothing in my wallet was missing. That was it. The pickpocketers vanished and our chain-smoking body guard said goodbye. In an instant we were alone again. Everything was back to normal and I suddenly thought, did that just happen? Did I really have my wallet stolen and then personally handed right back to me?

A few minutes later, I asked Andrea and Kristin what they had been thinking during all of this. Apparently we all had the same idea. Don't lose sight of the three men and don't stop praying. Well, God must have heard our prayers loud and clear. How else do you explain why a young American girl was lucky enough to get her wallet back from a seasoned pickpocketer so easily?

What Is MINISTRY?

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

There are many "Christianese" terms that I never knew the meaning of before becoming a believer. Ministry is one of them, and while I have a better understanding of it, I'm still not able to clearly define what it is.

Before coming on the World Race, we had the idea that we'd be serving churches and ministries around the world. Even though we released expectations, they can still creep back into our minds. We may think that "doing ministry" is building a church, or holding orphan babies, or giving food to the homeless. And while these activities are ministry, I'm learning first-hand that it expands far beyond this. Thinking about a few things that we've done so far while on the Race...

In Ireland...painting a basement that few people actually see.

In Moldova...walking up and down the road praying for the village, cleaning dishes with a teammate.

In Serbia...talking to both locals and teammates and hearing their stories.

These were just a few examples. Is this the ministry you thought I'd be doing?

At the Catalyst West conference earlier this year, my friend and I had the opportunity to have lunch with Francis Chan...along with 20 others. For those who don't know, Francis is a well-known pastor, author, and speaker among college students. During the Q & A time, we asked him this, "There's a lot of talk out there about having balance in your life. What is the biblical perspective on this?" He responded somewhere along the lines of, "We often like to structure our lives like -- church life, work life, social life, etc. But really, LIFE IS MINISTRY. They should all blend together."

That really stuck with me and I often think of it while on the Race because EVERY part of this crazy adventure is ministry. It's not just a designated time slot of the day.

I would challenge you to let the different parts of your life interweave. There may be an opportunity for you to be a blessing as you're grabbing your daily cup o' joe or getting groceries. It could be a smile, a word of encouragement, a helping hand, or even a dollar. And I've learned that it doesn't always happen at a time that is convenient for you. My team prays daily asking the Lord for His help in being aware of opportunities He has planned for us that day. We don't want to miss anything!

God Used Google

Mon, 5 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Our 13 hour train ride brought us to Belgrade, Serbia one week ago. We didn't know anyone or anything about this place. All we knew was that we had a mission to learn about the culture as much as possible and seek out ministry contacts to start building relationships, with the ultimate goal of paving the way for future World Race teams to come and serve in Serbia. So where does one even start? Google search of course!

I googled "ministries in Serbia" which led me to a missionary who connected me with one important man. He ended up being what we call the "key holder of ministry contacts in Serbia". Those who know me know that I love networking and connecting people, so it was energizing to be around someone who also enjoys that. After being here 2 days and having one meeting, we had a long list of contacts to call. Praises to God!

We've spent the week meeting with people, exploring the city, and going to church services. My first impressions of Serbia were...

- The people are so friendly, helpful, and many people know english (big bonus!)

- There are so many cafes and bakeries and gelatorias

- People love their cigarettes and skinny jeans here

- NOBODY wears flip flops, so we stick out like crazy

- Most people here did not grow up here. I've actually met a handful of Croatian people (yea!) so I've been able to have that bond and share the few Croatian words that I know!

While I think my impressions are mainly true, we wanted to dig a little deeper into what this vibrant city is really like. So after talking with some of our new friends, this is what we learned from a local's perspective...

- People will say they know english even if they don't...it's a pride thing

- Spiritually, people are hungry for something but they don't know what

- They want us to tell YOU (people across the world) about Serbia because they feel forgotten and that Serbia has a bad reputation

- Every generation has experienced at least one war

- Many people pass through here but not many stay. Along those same lines, there is a great need for long-term missionaries.

Overall, I know that God has plans for the people of this city, and I feel like we're getting a glimpse of the beginning. There is a small but faithful community of believers here who have hope and a heart of expectancy for God to move in a big way. They have welcomed us with open arms and we've been blessed to hear their stories and start new relationships.

Please join us in praying for the people of Serbia, that God would stir up their hearts a desire to seek out the true and living God that loves them and adores them beyond human understanding!

The Results Are In!

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We just found out we're going to Serbia next month! For those that are geographically challenged (like me), here is a map.

We will be scouting out ministry opportunities and contacts for future World Race teams. We don't know anything more at this point, but we are all pretty stoked about this next month.

This week we've been a part of the Awakening conference in Brasov, Romania. It is made up of over 200 current World Racers and alumni. There has been music worship, all-night prayer times, and thought-provoking teaching sessions. It is fun to meet the alumni or the racers that are at the end of their race and have so much wisdom to share. It has been a time of building up the body of Christ, rejuvenating those who are tired and weary, and empowering a generation of people who want to be "Jesus with skin on" to the nations God is taking us to! Who ever said being a Christian is boring? Ok, I used to think so back in the day, but that will have to be another blog. =)

MOLDOVA: Pictures Can Say A Lot

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here are some pictures to give you a glimpse of our time here in Moldova!

The place we've called home

The pastor of the church

Erik, Larissa and Andre's son

Playing a Moldovian form of duck-duck-goose

Walked across the border to Ukraine...had to jump in the river!

We like to do band poses.

Team Benkadi Got Moldova!

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

After a 13 hour train ride from Romania to Moldova (yes, it is an entirely different country), we hopped on another train for 5 hours to finally arrive here at the village of Ocnita. It is quite the contrast of being in Dublin. We are out in the country of rolling hills, cows and chickens, a plethora of grapes, and daily trips to the market place to buy fresh bread and cheese.

Our contacts here are Andre and Larissa, a young married couple who has a 3 year old son Erik. They have amazing faith and have been praying for another team to come since they last hosted another World Race team in April. So here we are! They have opened up their home for 13 of us girls to stay at, while the 2 boys are at the grandparents' house. We love them very much and feel so blessed by their hospitality. We also love their sister-in-law, Ira, who is our translator. It is so nice to not ALWAYS be doing charades in order to communicate with people!

Andre and Larissa planted a church about a year ago in the village. We've been helping with the church services and have even found some English worship songs that they know in Russian. In the evenings we run the children's program at the church for about 25 kids. They like to teach us Russian and practice their English. They now all know how to say John 3:16 in English.

A few of the girls I've connected with, keepin' it real.

There is also a rehabilitation center for men that Andre started a few months ago for alcoholics and drug addicts. It is a 6-month program and there are 5 men currently there. Andre led us on a backpacking trip to the center, which was about a 9 mile hike into the mountains and very close to the border of Ukraine. He told us he had been praying for a year for someone to hike that with him. It is somewhat primitive living there, but it was cool to see the house that the previous World Race team had been working on. Andre dreams to have a rehab center for women too, but is in need of a female program leader. Please lift this up in prayer. Alcoholism is a big problem here, and a lot of the kids we serve have alcoholic parents.

On our hike to the rehab center

This is our last week here in Moldova. We head back to Romania next week for the Awakening conference for 4 days and THEN...I have exciting news about what follows. We are no longer going to Egypt but instead have an ATL month, where we Ask The Lord where He would have us go to serve. It is going to be in eastern Europe somewhere, but that's all we know at this point. Every team is praying for the Lord's direction, and I will keep you posted as the Lord answers!

We woud greatly appreciate you joining us in prayer as we seek what the Lord is speaking to our team about this for the next week. Thanks and much love from Moldova!

I Smell...Ireland.

Thu, 3 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Coffee

Coolwater Cologne

Cigarette Smoke

Crepes and Bacon

These are the scents of Dublin that my nose picked up when me and my running buddies went for our daily jog around the city. Besides making me crave breakfast and coffee, it confirmed the fact that Ireland is a first world country and I could very well have been running on the sidewalks of LA. But there was something about Dublin that really struck me (and my teammates).

We went to a church BBQ after the Sunday morning service, and enjoyed the traditional hamburgers and sausage. And of course I must tell you we discovered a new love...Bonafee Cake! Bananas and caramel and whip cream goodness.

I soon found myself in a circle talking with a man from Malawi, one from Indonesia, and one from Ghana. A little bit later it was a couple from Hungary who loved practicing their English with me. And a Canadian basketball team. And a lady from Kenya. Oh and of course our ministry contact Rocheanne and his family, representing South Africa.

The diversity of Dublin is amazing, and it was surprising! Some of you may already know that I love meeting people from different countries. So the diversity aspect has made my heart jump with joy! Maybe it's because I didn't grow up with that. To know that God has created each person in His image and loves them equally no matter what the language, skin color, body type, piercings, etc. That's a beautiful thing. And I have felt blessed to have the opportunity to interact with God's children from around the globe. And so it continues as we embark on Month #2 of the Race!

Is This Real Life?!

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

At random moments walking around the city of Dublin, you'll hear myself or one of my teammates say "I can't believe we're in Ireland!" "Is this REAL life?" "We still have over 300 days left of the World Race, crazy!"

The reality is that this IS real life. My team and I have embraced that fact and have been serving it up in Dublin for the past couple of weeks. The Lighthouse is a ministry of the Dublin Christian Mission, who serves the homeless and needy. We've been working with our ministry contact, Rocheanne (nicknamed Roach), who is from South Africa. He has a sense of humor that is in high gear all day long, so we all keep each other laughing and even received some new nicknames from him (but no need to share them here haha).

We've been doing a version of "Extreme Home Makeover" at the Lighthouse building. Our days have been filled with cleaning, organizing clothes, painting, etc.. I've also sharpened my instant coffee-making skills as they love their coffee and biscuit breaks over here!

Three nights a week the homeless come for a time of worship, teaching, dinner, and clothing distribution. It's usually a crowd of 60-100 people, and mostly men from other countries. We've helped out in all areas, and thus have been stretched outside our comfort zones already. My teammate Hollis and I have been deemed the worship leaders, which we both find humorous because neither of us claim to have the gift of a singing voice, but we're open and willing. What can I say...all that karaoke practice is finally paying off!

Our team with the volunteers at the Lighthouse.

We've also been taking part in the teaching, including a David and Goliath drama performance one night. The day after that a couple of my teammates met a homeless man on the street that recognized them because of our drama we did at the Lighthouse. He said he was looking forward to coming back there. The other nights we've been taking turns speaking, even though most of us are fearful of public speaking. We knew we'd have to embrace and press through that fear at some point this year, but we just didn't think the opportunity would appear so soon! I stepped up to the challenge the other night and shared about our identity in Christ, looking at God's truth of who He says we are versus the lies that Satan tells us. We finished by singing one of my favorites, "How Great is Our God." People responded and sang along with us (which was not the norm), and it was a beautiful moment. All praises to God.

We leave Ireland tomorrow and are headed to Romania and then continuing on to Moldova (which is east of Romania and also touches Ukraine). All we know at this point is that we'll be working with Crossover and working under the umbrella of church planting. We're not sure what the availability of internet will be so you may not hear from me for a few weeks. But when I return to the wonderful worldwide web I'd love to hear from you so please drop me a comment or an email. They really do bring a smile to my face! =)

We'll return to Romania on September 21 for The Awakening, a 3-day conference for World Racers, staff, and World Race alumni. It will be an amazing time and I look forward to see how God moves!

Farewell beautiful Ireland!

Ireland, Here We Are!

Sun, 16 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We recently found out our ministry assignment for Ireland! My team, Benkadi, will be serving at the Dublin Christian Mission, the second oldest mission in the world. We'll be working specifically with their ministry to the homeless, the Light House.

We have been staying at a cpground in Clondalkin and had some training and now we are moving over to the Mission in the heart of Dublin. My whole team is excited and ready to rock!

\here are some pics of our experience thus far

After arriving at the Dublin airport, waiting for the other squad's arrival.

Please pray for the people of the city we encounter and serve. I will give you an update soon. Love from Dub-town.

Tradin' in my Heels for Chacos

Wed, 5 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As I squeeze the last thing into my backpack (hoping it weighs less than 40 lbs!) and say goodbye to many friends and family, I want to share some photos of my last month in the states. Now, it's been the big joke that I've had about 17 different farewell parties...someone even coined it my "Farewell Tour". I didn't keep track of the number, but I have definitely felt the LOVE from all the people in my life! Thank you to those who have celebrated with me and made me feel so special!

Here's a glimpse of just some of the festivities of my "Farewell Tour".

My cousins in Bellingham, WA. Love them!

My friends in Bellingham, holler!

Gorgeous sunset, also in B-Ham.

My dad and I at a Mariners game! Free Griffey t-shirt night...and he didn't play.

The Carroll family has blessed me so much! Love you!

My girls in WA friends since junior high and high school! Miss you!

Friends at work ECCU peeps I will miss you

DivorceCare 4 Kids ministry team a blessing to serve with them

Nothin' like a bit of Rock Band!

Cousins at Downtown Disney!

My awesome roomie of 4 years! It's been a blast D!

God has shown His amazing love through many of you, and I can't thank you enough for your support and encouragement as I'm about to begin this crazy thing called the World Race!

First stop....IRELAND! More details to come...

Who the heck is Benkadi?

Thu, 9 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

OH that would be my new family!

Benkadi means "we are stronger together".

These 6 other amazing women are my new family that I will journey with around the globe! We will laugh together, cry together, love on each other, and challenge each other.

So here are my sisters!

Hollis Johnson

Amanda Pattison

Katie West

Kristin Seidensticker

Leize Marie Baschon

Madeline Reedy

We are so excited to be together in about 30 days! But I do want to express that although I am fully funded (praise God!), my team members are still in need of financial support. So if you want to give financial support, and give to my teammates, that would speak volumes to my heart! We are ONE body and I cannot do this alone. You can click on their picture and select the "Support Me" tab on their blog page.

Thank you so much!

Satan in the Flesh

Mon, 1 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We spent the last couple of days of training camp in downtown Atlanta. All teams were assigned to do an ATL (Ask the Lord) on the streets of Atlanta. This is something that they wanted us to get in the practice of doing. We literally ask the Lord where He wants us to go and who He wants us to talk to, and then wait to see if He gives us any thoughts, words, visions, etc.

My team and I were really hungry so we decided to go get food from the street vendors (which was also part of the assignment) and then do our ATL. On our way down the street we were approached by a man who could tell that us 7 women werent from the area. We started talking with him and when we told him where we were headed he responded in a tone of warning, You girls shouldnt go down there. I dont even go there. When they see you girls walking around on these streetsanything can happen to you. FEAR. Trying to creep up into our minds and spirits. Being the only all-girls team on the August squad, we soon realize that fear is one of Satans tactics to get to us and attempt to disable us. We refuse.

We continue talking with him and listened to various things hes telling us, most which we figured out were lies. When we offered to pray for him, he refused because he didnt like to pray in public. He said hed get all emotional. When we left him we gathered and prayed for him anyway. We spoke Truth over our team.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. 2 Tim 1:7

Again, we refuse to let Satan shake us and fill us with fear. Jesus Christ has empowered us to walk in His authority, whether its on the streets of Atlanta or in the slums of Cambodia. This was a great wake-up call that spiritual warfare is very real and we will continue to face it as we seek to advance Gods Kingdom. But praise God that we are not going into battle alone and defenseless! The Word of God is Truth that we can claim and speak to one another. Our God is gentle and loving, but He is also our mighty King who overcomes darkness.

Team Benkadi (which means we are stronger together) is putting on our armor daily so the arrows that fly right at us do nothing but fall to our sides.

Off to camp we go!

Thu, 21 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Just a quick note to yall.

I have training camp in Georgia for 10 days, beginning Friday! We don't know a lot about what to expect, but it will be spiritually and emotionally intense. And maybe physically. I can't wait to meet all the other world racers! Please pray for us to be open to God and let Him do whatever it is He wants to do. We will also be formed into our smaller teams of 6-7 people, so you can pray that we will begin to bond as family.

Also, many of you have asked how my financial support is doing. So to give you an update....including pledges I am at about $14,900...and $16,000 is my goal so I'm almost there! God has been providing through many of you, so thank you so much for being a part of this!

I will probably be able to write an update blog from camp so stay tuned...

VIDEO: World Race Overview

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

You may have seen this video already via Facebook, but if not, check it out! My friend did a great job in helping me put it together.

PS There is sound with the video a beautiful song by Brooke Fraser