The World Race!! =) - Amy Davidson

out of place, yet somehow at home

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

beautiful smiles

gorgeous people

rhythmic dancing

piercing eyes

accepting hugs

encouraging words

hysterical humor

enthusiastic passion

real faith

ghana.

day three.

i'm in love.

ambitious dreamer... to be.

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

this one is a long one, but so important to me. so if you're back home in the cold weather, grab a warm drink because you'll be here a while... i was. it took me one cafe au lait and one ice water to write this!

last month god showed me that he had sneakily but kindly and gently pulled my dreams and my heart's desires right out from under me. he went about it just the right way. if he wasn't so sneaky it would have never happened, and i am confident that he knows what he's doing so i suppose it did need to happen. ;)

i've always been a pretty passionate person, even in my dreaming. i would take a dream or an idea and run with it. run and run and run, it was always an adventure in my imagination. yes, i do believe this is a good thing, but i also believe that there is a right and wrong way to go about it. as you might have guessed, i went about it the wrong way. yea i talked to god about my dreams-haha, he knows i did, i would talk his head off about them! but it almost brings me to tears because i think about how he sweetly just sat there listening, all the while waiting on me to ask him what he thought and what his dreams for me were. well thanks be to him that he is so patient and persistent. in the midst of all of my dreaming i truly thought that just because i was talking to him about them, that i was involving him in the decision making process of those dreams. i'm sure i was to some extent, but overall i was not. they were all good dreams, very good in fact. but-were they god's best? not even close. thank you god that you allowed me to see that!! for your kingdom's sake! ever since god has pulled my dreams out from under me he has put my dreaming on hold, what an odd place to be, though it has left me with a feeling of complete liberation. i now feel that the pressure is no longer on me. (which i didn't even know that it was before until he stripped the pressure off of me and gladly took it on himself, so easy for him, right?)

i have been in an odd season of not dreaming. how could i dream when i didn't even know what my heart's desires were. i didn't know what i wanted to dream about because i didn't know what i wanted-and i'm still not sure, but i don't care!! i will. it's developing. but! this is key, i am now more concerned with what my god wants! in a journal entry last month i asked god when i could start dreaming again. i also added that whenever i could dream again i wanted to dream with him, not the other way around. i've been patiently waiting, enjoying this season of "just being"...

this morning i went on yet another one of my walks with god and my ipod (these walk/runs have become a part of my day that i fight for because they are always so heavenly). i was just walking along listening to some classical music asking god about what his dreams for me were. then god gets a hold of my ipod again and plays graham cooke's sermon entitled, living from a place of dreaming. i've heard this message before and i love it (i adore graham's heart and obedience), but it struck me completely different this time-and talk about timing!

i believe god is just bubbling up inside waiting to dump massive dreams on me that i could have never even dared to imagine up on my own before. i picture him talking to his angels with this giddy look on his face saying, "wait til amy gets a hold of this one!" and, "oh and this one, just think of the party we'll have in heaven when my amy lets me dream this dream through her.", or how about, "heaven and earth will never be the same after my daughter, the warrior princess, runs with this dream." oh it's so powerful! i only think about it and i just about break down in tears and get covered in chills because of the power behind it. i don't know that i am quite out of this season, but i do feel that i will shortly be entering into a new season (a life) of dreaming.. and i am utterly exuberant about it! really i don't have the words to describe it! ah! =D

by the way, i just looked up on the tv in the coffee shop and the headline in the news said, and i quote, "ambitious dreamer." ha.

the majority of my team took the weekend to go to phnom pen (a city a few hours away) so i basically have the weekend to myself. i will be spending much time hanging out with my beloved daddy discussing and listening to what he has to say about his dreams for my life and the kingdom purposes behind them. i'm just so excited; not anxious, but at peace. i'll let you know what comes of it as soon as i do, it could be a long process. be praying..

love you all dearly,

your ambitious dreamer... to be

"just be."

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

i've been meaning to write a blog for the past few days telling you all of what's been going on here in cambodia since we've come back, but i just couldn't find the words before.

this morning i went on an incredible walk with god and my ipod. he spoke to me about a lot of different things during this walk, one of them being about my "ministry" this month. i had been praying and praying what god wanted me to be doing here. most everything that i had tried to get involved in just kept falling through. i felt that there was some hidden agenda that god had for me and all i had to do was figure out what it was, whatever it was i knew i was missing something. well! i believe i get it now. i had this mindset before (and i have been praying that god would change my mindset) that i had to make a big impact on the locals everywhere we went on the race. that in every country, every month, i had to have this great story to write back home about in order for everyone to know that their prayers and money were put to good use. god kindly reminded me that it wasn't about that-at all. he reminded me to go after the one. to look for the people with fire in their eyes and build them up, pour into them; to help them make disciples of others. also, something else that i discovered was that my ministry doesn't have to be to non-believers. and this month, it is not (which was hard for me to accept while being on the race). like i said earlier, most everything that i tried to do fell through. as i have said in a previous blog, there are already quite a few missionaries in this town. i feel that i am meant to pour into them and build them up, to bring a freshness to them (if that makes sense), to allow them to have a bit more breathing room so they can more effectively pour into the people that they see day in and day out, and will continue to see once i leave. in that, i've discovered that this month is actually a blessing. it isn't like all the other months where we knew what our ministry was and could easily find something to do. i've almost been forced to learn the lesson of how to make this "ministry" my lifestyle. to just be love wherever i am, everywhere i go, and to keep my "eyes" open. whether it's a ministry day or not, whether i'm on the world race or not, i still need to live the same. it's a lifestyle. i'm learning that who i am is a woman of god and a daughter of the king, not a world racer-that is only what i am. seems so basic, but i have to admit i almost missed it. i knew it in my head, but not in my heart. one thing god told me recently was to, "just be." i don't think i knew how to do that before. i knew how to rest when need be, but i didn't know how to "just be" all the time. to let him do what he does, and to just go along for the ride. it's one thing to know these things in my head, but it's a whole other thing living it out. so, my new agenda; just being.

most of the things that i have been able to do this month (all of it being what god has just laid out in front of me) have to do with the people that are already established here. the missionary that manages the coffee shop that my team often goes to also does a load of other things on the side (as well as being a single mother of two). myself and a couple of the girls on the team asked her if there was anything at all that we could help her out with so that she could have a little bit more free time on her hands. we have been teaching a typing class for her 4 days a week that is above the coffee shop as well as closing and locking up the shop every night, which has allowed us to get know the cambodian staff quite well (they are just amazing and so much fun to be around, and have all become christians since they started working there). there is also a girl here who is a daughter of one of the missionary families here, i really feel a close bond with her, she's 15 and absolutely amazing. i hope to spend as much time with her as i can to just love the mess out of her. also, there is a missionary wife who home schools her 4 children that desperately needs a break, i'll be helping her along with one of my teammates to tutor and entertain her kids (who are just precious). if the lord allows it i do still plan to visit the village that we went to last month and call the monk that we were able to invest in the most to meet up with him-mostly just to follow up on those relationships.

it's been a great start to the month so far; frustrating, enlightening, and humbling. it absolutely blows me away that god takes the time to uninstall everything in me that just doesn't make sense and makes me run so slow, all the while being faithful to download more and more and more in me that makes me stronger, wiser, and have a more firm foundation.

i love my life.

Battle Cry

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I've been realizing how important the body of Christ is and how important it is that we all work together. I need you. If you're reading this and you are a part of the body of Christ, I need you. I need you to fight this war with me. I want to fight with you as well. We HAVE to fight together.

I've been sent out to people all over the world who are in desperate need of love, they're absolutely starving for it. They're hopeless, they live in fear, they're in bondage, and they're suffocating. There is so much need in the world, I'm sure you are well aware of this, and I've been privileged to help. There is an abundance of freedom and truth that needs to be poured out as well as a relentless love, and I get to help God in bringing it! But like I said, I need you to help me. There is a sneaky little devil with a sneaky little army that likes to keep me from doing all of this. Actually he likes to make me feel pretty desperate, hopeless, and empty just like the people that I need to be pouring in to-and I don't like it! I hate it! Good news though, the army that I'm in (that we are in) is much much bigger and much more powerful. Still, like I said, I need help! So please pray. Do whatever you can but do something, fight with me. I know I'm not in this alone, and I know my brothers and sisters are equipped with all sorts of things that can be used to fight with. So please, fight with and PLEASE fight for me!! Let's be the body and go after this thing together!! KINGDOM!!!!

Updated Update! Cambodia...round two.

Fri, 5 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Well as it turns out we are no longer going to Vietnam. My team (team Logos) is actually staying here in Siem Reap, Cambodia for the 5^th month of the race. I have to admit, at first when I found out that it was a possibility to stay here another month, I was a bit bummed. I liked the idea of going to another country and seeing what new things God had for us there, as well as experiencing a new culture. I have to say though, now that I know we're staying, I'm thrilled.

My experience here in Cambodia has been different than any of the countries so far. Our contacts didn't have anything set for us to do (which was great) so we were free to find whatever ministry we wanted to do and go for it. Whatever we felt that the Lord was leading us to do, we did it. It was a lesson in itself to be disciplined and intentional with our day and I enjoyed the challenge.

Also, there is a culture of missionaries here that has really been fun and eye-opening to be a part of. There are quite a few missionaries doing all different sorts of things in this city. I've been able to get to know a good number of them through the church that we attend, the coffee shop that I often go to for internet and a little piece of home that is also a part of a mission, through the missionaries from the Philippines that we live with, and through tagging along on a few of the missionary's outings. It's fun being with other missionaries because there is this common ground that we share. Even though we may be all very different and from all over the world, there is still a part of us that we just understand. It's comforting. It has also helped me to have a new and more accurate perspective on what the life of a full time missionary looks like and what it looks like for the family as well. The real life, not just what it looks like from the outside. It's been very enlightening and helpful. Also it's been good to just form relationships, actual friendships with people.

So that is why I'm thrilled to come back. I'm excited to continue on in the relationships that we've already established and to go even deeper with them. There is so much to learn from each and every person! We all hear God differently, we learn different things, we have different passions, and we have different backgrounds and different stories to tell. I love it and I'm pumped to continue on with it.

Just a bit more of an update (can you tell I've been hanging out with Europeans?) my team is still going to debrief in Thailand, we'll be staying at the Royal Beaches (wah hoo!). We will be at debrief from the 6^th to the 12^th and will return to Siem Reap on the 13^th for month number 5! Watch out Cambodia, Logos is comin back!!!

things to come

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I'm just a bit over half way through the month here in Cambodia. It's weird because I feel that we've been here longer than that, but at the same time I can't believe we only have about two weeks left!

So just an update on things to come: My team will leave Siem Reap, Cambodia on February 6^th for debrief in Thailand. We'll be there for about 3 or so days with the entire squad (the seven teams, squad leaders, and squad coaches who will be flying in from Colorado, yay!). After debrief all of the teams leave for ATL Asia. If you don't now what ATL means, it stands for Ask The Lord. We do ATLs in Asia, Africa, and Europe. This means that each team prays and asks God which country in that continent that they will be going to. As of last night, my team is going tooooo...dun dun dun, Vietnam! February, month number 5, crazy! Don't ask me what we'll be doing once there, I haven't a clue-welcome to the World Race!

Also I wanted to give an update on what I've been doing here in Cambodia. Biking a lot, that's for sure! And I love it! We are staying in a house which doubles as a student center for the university around the corner, the house just happens to be beautiful-complete with our own bicycles! Thank you, Lord! Three times a week I go to one of the temples to teach English to monks, two times a week I teach a cooking class here at the student center, and also about two times a week I go with a few missionaries from the Philippines to a nearby village where we teach and play with the kids.

Be praying for my time in the temple with the monks! Today we actually didn't teach at all, we ended up having a discussion about different religions-mainly Buddhism and Christianity. It was very interesting and enlightening, the time flew by. It was a bit difficult to converse though, due to their broken English. I'm so excited that God opened this door that I prayed for! Woo hoo! I believe you know what to pray for on behalf of these monks, so bring'em church!

my god is big.

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

my god is big.

monks in cambodia are not SUPPOSED to talk to women. they are not supposed to touch them. they are not supposed to even hand anything to them. if a monk wants to give a woman something he is not supposed to give it to her himself. there needs to be a non-monk middle man, or vise-versa if the woman wants to give something to the monk.

before coming to cambodia i prayed that i would be able to make monk friends. i prayed that even though this was a ministry that was intended for the guys on my team, that god would do it for me anyways. it's a ministry that was not supposed to be for me, a woman.

well ha! my god is big.

the first full day that i was even in this country god introduced me to not just one, but multiple monks. i was just riding along on my bike with two others and passed a temple (just so happens right?). we slowed down a bit just to look at it and one of the monks asks if we want to come in. the guy that was with us (matthew rock) asks if it was okay for us two girls (me and courtney styres) to come in as well. he says yes. then he starts talking to us two girls! then others come once we're inside and they start talking to us! us women that they are not supposed to be talking to. one of the monks that we talked to a bit more than the others invited us back to see where the monks lived and their dinning hall area. gotta say, never been invited inside a monk's home before. that was a first. so there we were hanging out with our new monk friend in his room and he invited us to come back again! the next time i went back it was with courtney again. we met a couple new monks this time who started talking with us as well and one of them invited us to come back and teach english.

my god is big.

so now 2 to 3 times a week i am INVITED to sit in the middle of a buddhist temple (a wat) and teach english. me. a woman.

my god is big. and he answers my prayers.

swimming lessons

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

i am up to my chin in the "river" and now it is time to go under, completely. i'm going to have to learn how to breathe under water, a whole new way of living. i have felt what it is like to be in the river more and more over time, but now i am entirely submerging myself into the complete unknown. i am going to a place where i know i belong, leaving a world that is not my own. in the world above the river there are deams, dreams that were once mine; i am done with those dreams, leaving them being. i want new dreams and new adventures, ones that are so amazing i have not yet been able to fathom. i want to move into the supernatural, away from all logic and rationale. i want to see and hear and breathe in new thinkgs that i can only find in the river. i want to do things that can only be done because of the strong current of the river. a current that is so powerful that it pushes away all fear, doubt, anxiety, deceit, heartbreak, perversity, confinement, and guilt. all that will be left is absolute freedom. what a delight it is to swim in that freedom and to know that everything that i could ever need or even want is in the river. i have no idea what new things will be in the river or what to even expect of it, which somehow leaves me with a feeling of utter liberation. i have no control of where the current will take me, but i tell you this, the current knows where it is going. those that wish to be apart of it need but to step in, the king of the river is the most excellent teacher.

finding my joy in chanthaburi, thailand

Fri, 8 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I didn't realize before coming on the race that I was such an outdoorsy/animal person. I knew that I loved being outside and that I liked animals, but since being on the race I found that I can't do without either! I realized that I absolutely love and adore going on adventures, exploring, and just being out and basking in God's creation. I knew all this about myself before, but it seems to have intensified since I've come on the race. I also think that it could partly be because when we were living in Pattaya (the city) and all of that was taken away, I realized what a blessing creation is and that I need to take advantage of it as much as possible!

It amazes me how beautiful God's creation really is, I mean I am just in awe. It makes me come alive and gives me so much energy!! Every single day since we've come to Chanthaburi I take in the beauty of it all, my heart melts and leaps all at the same time when I think about how God made it just for me to enjoy and for my benefit. Best gift EVER! The variations of colors and smells, all of the different plants (flowers, trees, grass, etc.) the amazing mountains, stars, clouds, the moon, and the gorgeousness of sunrises and sunsets. Oh and fresh air, ahhh, it really does make me giddy. And wind, wind is so intriguing! It's one of my most favorite things. I also love the differences in the air; how it feels so different in the morning than it does at night, but loving them both just the same. And just being out in the sun, I love the way it feels on my skin, I really do. I love it. And water, okay I kinda get captivated by water. I mean it's so versatile! Lakes, rivers, streams, oceans, waterfalls! And rain. I love rain. The smell, the feel, and then there is thunder and lightning. And how does that whole season thing work anyways? Because THAT is pretty cool. You know, I really couldn't imagine nature to be any more beautiful and enjoyable than it already is. He was right when he said, "and it was good."

I also have this new thing with animals. Or maybe it's not new, maybe I've always had it and I just notice it more now, but I just get them. Yea, I know that sounds weird but I do. I really just enjoy being around animals. Goats, dogs, elephants, cows, whatever! I do believe that this has intensified sine the race as well. There is just this sweetness and innocence and purity about them. It almost radiates from them, it's comforting. I enjoy it.

Here's a funny little story and a little insight into the life of Amy (particularly for the enjoyment of Katie Poore and my Mother): One day we were out picking up trash around the community of one of the churches that we help out with. We came across some dogs, and yes they could have been strays or they could have belonged to some of the neighbors, who knows, but no matter to me. I just started talking to them, one especially stood out to me as being sweet (I named him Stubby, Stubs for short, because of his funny little legs) and so I just sat down and was hanging out with him. Later one of the girls on the team tells me that while I was sitting there, she and another girl on our team walked by while picking up trash and noticed me sitting with the lot of *possible* stray dogs around. They stopped to watch me and then one of the girls says to the other, "fruitcake". They got a good laugh out of it and kept on walking. Then my leader who is from California came up and says, "Hey Amy so I don't know, is it a southern thing to pet stray dogs?" I got a good laugh out of that one as well. Anyways, I thought the two stories combined where pretty hilarious and worth sharing.

So as you can probably tell I am really enjoying my time here in Chanthaburi, it's a nice little town. We live right outside of the downtown area in what I would call the country. People are so much friendlier here than they are in the city. It's not as busy or as materialistic (the cities in Thailand are SO materialistic), and things are much more laid back. Overall it's more simple, which I just love! Oh and the family that we are staying with and the people that we are working with are absolutely wonderful. They go out of their way to serve us and give so much of themselves just because they want to bless us. It's rather nice here, I like it. It has has been a much needed oasis for me. Thank you Jesus!!

From Nicaragua to Thailand...

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

It's been a tough transition, but before going into Thailand I have to back it up at bit:

My team left New Song ministry in Candelaria to meet up with the rest of our squad at debrief in another part of Nicaragua, all for about a total of 6 days. It was so hard leaving Candelaria but still being in the same country, knowing that I could get on a bus for only three short hours to go back for a visit. They were so close, but so so far away. At least 10 months away. Well! Our last day at debrief I had a surprise. Hands down the best surprise I've ever had in my life (and if you didn't know it about me, I love surprises)! Diego and Brittany from New Song came to visit us at our hostel!!! Aaaaand brought my little brother and three other of the youth that I just adore. I kinda freaked out a bit, haha. Our squad was leaving for the airport that next morning at 3:30 am so they got a room at the hostel as well and I stayed up all night with them until it was time to leave. At first I thought it was going to be so hard saying goodbye all over again but it actually made it a bit easier getting to spend that little bit of extra time with them. So now being half way through our month in Thailand, it'll be at least 9 and a half months until I can see them again. Wah hoo!

Now on to Thailand... after about three days of travel and 13 hours time difference of jetlag to get over:

We started out with our whole squad together for a couple of days in Bangkok. It was a nice place to start off; went on a nice little temple tour, got to see the city, walked through a few markets, tried some amazing Thai food, I liked it. Then we split off into our teams to go to our ministries sites for the month. Since this month one of the main focuses is working with the prostitutes in the bars, we split up the guys and girls. The guys went up north to do "Manistry" (who knows what that is), and the girls split into 3 different groups going to three different locations. My team of girls (Fab Four) is with another group of amazing girls from team Increase along with our wonderful squad leader Andi. We are in the city of Pattaya working with Tamar Ministries. Our squad will be back together again for Christmas in Bangkok (24^th-26^th) and then all of the teams will go back to their different ministries until we move on to the next country. Well all of the teams except my team and Increase. We can't go back after Christmas because another team from a different ministry is going to Tamar so we get the privilege of going to another part of Thailand for the remainder of our time here. I'm not exactly sure where we are going yet but I am excited to see a different part of Thailand (oh so excited).

So about our time here in Pattaya (pronounced potty-uh):

It is hard. It's hard to breath, it's hard to focus, in fact it's hard to do just about anything. For the majority of our time here I did not like it at all. However, I do know that I am supposed to be here and that it is good for me to be here. It's good for me to learn how to love on the people and still press in while pretty much hating it. It's good to learn how to fight when in the midst of a dark dark place. To listen to God's voice when it's being drowned out by all of the sickening things going on around. It's good to learn how to love and pour myself out when it's not easy, when I feel that I have nothing at all left to give. It's good, it is. But like I said, it's hard.

Here is a short overview of what it's like here and what we do:

Pattaya has an estimated amount of 60,000 bar girls (prostitutes). 60,000!! In one city! I believe that number is also including the lady boys (men dressed up as women). Some of the girls are in it because they want to be, but some because they feel they have no other option. They're parents send them off to make money and they get sucked in, finding no other way to make money and not being allowed to come home without it! They all have their own stories of why the are in it. So what we do is go out into the bars to hang out with the girls, get to know their stories a bit, maybe pray for them, and then invite them to english classes that Tamar Ministries teaches for free. If the girls want out, Tamar is the place to go. They use the engilsh classes as a way of making relationships, sharing Jesus, and helping the girls if the really do want out. If they do want a different lifestyle they let them stay at Tamar housing. They then teach them a skill that they can use as a source of income that doesn't involve selling themselves for a living. It's really a beautiful ministry that's very well put together. So that's really the gist of what we do here. Not too much work at all, but so so draining. I know it really doesn't sound that bad at all but behind all of that it's sickening. It's a wicked city. Some of the girls on the team really have a heart for it but this is just not what I'm cut out for. I am so sick of sex sex sex everywhere. There are women hanging out all over the place, nasty old men hanging all over them, man after man after man dressed up as woman, sex figurines sold on the streets, posters and signs allll over the place that are nothing short of porn, and men looking at us like we're a piece of meat (I am not a piece of meat! You cannot buy me!). Uh! It's all just so heavy and it weighs me down so much. But like I said, I'm learning how to fight in the midst of it and press through the thickness and darkness to grab hold of some light, some truth, joy, peace, anything that doesn't leave me feeling yucky! I'm pressing on people!

A couple cool stories that stood out to me while here:

Three of the girls on Increase are very musically talented (Jordan on drums, Lindsay on piano, and Beck singing like an angel). God opened up the door for them to sing and use the instruments in two different bars! Lindsay played a couple of songs she wrote on the piano and then Lindsay and Jordan played some worship songs while Beck sung ..and the people actually liked it. I don't mean the actually liked their skill of course, I mean they liked the worship songs. What??? Crazy! Talk about favor. I mean you don't just walk up and take over a stage at a bar, but they did! And it was so cool to take part in.

One day we were able to help a different ministry. Now this was really cool. So China, being the closed country that it is, does not sell Bibles. They are not available anywhere. Well! Seeing as how Pattaya is on the coast they get tourists in from China by the boat fulls! We stood at the pier as they got off the boats passing out Chinese Bibles to them. Some didn't take them, which was fine, but some were so excited to get them! We passed out hundreds of Bibles. Bibles that they are not allowed to get in their home country that we just handed to them for free. It's amazing really. Also after several years of doing this and several awesome testimonies that have come about through this ministry, they informed us that for every Bible passed out it would reach 10 Chinese people! They like to read!

Our last night of bar ministry was the best. I was able to talk with a girl named Icey that apparently really need some true love! She was telling me about her kids, three boys, and how she was working to send money back home to them. I was just talking to her about them and just some small talk, and she just broke down. I gave her a big hug and walked her to the bathroom so she could gain composure and clean up. The interpreter I was with told her about Jesus, how he completely changed her life and filled that whole in her heart. The girl sucked up every word that came from her mouth. You could just see how empty and dry she was. We prayed for her and she told us she would go the english class. After we left we met up with the rest of the group (we were scattered at different bars) and one of the bar girls actually walked out with one of our girls!!!! Just straight up left. Gave it all up! They are going to put her in Tamar housing and bless the mess out of her! Love love love it!

So yes it has been really hard, but it's so worth it. Although, I have to say, I am SO excited we leave tomorrow!!!! Thank you Jesus! We'll see what the next half of the month brings. I'm praying for dirt, grass, trees, and fresh air and animals! Sounds lovely doesn't it? No more pavement and buildings with flashy lights..or maybe not. Who knows!

YOU can help in Panajachel!

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

4 times this year the L Squad will be able to support raise for a cause that has touched our hearts. Please take the time to read about Team New Song's experience in Panajachel, Guatemala and prayerfully consider donating to this worthy cause!

Repost: Written By Sydnee Mela

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God has power to restore in miraculous ways. He can redeem even the most lost people. Let us tell you about a man who defines God's grace. His name is Benjamin and he has a great need for his ministry in Panajachel, Guatemala. We are inviting you to be a part of this. He now pastors a church named Mi-Reto (Ministry of Total Restoration) and lives his life by complete faith. He serves the community to the extent that he sacrifices all he has to share Jesus with the people around him. He does this not only with words but with his actions. Ben has been building homes, putting in plumbing, wiring electricity, and been an overall handy man for Pana. He has been doing all his projects with broken borrowed tools and transporting everything with a borrowed motorcycle. He carts everything around in wheel barrows which triples the time of each project compared to how easy it would be in the states to do with a truck. Ben would be able to serve his community and reach multitudes of people if he had a truck.

Ben has not always lived a life of sacrifice. The testimony that comes from him is one that has a great impact on anyone who comes in contact with him. It was only 7 years ago that Ben went from a drug and alcohol addicted member of the occult to a radical lover of Jesus. Ben used to own a tattoo shop and a discotech. He was of the verge of suicide when a woman asked him to give God one more chance, and if God didn't come through he could kill himself. With his wife and kids rejecting him, and nowhere to go Ben decided to give God one last chance, but he wanted to prove God wrong. Instead Ben was proven wrong, and his life was radically changed. Ben was immediately freed of his dependency on drugs and alcohol and from that day forward has lived a completely transformed life. Little did he know that God was also doing a work in his wife's life as well. She also gave her life to Christ.
Together they started the ministry Mi-Reto. They give all that they have to serving. They don't even have a steady income. They live month by month, and God has provided for every month for 7 years and will continue to provide for them. All the money that goes into the church goes toward ministry or the church. They do not take any salary out of the church. This family is changing not only the community that they live in but the people that they come in contact with.
They have made a great impact on our lives over the month that we were there. They are family that we will never forget. While there we saw the need for the truck and what a blessing it would be to Ben's ministry. It takes Ben at least a year to pay for a power tool, imagine what a truck would be for him. Even though we can't be there we know God is changing lives through Ben. We hope that you consider being a part of this ministry and reaching out to the people that are making a difference.

A truck would bring:
-a way to transport materials
-a way to move families into new homes
- a way to transport missions teams

- a way to get to the city (Ben is trying to get his

residency and has to make trips to the city)

- a service that may not be provided otherwise
- a symbol of God's provision

- safety to him and the help beside him

To donate online, go to this site.

For the program drop down menu, choose Support a World Race Project.

In the box to fill in which project, enter "L Ministry Project."

If you wish to send a donation by mail, please make your check payable to Adventures In Missions and mail it to:
Adventures In Missions
P.O. Box 534470
Atlanta, GA 30353-4470
Please indicate "World Race L Ministry Project" in the memo section of the check.

The last day to donate to this project is January 11, 2010. Any donations received after this date will go toward the overall ministry of the World Race program.

I want to stress this so there is no confusion - donors should not give to this fund via your personal world race blog page. If they do, it goes into your support account, not into the ministry fund.

my morning song

Sun, 6 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

this song gets my spirit goin every time i hear it, so it's my morning song. =)

check it out the video and enjoy..

Heavenly Father, you always amaze me

Let your kingdom come in my world and in my life
Give me the food I need to live through today
And forgive me as I forgive the people that wrong me
Lead me far from temptation
Deliver me from the evil one

I look out the window the birds are composing
Not a note is out of tune or out of place
I walk to the meadow and stare at the flowers
Better dressed than any girl on her wedding day

So why do I worry?
Why do I freak out?
God knows what I need
You know what I need

Your love is
Your love is
Your love is strong
Your love is
Your love is
Your love is strong
Your love is
Your love is
Your love is strong

The kingdom of the heavens is now advancing
Invade my heart, invade this broken town
The kingdom of the Heavens is buried treasure
Would you sell yourself to buy the one you've found?

Two things you told me
That you are strong
And you love me

Yes, you love me

Our God in Heaven
Hallowed be thy name
Above all names
Your kingdom come
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven
Give us today our daily bread
Forgive us weary sinners
Keep us far away from our vices
And deliver us from these prisons

nicaragua, me amor y corazon y vida.

Sat, 5 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

i'm sorry that i haven't blogged about nicy yet. i've tried but honestly it's just been too hard. i love these people so much. i felt like blogging about them would just be turning them into a story and i couldn't do it.

i really don't know how to convey this past month to you. god did a lot in me of course, as he always does. he taught me a lot about loving. and a lot about his heart. my heart broke; i mean was torn to pieces, stomped on, and burned for these people. still is. i've cried hours and days. i've honestly never felt more love and more life in my entire life. i'm afraid to tell you this for fear of you not understanding, but i'm praying that god would let me give up everything i ever wanted (everything i ever thought i wanted) just to go back to this place. it's incredible how deep relationships can be after just three weeks when the love of christ is involved. but now i have a better understanding of god's heart and how it breaks for us. wow. such a deep love.

my team was at new song ministry in candelaria which is about a 45 minute bus ride from the city of leon. new song ministry has 5 acres of land with a garden, goats, a church, a dorm (where us girls slept), a clinic (where the guys slept), a field for soccer, and a basketball quart. all day every day there are tons of people from the community of candelaria that come just to hang out and play. what else is there to do? the main focus is for the youth but the property is open to anyone. there is also a church service and a youth service two nights a week, a women's church one night (which is also open for anyone to come), and kids church sunday morning. there are lots of people that come in and out of new song on a regular basis, but only about 30 or so come for church. so it's neat to step outside the door every morning and have people to love on all day long. our contacts (who were just wonderful by the way, shout out to tommy, linda, diego, and britt-love you guys!) told us that we could do whatever we wanted all day, just to get to know the people and form relationships with them. and boy did i. for some reason god made my ministry mostly the youth boys. one in particular i got really close to (shout out to my little bro anthony) but i was still able to love on lots of other people as well. i love loving these people. they are so hungry for it. it's my favorite thing to just tell them how much i love them, how much god loves them, how precious and valuable they are, how much they have to offer. uh! i love it!

my heart is giddy, but in so much pain at the same time. i literally had to get someone to help me get on the bus to leave, it just doesn't make sense! bah what a crazy love. i don't know what else to say. i'm in a weird place. all i know to do now is just trust god and pray my butt off. join me if you like. =)

i love you candelaria.

oh the freedom.

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

i don't have to accomplish anything. he didn't call me to accomplish, he called me to do the will of the father. he called me to be his hands and his feet, to be his lamb. he tells me what to do, and i follow. i don't dare go and accomplish things on my own without the father sending me.

"therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the lord's will is." -ephesians 5:17

"instead, you ought to say, 'if it is the lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'" james 5:15

"for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me." -john 6:38

"find out what pleases the lord." ephesians 5:10

what do i do when i'm in a new country with so much need and no direction? or when i'm leading a church service or a bible study? or when i go out into the city to buy groceries, or even when i have a day off and go to the beach? or how about when i'm so sick that all my day conists of is going to and from the bathroom? and when i feel god and when i don't? i may not know what (if anything) i'm going to accomplish, but i know that i'm going to seek the will of MY father. my plans never succeed, his never fail. no more trying to please people by showing that i'm "busy". no more trying to earn anything. no more trying do things on my own. no more forcing things. i have decided to seek his face and wait on him. i won't sit around doing nothing, but i'll get up in faith believing that he will lead me. oh the freedom.

Jesus In The Death Closet

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A few weeks ago my team and team Rhema that we are working with here went to visit an orphanage in Puerto Barrios. I could tell there was something off, right from the begining. It wasn't like any other orphanage that I've been to before. The kids didn't come out to play, they hardly even seemed to care that we were there. In other places I've been to the kids flock to you and won't let go. After awhile though they did warm up to us a bit, playing soccer and letting us paint their nails.

The orphanage just felt dark, really dark. Come to find out from the lady that works there something happened about 3 months ago and the kids changed, "ugly", as she said. We also found out that there are a lot of legal problems there. We don't know the extent of the problems but we do know that two catholic men started the orphanage as a "good dead". They don't keep it up or take care of the orphans. There is another big orphanage somewhere near by that has tried to send food and clothes to our kids, but the two men intercept the gifts and sell them for money.

The orphanage was just out right disgusting. It was completely taken over by weeds and tall grass, trash everywhere, clothes with poop and pee in them all over the place, dead birds, an d bathrooms that were hardly even fesable. We decided to clean the place up-as much as we could anyways! The grass and weeds were taken out with machetes, the loads of trash picked up and thrown away, and lots and lots of sweeping and bleach! My teammate Courtney MacLellan and I found a little side playground that became our own project. There were nasty things all over the place including an old wet and moldy matress that smelt like it had poop inside that had been hiding for years (Impossible? I say not!). On the side of the playground we found steps leading down to an old bathroom that we so cleverly named the death closet. We were almost surpirsed that we didn't find a dead body down there it looked so bad.

A couple of the girls on our teams found a girl named Elsa with Downs sitting in the middle of her room. They said she looked like she was beeing tormented, looking around like she was seeing things. She was terrified. They asked her if she liked it there and she said no. They asked her if she saw things, she said yes. Like I said this place is dark, very dark. Satan is trying to do something at this place, and we don't like it. After days of cleaning and visiting the orphanage, we decided that this is where we should spend most of our time. Yesterday we held a carnival there! We started out with a dance/skit inviting them to a party with God. We had games and face paintng and candy-every kids dream! After the carnival was over Courtney MacLellan shared her testimony with the kids. She told them about how her mother died when she was 11 and her story of growing up with her father. She explained to them how she didn't understand it for a long time and didn't want it for a long time, but how God is our father. The best daddy ever! We also prayed over the oldest boy, we found out he is sexual harassing 3 of the girls on a regular basis.

There is also a handsome little boy there named Julio that I just fell in love with! He has some sort of mental disability and can only walk if assisted. The first time I saw him he was in a wheel chair leashed to a wall in a room with no lights and few windows, where he spends most of his time. But! Yesterday at the carnival we got Julio to come out! He sat in a chair with the rest of the kids and we included him in everything. I got a piece of candy and showed it to him, and for the first time ever I saw him smile, then laugh. He LOVED that candy! I started interacting with him more and saw how much potential he had, he is so restricted but could learn so mucch. These next two weeks much of my time will be spent with Julio, playing with him and interacting with him all the while praying over him and declaring him to be the boy and man that God created him to be!

Already we can see a change in this orphange. It doesn't seem quite as dark or creepy, the kids are more welcoming and interactive, and it's clleeaaaannn!!! Jesus has come to the orphanage! Woo hoo!! One of the girls on team Rhema said she was praying about how she didn't want to get close to the kids and then just abandon them. She said that God told her that our role was to introduce them to Him and that he would take care of the rest.

Our contact here told us that the orphanage might be shut down but that another one would be built for them, which is so needed. I don't know the details of that, I only know it's a possibilty. Pray that it will happen and please please pray over the kids, over the two catholic men, and over the workers. God is doing so much there and I know that he has a good and perfect plan for each of those precious kids.

Julie Poore:

I met a little girl with a strawberry shortcake shirt on so I painted a strawberry on her face, only to find out that her name was also Julie. =) Maybe you should pray for her.

Community Living

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Puerto Barrios. Wow, what beautiful people. I love their way of life. At first it was hard for me but I decided to give up being frustrated and just accept it. Everything is so slow here. I knew that it would be and I've experienced it in other countries, but I guess I'm just experiencing hispanic culture at it's fullest here. In Guatemala when you say, I'll pick you up at 8:00, really you mean I'll start getting ready at 8 and I'll see you around 9:00. When we're all together at a place and a Guatemalan says, I'm ready to go, it'll take them another 30 minutes before we actually leave. Once I did finally just accept it and stood back and watched them while waiting, I realized I loved it. They just enjoy life. They enjoy each other, they have fun. It isn't out of disrespect, it's just life. It's culture, and I think it's beautiful. Out of all the countries I've been to, for sure Guatemala is the friendliest. Everywhere we go people smile at us, ask us if we are enjoying their country, and just start up a conversation (or make little jokes in spanish that they just think are hilarious when we have no idea what they're saying, that cracks me up too). I also love the sense of community here. When we go down the streets everyone is outside, not cooped up inside behind a tv. They're out playing, working, talking, or just sitting out on their porch as a family. I'm in love with it. I also love living as a community with my fellow world racers. Acts 2 is my dream and that's what we're all about here. We share everything, talk about everything, we cook together, eat together, play together, work together, pray together, we take care of each other. I love them, and I love the way they love me.

The first thing we did here was go to church, and I mean it was church! All of the songs were in spanish of course so we didn't know what they were singing. We recognized some of the songs but didn't know the spanish words, we were still able to worship together though. They got crunk in that church! People were dancing and having fun, then they got us to join in and it was pretty much just a dance party before the Lord in the front of the church.

Our ministry contact here runs a Christian radio station (rather good one at that) and he and his volunteer staff are so awesome. I'm falling in love with all of them as well, we have such a blast with them and they just crack us up. They've taken us to do ministry in some really difficult places, but I'm thankful for it. I'll just give a little summary of all the things we've done thus far:

-Praying over drunks at the bars and seeing them be touched by God
-Loving on orphans
-Praying with prostitutes and giving them cards telling them of how God sees them as his daughters and how he loves them
-Bringing food and clothes to people who live in the trash dump, making a living by going through the trash
-Meeting kids "where they are" and playing basketball and soccer with them at the park
-Going to impoverished homes and praying for the families
-Putting on a service at a house church where the Spirit fell -Painting a church that really needed help and encouragement

I did have a much longer summary for each of these outreaches but I decided instead of sharing what all we saw God do and the stories that came out and how I felt about it all, to share with you what God left me with.

This is what I know:

I know that I saw God everywhere I went. I know that I trust God with his people. I know that he has redeemed all of our attempts at ministry. I know that he has good plans for each and every single one of the people that we came in contact with. I know that as dark as some of those places are, God is still there. I know that there are greater things that have yet to come and that my God is the God of those people. That he is the light in the darkness. The hope to the hopeless. The peace to the restless. There is no one like my God!

The second day here I asked God what his heart was for us being here and for this city. I wrote in my journal, "God speaking about Puerto Barrios" and waited for him to speak. This is what he said:

-Pray for the leaders of the city -Pray for the believers of this city-join in with them -Change is coming-pray for spiritual climate -Praise me for what I have done in this city and for what I am going to do because I am going to move. I am already on the move.

Please pray!

Mucho amor.

Is this for real???

Fri, 9 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

God is awesome, by far the coolest person I know. I am so honored to be here, so priveledged. It's just about unelievable that this is actually happening.

To start off the World Race we all flew in to Guatemala city and then took a bus to the intriguing city of Antigua where we are staying for about a week for what they call "launch". Launch consists of powerful worship and captivating teachings, team building exercises, personal growth, and of course just some fun. =)

I wish you all could see how amazingly beautiful it is here. We are staying in this adorable little hostel that seems like it's from a fairy tale. When we walk outside the gate of the hostel and turn the corner we have the most AMAZING view of the breathtaking volcano that we cllimbed sorounded by rolling mountains and huge white puffy clouds. This is a pretty nice place to start off the trip, I'm not gonna lie. I guess that was AIMs treat to us before diving in head first to hardcore-ness.

We've been on a "screens" fast since the first day we got here so I'm a little behind on my posting. Tomorrow my team and another team will be leaving together for Puertos Barrios (an 8 hour bus ride away) which is a little city right on the north east coast. We'll be doing some evangelism, construction/painting, and preaching. Yes, preaching. I may have to do quite a bit of preaching (which strangely enough I'm excited about, but still a little scared) and leading whole church services while on the World Race so pray for me and my team. Pray that we would hear God's voice, that we would have courage, and that we would speak boldy with the power of God. I can't wait to see all that God does in the Guatemala!

So I saved the best for last, I wanted to share with all of you what God has been revealing to me. On the plane ride over from Miami I realized I didn't know why God had called me on the World Race. I knew for sure he had called me, but it never dawned on me to ask why. So I did. God said that I was to be his lamb and to be his hands and feet. That totally made sense! I am to do the work of Christ, but the best part being that he is going to lead me in it. I am his lamb and he is going to take care of me the whole time, leading me and telling me where to go and what to do. Sheesh, what a good Shepard.

Second revelation was God's dream (whoa). Our first night here our guest worship leader (Matt Snyder) said something about God's dream. I thought to myself, hmm, what is God's dream? So of course I asked! The next night in worship God gave me a vision. I saw people all over the Earth; people that I've seen here in Guatemala, in Jamaica, in South Dakota on the reservation, people in India, people everywhere. All of the people (ALL OF THEM) were living in the fullness of God. They were made new, made whole. Living in redemption, freedom, joy. It broke me, completely wrecked me. What an amazing God I serve. His heart's desire, his dream is for ALL of his people to know him, to know the fullness of him and to live and walk in it. Wow, I'm still in awe. I cried and cried and still cry whenever I think of his heart, his dream. And I refuse, absolutely REFUSE, to believe that it's impossible for God's dream to come true. I refuse to believe that there are just too many people with too many problems. My God is bigger than that, nothing is too big or too hard for him. Nothing is impossible for him. God is raising up a generation, a people, to accomplsih this dream with him, to partner with him-and he's allowing me to be apart of it???? WOW! Thank you my sweet sweet Father. =)

So be expecting big things to happen, pray for it, seek it out. Be my intercessors, be the intercessors of God's people. I need you guys, they need you. Ask God what you can do to help and how you can partner with him. It's time for the Body of Christ to stand up and unite. And when we do, wow, big things will happen. I'm sure of it!

Hilights as of yet:

-Walking down the streets of Antigua playing my harmonica and my team actually enjoying it

-Finding a place with cooked veggies (can't eat raw ones or we might mess our pants)

-Jogging through the streets in the rain (and clean streets at that)

-Hiking the volcano and roasting a marshmellow over the lava (yea, I know..sweeet)

-People prophecying over me that I'm prohpetic

-The market place

-Falling in love with my team

-Practicing my little bit of Spanish with the locals

-Walking to everything (meetings, food, market, atm) love it

-Having amazingly beautiful people for squad leaders and coaches

-Seeing gorgeous mountains and beautiful architecture in every direction

-Listening to my squad when they're crazy seeking after the Lord knowing that it's touching the very heart of God

I love you all!! Thanks for keeping up! I'd love to hear from you!

p.s. i left my camera cord back at the hostel so i'll post some pictures on here and facebook later

Training Camp. The good. The bad. The ugly.

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I've put this off for awhile because I didn't know how to put camp into words on a blog page, but then I figured that's probably how I will feel about the next 11 months of my life so I should probably just go ahead and get it over with.

God is amazing y'all. God changed me at camp, I didn't even realize how much he changed me until after I got back. I really don't even know that I can tell you what he did, but I know that I'm a different person. I am free. I am bold. I am strong. I am powerful. I am confident. I am a lover. I am loved. I am overflowing with compassion (literally, I'm a big cryer now). I am completely broken for God's people. I am beautiful. I am fierce. I am a woman of God. And I am going to change the world. (Yea..I'm already crying at those statements, see! Big cryer.)

Two days before camp even started, 13 World Racers from all over the states and Canada met me and my friend Bill in Athens ( Bill and I interned at the Wesley Foundation for the past two years together and he is also going on the race). Training camp was in Gainesville which is only 45 minutes north, so this was a great opportunity to get to know some of the squad beforehand, instead of engulfing ourselves into 46 new faces all at once. Instantly we were family. I can't tell you how fun and exciting it was hanging out at the airport all day, holding the signs with each person's name on it, waiting for them to get off the plane and walk up the escalator. It was like welcoming someone home that you haven't seen in years and miss terribly. I believe God united our hearts before we even met. We had a blast doing life together those two day.

The Athens crew rolled up to camp; music crankin, windows painted, cars decorated, crunk as all get out. That night we met the rest of our squad, and once again, instant family. We spent 10 days exercising together, worshiping together, getting rocked by the Spirit together, learning together, seeking the Lord together, surrendering together, ministering together, crying together, laughing together, confessing together, declaring victory and freedom together, sharing hearts and passions together.

About half way through camp we started on team formations. The squad was split into teams of about 6-7 people, those teams travel with each other for the 11 months of the World Race (by the way, many have asked this, it is called the World Race because for the first few days in each country the teams race against each other in various activities to better acclimate ourselves to the country and the culture). We will also be able to see the whole squad for about three days or so a month at debrief in each country. What a reunion that will be!! After we finally got done with team formations, I ended up with my team, team Logos. We rock. And I love them. Logos means story. Our story. Their story. God's story. My teammates are Christina Coleman, Michael Parise, Courtney Styres, Tyson Payne, and Courtney MacLellan. Amazing people.

One more thing I have to add about camp, the underground church "game". This was the hardest part of camp for me, and part of how God has changed me. This game was a simulation of what the underground church is like. I won't give away too many details for the sake of future World Racers, but I will say that the cops are bad and you want to run from them. If you get caught, you are persecuted. I was caught, I was persecuted. The thing is, this is real life. It was just a "game" at camp, but this is real life for so many people. This is real life for me. Something I try to be strong for. God broke me. I confessed to my team afterwards that I didn't think I was strong enough. Something I was always so sure of, but once faced with it, was I strong enough? Will I be? Good news. God is my strength. He won't leave me, He'll be with me. Whew. I can breathe again. I think of the song that Sydnee and I sung at the top of our lungs on the way to camp, "it's gonna be worth it." Pray for me. Pray for my squad. We need it. Don't pray against persecution. Pray for protection, but pray for strength. Pray for the people of this world to know Jesus, every last one. Whatever it takes. (More tears..sheesh.)

Camp was awesome. It was hard. It was Fun. It was beautiful. And we will never be the same.. just like the world will be after we travel around it.

I'm in love with each and every single person on my squad, and I miss them all dreadfully.

Send Me, I'll Go

Tue, 9 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This song get's me worked up every time...

Send Me, I'll Go
Send Me, I'll Go
Send Me, I'll Go
Let Me Go, Let Me Go
Send Me, I'll Go
Send Me, I'll Go
Send Me, I'll Go
Let Me Go, Let Me Go

I seen it wit my own two
Theres no way I can show you
A perfectly poverty stricken people with no view
And I bet you can't believe this
They never heard of Jesus
Heard of Young Buck, Lil' Wayne, and Young Jeezy
No One signing up to go on missions this summer
Rather sit at home and watch Xzibit pimpin a hummer
While at night he rollin Shot now
Nobody sreamin Stop now
No bridge illustrates for criminals who on Lockdown
People deep in Africa, lookin for an answer bra
In China, men are dyin men, until they know who died for sin
So, look what grace did
Not for us to stay in
Inside our comfort zones at home in Momma's basement
Get out on the grind ya'll, aint no better time dog
I know you read the Great Commission let me just remind ya'll
Make Disciples of the Nations teach them to obey the Lord
Hate to never lead someone to Christ before I see the Lord

Ay, after 1000 years in the west and the churches
Gettin bigger daily without understandin worship
Some regenerate but alot aint saved
You walk outside and be surprised that the block aint changed.
And the numbers they be gettin them
Somethin still aint hittin them
Americans aint Christians they just practicin the rituals
Thats why we should be missions ay oh what you think I'm spittin fo
United States is dyin and the east is lookin pitiful
Some places if they catch you they'll arrest you and they'll serve you
But they still need the word too, the gospel should be heard too
We claim we aint ashamed but we still aint hit the block up
We in our Christian bubble while our brothers gettin locked up
Lord I wanna Stop up
Take a bag and Walk up
In a country where sharin my faith may get me Shot up
Anyway I go Lord, whether my city Lord, or For a broad
I just wanna show them Jesus Christ the risen Holy God

I know they dyin in the streets
Over in the Middle East
Some kids seekin peace
Others holdin up a piece
If the violence doesnt cease
Then at least, the deceased
Might know Jesus as they savior as they're body hit the street
And I know this is a graphic view
I pray that its attackin you
Tractin you, to act and do what you see in the back of blue
Matthew 24:14, We should read it twice
Before we think that life is just a Battle see we live for Christ

Look dog, life is more than Church, Work, and Football
What if you were dead in sin and Christians overlooked ya'll
This is why we leave the couches and the comfort of our houses
To show the world a God that Mayan never read about

Yeah...The Great Commission says make Disciples of all nations
Have we even made'em in our own nation?
Come on Christians
Missions exists because worship doesnt
People don't worship the God that made them
We Ambassadors..Let's Go!

A Poem

Fri, 6 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A poem my dad wrote about me:

Amy Carol

A servant of God is she

Many work for life and strive for success you see

They go to college and learn a trade

But Amy Carol gets only to give, that's the way she was made

But the thing about life, you can never give it away

The more you give away the more it will repay

Now she wants to give even more

So many people are in need, she can't ignore

No matter how much you give it's never all gone

Now here is Amy Carol sweet as a song

And her heart felt song she will decree

It's all about her Jesus so sweet and free

Many have riches, fortune, and fame

But everything has a price in this game of life

So if you give not to get, or if you get not to give

When all is said and done, which is better when the trumpet sounds

The proud will fall, the humble will rise

All those who have given life away will have life more than us all

And I say, Amy Carol, rise and shine

Give life away even more

And you among many, Jesus will adore

theme song for the race

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I've listened to this CD (Orthodoxy) tons of times. Yesterday when I listened to this particular song..it just struck me different. Really it was that I heard it in my spirit, not just my ears. Now it gives me goose bumps every time I hear it. This is truly the cry of my heart. My heart longs for this. And I feel like this is the theme song for our team, not just for me. So read it guys (or better yet look it up and listen to it), let go, let the Spirit take control and move on through you...

Moving Us Out

By: Eddie Kirkland

Can you feel it now

Can you hear the sound

Spirit coming down and moving through us

When you let it go

It'll move your soul

Spirit take control and move on through us

It's mercy, the rhythm of Your mercy

Is moving us now

Moving us now

We will bring the Kingdom of Your grace

We will take it to the world

We will see redemption fall like rain

We will take You to the world

We can hear it now

People crying out

Jesus, send us out to bring Your kingdom

Let your justice rise

In our sacrifice

We will give our lives to bring Your freedom

It's mercy, the rhythm of Your mercy

Is moving us now

Moving us now

We will bring the kingdom of Your grace

We will take it to the world

We will see redemption fall like rain

We will take You to the world

Feel the rhythm of Your grace

It's moving us now, moving us now

To the world in Your great Name

Your moving us out

Get to know Will (if you wanna know which Will you'll have to go to the link and see! ha!)

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

we were asked to share about one of our teammates...

http://willmcrae.theworldrace.org/index.asp?filename=bio

So I just read Will's bio and I am pumped because the guy just went camping for the first time. I love camping and have gone all my life and am always trying to get people who've never gone to go..so props to you Will for going. I only wish I could've been there to see the experience. You're hooked now aren't you? Don't lie.

Will loves serving people and his heart behind it sounds amazing. He has a good story about this one time that he served a single woman by fixing her car for $12. I can't wait to hear more of his stories about how he has served and his ideas for more ways to serve!

I'm also really excited about meeting everyone on our team...every single person sounds so amazing!! I only wish there was some way we could all stay together!

What I'm expecting and feeling about the World Race...

Mon, 3 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

we were asked to share about our expectations for the race...

I just got done reading Bill's post about this, and I feel very similar. We're both on our second year interning here at Wesley, and it's been so amazing-really words can't describe it.When our internship is done in May, I'm sure we'll both be crying..and that's saying a lot for me because I'm really not a cryer. Even now just thinking about leaving is really hard. When I first signed up for the World Race I knew it was gonna be hard, but I really didn't think about it much because I was so excited. But now that it's actually going to happen..yea, it's gonna be hard as mess. Wesley is my family. Godgreatly used this place and the people here to take part in transforming me into who I am in Him. And not just Wesley, but I grew up here..I've lived in this town my whole life so all of my friends and family too. So yea it's gonna be hard..but! I have Jesus. He's my home. And I am really exited about the trip. I'm not sad or kinda nervous about going,just about leaving..does that make sense? So that's pretty much how I'm feeling about the World Race. As far as expectations..I don't really have any. I mean obviously I want God to work and experience great things and be used by Him, but I know all of that is gonna happen. I'm just putting it in His hands and letting Him do what He does. I don't care what it looks like, I just want him to have free reign. =)

with some friends that i intern with on one of our staff days.

The story of how I was called to missions..

Sun, 2 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

we were asked to share how we were called to missions...

Well I guess it started about 3 years ago. I was working for a doctor here in Athens as a receptionist. During the 1st year and a halfof my time there God was really really at work in my life. I hardly hung out with friends b/c I didn't feel it was a spiritually encouraging atmosphere, it was actually kinda the opposite. So for that 1st year working for the doc it was pretty much just me and Jesus, it was great! I spent a lot of time studying the Word and reading books (Waking The Dead and Captivating were great ones for me). That year and a halfJesus really just taught me--a ton! And it is SO cool when you're being taught by the great I Am. It wasn't by people, church, or relationships (well, some..but few!), just by Jesus. After that I started telling him that I really wanted to apply everything that he taught me to my life, and wanted to use it to glorify him. Also during that time of me working for Dr. Morris God birthed in me a love for people..and I mean like deep passionate, overwhelming love for people. I had always been a big people person, but b/c of him working in me and b/c I had the opportunity to see lots of different people and different types of people in the office, he allowed me to see people through his eyes. And it was so beautiful! Sometimes I would just sit at my desk and look at the people in the lobby and just have little conversations w/ God about how amazing and beautiful they were..it was so neat! He even talked back sometimes..it was fun. Okay, going off subject, sorry! Haha. Alright, sooo..oh! Yea yea yea..I started praying to God telling him I wanted to apply the things he had taught me to my life. So then he tells me, go to Mexico for 3 months (my cousin was going and apparently He wanted me to go w/ her). Well ifI was going to say yea okay Lord, I'll go..I would have to give up some things. After about 3 days of talking with him about it, I say yea okay I'll go. And then get this, he says,I was just testing you, you don't have to go. Haha, so I'm like..okay God. Good one. But after I finally said yesI'll go, I was kinda excited about it. Actually I was really excited! I would be able to apply all of the things God had been teaching me! B/c where I was at I had very very few opportunitues to do so..sad, I know, it was. So then I ended up signing up to go on a mision trip tothe SiouxIndian Reservation in South Dakota w/ the Wesley Foundation (Wesley is a campus ministry to UGA that I was involved in). God told me that SD was the next step (which was 6 months away) and that I was to stay where I was at until then. The next 6 months of my life were incredibly hard. I started to really really not like my job, which I used to love. Things were hard there and every day I went to work it was like a spiritual battle. Everyone told me to quit my job. People were even offering me jobs. I said no, this is where God wants me to be. My mom even asked me, are you SURE this is the Lord? I said, yurp! I have to stay, SD is the next step and then we'll see. (By the way I'm surprised this is long, when I started writing I thought it'd be like one paragraph.) So about a week before I left to go to SD I went on a walk with one of the leaders of the team and was just telling her where I was at and what was going on and what not, and she said, well have you ever thought about being an intern at Wesley? I hadn't. I really didn't even know what they did. She told me some about it and it sounded really great! I prayed about it and then I think a day before we left to go to SD I decided to intern. I quit my job when I got back (which was in May) and started interning at Wesley in August! I interned as an International Student Ministry Intern from August to May, and then!!! here I amatWesleyagain for a second year of interning! I went to India w/ Wesley over the summer and God birthed in me even more so a passion for people and missions. I knew that I didn't want to intern at Wesley again for a 3rd year so I'd been praying about what to do after this year. Bill Bush (Billiam) told me about the World Race, he ran into a team when he was in Africa w/ Wesley this summer. I said, that says Amy all over it! So prayed about that, and well..of course, here I am! Yeeeaaah! And I guess that about sums up how I got here. =)

me at the badlands in south dakota.