The World Race - Cara Wallace

Overwhelmed by Love

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I've been procrastinating this blog because where do I start! So I will start with baby steps.

I returned to the United States of America at the beginning of this month. I have spent my first few weeks in Georgia visiting my friend Martha. She asked me what I wanted to eat as my first meal!I said cookie dough, that was one thing that I had been looking forward to on my return and of course as a mature adult I made the decision to eat some for breakfast (poor choice).

When I hopped on the plane for California I got butterflies in my stomach, that hadn't happened to me the whole year of my trip.I have been spending amazing time with my family and watching Andy Griffith reruns with my sweet Grandma.I am healthy and happy, praise the Lord I didn't return with any little friends in my stomach.

Of course one of the questions is "Is it overwhelming to be back?"

I didn't think it would be but one day I sat down on the couch and my head started to swim in all of it.... yep it's overwhelming.The other day I was driving in my car (I haven't driven in a year mind you). I don't know about you but all great thoughts come from driving or in the shower for me. But amidst the fog that my brain seems to be in I felt my feet stand firm in who Jesus is, He is not a shifting shadow He is my Rock. Soeven though this transition is a journey of discovering what is next I trust I will be sending you more amazing updates of how God continues to be faithful.

I can't say enough thank yous for all your encouragement and prayers. I was able to go out and love in Jesus' name. Just as I was able to be there for them you were there for me. LOVE YOU ALL!

P.S. I have had some people make the comment that they don't want to overwhelm me with emails and phone calls. That is so considerate of you but...overwhelm me! I can handle it. I have been missing you all year long and I want to catch up with you. I had to get a new phone so email me and I will send you my new number.

We're in Los Angeles

Sat, 8 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Well, I'm here in my last month of ministry on the World Race and of course you would expect me to say "How time flies" but I have to tell the truth it hasn't the last 5 days have seemed like weeks. I'm not sure why that is...maybe its because we're on island time here. Literally, we are on an island called Ometepe in a village called Los Angeles and get this the island is made up of a giant volcano that is in the middle of a giant lake in Nicaragua AND the lake has sharks how cool is that!My team and I laugh about how this island reminds of the TV series Lost because it is so very isolated here. The village is super small with one street that runs through it.

We are living at an orphanage called Cicrin that is right on the water. My team and team Clay are spending our island days doing manual labor like cement work at the local church, kitchen duty and working in the garden that brings in most of the orphanage's food supply. Of course we play with the kiddos and have a good time having them perfect our basic Spanish skills and my favorite we dance together almost every night. Our 5 days here have been full and we have seen that Cicrin is one huge family. Most of the children are in their teens and have lived here since they were small. There is a lot of love and stability here and its been easy to join in on the Cicrin Family fun.

As I write this I realize I have 24 days left to enjoy island time and then I will be adjusting to USA time!

We Left Our Hearts in San Fran

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hello Friends,

I thought I would take some footage of where we have been spending our time, I realized I haven't done that yet.

We have spent the month in Chiapas Mexico. It is so beautiful here, we are surrounded by thick jungle and the humidity and heat is through the roof. Caliente!

My team and have been living in small villages in the jungle. We spend our time going door to door praying and inviting the locals to church. We also spend a lot of our time with the kiddos, and let me tell you that's a full time job. Early in the morning I would see little fingers and eyes looking through the cracks in the hut to see if we were awake yet.

I think one of the biggest spiritual blessings is that we have spent time with the village pastors and we have seen their amazing hearts for their congregations. Churches in the village are not very big at the most I think I counted 9 adults and then the rest were the crazy fun kids. But, they make a true community of believers and I have loved my time of being a part of their family.

We Leave tomorrow for Nicaragua and we are thinking it will be a 5 day trek through 3 countries! Please be praying for our traveling safety, it would be much appreciated since we have had to re-route to avoid certain borders through Honduras.

Kids From San Fransisco Mexico

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

These are the kids from the village

That Stole our Hearts

Just sitting in the tree

Levis, Anghi, Areli, Ingrid, Saira, Rudit

Anghi took most of the following pictures.

I like to call this one "Anghi becomes a professional!"

48 hours of Travel Safety/Plus Mexico

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This Tuesday my team and I got on a plane for a 48 hour travel day to get us to Central America.

Here's a little look at the crazy travel pattern we created within 48 hours.

We took a local train and then bus to get to the international airport in Budapest.

We hopped on our flight from Budapest to Germany then changed planes to be carried safely across the big pond to a layover in Boston. USA Soil!! I Kissed the ground then grabbed a flight that stopped in South Carolina and then on to Florida.

Vicki and I are sad to be leaving the continent but happy to be seat buddies for our transatlantic flight.

48 Hours is a long time to be awake, I fell asleep waiting for a flight.

Whoo! Finally our flight from Florida landed us in Guatemala. Oh don't forget the van ride to our location, always on the move.

Our little landing in the States made me realize that I am not ready to be done with the Race. I had a flash forward of the ministry, lessons and memories God still has for me to make. Please be praying that my team and I are able to cherish and maximize the last two months of our trip.

... After I wrote this we recieved our ministry assignment which placed us in Palanque Mexico! That meant a 14 hours bus ride out of Guatemala and into Mexico, we traveled through jungles and winding roads. Once I catch up on sleep I will update you more of what our time in Mexico will look like.

The Mosiac that Makes God Visible

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Nothing is sweet or easy about community. Community is a fellowship of people who do not hide their joys and sorrows but make them visible to each other on a gesture of hope. In a community we say " life is full of gains and losses, joys and sorrows ups and downs-but we do not have to live it alone. We want to drink our cup together and thus celebrate the truth that the wounds of our individual lives, which seem intolerable when lived alone, become sources of healing when we live them as part of a fellowship of mutual care."
Community is like a large mosaic. Each little piece seems so insignificant. One piece is bright red, another cold blue or dull green, another warm purple, another sharp yellow, another shinning gold. Some look precious, others ordinary. Some look valuable, others worthless. Some look gaudy, others delicate. As individual stones, we can do little with them except compare them and judge their beauty and value. When, however all these little stones are brought together in one big mosaic portraying the face of Christ, who would ever question the importance of any of them? If one of them, even the least spectacular one, is missing, the picture is incomplete. Together in the one mosaic, each little stone is indispensable and makes a unique contribution to the glory of God. That's community, a fellowship of little people who together make God visible in the world.
By Henri Nouwen-Can You Drink the Cup

The Girl Version

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I didn't want to go so I convinced myself to sign up for another more predictable ministry. So I signed up for a ministry that I had already been to earlier that week. Then I heard the voice... you know the one.

So I went and I scratched out my name and put it on for Thursday night's outreach to gay prostitutes.

Yep, that's why I was a little apprehensive, I had no idea what this outreach time would look like. But, I knew I heard in my heart that if I thought it was going to be hard then it probably would be worth it.

Read my teammate Mark's blog to see how the evening turned out...

FIY-In the story Laura and I are the girls that were praying and we were the ones that scared them all away. Thank goodness for God's perfect planning!

29 Today

Sat, 6 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

29 Today

Today I turned 29 years old yep I sure did. So I thought I would count my World Race blessings along with some other random things that I love about the Race.

1. Illy coffee

2. Squatties, I really do like them you don't have to flush

3. Passion Fruit Fanta only available in Africa

4. Watching Jeff do the shoulder dance with a mean head bob

5. Worship with an accordion at a Romanian Gypsy Church...yep its all you're imagining

6. Getting to use my compass! Thanks Jess

7. The Indian head bob it's classic and will leave you totally confused

8. Taxis they are super cheap here and they know where they are going...

9. Hand washing clothes- it's old school

10. Rooftops in India nothing better

11. Jeepnies!!!! These are old WWII jeeps that are pimped out and turned into Public transportation in the Philippines and they have R&B and flashing lights always pumping out of them

12. Skype and a connection that actually connects

13. Beans and Rice in Africa- it is my favorite and good thing because that's all you get

14. Super Hero Worship Night... I don't know if I can explain this one

15. Learning Capoeira

16. Michael and Kathy Hindes coming for monthly visits and shaking us up in the Spirit.

17. Meeting Pastors around the World that love their congregation

18. Dancing for the Lord until I couldn't dance no mo at a Church in Tanzania

19. Chai tea and yes I might be a little addicted to it

20. Receiving blog comments and letters from you

21. My Family

22. Having clean feet,you have no idea how impossible it was to keep feet clean in Africa

23. Doing manual labor alongside Ugandan women

24. Being able to carry everything I own on my back...and watching taxi drivers be amazed at me when I put it on, my pack is very very big

25. My Team Banah= Vickilicous, My Sharona, Angel, Tender Mitchell, Andrew/Mark, and Sister Laura -Love you guys

26. The incredible support I have received, I am always in awe of you all

27. Getting a laugh when people think I know 50 Cent the rapper just because I'm from California- Its seems that over here our best representation of Americans is the TV

28. Seeing Miracles whether it be people being healed or a smile from a child

29. What I really love is the unpredictability of the Race every day there is an unknown factor and every day is an ADVENTURE

Budapest Hungary

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I almost forgot to tell you all where my team is located for the month of June.

We will be located in Budapest Hungary.

This looks like a great month of ministry for us. We have great contacts with the YWAM base here and we are loving the people we meet. We will be doing relational ministry in the venue of street evangelism, homeless ministry and coffee houses.

Be praying for us that we will be able to build relationships on the Lord's love and the great plan he has for their life.

The history on Hungary is that as a nation they believe that a curse of hopelessnessand despair have beencast on them. We will be in prayer that this spiritual depression will be lifted by God's truth.

A look at Hungarian history in a nutshell

The Hungarians, or Magyars, as they call themselves, are descendants of Central Asiannomadic warriors. They migrated west from their homelands and entered the Carpathian Basin in the late 800's.

In the year 1000, King Istvan (Stephan) was crowned & chose that his people should turn from their practice of Shamanism & become Catholics. Hungary withstood attacks from the Mongols and grew to become one of the most powerful nations in Central Europe. But division among the leaders weakened them and the Turks conquered in the 1500's.

The Austrians liberated Hungary in the 1650's, but then made Hungary part of their empire. A revolution for independence was crushed in 1848. By the 1860's Austria's power was waning and Hungary brokered a partnership with a dual monarchy in the Austrio-Hungarian Empire. This was a golden age for Hungary with many advancements in culture & living. Budapest reflects much of the glory of this time.

After losing WWI, Hungary lost 2/3 of its territory and 1/3 of its population. The stage was set for a fascist government which came to power in the 1930's and sided with Hitler in WWII. Russia took control after the war and set up a communist government.

Hungarians staged another revolution for independence in 1956 which was brutally crushed by the Russians. In 1989 Hungary opened their border with Austria tearing a gap in the "Iron Curtain." Elections were held and the Communists were voted out.

The past 10 years has brought slow but steady economic growth, but many people putting their hopes in getting rich have been disappointed. Hungary joined NATO in 1999 and is looking to join the EU by 2004.

Hungarian history in depth, click here

Fun facts about Hungary

Budapest, the capital of Hungary, is really two cities: Buda and Pest.

The crown, sword, scepter, orb, and cape of St. Stephen, King of Hungary also were stored in Fort Knox Kentucky, before being returned to the government of Hungary in 1978.

Although Houdini claimed to have been born on April 6, 1874 in Appleton, Wisconsin, he actually was born on March 24, 1874 in Budapest, Hungary.

Did you know that the developers of the atomic bomb; the holograph; moon rover; Model T Ford; and the fathers of binary code, BASIC and computer programming; the atomic bomb, nuclear engineering; the California wine industry; the U.S. Cavalry; the Model T Ford; matches; color television; full-length motion pictures; the carburetor; the Zeppelin; the automatic gearbox; the moon rover; Intel Corporation; and of the U.S. aerospace industry are all Hungarian-Americans? And what about Joseph Pulitzer, of "Pulitzer Prize" fame? There's much more to his story. And can you believe there was a Hungarian Emperor of Madagascar?

In addition to the more than 10 million Hungarians in Hungary, there are almost 5 million living in other countries who declare themselves as Hungarians.

Try some Hungarian words

Igen [igen ] - yes

Nem [nem ] - no

Jreggelt [j + reggel ] - good morning

Jestt [j + este ] - good evening

Ksznm [kszn ] - thank you

Krem [krni ] - please , I ask

Szvesen - gladly

Hogy hvjk? - What's your name?

A nevem va. - My name is Eva

Hogy van? - How are you?

Ksznm, jl. - I'm fine, thank you

Nem rtem. - I don't understand.... I'll probably be using this one the most=)

This page is borrowed from www.ywam-budapest.com

Pavel's Miracle

Wed, 3 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

"Whoooopiiii! Jesus Healed Pavel!!!!"

That's what I yelled to all the passengers on our train on our way out of Romania. It's not everyday that I get to be a part of a miracle so I wasn't going to let this pass without excitement and proclamation of what happened.

I blogged earlier in May about a fifteen year old boy named Pavel who was being told his leg would be amputated because of cancer.

Pavel's Village

We first Met Pavel after a long ride into the Romanian mountains to pick him up to take him to the hospital because the pain was becoming too great for him. We entered his one room house in a small village nuzzled in the side of a mountain. The people of the village prayed and wailed for Pavel's healing as he left. Pavel stayed with us for the rest of the week and our entire team met with him and prayed over him until the day of his doctor's appointment.

There was a lot of heartache when the report came back that the doctors still wanted to take his leg. One night I was in the living room and I could hear Pavel and his mother from the other room crying out to the Lord for healing. They never gave up pursuing God even when the answer seemed final.

A few days after that we received word that Pavel's second test came back cancer free.

You know what made me sad was my initial reaction. I could feel a tinge of unbelief in my heart, I didn't want to get excited incase it was a mistake made by the doctors.Then I realized what a missed opportunity it is not to give wholehearted belief and praise to God in the miracles he does. So after that moment I found myself rejoicing out loud to anyone who would listen about Pavel's healed body (That's why the incident happened on the train). I learned from Pavel to believe whole heartedly and to not give up in prayer.

Thank you Pavel, you are a hardcore warrior and God will always be with you and your testimony will bring your whole village to the Lord.

Pavel is still in need of finances for a surgery to remove an infected bone graph. If you feel lead to help him fully recover please contact

Becky Dan- Walsh at www.casashalom.org

There is No Crisis

Wed, 3 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

"There is no crisis in God's kingdom"

I've been gone for nine months now and a whole lot goes on that I am not even aware of since most of those months have been technologically void. We relied on hearsay from incoming Americans, and the hot topics of course are the economic crisis and Obama. There is real concern for friends and family who are losing their jobs.

But I had my eyes opened to the bigger reality of God's kingdom, while visiting Nannette Gonzalez, the president of a ministry that takes care of abandoned babies in a Romanian Children's Hospital.I asked her about her support for her ministry considering the financial crisis in the States and she pointed in spunky confidence to a newly donated van and said "There is no crisis in God's Kingdom".

It was so good to hear her say that and to see her confidence in God's promises.I know it's true. I have seen it in the ministries I have been a part of and in my own life.

I love my life, I get to live in faith of what God has called me to do and with that I have good news to tell. At the moment, I no longer need support for this trip (I pray there are more to come)!

I know my provision has come from God's hand and your support in finances, prayer and love have carried me far across the world.

Thank you for your faithfulness during these hard times, God amazes me in His provision.

I still have expenses that must be covered personally from the trip

Flight home= around $400

Gear = $800

Doctors Visits and Vaccinations = $800

If you would like to continue supporting me for the above amounts please send me an email and I will give you a mailing address.

While my needs have been met, several of my beloved teammates are still in need of the funds that will keep them with me through out the race. July 1^st is the deadline for all monies to be raised.

Check out their blogs and transfer some of that amazing love to my World Race family.

Angifrancesco.theworldrace.org

Victoriaskyvalidas.theworldra

Hello Mom

Sun, 10 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Dear Mom,

I love you and I am sorry that I am not there to give you a long warm hug today. I just want to honor you today for the unconditional selfless love that you give. I am thinking back on times you spent playing with Chuck and I and how you just loved being with us. I remember we would go for walks in the fields and collect rocks and you had this apron that had fifty pockets on the front. You would let us fill every pocket with the rocks that Chuck and I were sure had gold in them. I remember you reading to us until we or you fell asleep, normally, you fell asleep first because we wore you out with the rock thing=)

But, Mom, the thing I remember the most is always knowing that you truly loved Jesus and that in all you taught me it was from a heart that had a real relationship with God. I know in all the decisions you made to raise Chuck and I came from that place. I love how you raised us and I am who I am because of you and Jesus. I'm proud of you andI miss and love you.

Happy Mother's Day!

Cara

Moldova Pictures

Wed, 6 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Moldova was a simple little country that faced big problems while we were there. The day we arrived riots were taking place in the capital (Which is where we were, we like to be in the thick of it) the Communist party had used dead peoples' names to sway the vote in the communist favor. Because of this the youth camps we had planned to be a part of were canceled.

But don't worry we spent our time getting ready for planting season for New Hope's transitional homes. We were all given hoes and a huge field of weeds. We spent our time in Moldova visiting surrounding villages sharing the gospel and living out the simple life that is not so simple when there is a well involved.

I know I make this look easy but it's not, I probably have 5 inches of water in that bucket.

Pavel's Faith

Wed, 6 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Pavel is a Romanian teenager with cancer. He went through chemotherapy several months ago, and now he has an infection in his leg from a bone graft surgery.

(He is the one sitting in the chair, and his mother is standing behind him in the kerchief. Surrounding him are my Team Banah, Team Lunchbox, Becky and some of the kids from Casa Shalom.)

For three nights, Pavel stayed with us - he lives in a village a couple hours away from Bucharest - and we worshipped and prayed together. On Sunday afternoon, we took him to the hospital where he will undergo more tests and treatments, if he actually still needs them.

You see, Pavel is clinging to the hope of miraculous healing, and we invite you to join us in beseeching God on his behalf. His greatest desire is to be a strong witness to his community and to the world, so he has completely surrendered himself into God's caring hands. He will sing God's praises regardless of what happens with his health because he has faith in a faithful God!

Jesus said, "I tell you the truth,
if you have faith as small as a mustard seed,
you can say to this mountain, Move from here to there' and it will move.
Nothing will be impossible for you."

Matthew 17:19-21

Stay tuned ...

Of Coure this well written blog is by my teammate Vicki

Extreme Home Makeover

Wed, 6 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The woman on the right survived five surgeries in the last year alone, and

to give thanks to God, she now travels around Romania

looking for other people who desperately need some sort of help.

She puts them in contact with Becky from Casa Shalom,

and then God performs miracles.

The benefactor this week was this poor widow on the left.

We showed up on Saturday morning withtools, supplies, and24 workers
(Team Banah, Team Lunchbox, and a crew of kids and other volunteers from Casa Shalom),
and we got right to work ...

painting the exterior of the house

repairing the roof and replacing broken windows

tiling the kitchen wall

painting the fence and gate

installing an electric pump in the well, and painting it too

We will be returning to the village later this week to finish the job.
Stay tuned ...

Moldova

Sat, 4 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Well, we are officially out of India and now in Eastern Europe. Currently we are in Kiev, Ukraine for our ministry debrief. It's a time of rest and refreshing as we prepare for the next two months of ministry. My team will spend the next month in Moldova working alongside of New Hope Ministries. Here is a little information about the ministry!

New Hope Ministries works with local schools, orphanages and churches in order to reach the youth of Moldova. Human trafficking is a huge problem in Moldova and they are trying to educate the youth before it happens to them. They take the preventative approach and work through local churches. You can visit their website at:

www.newhopeinternational.org

One of the main outreaches we will be working with is a boy's and girl's transitional home in a very poor village called Cornesh. These are youth between 16-23 who are too old to live in an orphanage but have nowhere else to go. Here they learn about God and his love for them. We will spend time with them and also will prepare teaching for them (especially about identity and relationships!).

Later in the month we will also be helping out with a camp that reaches out to the orphans that just finished school in orphanages (ages 13-17). From that point on, they have nowhere to live. We will help by listening to their stories, helping with crafts, extreme sports, drama, sharing bible stories/testimonies, etc.

We have an opportunity to make a huge impact on the youth in Moldova. Once these kids are forced to leave the orphanage, many of the women are sold into prostitution and the guys end up in jail. There is a crisis in Moldova right now with human trafficking. We want to listen to the kids testimonies and help them know how much God has them. Jesus is their only hope.

We leave Kiev early next week to Moldova. My team and I are very excited to be have the opportunity to work with New Hope Ministries and can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for this month.

Here are some prayer points:

- Pray that we have open ears and open hearts to listen to the Holy Spirit and to hear the stories of the youth we will be working with.

- Pray that God gives us wisdom as we interact with schools and churches in Moldova.

- There is a huge spirit of division here in Eastern Europe so please pray for the Spirit of Unity to be thicker than the spirit of division!

- Please pray for my squad's health. Coming from Africa and India has left many worms and bugs in some of my squad's systems. Pray for healing.

I will try to keep you all updated as much as possible. God bless you. I love you and I'm praying for you!

Do You Know Someone?

Sat, 4 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

My Team has the fun opportunity of getting to plan out and pick our ministry anywhere in Europe for the month of June!

If you have any ministry contacts that you think would be good for my team to connect send them my way.

I know I have received a few contacts from you but I'm afraid they are buried in my email. Oh, and internet might be hard to find in Moldova so the sooner the better.

I will list out our possible route for the next five months and hopefully you can help I'll be grateful for any contacts you can offer.

April- Moldova

May- Romania

June- ?????? Europe

July- Nicaragua

August- Guatemala

In India nice and warm

Freezing in Kiev

Home of Hope (with a video)

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

He was curled up on the concrete ground next to the dumpster when Raja found him. His clothes were ragged, and he wore no shoes. Flies clustered around an open sore on his knee. He was rambling to himself incoherently with his eyes closed.

Raja knelt beside him and whispered a few words of concern. Then, he gently lifted him into his arms and carried him back to his rickshaw. They were headed home. To the Home of Hope.

Established a decade ago, the Home of Hope is exactly that. It is a rehabilitation center for:

the orphaned, the diseased, and the desolate,
who are homeless but too weak to even beg,
who are defeated by neglect,
whose only hope is transformation by the grace of the Lord.

Anyone is welcome, though most residents are found and transported to the facility by Raja himself as he combs the streets of Bengaluru - not unlike theLuke 15shepherd, who scours the countryside looking for his lost sheep and rejoices when one is found.

Raja serves as the director of Home of Hope, and he has only a handful of full-time staff. There are currently almost 300 residents, ranging from two months to 80 years old. They sleep in hospital cots in dorm style rooms. But they spend most of their time outside in the spacious courtyards. That is where we found them this morning, enjoying the sunshine and cool breeze.

A few bold ladies approached us and eagerly requested to have their photos taken. Others shrunk back from us. And still others were oblivious to our presence altogether. The men, women, and children suffer from physical ailments and mental illness. And spiritual oppression, no doubt.

We helped deliver plates of rice and curry to the residents, blessing the food to their bodies and praying for opportunities to provide spiritual nourishment too as we did so. As they finished eating, we sat beside clusters of people, trying to love on them.I held hands and rubbed backs.

I smiled and bobbed my head as women talked to me in their local language as if I understood.
I shed tears asI clapped my hands and sang songs with them.
And most of all, I prayed.
I praised God for his compassion.
I pleaded with him for His healing power to be released.
I thanked Him for exposing me to the harsh realities of suffering and allowed Him to tenderize my heart.

Did God bring me here so that I could minister to them?

Or did God bring me here so that they could minister to me?

I hope that your heart is also being tenderized right now. These are people, precious and beloved by God. We may not know their histories - What could have brought them to this point? Where are their families?! - but we can rest assured that God knows everything about them, and He has a beautiful plan for their future, the promise of eternity with Him if they seek His face and trust Him to provide for them.

God bless Raja for doing his part in bringing the Kingdom to earth. Here at the Home of Hope, every individual is cared for and treated with dignity.

Visit theNew Ark Mission of India website (www.newarkmission.org)to read more stories, see more pictures, watch the video, anddonatemoney to support the vision.

Written by Vicki Skyvalidas and God bless my teammate Angi Francesco, photographer extraordinaire. Sometimes I feel like she's like my own personal paparazzi, always sneaking around documenting and capturing special moments on film for us!

God Gave her a Miracle

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Mama Rachel was devastated when she found out that she had tested positive for HIV. In her shame, she didn't tell anyone. But she did pray. She prayed for a miracle.

Then she found out she was pregnant. So she prayed some more.

Around the same time, Pastor Celsus (our contact in Mwanza, Tanzania) was inspired to preach a sermon series on healing. On the third Sunday, he heard the voice of the Lord, and he announced, "Someone here has been diagnosed as HIV positive. But your faith has healed you." He did not know to whom the message was directed, but he was obedient in delivering it.

Mama Rachel was thrilled, and she shared her joy with Pastor - revealing for the first time that it wasshewho was dealing with the disease. She returned to her doctor and - surprise, surprise (not really) - she tested negative! She continues to test herself regularly, as part of her general check-ups, but both she and her baby daughter - who she named Miracle - are healthy!

Come and see what the Lord has done, He is the God of Miracles!

This blog was written by my teammate Vicki, who has an insightful hold on the stories that God is unfolding for us on this trip. Check out her blog by clicking on my My favorite links to the left of this page.

Halfway There and living Prayer

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Halfway There and Living on a Prayer

Today is the halfway point of the race for the G Squad and I'm still processing what that means.

Halfway is an awkward place to be I don't' know if I should look in the past at all the good memories or look ahead at what time we have left. I think I will try my best to stay in the moment and soak it all in the best I can to the point of saturation.

I went through my pictures and put up random moments I've had with my teammates that make me happy so some might only be understood by those who were present. But it's a great song so go with it and enjoy!

Rafting the Nile or Getting Dumped in the Nile

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

You guys may have heard about this but I'm sure you'd like to see. The guiding company produced a long, chunky video for us, but it's too slow and big to upload, so my teammate Ian had a little fun mixing it down for the benefit of our home audience. Enjoy!

Oh, when you watch and have an "Oh Wow" reaction to one of the dumps that is my team.

Yep, we took home the prize for the best crash and burn on the Nile.

**if you're receiving this in an email, you'll need to click the blog link to see the video**

Africa Part 1 of 3

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Okay so I went to put the pictures of Africa together to share with you all and they ended up being close to a hundred pictures... so that was a no. So I will break them up into countries, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

I'm going to have to be okay with sharing just a slice of the amazing Africa that I experienced. Now that I'm out of Africa I am tempted to see everything through the rosy colored glasses that are so easily put on after you leave a place you love.

I want to remember Africa and all that it holds, just like the desert it's hot and dry during the day but its sunsets can't be beat. That's how I feel about Africa. Its hot and lacking in common everyday resources like water and electricity. You will sit in the dust for hours waiting for a bus and water might not be present for a day. The people are hurting from so many years of war and they are still scared of its threat. Alcoholism and witchcraft are still controlling homes and hurting little children.

I don't' know if I helped in all that but I know I passed out a lot of hugs to little ones and spoke the gospel to those who would listen. Oh, those who would listen, they are so beautiful to me! The ones who have a strong faith and hope and give out of love from what little they have, that is why I think Africa is so beautiful. They are beautiful in their hospitality and beautiful in their joy that goes beyond their circumstances. Their spirit of love and gratefulness flow out in their songs and prayers. They have a work ethic that is made of endurance and perseverance. Their bodies are strong to do their strenuous daily jobs.

I love the people of Africa and I pray blessings and God's protection over them. I hope you can get a glimpse of what the last three months have meant to me by the pictures, since they are worth a thousand words.

Kenya

Africa loves to take a 6 passenger van and fill it with 25 people like it's no problem

This Zebra is just hanging out on the side of the road on our drive through Kenya

We worked with Pastor William and His wife Pam in Kenya. Their church ministers to the outcast of Eldoret. Our first Sunday was a difficult one as all the church members filed in, with glues bottles hanging out of their mouths, high on glues.

This is Danson, my heart would break when I would see him pull the glue out of his pocket. I would look to Pastor William to see how he found joy everyday in this difficult ministry, I don't know how he does it. He says that it is a calling and he is only wanting to walk in obedience to God.

We covered these little ones in a lot of prayer, hugs and love

In Africa there are three things that are very common to Africa

#1 seven hour church services

#2 Preaching door to door... and you do not call ahead

#3 Outdoor Crusades that have a sound system that can be heard for miles (No joke)

This was my favorite day of door to door. We met Simprosa and helped harvest her corn.

She came everyday to our crusades and started coming to church and she brought her whole neighborhood.

It is traditional for Africans not to smile in pictures so that explains the absence of smiles

But I got this one to smile

The church was simply dirt floors and a tin roof and walls

We painted and Katie from team Karis picked out the color scheme

They loved it!

We spent Christmas in Kenya and had an evening service.

We also put our yucky socks out for Santa

Alive Christmas Dinner Cooked Christmas Dinner

Thank you for all the Christmas cards, you all are incredibly supportive!

We road this bus everyday and the locals ride on top

So I became a local

This was our Room we had a very tight fit about 8 people on the floor!

(Which I would like to add is not uncommon for World Racers)

This is the view of the top of the hill where we would go to pray and get alone time

It overlooked the city of Eldoret.

On this hill was a huge stone that Pastor William and his wife would carve their prayers. He took our team there and showed us all his answered prayers.

There is a great need in Kenya and I have seen just as great of faith to combat that need.

Bangalore India

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I have been in Africa for three months now and I am packing up and leaving for India.

There are so many times I felt at home in Africa. Like when 70% of the church service was dancing and singing, or when the kids would fearlessly run out of their huts to jump into my arms, or when after prayer the women of the village would give their village shout which sounded like thisYEYEYEYEYE!

It is hard not to leave a little bit of my heart here in Africa.

I have more Africa blogs that I want to share with you but I haven't been able to post them because of the sketchy internet, but they are on the way.

So on to India! Our assignment is to go to Bangalore India. We will be working with college students leading Bible studies on campus and will also be spending time in the slums of Bangalore.

India's national religion is Hinduism and it is still a very closed country. Bangalore is considered the Bible belt of India, 26% of Bangalore are Christians where outside Bangalore it is only 1% Christian. I feel honored to partner with the Indian church and to see them follow God in a land where it is unpopular and even dangerous to be a faithful Christian.

Thank you for your prayers and I believe the Holy Spirit unites us across oceans and deserts and nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Our last night with our Tanzania family

Just Your Normal Family

Making Peanut Butter in the Bush-Video

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

While we were in Lukodi outside of Gulu, Uganda working with ChildVoice International I had a lot of culinary experiences. A lot of life in the African bush consists of making food so when becoming a part of the lives of these women I was happy to do what they did. The ChildVoice Center has a goal of being fully sustainable and so I was able to see culinary processes from start to finish! They grow a lot of their own food as well as maintain livestock so there is always a job to be done. Making peanut butter was one of the things that the women did so Erin and I took some time to learn the process. Erin and I love to document so we made a little "how-to" video if you want to make your own African Peanut Butter at home.

You will need:

Lots of time
Calloused hands for shelling and husking your raw peanuts.
about 5 kilos of raw peanuts (harvest them from your local field- or do what I did and take the easy way out and make friends with a lady who will give you some for free). This will make about 1.5 kilos of peanut butter.
A pot for roasting your nuts and a fire to place your pot on.
Some children for helping you sort and husk the peanuts. Don't let them eat too many during this process.
A grinding stone that has been aged at least 5 years. (Ask your local Pampered Chef representative if you don't have a rock quarry near by).
A strong back for grinding. Go to the gym and bulk up.
A large flat basket for separating the peanuts from their husks.
Probably some more time

I hope that you've been inspired to make your own preservative-free all natural peanut butter...or that you appreciate what you can drive to the store and pick up for a few bucks and not nearly this much trouble.

More About Banah

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This is another blog that I'm posting from one of my teammates... we made a team pack that it is okay to steal blogs since internet is so sketch.

Now that I have been with my new Team Banah for a couple of weeks,

let me tell you more about each of them:

(this is us on Lake Victoria in Mwanza, Tanzania)

Sharon Price studied anthropology and is fascinated by world cultures. She has been to Kenya before on mission trips, and she loves to teach and play with children. She has been learning a lot about God's faithfulness this year.

Jeff Mitchell works as a physiotherapist. He seems very stoic, but he's actually hilarious! For example, he often introduces himself, straight-faced, by another name.

Angi Francesco is a history buff. She has many jobs, working for the government, for a museum, as a public speaker, and as a seeing-eye-dog trainer. She knows a lot about a lot, so conversations with her can be very enlightening.

Mark Schandel spent six months in England after graduating a year ago, and now he's caught the international travel bug. He is interested in management, architecture, and real estate. He's a cross-country marathon running champion with lots of energy. But he is easy to talk to and has very insightful things to say.

This is Vicki. She's Amazing and so full of love. More than anything I know that she's going to show me and teach me the Love of the Lord. She has been all around the world... not even including this year. For the last five years she has lived and worked in Korea as a French teacher. She's incredible and I'm so excited to spend these next 7 months with her.

Laura Meyers is our team leader. She graduated from Asbury College last May with a degree in Social Work. She is gentle and wise - seeming much older and more mature than her years. She is very approachable, easy to talk to. She is just as comfortable chasing kids around as she is teaching women about their identity in Christ.

Please be praying for my team. We are in Tanzania now and we'll be here for the next few weeks. We are working with a local church and the Spirit of the Lord is here. Please be praying for us as we work together as a new team and as a new community.

Photos!

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Welcome to the Village of Lukodi in Gulu, Uganda. Our team has been living and working here for the last couple of weeks. Our contact here in Gulu connected us with an organization called CHILD VOICE INTERNATIONAL. Here in Lukodi, Child Voice runs a women's center for young women and their children who were affected by the war over the past 20 years. It is an amazing program that helps council, educate and prepare women and children to reenter life in surrounding villages. For more information on Child Voice, check out their web site at www.childvoiceintl.org.

Now for a quick tour:

The welcome sign just off the road that leads up to the schoolhouse:

A view of the schoolhouse where the women and children live, eat, work and go to class:

Our little "Mini Village"

My Hut that Jess and I share:

Our spa-like shower that we all share:

And of course, our toilet... yes, that is a concrete slab over a hole in the ground:

Laura carrying like a true Achole woman:

Making our peanut butter:

Erin getting our water for the day (a little over a 1/4 mile round trip.. then you carry it back to our hut):

It may be a little different from home but I still love it here !

True Religion

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Our morning started out like any other, a group of World Racers and a translator approaching homes and begging entry. We were welcomed into one home by a woman named Pandora. We entered the home, and all sat down, and we quickly learned through our translator Solomon that Pandora was a believer, and she was happy and excited to welcome us into her home. We all chatted for a bit, and then an older man entered the room. Jonathan, Pandora's father, who was perhaps in his late sixties or early seventies, sat quietly for a bit, just listening. Pandora began to tell us a story, but was frustrated by the translation process. Jonathan began to speak in nearly flawless English. I think my jaw was dropped open in surprise for a few moments before I realized he was telling us a story.

"My daughter Pandora got sick two years ago. She went to a hospital nearby for abdominal surgery. They had to bring in a special doctor for the surgery, and it went well. After the surgery, my daughter met another woman in the hospital. This other woman had also had surgery, but hers had not gone well. She died. She had been married. But it was not a legal marriage. She was a concubine and she had a child. There was no one to care for the little girl, so when Pandora recovered, she took the girl home to live with her until they could find her father. But the man was hard to find. He went far away, to another district. We could not find him for many months. We finally found him, and he said he did not want his daughter. She was an orphan. Pandora met with a woman who runs an orphanage that had space for the little girl. But the woman told Pandora that since the girl had already been living with her for a year, the best thing for her would be for Pandora to adopt her. So she did."

Jonathan ended his monologue and the room was silent. We all started speaking at once. How old is the girl now? What is her name? Where is she now? It took a few moments, but we learned that her name is Sarah, and she was just outside playing. Pandora called for her, and she came shyly into the room. She is about six years old, and cute as cute can be. I was closest to the door, and she shook my hand politely. She moved on to Jeff, who immediately captured her, swinging her into his lap. I surreptitiously wiped the tears from my eyes as I wondered what kind of man could abandon his daughter right after her mother had died. I realized quickly that I was focusing on the wrong part of the story. Instead of feeling badly for the child who'd been abandoned by her father, I should be rejoicing and celebrating the new life she had been given. Sarah had been lost in her former family, and she had now been found by a new family and given a new life.It was true Religion.

Sara And Laura

(This story was borrowed from my awesome teammate Angie who was with us on this home visit)

Tanzania and the New Team

Sat, 7 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A new month brings new changes. We were told at our last debrief that we would be changing teams this month and now the changes have happened! So without further introduction this is my new team!

בנה Bnh

Hebrew for Restored or to build, rebuild, establish, or cause to continue

Top: Sharon, Angi, Jeff, Laura(Team Leader)

Bottom: ,Me Mark, Vicki

This is my new team; they are so much fun. We have already experienced laughter, prayer and good times just being together. I am trusting they are up for the adventure ahead!

This picture is not an accurate depiction of what we have looked like the last two months. Normally, we are covered in dirt and bug spray. We were able to get showers and beds in Nairobi while there for debrief for a few days. It was great to be clean!

Along with team changes we have made a route change and are now in Mwanza in Tanzania. Tanzania is so different than the last two African countries we have experienced. Tanzania has been at peace for years and it feels mush more settled than Kenya and Uganda. We are working with a very small local church here and will be doing children's programs and crusades this month. Also there is a huge Islamic population here that the pastor would like to reach. We do a door-to-door ministry and I would like your prayers over that because our translators do not speak much English so therefore it makes communicating difficult.

Love you all and hope to give more info soon.

Cara

Lukodi Massacre Video

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The following video is a short documentary of Lukodi, Uganda. Northern Uganda was at war from 1986- 2006. During the war Kony, the leader of the army, would abduct young children and women and use them as soldiers and to transfer goods to Sudan. This is the story of Lukodi told by James, staff of Child Voice International. Child Voice works with restoring children and families that have been affected by the war. My team has been working with Child Voice and doing ministry within the Lukodi IDP camps this month.

Warning: This video contains sensitive subject matter and may not be suitable for all ages.

You Plus Two Update

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

You Plus Two Update

It was awesome to check my subscribers list and see all the new addresses. Thank you to those who signed up!

I still have not reached my goal of 300 hundred subscribers. I still need 150 more. I know that sounds like a lot but its not that much when I have friends like you.

All you need to do is simply click on the Tell A Friend button and we will work together to reach the goal.

Or just sign up for them by clicking on Update Alerts

Also GREAT news! I have already received three emails from good friends who have applied to go on the Race and they were accepted. This makes me so excited and I pray they will live in faithful obedience to their calling.

I will be near the Internet in Nairobi in two weeks and will give you an update then.