The World Race - Erika Baldwin

5 Months and Counting

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Hi family and friends! It's hard to believe that our time on the World Race is already halfway over! It seems like just yesterday we were hugging all of you goodbye. I can't put into words how encouraging it is to read all of your comments and emails. You have all been such an amazing support system. Thank you for all of your prayers and encouragement! We miss you all so much!

Thanks to all of you, Brad and I have raised over $20,000 to go on the Wold Race. THAT IS AMAZING! God is so faithful to provide when He calls you to something! I mean, if I knew how to raise $20,000 on my own...

In order to stay out on the mission field, Brad and I still have to raise another $6,000. While that seems like nothing compared to the $20,000 God has already provided, it is still a handsome chunk of money. Since we are headed to Africa next, we're not sure how often we will have internet access in order to raise support. So we are calling on all of you, our cherished loved ones, to get the word out for us.

Brad and I have put together a video of some of the things God has allowed us to be a part of since we left in October. We can only pray for the second half of the race to be just as amazing! Please feel free to share our video with as many people as possible. Even if someone is not able to give financially, this video shows just a glimpse of how God is moving all over the world! He is so good!

We love you all!!

Life in the Village

Wed, 3 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We were invited to spend a weekend with the Lahu Hilltribe in Northern Thailand. It was a little rough, but we ended up having a great time! Check out the video!

Top 20 Comforts of Home

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Counting Down the Top 20 Things I will not take for granted when I get home:

20. Not sweating before 10am

19. Being able to FLUSH my toilet paper in the actual TOILET

18. Being able to brush my teeth, wash my face, and even DRINK water straight out of the faucet! Woo hoo!

17. Waiting in line (I know that sounds funny...but you have no idea how much more I appreciate lines now, where people wait their turn in an orderly fashion)

16. Laws that require dogs to be on leashes

15. Towels (bath towels, dishtowels, hand towels...I would just like to dry off please!)

14. Air conditioning

13. Driving a car

12. Showering without shoes on

11. Bubble baths

10. Washing machines and DRYERS

9. Fruits and vegetables

8. Ice

7. Going for long runs by myself

6. Having some sort of income : )

5. Sleeping in the same bed as my husband

4. PERSONAL SPACE!

3. My church

2. My friends

1. My family

40 Days and 40 Nights

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.

Luke 4:1-2

The number 40 is a special number in the Bible. It signifies preparation for something special:

The rain lasted for 40 days in the great flood (Genesis chapter 7)

Moses stayed on the Mount Sinai 40 days (Exodus 24:18)

Jonah gave the people of Nineveh 40 days to repent (Jonah 3:4)

And, before starting His ministry, Jesus spent 40 days in the desert fasting and praying (Matthew 4:2)

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Traditionally, Christians have seen the 40 days of Lent as an opportunity to parallel Jesus' 40 days in the desert. Jesus used this time to prepare for His ministry, and ultimately His death on a cross, by fasting and praying. As a tangible way of experiencing Jesus' 40 days in the desert, many Christians choose to fast during Lent, as a way of preparing to rejoice at the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter.

In the Western church, we skip over Sundays when we calculate the length of Lent because Sundays commemorate the Resurrection, and are therefore a time of celebration. But this is entirely up to you! Remember, this isn't a time of suffering for the sake of suffering. This is a time of sacrificing our own wants and desires to show God how desperate we are for more of Him in our lives. This is a time of declaring our faith that God will sustain us.

Lent is a time of reflection, discipline, and surrender.

Our team will be fasting over the next 40 days. Fasting is going without food (either all food, certain types of food, or certain meals) for a defined period of time with the purpose of experiencing more of God's grace. It doesn't matter what you give up, but that you choose to sacrifice something you enjoy for a period of time as a testament to the scripture:

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

Luke 4:4

We would like to invite you all to join us in our fast. This is a time of pressing in deeper to God, of spending more time with Him, of getting to know ourselves better, and of coming to a place of complete and total surrender. We are hungry for God and we want more of Him.

My church back home has presented an additional challenge to its body, and I think it is a great idea. In addition to giving up some sort of food, I would also like to encourage you all to give up any type of speech that doesn't honor others, such as gossip, swearing, complaining, tearing others down, sarcasm, etc. For some of us (myself included!), it will be easier to give up food than to get control of our tongue, but this is so important:

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 18:21.

But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. James 3:8-10

My prayer is that this will be an amazing time of reflection, surrender, desperation, and revelation for you all! And on Easter Sunday, we will all join together and celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

A Nation Rebuilding Itself...

Tue, 2 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Nirout Chun is 10 years old. He lives with his parents, his 12-year-old brother, and his 6-year-old sister. The family lives in a one-room concrete house in a village in the slums. The village is built above a sewage marsh. There is nowhere to go to the bathroom, but off the side of the house. The smell is inescapable, as is the heat. This is the only home Nirout has ever known.

Nevertheless, Nirout is very energetic and full of smiles. He loves to play football with the other kids in his village. They also like to play "the crocodile egg game," where he and his friends have a pretend crocodile egg and someone has to guard the egg. The object of the game is to try to get the crocodile egg from whoever is defending it. Nirout says he is very good at this game.

Children in Cambodia only attend school for a half day in the mornings or the afternoons in order to allow space for all students. Nirout attends the Destiny Rescue Learning Center in the mornings from 7:30-11am. The children sing songs and practice their Khmer alphabet. At 11am, Destiny Rescue serves Nirout and the other children lunch. Then Nirout goes to public school from 1-5pm. He is in grade 4 and studies Khmer, math, social studies, and science.

Nirout is the only one in his family who is not HIV positive. Both of his parents, his older brother, and his younger sister are all infected. His sister Minroza is often sick and has to stay home from school. When Nirout grows up, he says he wants to be a doctor so he can save lives.

The prevalence of HIV and AIDS in Cambodia is among the highest in Asia. It is estimated that 1.6 percent of Cambodian adults aged 15-49 are living with HIV or AIDS.

The first case of HIV infection in Cambodia was reported in 1991 and was followed by a rapid rise in transmission. Cambodia's national HIV prevalence rate is now the second highest in Asia.

But fortunately, Cambodia is considered one of the few success stories in the global fight against AIDS. Even though Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in the world, extraordinary efforts to prevent and control HIV have helped reduce the spread of HIV. Cambodia's efforts provide evidence that well-focused and sustained prevention efforts can help reverse an HIV epidemic. Cambodia should also be praised for its progressive AIDS laws protecting people living with HIV from discrimination.

HIV is finally on the decline in Cambodia. And thanks to organizations like Destiny Rescue, treatment is available to even the poorest of the poor. Destiny Rescue has helped to make sure that Nirout's family continues to receive proper treatment. Our God is a big God and our hope is that Nirout will see all of his family members healed. Please pray for this family and for Cambodia.

We will never forget!

Mon, 1 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

80 percent of the people in Cambodia are under age 30. . .

On April 17, 1975, the Cambodian capital city of Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer Rouge, beginning a horrific period in Cambodian history known as "the Killing Fields." During this time, close to two million people were brutally tortured and slaughtered. We went to visit the Killing Fields today. We saw where innocent people were tortured and then thrown in pits. These mass graves were later dug up, and the bones of the victims have been put on display as a memorial.

How did this happen? How did I not know about this?

Shortly after their victory, the Khmer Rouge forced the evacuation of 2 million people from the city to the countryside, on foot. The wounded were forced out of hospitals; some of them were even wheeled out on hospital beds.

What happened next was a shock to nearly everyone. The Cambodian people remaining in the country were about to suffer one of the most horrific genocides in history.

That's because little was known of the leader of the Khmer Rouge, a Paris-educated communist known as "Pol Pot." Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge attempted to completely transform Cambodia overnight. That meant shutting off all contact to the outside world, eliminating loyalty to friends and family, emptying cities, and eliminating the Buddhist religion. Rather than "re-educate" the population, the Khmer Rouge thought it would be "easier" to execute anyone with any previous form of education whatsoever.

Those arrested were often "encouraged" to confess to things they didn't do, being told the Khmer Rouge would forgive them and "wipe the slate clean". Once a confession was given, the prisoners were taken away to a place to be executed.

In order to save ammunition, the executions were often carried out using hammers, axe handles, spades or sharpened bamboo sticks. The executed were buried in mass graves. Some victims were required to dig their own graves so the soldiers beating them could keep up their strength.

Cambodia is still very much wounded from the war. Phnom Penh bears scars of battle, the countryside is littered with land mines, and the Khmer Rouge slaughter of a generation of educated people has left the nation in poverty.

Most of the leaders of the Khmer Rouge, including Pol Pot, died before they were ever charged with war crimes. On September 19, 2007 Nuon Chea, second in command of the Khmer Rouge and its most senior surviving member, was charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. He will face Cambodian and foreign judges at the special genocide tribunal.

Meanwhile, Cambodia is a country in the process of rebuilding itself. These people need our prayers more than anything else. Prayers for hearts to be restored, for a country to be restored, and for the lives of those lost to never be forgotten.

A Story Worth Telling

Mon, 1 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Meet Srey Lak Keoun. She is 5 years old. She lives in a one-room shack in a village in the slums. The village is built over a sewage marsh. Altogether, Srey Lak has four brothers and two sisters. Her father used to drink a lot and he and Srey Lak's mother were always fighting. Three of Srey Lak's older siblings left home to get away from the fighting. But Srey Lak's father recently went to prison for rape, and one of her older brothers has returned home to help support their mother. The family earns money by sorting through sewage and collecting recycling.

Srey Lak is just one of the many children Destiny Rescue sponsors. Destiny Rescue is the ministry we have the privilege to be working with this month. In the slums of Phnom Penh, Destiny Rescue supports underprivileged and "at risk" children through child sponsorship. The children are provided food, transportation to school, education, school supplies, health care, clothing, and other essentials. Families receive hygiene education, training, and support to become self sufficient. Struggling families can receive loans from Destiny Rescue, allowing them to start up small businesses.

Destiny Rescue has also set up a homework club, providing students with extra help with their studies. Many children in Cambodia start school late and struggle to keep up with their learning. The homework club enables the children to receive assistance after school hours.

A Day Care Center has also been set up in the slums of Phnom Penh, to provide parents with a safe place to leave their younger children while they go to work. Parents are often forced to leave their small children alone in the slums, in order to go to work to provide for their families. As a result, Cambodia has the highest infant and under-five mortality rate in South East Asia, and 45 percent of Cambodian children show symptoms of stunting, due to malnutrition. At the Destiny Rescue Day Care Center, the children take baths (for some of them, it is the only bath they ever receive), sing songs, play games, and learn the Khmer alphabet and numbers.

Srey Lak, along with most of her siblings, recently came down with a case of scabies. Destiny Rescue took the children to the hospital, and the cream they were given seems to be working. Srey Lak is painfully shy and quiet. When she first came to Destiny Rescue, she would sit by herself and she wouldn't listen to the teacher. But now she seems to enjoy day care. She is still shy but she listens to the teacher. She likes when they sing songs, and she enjoys playing with puzzles and with toy cars. Her favorite animal is a monkey. Her favorite color is purple. She loves to eat pork soup.

Srey Lak has captured my heart this month. We have spent weeks getting to know the families that live in the slums here in Phnom Penh, and my heart is forever changed. I am definitely not ready to leave.

Bringing Hope to the Red Light District

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

This is a video we made while working last month in the red light district. Jessica did an amazing job putting this thing together so feel free to visit her blog page and tell her how great she is!

I will miss you Jimmy!

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

It's been six days since we left Ometepe. I'm not going to lie. This was definitely not the easiest month for me, and there were definitely times when I prayed for the day we would be able to leave. So it's funny that I'm now on a plane headed to Thailand, and I find myself thinking about the children we left behind. Those little stinkers stole a piece of my heart when I wasn't looking!

There was one boy in particular that captured both Brad's heart and mine this past month. His name is Jimmy. He's the most annoying 12-year-old child you have ever met. He has the attention span of a fruit fly, he needs constant attention, and he is always in trouble. He's like an A.D.D. child on speed! While we were staying at the orphanage, he would run up to us and slap us in the back of the heads for no reason at all. Or kick dirt on one of us. Or grab our shoes and throw them into the lake. He had just failed elementary school for the third year in a row, just because of his behavior. He's the kind of kid you want to slip a sedative to and then lock him in a room for a few hours.

And there was something about that boy that I fell madly in love with. Because I know that boy. I married that boy! Jimmy is just like Brad was at his age. He craves endless love and attention, but doesn't want to ask for it. So he acts out, because negative attention is still attention. He misbehaves at school and at home because he is bored. He's too dang smart for his own good. He has more energy than he knows what to do with, so he finds less than constructive channels for that energy when he isn't given an outlet.

But that boy has a heart of gold! And Brad and I were lucky enough to get to see glimpses of that heart when he would let his guard down...even if only for a moment.

I think the reason Jimmy opened up to Brad and I was because we responded differently to his behavior. When Jimmy acts out, he is usually either ignored, or reprimanded. Brad and I chose two very different approaches. Every time Jimmy would assault Brad physically, Brad would turn around and knock him on his butt. Now I know what you're probably thinking. What kind of person would beat up on an orphan? But for some reason, Jimmy was intrigued by this. So every single day, sometimes two or three times a day, those two would go at it. They weren't especially rough with each other (or so Brad assures me), but it seemed that the wrestling gave Jimmy the outlet he needed physically, and the attention he needed emotionally.

My approach was also different. Every time Jimmy would come up and pinch me or steal something of mine, I would hug him and tell him I loved him. Now at first, he pretended to be completely repulsed by this. But after time, he started running up to me to give me a quick hug and the tiniest hint of a smile before running off to torment someone else.

So Brad and I fell head over heels in love with this boy. We understood him. We could relate to him. We knew why he was acting out. We knew how smart he really was. We saw the potential inside of him. We saw the size of his heart, hidden beneath all of his walls. We would pray for him and see huge things in his future. This kid has the power inside of him to shake nations, to stir things up, to lead others and to speak truth! His future is anointed beyond belief! The more we prayed for him, the more we knew it to be true! There are no limits to what this kid will be able to do for God's Kingdom! He just needs guidance, and discipline, and prayer, AND LOVE!

So our last day at the orphanage, this man and wife came to put on a clown show for the kids. After the show, the man began preaching to the kids. At the end of his message, he asked if there was anyone who didn't feel God's love for them. He invited anyone who didn't feel like God loved them to come up for prayer. I remember praying, "Please God, not Jimmy! He's always in trouble. Just please, please let him know that God loves him!" But before I had even finished my prayer, Jimmy was coming forward with tears in his eyes. I immediately started weeping. A few more children came forward, along with some of the "tias" who help out at the orphanage. Then the man turned to the world racers and said we could come up and pray for someone if we felt led. Brad and I ran to Jimmy and threw our arms around him.

We began praying ferociously! That God would reveal Himself to Jimmy in a way he had never known. That His love would flood over Jimmy so abundantly that he would shout from the rooftops how loved he was. That he would come to know the Lord in such an intimate and personal way, that he would allow God to move through him and mold him into the man he was created to be. A man of power! A man of wisdom! A man of royalty! A man of destiny!

By the time we were done praying, all three of us were holding each other and weeping. I will never forget that day, nor the love I was overcome with for that boy. For a brief moment, the three of us were a family. It's hard to put it into words or to explain it any better than that. We were a family.

So now we're on our way to Thailand, to fight human trafficking. My heart is 100 percent dedicated to what this month has in store for us, and I am beyond excited. But Brad and I will keep the people at Cicrin in our hearts and in our prayers. We have exchanged email addresses with some of the contacts there, and we plan on writing Jimmy letters and keeping up with him. We'll continue to pray for him, as he has touched both of our hearts forever.

Visited in a dream

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

It's three o'clock in the morning and I'm awake. I had a dream about my mom. I've been thinking about her a lot lately. Helen, the woman who runs the orphanage here in Ometepe, Nicaragua, left yesterday to go home to Costa Rica because her mother had passed away. I found out that she had died from cancer, which is what my mom died of a little over a year ago. I had also recently found out that one of our World Race staff members has also been dealing with a mother who is battling cancer. It seems to be all around me. So I've been thinking about my mom a lot.

In my dream, I was having a dream about my mom. We were arguing in my dream. It seems like my mom and I were always arguing. Even about the silliest things. On the night before my wedding day, my mom was upset because all of my friends had said how much I looked like my mom's youngest sister. Somehow, my mom interpreted this to mean that she looked like some kind of troll, and she was pretty upset about it. I attempted to console her, but reminded her that it was the night before my wedding day and not really about her at the moment. That didn't go over well.

My mom had a really difficult time saying, "I'm sorry." It seemed like an impossible task to even attempt to get her to apologize whenever she hurt my feelings, but I would always try none the less. And it would be the most frustrating thing in the world. Somehow, she would always turn it around so that she was the one who had been wronged and I was the one who should apologize. I would always walk away from these arguments hurting even more than if I had just left it alone.

It has taken me a long time to realize why my mom was like this. And I'm definitely still learning. My mom had an impossibly difficult childhood, which carried over into the rest of her life. She was raised by a neglectful mother and an alcoholic father. Both were emotionally absent. Both were verbally and physically abusive. My mother had six other siblings. She was the second oldest so she and her older sister raised most of their siblings since her parents weren't all that interested in taking care of their children.

Needless to say, my mom put up walls. In order to protect herself and all of the open wounds her parents had inflicted upon her, she guarded herself to such an extent that no one could penetrate those walls. She became an emotionally closed book. She was not going to allow anyone into a place where they could ever hurt her again. She distanced herself from the people around her. She taught me to do the same. She thought she was protecting me. She told me things like, "Never let anyone see you cry. Never let someone know they've hurt you." In my whole life, I think I saw my mom cry a handful of times. And most of those times were by accident. I remember once when I was younger, around five or six years old. I went looking for my mom and I found her, sitting on the floor of her closet weeping. I've never been able to get that image out of my head.

So, in my dream, I was having a dream about arguing with my mom. I was trying to tell her how she had done something that hurt my feelings, but I was getting nowhere. I couldn't get her to understand. I couldn't get her to apologize. When I woke up (but this part was still a dream too), I told Brad about it. I told him how frustrating it was that my mom could never apologize. That she was always the victim. That she had always been wronged in some way.

Brad said he needed to tell me something, and that I needed to hear him out. I knew what he was going to say. That I was just like her. He's told me that before. A lot of people have told me that before. And I see it too! I'm horrible at admitting when I am wrong, especially to the people I love the most. I get so stuck on how I'm feeling, that I don't take the time to stand back and see how I might be affecting someone else. I'm naturally defensive, just like she was. I feel like I had a difficult childhood, and so I have an excuse for acting the way I do sometimes. And that's exactly what my mom used to do that would make me absolutely insane.

So I hate when people tell me I'm just like my mom. Because I don't want to be like her. I don't want to be the kind of person who can't say, "I'm sorry." I don't want to be someone who can't get past my own hurt to see how I've hurt someone else. I don't want to be the kind of person who always has to let people know that I was wronged. I want to be forgiving. I want to be humble. I want to be full of grace and compassion. I want to take responsibility for my wrongdoings so that I may be made whole in Christ. Jesus asks, "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye (Matt 7:3)?

But that's not what Brad had to tell me at all. What he had to say was something he had never said before. He said that I should be careful. He said that if I wasn't careful, I was going to lose my mom.

Hello? I already lost my mom! I was there! I stood by helplessly as the cancer deteriorated her body, and my heart still breaks when some of those memories come back to me. What was he talking about? How was I going to lose her again?

And he said, "If you're not careful, you're going to lose the memory of her."

And that hit me like a ton of bricks!

I knew what he was saying. Even though I was dreaming, it still made sense when I woke up. He meant that if I keep focusing on all of the arguments I had with my mom over the years, and how frustrating it was that my mom could never apologize, I am going to lose the memories of all the wonderful times I had with her.

I have to let my mom off the hook. I have to forgive her for not being good at apologizing.

I'm pretty sure Brad played the role of God in my dream (he's going to love that!). God has this amazing way of always speaking to us, and wanting to teach us. And when we don't learn, He tries new ways of teaching us until we finally get it. In my case, God visited me in a dream, and spoke to me through someone I love and respect. He knew that He could get through to me that way. And He did!

So now begins the hard part. Letting go. It's easy to say you forgive someone. It's easy to say, "God, I'm letting that person off the hook." But our heart doesn't always go along with what we're saying. So how do we really forgive someone and let that person off the hook, if our heart is stuck?

Forgiveness is a choice. It doesn't come naturally to us at all. Otherwise, Jesus wouldn't have had to remind us again and again just how important it is. What we seem to forget is that forgiveness is just as much for us as for the person who we are forgiving. When we allow unforgiveness to fester in our hearts, it eventually leads to bitterness and disdain. That bitterness is poison, and it eats away at our hearts and infects others around us. Paul wrote, "Do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts...Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness" (Romans 6:12-16). Which one of these things do we want to be? Who do we want to present ourselves servants to? Doesn't it take so much more energy to stay angry with someone than to forgive them? And doesn't it bring us so much more relief and freedom when we finally make the choice to forgive someone?

Jesus says, "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you (Eph 4:31-32). If Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Creator of the Universe, can forgive me everything I had done to fall short of the glory of God time and time again, surely I can find it in my heart to forgive others! Surely I do not think that I have suffered more than Jesus, who was betrayed by the very people He came to save!

And when we make the choice to forgive someone, we are letting them off the hook. We are setting them free. Jesus said whoever we forgive, He also forgives. "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" (John 20:23). I don't want to stand in the way of someone being forgiven their sins. I don't want to hold onto my anger.

I know it will be difficult. And I know it will take time. But I want to make the choice to forgive my mom. And if I continue to say that, if I continue to hold myself to that, my heart will eventually follow. And then I will never lose her. She will live on forever in my memories. Memories of all the good times we had together. Memories of the amazing mother she really was.

So I was wondering if you guys back home could do me a favor? If you knew my mom, please post a favorite memory of her. Especially if it's a memory of her with her kids. I want to spend some time remembering all of the wonderful things about her, and I would love to hear some of the memories you guys have of her. Thanks! Love you all!

Moment of Weakness!

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

So I had my first breakdown. Yes, I cried. And it wasn't because I was homesick (but I do miss you all tons!), and it wasn't because I was hungry, and it wasn't some super holy reason like because my heart was broken for God's people...

What brought me to tears after six full weeks out of the United States? BUGS! Yes, bugs!

After four days of traveling, we arrived on the island of Ometepe, Nicaragua on Tuesday, November 10. The orphanage where we are staying is incredible! We are on a beautiful lake with breathtaking sunsets and wild horses, and children with hearts the size of mountains!

But the room we are staying in...

There are rat droppings all along the walls and on the floor and window sills. There is a fire-ant hill in the bathroom that runs from floor to ceiling. There are lizards that crawl all over the walls and ceiling, especially during the night. Poor Nicole can hear the mice crawling around in her room at night, and I think she said she put in her I-pod just to drown them out. And I am COVERED, head to toe, in bug bites!

Nicole, Matt Rock and I spent our first two days here weeding in one of the gardens. As therapeutic as two straight days (16 hours!) of nothing but weeding turns out to be, I was constantly swatting gnats away from my face, slapping mosquitoes from my arms, and trying to avoid ant hills, spiders, worms and scorpions with my fingers.

After three restless nights of nonstop itching and listening to all of the "creepy crawlers" in the dark, I completely lost it. "I CAN'T LIVE LIKE THIS," I cried to Brad, "REMIND ME WHY I EVER SIGNED UP FOR THIS!"

Now just to be clear, when I signed up for the world race, I was completely aware that living conditions would be "less than desirable," and that the possibility of insects and other small creatures was more than probable. But I am a city girl, born and raised. I don't do bugs. And now that I am smack dab in the middle of the country where these creatures are alive and well (and clearly not at all discouraged by my bug spray), I'm having a harder time dealing with it than I predicted.

But one of the greatest joys of being married, something that never ceases to amaze me no matter how many times I experience it, is that when one person is weak...the other is strong. It happens every time! God has given us this amazing gift of a perfect partner who will step up to the plate for you when you just don't have the strength. And it works both ways!

So of course Brad came to my rescue. He reminded me of a scripture we all know well: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." Eph 2:8

God's grace is a gift, not a reward. There is absolutely nothing I have ever done, and nothing I could ever do to deserve to live in the United States instead of in a 3^rd world country. I am not better than the people here. I don't deserve more than they deserve. If anything, they deserve what I have and where I live much more than I do because their hearts are full of joy and thanksgiving. My teammate Jessica was saying tonight how amazed she is that, though this is an orphanage, in an impoverished and currently communist country, there is not a spirit of oppression or rejection at this orphanage. No one acts as though they were dealt a bad hand of cards. The people are genuinely happy, and loving, and full of life! I could learn a lot from them.

So I started thinking...and praying...

God's word says, "but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope." Romans 5:3-4

Perseverance! Character! HOPE! Isn't that the whole point of being here? Isn't that why I signed up for the race in the first place? I mean, of course I signed up because I believe God called me to the world race. And I signed up because I wanted to make a difference in the world. And I wanted to experience poverty at its worse so I would be ever so grateful for what I have been given.

But I also signed up because I know with all my heart that the Lord is going to do amazing things through me and IN me this year. I am surrendering 11 months of my life to being sifted, challenged, stretched, and made stronger. We have been told time and time again by Michael Hindes, "God is not interested in your comfort; He is interested in your character."

So then I stumbled upon a passage in 2 Corinthians when Paul is speaking to the church about equality and giving:

"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. And in this I give advice: it is to your advantage not only to be doing what you began and were desiring to do a year ago; but now you also must complete the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to desire it, so there also may be a completion out of what you have. For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have. For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack - that there may be equality." 2 Cor 8:9-14

God didn't just command us to have grace for others; He led by example. The Lord Jesus Christ, the King of the universe, became poor. His family was poor. He Himself never owned so much as a piece of property from the time He was born in a manger to His death on the cross. He died a poor man and was buried in a borrowed grave.

God wants to teach me about grace. And my growth in this grace began over a year ago when I first felt called to the world race. The desire God put in my heart to go on this mission trip was put there purposefully, and it is important that I see it through.

And this passage is also important because Paul says that God doesn't want us to be burdened. The point of this trip isn't for me to suffer. God wants equality. I have been given in abundance, and these people are in need. God wants us to have grace and compassion for others, and to give out of our abundance with a cheerful heart, because circumstances can always change. One day I may be in need of some of someone else's abundance.

God wants us to humble ourselves and live like the people here do in order to serve them. I can't serve them from a hotel on the other side of the island as well as I can here, living beside them. Being called to ministry doesn't mean acting superior to others. It means acting as a SERVANT. When we try to wrap our minds around how much Jesus Christ has served us, despite our selfishness, our rebellion, and our sin, we begin to realize that NOTHING we come across can even compare! We become determined to serve others for His sake. Once we have encountered the love of God, and started to align our hearts with His, we begin to identify with His interest in other people. And Jesus is interested in EVERY kind of person there is! We have no right as Christians to pick and choose who we want to serve and how. This is one of the biggest tests of our relationship with Him. Sacrifice is laying down my life for other people.

While we can't do anything to earn salvation, we still have to "exercise ourselves" in order for God to manifest in us. I recently read something Oswald Chambers wrote: "If we stay the same person from the time we are saved, it is a lie to say we have been saved and sanctified." God allows us to experience difficulties so that we may overcome them. Rise to the occasion, even if it hurts. It gives God the chance to manifest Himself in your flesh. In our weaknesses, He is made strong. We are here to submit to God's will so that He may work through us what He wants. Once we realize this, He will equip us with what we need in order to overcome the obstacles set before us.

There are going to be times when God tells us to do something that goes against everything in our flesh (like me, living out here in the land of "creepy crawlers"). But Jesus wants us...no, Jesus DEMANDS that we trust Him almost to a point of recklessness. The Christian life can sometimes be difficult, but it challenges us to overcome. Difficult situations only reveal the stuff we are made of. They reveal character. They challenge us to be ready for the next time a difficult situation comes along. God never forces our obedience. He does not make me do what He wants. But what He wants is always what's best for me! And when I obey what He asks me to do, I am always a better person because of it.

Thank you for obstacles, Lord. Thank you for difficult situations. Thank you that you pursue me relentlessly because you want the very best for me. Thank you that you challenge me, so that I might continue to develop into the person You have created me to be. Thank you that when I complain, or become discouraged, You don't give up on me.

"O Lord, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, for You have done wonderful things." Isaiah 25:1

Rebuilding the Walls of Jerusalem

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

So we have this ant hill in our bathroom. It runs all the way up the wall, from floor to ceiling. They weren't here when we first arrived. It started as a line of ants marching one after another up the wall. We thought about changing rooms, but it seems no room here is void of "houseguests."

Anyway, it started as a line of ants. But slowly, they started making a tunnel over themselves up the wall. After only a day, half the line of ants was still exposed, while the lower half was now safe inside this tunnel made of dirt. By the next morning, we couldn't even see the ants anymore. There was just this dirt tunnel from floor to ceiling.

The tunnel is directly behind the bathroom door, so we have been very careful to try not to disturb the ant tunnel when we go in and out of the bathroom (ignorance is bliss - so even though I know they are still there, if I can't see them I can pretend they aren't). But there have been a few instances where we bumped the tunnel by accident and the line of ants would be exposed. They would frantically get back to work, and the tunnel would be repaired in no time at all.

This fascinates me.

The teamwork among these ants is unlike anything I have ever seen. I'm not sure how they communicate with one another, but somehow they all fall in line and know what to do. If an obstacle comes along unexpectedly and destroys what they have worked so hard to build, they don't panic or give up. They don't miss a beat. They simply get back to work right away until the job is repaired.

This makes me think, how would I react? If I had spent days working nonstop to build something that I could be proud of; if I had poured out blood, sweat, and tears working alongside others until the job was finally complete, how would I react if something suddenly came along and destroyed it? Would I get back to work right away and carry on? Probably not. I would be devastated. I might walk away frustrated, or complain about all the time that had been wasted. Or I might try to cast blame on whoever may have been responsible for the destruction. I would, hopefully, eventually get back to work, but I probably wouldn't do it with a joyful heart.

Jesus tells us to "do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world" Phil 2:14-15.

I have this theory. You know when you see a sign that states something obvious? Like at the zoo, where there will be a sign outside the lion's exhibit that says, "DON'T TAUNT THE LIONS!" It seems like common sense, right? But my dad always says, "common sense isn't so common." They wouldn't put that sign up unless someone, somewhere, at sometime, had done it.

Before leaving on the world race, I worked as a waitress. Every time I brought a hot plate out to a table, I would tell them it was a hot plate before setting it down in front of them. I shouldn't have to tell them. It seems obvious that the plate is hot. There is steam coming off the plate, and the juices are still bubbling, and I am wearing an oven mitt. But I do have to tell them, because someone always grabs the plate with their bare hands. They do this even after I tell them the plate is hot. There is always someone who has to see just how hot this plate is. And then comes the all too familiar scream, "AH, THAT'S HOT!"

So I have this same theory about the bible. I believe that most of the things in the bible God commands us to do, everything that Jesus says we should strive to be like, or refrain from, is because it is human nature to do just the opposite. For example, when the bible says to do all things without complaining, it is because complaining is human nature. God speaks to us A LOT. He is always speaking. I believe with all my heart that God has done a lot more talking than just what is written in the bible. What IS in the bible are the things He decided were most important. And it's no coincidence that many of the things He asks us to do go against what our flesh usually wants to do. He has said these things for a reason.

God says, "Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" (James 1:19). He says, "Children, obey your parents in all things" (Col 3:20). He says, "Do not worry about tomorrow" (Matt 6:34). He says, "Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you" (Matt 5:44). He says, "Whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also" (Matt 5:39). He says, "Judge not, that you will not be judged" (Matt 7:1). He says, "Count it all joy when you fall into various trials" (James 1:2). He says, "Do not forget to entertain strangers" (Hebrews 13:2). He says, "Younger people, submit yourselves to your elders" (1 Peter 5:5). He says, "Humble yourselves" (1 Peter 5:6). He says not to be jealous, not to gossip, not to be lazy, not to be self-righteous, not to love money, not to be prideful, to be patient, to be joyful, to be giving...

You get the point. Each of these things do not come naturally to us. That is why God has put them in writing for us, to remind us. Without the sign at the zoo, someone is going to taunt the lions. Without these reminders from God, we are going to do what comes naturally to us.

So back to the ants. The ants made me think of the story of Jerusalem being rebuilt. Nehemiah was a man of prayer. And like a true man of God, he prayed in faith, even in times of trouble, and God answered his prayers. His request to God had been that He would put in the king's heart to permit him to return to Jerusalem to help rebuild the walls around the city which had been broken down and burned. God answered Nehemiah's prayer. Even though the temple had already been restored, and the walls were gradually being rebuilt, the work had been neglected until Nehemiah arrived to complete it. Men and women from all different cities came to help Nehemiah rebuild what had been destroyed over a period of many years and help make the city secure again. They worked day and night, sunup to sundown, without pay, and without stopping to rest long. Their enemies ridiculed them, and the threat of war came against them. But through prayer, preparation and hard work, they were able to overcome all. The people were not distracted from their work by differences, selfishness, exhaustion or any other diversion that would usually be common with such long and tedious work. They were relentless. They were committed to what they had set out to do, and God was behind them every step of the way. They were like the ants. "So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work" Neh 4:6.

The book of Nehemiah teaches us how important it is to work together towards a common goal. The people, like the ants, were relentless in their determination to rebuild what had been destroyed. They did not allow themselves to become discouraged. They did not allow themselves to be distracted. They did not allow obstacles to stand in their way. And the result was a restored Jerusalem! There is no limit to what we can do in Christ. He strengthens us, He equips us, He sustains us, He nourishes us, He guides us, and He protects us. If we strive to do the things He encourages us to do, and if we refrain from doing the things our flesh wants to do in times of trouble; if we pick up our cross daily and lay down our own lives, then we are sure to be victorious...like the ants.

See you soon!

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

So our time here in Antigua, Guatemala has come to an end. How do we begin to say goodbye to all of the wonderful people who have touched our lives here?

I guess it would be easier to start with the things I won't miss. I won't miss the fireworks that go off at all hours of the night. I won't miss praying the blood of Jesus over every bite of food I put in my mouth in hopes I won't get sick. I won't miss feeling completely helpless every time I pass a stray, starving dog on the street. I won't miss the fact that "personal space" is a foreign concept here. And I won't miss going running on the cobblestone streets, trying not to break an ankle.

But I will miss the people. I will miss Forrest and Carol Kendall dearly. Their hearts are the size of mountains and I am forever touched by their generosity and selflessness. They have opened their home up to us in every way imaginable. Brad and I were even invited to stay here our last night in Antigua to watch over their dog as they both headed out of town. I will take with me the memories of coming over every morning before work and there would be Carol, with fresh coffee made and something delicious baking in the oven for us. She has such a servant's heart. When I think of Carol, I think of when Jesus says, "For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward"( Mark 9:41). Carol's reward in heaven is bigger than she could possibly imagine because of the many people she has taken care of. Each village we went to, each person we passed on the street...her hands are always outstretched with something to offer.

And then there's Forrest. The Lord's joy radiates off of Forrest like nothing I have ever seen before. God's word says, "Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance. In your name they rejoice all day long, and in Your righteousness they are exalted" (Psalm 89:15-16). It is impossible to be around Forrest and not be immediately overcome with joy. This man knows and experiences daily the joy of the Lord and I know His reward in heaven will be just as great.

I will miss the people Forrest and Carol introduced us to. I will miss the Mayan people and their hearts of thanksgiving. These people have nothing, sometimes not even enough food and water to get through the day - but they are willing to give what little they have away at the drop of a hat. Each water filter we installed, we met children who wanted to give us their toys, and their mothers who offered what little they had to eat. They sang us songs and played games with us. While they may have little here on earth, they are joyful and thankful and loving and kind. I have learned so much from these people. We came here to bless them with clean water and love, and they have blessed us so much more!

And Levi and Jackie Davis. What amazingly wonderful people! How do we say goodbye to them? Levi puts his heart and soul into the work he believes God has called him to. Who knew we could have so much fun digging trenches through some of the roughest ground I have ever seen? Levi reminds me of Hezekiah when the bible says, "And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So He prospered" (2 Chronicles 31:21). I know Levi will prosper and so will his vision of building houses for missionaries. And I thank God for his beautiful wife Jackie and what an encouragement she has been to us since we've been here. I can still taste her delicious freshly baked cookies.

The malnourished children at Casa Jackson will be especially sad for me to walk away from. I have prayed that they will continue to grow stronger each day, and that people will come into their lives who will teach them the love of God in the most intimate way imaginable. I pray that the hospital will be blessed abundantly with all the supplies they need to nurse these children back to health. I won't forget those smiling faces on each of those babies...so full of love!

So this ends our time here in Guatemala...for now. But we will keep each of the people here in our hearts and in our prayers. We have learned so much from each person we have encountered, and we look forward to staying in touch with many of you! I love you all!

Until we meet again...

We'll miss you Christine

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Today my thoughts are jumbled.

We said goodbye to our team leader this morning. She has been struggling within herself since we arrived in Guatemala four weeks ago, and finally decided that God was calling her to leave the world race. My emotions are mixed.

I support her with my whole heart for being obedient to God and making a very difficult decision. She will have to go home and explain to her supporters why she is back, and I don't envy her for how difficult that will probably be. I'm proud of her for choosing to take care of herself, and for being willing to swallow her pride and hold her head high.

But this is the second person to leave our team, and we are now just five strong. I feel needy and clingy and I don't want to lose anyone else. I am going to miss Christine so much! She has been an amazing leader and friend. In such a short amount of time, she has taught me so much about character. She always puts others before her. She is always observing the rest of us, and she knows how to meet each of our needs. She is slow to speak, slow to anger. She is the first to offer words of encouragement and affirmation. She is the perfect listener. She is one of the most humble, gracious, kind, loving, responsible, and respectable people I have ever know, and I was amazed daily by the person she is. I know God will continue to grow her, and she will continue to bless everyone she comes into contact with. Her heart is so big.

So today I am sad. But I know I will rejoice soon. God says, "you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you" (John 16:22).

So this is just another of the many tribulations our team will face this year. My flesh kicks and screams but my soul rejoices because God rewards those who endure.

"...but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance character; and character hope." Romans 5:3-4

So I am hopeful. I am hopeful that God has so much in store for our tiny little team that we can't even begin to comprehend it. I am hopeful that though we are small, He will use us in a mighty way and we will shake the nations with the power and authority God has given us. We are confused at the moment, and we're not sure where we are going or what else is ahead of us. But we are clinging to each other and to God's promises.

"I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight." Isaiah 42:16

God uses all things for his glory. He will use this too! We're not always sure why things happen, especially the things that hurt us...but one thing we do know is that God is good. So he will use this for good. Because we love Him. And because we trust Him.

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

So we're choosing as a team to rejoice. And we look forward to the joy that comes in the morning.

Extra Ordinary In Guatemala

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I hope u enjoy this AMAZING video my hubby has put together to sum up our time here in Guatemala! Obviously, this video does not do justice to what we have experienced here by the grace of God, but it does a pretty good job! I'm so proud of him!

When God wants to teach us something...

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A few days ago, we went to church with Forrest and Carol and got to hear a young Guatemalan woman share the most amazing testimony! I wanted to share it with all of you because I think it's something we all need to hear. I'll do my best to remember...

(This is her speaking)

Most of us are no strangers to suffering, to anguish, or to affliction. When I think of someone who experienced suffering in the bible, I think of Jeremiah when he felt that God had betrayed him. He wrote:

"I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath.

He has led me and made me walk

In darkness and not in light.

Surely He has turned His hand against me

Time and time again throughout the day.

He has aged my flesh and my skin,

And broken my bones.

He has besieged me

And surrounded me with bitterness and woe.

He has set me in dark places

Like the dead of long ago.

He has hedged me in so that I cannot get out;

He has made my chain heavy.

Even when I cry and shout,

He shuts out my prayer.

He has blocked my ways with hewn stone;

He has made my paths crooked.

He has been to me a bear lying in wait,

Like a lion in ambush.

He has turned aside my ways and torn me in pieces;

He has made me desolate.

He has bent His bow

And set me up as a target for the arrow.

He has caused the arrows of His quiver

To pierce my loins.

I have become the ridicule of all my people

Their taunting song all the day.

He has filled me with bitterness,

He has made me drink wormwood.

He has also broken my teeth with gravel,

And covered me with ashes.

You have moved my soul far from peace;

I have forgotten prosperity.

And I said, "My strength and my hope have perished from the Lord."

Remember my affliction and roaming,

The wormwood and the gall.

My soul still remembers

And sinks within me."

Lamentations 3:1-20

If you don't know this passage well, God had commanded Jeremiah to preach His word, promising him that he would do great things. But the people He sent Jeremiah to preach to rejected him, beat him, and then threw him in prison. Jeremiah felt betrayed. In this passage he even says that God had broken his bones. We know by reading his words that he was completed devastated and anguished. He believed that God had deceived him.

When I say most of us are not strangers to suffering, anguish, or affliction...it's because I actually was. I had never experienced suffering. Growing up, my life was basically perfect. I knew God from a very early age and I felt His love for me and my family grow stronger every single day. I knew that God was love, and that was all I thought I needed to know. Or so I thought...

I only knew one facet of God: love. But there are many different facets to God. I did not recognize God when He showed another side of Himself to me. I was not prepared for the suffering I was about to endure. I thought that God had left me. I had always been taught that God is love, so I didn't know Him as anything else. I didn't understand that He was trying to teach me something by appearing to me differently. We never know how God will show Himself. He was trying to get my attention. I thought He was gone...

"By night on my bed I sought the one I love;

I sought him but I did not find him."

Song of Solomon 3:1

"I opened for my beloved,

But my beloved had turned away and was gone."

Song of Solomon 6:1

My father suddenly died. My father, for those of you who don't know me, was everything to me. He was my father, my pastor, my counselor, my comforter, and my friend. And when he died, I cried out to God, "Where have you gone! Why have you left me!"

And then my sister died. I was completely devastated. I felt like I couldn't breath. I felt abandoned and betrayed by the God I loved. In Jeremiah's devastation, he was ready to walk away from God. I felt the same way. But God came in grace and mercy to show me what He was doing.

The bible says there is a great prize to those who endure suffering.

"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."

1 Peter 5:6-7

"May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered awhile, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you."

1 Peter 5:10

My sister had been working as a missionary in the Dominican Republic when the doctors there discovered the tumor in her stomach. They told her she was going to die. She was so sick that she came back to Guatemala without her belongings. She had arranged to have them sent back, which takes months. Her belongings eventually made it back only after she had died. Among her things, we found her diary...

Her last entry was written the day she returned home. She had written a letter to God. The letter said:

"Today I dedicate my life to you. Thank you for being with me in both joy and anguish. You have taught me to trust you like a child. I feel security when I am with you. I know that this is only the beginning of your eternal plan for me. I love you. I will see you soon."

Then she had copied a song from the bible:

"Nevertheless I am continually with You;

You hold me by my right hand.

You will guide me with Your counsel,

And afterward receive me to glory.

Whom have I in heaven but You?

And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.

My flesh and my heart fail;

But God is the strength of my heart

And my portion forever."

Psalm 73:23-26

During her time of affliction, my sister turned to God. She never complained. Not once did she ask, "Why me?" God always has a cup for us. Sometimes it is sweet and sometimes it is bitter. But He always has a cup for us. And we have to drink it. And even if the cup is bitter, we have to drink it with joy because God is trying to teach us something. My sister drank a very bitter cup with joy because she had come to know the Lord in such an intimate way. In times of affliction, we have to turn to God.

Jeremiah felt betrayed by God. But then he remembered God's faithfulness:

"My soul still remembers

And sinks within me.

This I recall to my mind,

Therefore I have hope.

Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed,

Because His compassions fail not.

They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

The Lord is my portion,' says my soul,

Therefore I hope in Him!'

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,

To the soul who seeks Him.

It is good that one should hope and wait quietly

For the salvation of the Lord."

Lamentations 3:20-26

God never leaves us, especially in times of affliction. We will all endure suffering, but great will be the prize for enduring it. My sister's prize was waiting for her in heaven.

Jeremiah writes,

"But the Lord is with me as a mighty, awesome One."

Jeremiah 20:11

God is always with us...

Servants for Him

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Meet Forrest and Carol Kendall. They have been married for more than 30 years, and have four children and six grandchildren. Five years ago, Forrest and Carol were living on their multi-million dollar farm in Virginia when God told them to sell everything and move to Guatemala to become full-time missionaries. While unsure at first, they were obedient to God's calling on their lives, and have been amazed ever since at God's faithfulness and constant provision. "We are humbled to be called His servants." When asked how long they plan to stay in Guatemala, their answer is always the same: "Until the Lord sends us someplace else." Today, they have impacted more lives than they could ever possibly imagine, including mine.

Forrest's and Carol's ministry is called Servants 4 Him. They work with churches, mission organizations, and other missionaries to teach health education while spreading the good news of Jesus Christ in developing countries. They have opened their home to almost anyone and everyone who is passing through Guatemala. This includes us! Their hearts are made of pure gold. When Carol isn't handing out homemade cookies or making us fresh coffee, she's driving us to and from work sites, or teaching us fun and creative ways to communicate with the indigenous people here.

Forrest and Carol believe that, when the local church is involved in meeting the physical needs of the community, there are many opportunities to address spiritual needs. They call this "good deeds evangelism." Forest and Carol build water filters, teach health and hygiene classes, host mission teams, and build relationships with the people in the villages they work in. Their focus is to encourage churches worldwide to expand their world mission vision, helping people to develop a heart for Guatemala, and other developing countries.

Everything they do, building filters or teaching classes, is to share the love of Jesus Christ with the people they serve. Learning to do this in Spanish has proven to be quite a challenge, more for Carol than for Forrest.

We have the pleasure of working with Forrest and Carol for the rest of our time here in Guatemala. Contaminated water for drinking and cooking is a significant problem in much of the world. Harmful bacteria in water used for consumption is a leading cause of health problems in Guatemala, including diarrhea. Dehydration from diarrhea is the leading cause of death here, especially among children.

We will be working closely with Servants 4 Him to build bio-sand filters to address this problem. The bio-sand filters remove or kill parasites, harmful bacteria, and viruses, making water safe to drink.

Many spiritual parallels or examples can be drawn from the need for filtering water and the work of the water filter. Therefore, the filters become a great "door opener" to talk to people about Jesus Christ. By meeting a physical need, clean water, there are many opportunities to discuss spiritual needs.

Please join us in praying for Forrest and Carol, that their ministry would be blessed and continue to bless others. Please pray that hearts would continue to be changed here in Guatemala, and that people would come to know God's love in the most intimate of ways!

For more information about Forrest and Carol, or about their ministry, please visit their website at http://servants4him.org/.

"And to those who have no might He increases strength..."

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

"You shall weep no more. He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; When He hears it, He will answer you." Isaiah 30:19

I have fallen in love. Yesterday, three of us spent the entire day taking care of malnourished and underweight infants. Daisy is 2 months. She wants to be held constantly and won't let you put her down for a second. Eliana is 3 months. She always wants to know what is going on around her. Any way you hold her, she is constantly squirming around, trying to see everyone else in the room. She loves it when you tickle her tummy. Camilla is 5 months old and the most outgoing. She smiles constantly and is overcome with joy if you so much as look her way. Jose is 6 months. He loves to be tossed up in the air. He seems to have respiratory problems though, so you have to be careful not to get him too excited. All are about the size of a newborn. They are sick from malnutrition and underdeveloped immune systems. There were 11 children altogether at Casa Jackson, a recovery center for malnourished infants and children under the age of 11 years located in Antigua, Guatemala. The center is just one of several projects by a Christian organization known as "The GOD'S CHILD." The center is run almost entirely by volunteers. On this particular day, my teammates and I were primarily in charge of the infants, although Will Jung spent several hours caring for Esvin, a 9-year-old boy who weighs just 20 pounds.

The children at Casa Jackson have been neglected and underfed by their parents. As a result, they end up sick and in the hospital, which takes the children from their families and places them in the care of Casa Jackson, where they stay for several months until they are healthy. The children are then returned to their families although, unfortunately, many of them end up bak at Casa Jackson.

Daisy's mother came to visit her while we were there. It was absolutely heartwarming to watch her with her baby, but at the same time I was so upset with her for not keeping her precious baby healthy. At two months, Daisy is barely larger than my arm. There is a huge need for health education in Guatemala. Concepts like washing our hands and drinking only clean water are second nature to us in the United States, but here in Guatemala these concepts are not so common. And it is not entirely their fault. Health education is neither taught nor enforced on a regular basis. Part of what Casa Jackson does is educate parents about health and hygiene.

But the center is in need of more volunteers and more financial support. There was no air conditioning, and for several hours during the afternoon, it was virtually impossible to keep the babies out of the unbearable heat. They also do not have bottles, so we were forced to feed these babies with plastic spoons, which takes almost an hour. Apparently, there is a problem with dirty bottles in Antigua. They told us that a man from the United States had promised to send bottles made in the U.S. but that they never showed up.

The babies are also very sick, so we had to wear face masks and scrubs, and wash and sanitize our hands constantly. Casa Jackson is in need of more supplies like these.

While the circumstances were frustrating and heartbreaking, and everything in my flesh wanted to take these children somewhere where they could be better cared for, I had to remind myself that this is so much better than what they had before. Here at Casa Jackson, they are being cared for 24 hours a day.

It's situations like these when we have to challenge ourselves to let go and let God. As much as I think I can do for these babies, God can and will do infinitely more.

So we prayed for them. We prayed for each baby by name, that they would grow strong and healthy. And above all, we prayed that each one of them would come to know the Lord in an intimate and personal way. Please keep these precious children in your prayers.

If you want to learn more about Casa Jackson, or send supplies to the children they care for, please visit their website at http://www.casajackson.org/

"Have you not known?

Have you not heard?

The everlasting God, the Lord,

The Creator of the ends of the earth,

Neither faints nor is weary.

His understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the weak,

And to those who have no might

He increases strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary,

And the young men shall utterly fall,

But those who wait on the Lord

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint."

Isaiah 40:28-31

Thank you Jesus...

All who are thirsty...

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Guatemala is the third-largest nation in Central America. While absolutely beautiful from the outside, this developing country is just beginning to recover from a long, brutal civil war, and still faces many social problems. The distribution of income remains highly unequal and 90 percent of the population lives in poverty. Malnutrition rates among Guatemalan children are exceptionally high and the country ranks among the worst in Latin America for life expectancy, infant mortality and maternal mortality.

Guatemala has the highest child mortality rate in all of Central America. This is almost entirely due to extreme water contamination and disease. Contaminated water is often not addressed in Guatemala because of lack of enforcement. The sewage systems are either inadequate or nonexistent, and waste is actually discharged directly into local streams. During the wet season, diseases like cholera increase due to the spread of bacteria.

Many Guatemalans are unaware of just how unsanitary their water is. They think it's normal to have constant diarrhea. In many cases, when they have a normal bowel movement, they think they are sick. Many are extremely malnourished and underweight.

God has broken my heart for the people of Guatemala.

In His word, God promises:

"For I will pour water on him who is thirsty,

And floods on the dry ground;

I will pour my Spirit on your descendants;

And My blessing on your offspring;

They will spring up among the grass

Like willows by the watercourses."

Isaiah 44:3-4

We claim this promise. Water gives life to and sustains all things. These people are in need of healthy water.

During our time here in Antigua, Guatemala, we are going to be building water purification systems, among many other things. We will be able to take these systems to remote Mayan villages and teach the people there how to use them. God has sent us to Guatemala to help purify the water here. But God has also sent us here to bring water to their spirits. Our goal is to change the quality of life here in Guatemala, both physically and spiritually.

My vision is for the people of Guatemala to regain their health. While still in the process of recovering from years of oppression, I want to see these people repaired in every possible way. I want to see healthy, nourished bodies. I want to see infant mortality rates sink to practically nonexistent. I want to see healing take place like no other. I want to see spirits lifted, lives changed.

Please pray that God would continue to heal the wounds of a nation inflicted by decades of civil war.

Please pray that the Guatemalan people will be able to overcome poverty and malnutrition.

Please pray that God will provide the Guatemalan people with hope.

Please pray that the indigenous Mayans would be receptive to Jesus Christ's message of truth.

"They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Revelation 7:16-17

How I Was Called to the Mission Field

Wed, 4 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We were asked to write a blog about how we were called to this mission trip. Here is my story...

I have always believed in God. I grew up with parents who told me that God created the universe, and that we would go to heaven when we died to be with Him. At the time my parents told me this, they weren't actually Christians themselves. They both also believed in God and heaven, but neither had a relationship with Him, or with our Savior Jesus Christ. I never really went to church, except on Christmas Eve and Easter when the rest of the world "makes an appearance." The older I got, the less I thought about God or heaven. I remember hearing something about how Jesus had died for us, but I never really understood what that meant. Why did He have to die for us? Why was that significant?

I was 23 years old, living in Hollywood, California. Hollywood, for anyone who has never been there, is actually one of the darkest places I have ever lived. God is not welcomed there. I lived in a rough part of town, surrounded by prostitutes and drug dealers. It wasn't long before I entered into the kind of lifestyle I had not moved to Hollywood to pursue. I started spending time with people I shouldn't, doing things I shouldn't have been doing. In less than a year, I was at such an all-time low in my life that there was nowhere to go but up.

God saved me one night. I won't go into detail, but I would have died one night and I just started praying out of nowhere. And He came to me. One encounter with God is all it takes to change your life forever. The next thing I knew, I was moving to Georgia to be with my family and finish school. I met my wonderful, amazing husband who is one of the strongest Christian men I have ever known. I was saved within a single month of moving to Georgia. Doing God's work and bringing glory to His good name is all my heart has desired to do ever since.

Since the moment I gave my life to Him, I have had dreams of being a missionary in second and third world countries. My husband has had similar dreams, but we've been so busy with finishing school and starting out our lives together that it never seemed like the right time. But when a friend of ours went on the world race and came back with the most amazing stories, we knew this was what we were supposed to do.

So those are the events that led to my husband and I applying to go on the World Race. We're so excited to see what God has in store for us, and to be able to help others!

Expectations about the trip

Wed, 4 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We were asked to write a blog about how we felt before leaving on this mission trip. Here is what I'm expecting...

"Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." John 20:29

I'm expecting to see things I have only read about, or heard about, or dreamed about, but still believed. I'm expecting to be knocked off my feet and forever changed by this trip.

"Blessed is he who considers the poor; the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble." Psalm 41:1

I'm expecting to feel such a sense of gratitude helping people who are less fortunate than we are. I'm expecting to fall in love with the people we meet in each country we go to, and that alone will be such a blessing! I'm expecting to come home with a different perspective, and a new found passion for helping people in other countries.

"Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven." Matthew 6:1

I'm worried about telling people about what we are going to be doing, for fear that any of God's glory will go to me or my husband. I want the world to know that it is God who is sending me on this trip, and that every good work I do is from Him and through Him and for Him.

"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." 1 Cor 13:13

I'm hoping to show God's love to people all over the world the way He has loved me. I want to declare God's love to every one of His children, to proclaim it at the top of my lungs! I want to leave each country knowing that I have helped at least one person to see how much God loves us.

"Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved." Psalm 55:22

I am worried about the financial part of the trip, the hiking and backpacking part of the trip, getting lonely or homesick, or not feeling welcomed in some of these countries. All of these worries I give to the Lord, who is true to His promises.

"For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, 'fear not, I will help you.'" Isaiah 41:13

I know some of the countries we are going to will be dangerous. In times of trouble or fear, I will hold on to scripture, which promises that God will hold my hand and protect me.

"In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." Prov 3:6

I expect to be confused while we are on the world race. Confused about where we are being called and what we are being called to do, but also confused because the enemy is the author of confusion. God promises to direct our paths when we ask Him for guidance, so that is what I plan to do.

"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

And finally, I am worried about the unexpected. What things will we not be prepared for? Who will we not have answers for? What if we run out of food? All of these worries I confess to my Father, who promises to give me what I need.