This is a blog from Stacey, one of the amazing girls on the Guatemala Team. It paints a beautiful picture of the place we are at and what we have been doing the last few days.
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, he has
sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the
captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound" Isaiah
61:1
Guatemala is a place of contrasts. The lake and mountains surrounding
us are gloriously beautiful, but the concrete houses and trash-lined
streets that make up everyday life here in San Pedro present a very
different view. Even though many of the people here live in what
Americans would consider extreme poverty they still have smiles on
their faces and words of welcome on their lips. The mornings and
afternoons present opposites as well. We wake up to warm sunlight, but
by the afternoon the sun has usually been replaced by rolling clouds
and steady rain.
We've been in Guatemala for a week now, and God
has been working in us and through us everyday. He's been teaching us
all patience, especially during meal times because the Latin American
pace of life is not as hurried as we are used to. During the mornings
we usually lead kids programs at local churches and we have time for
ministry preparation in the afternoons. We have had lots of
opportunities to spend time with the kids who live near the churches,
lead them in both Spanish and English songs, perform dramas for them,
and also read through Spanish tracts with them which explain how people
receive the gift of eternal life.
The children we're interacting with either speak
the native Mayan language or Spanish so there is a language barrier
present. However, there are team members who know enough Spanish to
help the rest of us communicate with the kids. Even if we don't always
know the right words to say or we end up pronouncing something terribly
wrong we have all been able to communicate God's love to the kids
through hugs, smiles, and laughter.
Please pray for our team and also for the people
we're meeting and interacting with here in Guatemala. Many members of
the team have been fighting off illness and especially upset stomachs,
but everyone who is sick is looking forward to being healthy so they
can have more energy to do ministry. God is truly blessing each one of
us on this trip and is teaching us so much as we work together as a
team and experience a new culture as well as challenges and trials.
Thank you to everyone who supported us financially and through prayer
on this trip!
Posted in Culture by Lindsey McDonald on 6/29/2009
We have
been in San Pedro for only a few days, but for as much as we have done it feels
longer. Some might use the phrase "hit the ground running" to describe our last
few days in Guatemala.
Everyone for the most part has been adjusting well. A couple of people have
been fighting sickness and most of us are worn out from adjusting to a new
environment.
Since
training camp, I have been constantly amazed by this team. They have shown
themselves to be very intuitive, creative, intelligent, driven, and fun. Most
of the time they are laughing and joking and playing with each other; they are
very energetic. They are also very gracious with each other and their leaders.
I don't think I could have asked for a better team of students or co-leaders to
go to Guatemala
with.
We arrived
in Guatemala
on Wednesday and stayed the night in Panajachel. Then Thursday we took a boat
over to San Pedro, the town we will be staying the next couple of weeks. We found our amazing hotel complete with
hammocks, purified drinking water, and sometimes even hot water for your shower
which is nice because it is actually pretty cool here. Most days the warmest it gets is about 80
degrees Fahrenheit, but it usually rains around 2 p.m. and cools down to the low
70's. It's nice not to be sweating, but I think we all wish we had brought more
long pants and sweatshirts though.
Since
arriving in San Pedro, we have been meeting up with various contacts and the
team has been creating and improving on a children's program, which right now
includes; skits, songs, a bible story, a memory verse, crafts, games, and even
a drime (my World Race friends should be proud). For those unfamiliar with a
drime, it is an unspoken drama done to music. The team continues to add
different elements to the program each time, and is doing very well. They have
been working really hard the last few days and they have been allowed to take
their programs into two different churches.
Tonight
they are performing songs and the drime for a church service. We have some amazing musical talent on this
team; pianist, violinist, vocalist. I don't know if I have ever been on such a
talented team. Hopefully they will be provided with a variety ways to use their
gifts and will take advantage of the opportunities as they arise throughout our
time in Guatemala.
Tomorrow (Monday)
is San Pedro Day, a huge festival/holiday in the town of San Pedro. I am not exactly sure the purpose
except an excuse to shoot off as many fireworks as possible. Since Thursday,
the town has been shooting off fireworks. Someone commented the other day it
seems like they go off every hour during the day, even in the daylight when you
can't see them. Thankfully I don't jump anymore when I hear them, in fact most
of the time I don't even notice them anymore. We will see if this continues to
stay true tonight when they apparently will start shooting them off at 4 a.m.
and basically continue throughout the day tomorrow.
The team
has discussed going out onto the streets tomorrow during the festival and doing
ministry; performing the drime and telling people about Jesus. I seem to be on a team of evangelist, which
is a different experience for me and one I am enjoying and challenged by. I do not have much experience with drime
ministry or ministering with tracts, but the last few days I have seen Christ
glorified in both.
Pray for us
as we go out into the streets Monday. Pray for open hearts. Pray for us as we
struggle with the language barrier. Many of us struggle to understand and
communicate Spanish let alone Tzutanil (sp?), the native language of this area.
Pray that we would be teachable. Pray that we would be accepting and loving,
compassionate, patient, gentle, kind toward all we come in contact with whether
they are children in the villages, local street vendors, beggars, tourists.
Also, pray that the above is true in the way we address each other. Pray that
as a team we continue to have fun together and enjoy being around each other.
Pray for boldness and confidence. Pray for health. Pray for energy as our days
are long and most of us are tired. Pray that as we walk the streets we are seen
as different than the other tourist. Pray that we reflect Christ well and bring
glory to his name. Lastly, pray that our Father's will and his kingdom
continues to be our focus. Not our will, but his will be done.
Sorry for the lack of pictures... hope to post some soon
Posted in Culture by Lindsey McDonald on 6/22/2009
Among other things team building is a goal of Training Camp. The last couple of days Team Guatemala has successfully completed many team excercises. Through these excercises we are learning to encourage and listen to each other, in order to prepare us to minister together in Guatemala. We are discovering our strengths and weaknesses and finding out what each of us brings to the team. It has been fun to watch the bond that is developing between the team.
Here is an inside look at a couple of the excercises we did yesterday.
The Toothpick
Object: to figure out the correct random number order of the tires and place them on the wooden pole (toothpick)
We ran out of time before we could complete the project, but we stayed positive and encouraging and still managed to have fun.
The Wilderness Experience
After a difficult morning excercise, we ended the day successfully by being one of the few teams to complete the Wilderness Experience. This involved our team being divided into 3 groups and separated. We had to find each other and our assigned guide to complete the exercise. Once we found each other our guide handed us different clues which led us to the Promised Land. These included picking out three Laws, building a Tabernacle, sending out two spies and choosing the right spy to listen to and follow into the Promised Land. As we struggled to reach final decisions, we decided as a team to pray and trust God in all of our decisions.
Team Guatemala praying under our Tabernacle
This exercise showed our team our many gifts and a couple of things we could improve on as a team, and as we found ourselves in the Promised Land we were greeted with cold Flavored Ice, almost as precious as milk and honey in this hot Georgia heat.
We live Wednesday morning for Guatemala. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.
Posted in Culture by Lindsey McDonald on 6/17/2009
After an amazing week in Jacksonville with the First Pres-Kingwood high school students, I am now in Gainesville, Ga. preparing for Guatemala. I think the highlight of Jacksonville for me was volunteering at a L'Arche community and meeting an Indian man named Walson, who had previously worked with Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity. It was really encouraging listening to his stories and his passion for God.
As Guatemala grows closer, I am becoming more and more excited. I am fully financially supported and am so thankful to each of you that gave. I know God has blessed me with a wonderful community of people who encourage and pray and offer grace and truth to me. So thank you.
Right now in Gainesville, we are preparing for the arrival of our teams this Friday. Please keep our team in your prayers. There are thirteen of us: Gary, Maggie, Amber, Arianna, Brennan, Hannah, Peter, Julianna, Hannah, Heather, Kacie, Stacey, and myself. Pray that we will be a community of grace and love and joy. Already just having spent the last couple of days with Gary and Maggie, the other leaders, I know that our team will be fun and filled with a lot of laughter. I am so excited to be serving with them.
The last couple of weeks I have been meditating on Hosea 6:1-2 and Psalm 40. God has revealed Himself as Healer and Protector and Enough and it is Good.
Thank you so much to those of you who have already partnered
financially and prayerfully with me as I return to Guatemala. I am half
way to my support raising goal, Yay! If you are still interested in
financially partnering with me please click here. I need to be fully raised by June 19. Only $725 left to go :) and any amount helps. Thank you.
It has been a crazy month and a half as I have been preparing for
this trip. I still have no lead for a teaching job in the Fall, but as of
tomorrow I will be leaving Houston until the end of July. My emotions
have been crazy. One minute I allow the negativity to embrace me and
the anxiety to kill my joy as I become Debbie Downer viewing the glass
half-empty. The next minute I will be viewing the glass half-full,
confident that God will Provide. Confident that even when my plans fail
or don't exist for that matter, he is still God and he is still working and inviting me to join in anytime I'm willing.
I have also been dealing with emotions that come with a return to
familiar, significant places. Tomorrow (Saturday) I leave to take the
students of First Pres-Kingwood down to Jacksonville, Florida. It was
here, I made my very first U.S. landing after The World Race. Even
though, I am pretty sure I will not be retracing any steps I placed
there, it is still a little weird for me to return there a little less
than 11-months later. It was a great time with friends as we prepared
to return to our families after the Race, but even so there is pain and grief mixed in
with the joy as I remember what was. A couple of days after returning from Jacksonville, I will be
flying into the Atlanta airport, again remembering my World Race family. Our first meeting at the airport and our World Race departure will be fresh on my mind. A few hours after my arrival to the airport I will find myself at AIM's Training Camp in Gainesville, Georgia,
where I first met my World Race squad two years ago in April 2007 and again in
September 2007. In Gainesville, I will meet up with the rest of the
Guatemala team for some training before we are sent out. One of the last places I traveled
to on the World Race was Guatemala. Being one of the most recent, it is
one place where the memories are some of the most vivid, the bright
colors and beautiful people, along with some very interesting people,
met along the way. I bet I could even still guide you down the streets
of Antigua and introduce you to the eccentric Chocolate man.
Most of this trip, though, will be spent in San Juan de Laguna around Lake
Atitlan. I have heard that we will spend a couple of days in Antigua which I am thrilled about and hoping for an opportunity to visit some of the people I met there last year.
This has also been a season of endings or ask me on another day and
I might tell you beginnings. The Jacksonville trip marks my final week
with First-Pres. Kingwood on staff. Before I took the job, I told
myself it was not permanent, a year at the most. Over these past
couple of months, I have felt the need to let go of a few things. Some of
these things, I had no choice, as they chose to let go of me. In the
case of First-Pres, I have felt myself clinging to the safety and
comfort it gave me. At the same time, I felt myself becoming
complacent and numb to previous passions, as I became too comfortable.
I believe I held fast to that place out of fear. I am not sure exactly? I have also recently been challenged by the fact that maybe I don't know
God's voice as well as I thought I did, or worse maybe it is an issue of
selective hearing. Only hearing what I want to hear out of fear of where I might end up. I know you'd think I'd have learned to trust God by now. Even so,
I find myself just as confused and unknowing as when I first returned
from The World Race, if not more so.
Today as I was pouring my
frustration, pain, and confusion out to the Lord, I was reminded of an idea
that I had on The World Race, but out of fear have yet to step forward
in it. Maybe this is the next step. I pray this next month and a half
will be one of clarity and a reigniting of forgotten passion. I ask you to pray for me and with me in this matter. Please, also pray for our team
as we travel to and around Guatemala. Pray for love and joy and
kindness as we seek to know each other, as well as those around us.
Pray that we may be an encouraging presence to the community and offer
hope as we seek his kingdom and the manifestation of its presence in us
and around us.
Thank you all so much for your prayers, and please feel free to contact me with any prayer request.
Peace,
Lindsey
May God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we really can
make a difference in this world, so that we are able, with God's grace,
to do what others claim cannot be done. - Four-fold Franciscan
Blessing
Posted in Culture by Lindsey McDonald on 5/17/2009
I am so thankful for good writing. The kind of writing that makes you want to read aloud, because you want to hear the words not just see them. You want to experience them, taste them. They are so beautiful and meaningful and alive. Words that awaken your soul and make you feel as though God has created those words solely for you; for your ears to hear, for your mouth to speak, for your eyes to see. Writing that offers hope and peace, that leaves you praying the book will continue because you don't want it to end. Writing where you find yourself inspired to pick up a pen hoping that your writing could one day impact someone on that same level.
Shauna Niequist, author of Cold Tangerines: Celebrating the extraordinary nature of everyday life and hopefully soon a number of other books, inspires me in such a way that I find myself eager to pick up a pen and tell my stories. If only I could tell them as beautifully as she does. She is honest and raw and wise and funny and has often times left me thinking, "Me, too." As she described my heart, my thoughts, and even at some points my life with her words. Tonight, it was such a blessing and surprise for me to show up at Ecclesia and find that she was speaking, and as always God used her words to offer me hope and healing and joy and ignite my love for Him. I encourage you to read Cold Tangerines, as you will be doing yourself a favor. Below is an excerpt, and trust me it only gets better.
I have always, essentially, been waiting. Waiting to become something else, waiting to be that person I always thought I was on the verge of becoming, waiting for that life I thought I would have. In my head, I was always one step away. In high school, I was biding my time until I could become the college version of myself, the one my mind could see so clearly. In college, the post-college "adult" person was always looming in front of me, smarter, stronger, more organized. Then the married person, then the person I'd become when we have kids. For twenty years, literally, I have waited to become the thin version of myself, because that's when life will really begin.
And through all that waiting, here I am. My life is passing, day by day, and I am waiting for it to start. I am waiting for that time, that person, that event when my life will finally begin.
...
But this is what I'm finding, in glimpses and flashes: this is it. This is it, in the best possible way. That thing I'm waiting for, that adventure, that movie-score-worthy experience unfolding gracefully. This is it. Normal, daily life ticking by on our streets and sidewalks, in our houses and apartments, in our beds and at our dinner tables, in our dreams and prayers and fights and secrets - this pedestrian life is the most precious thing any of us will ever experience.
I believe that this way of living, this focus on the present, the daily, the tangible, this intense concentration not on the news headlines but on the flowers growing in your own garden, the children growing in your own home, this way of living has the potential to open up the heavens, to yield a glittering handful of diamonds where a second ago there was coal. This way of living and noticing and building and crafting can crack through the movie sets and soundtracks that keep us waiting for our own life stories to begin, and set us free to observe the lives we have been creating all along without even realizing it.
I don't want to wait anymore. I choose to believe that there is nothing more sacred and profound than this day. I choose to believe that there may be a thousand big moments embedded in this day, waiting to be discovered like tiny shards of gold. The big moments are the daily, tiny moments of courage and forgiveness and hope that we grab on to and extend to one another. That's the drama of life, swirling all around us, and generally I don't even see it, because I'm too busy waiting to become whatever it is I think I am about to become. The big moments are in every hour, every conversation, every meal, every meeting.
...
Today is your big moment. Moments, really. The life you've been waiting for is happening all around you. The scene unfolding right outside your window is worth more than the most beautiful painting, and the crackers and peanut butter that you're having for lunch on the coffee table are as profound, in their own way, as the Last Supper. This is it. This is life in all its glory, swirling and unfolding around us, disguised as pedantic, pedestrian non-events. But pull off the mask and you will find your life, waiting to be made, chosen, woven, crafted.
Your life, right now, today, is exploding with energy and power and detail and dimension, better than the best movie you have ever seen. You and your family and your friends and your house and your dinner table and your garage have all the making of a life of epic proportions, a story for the ages. Because they all are. Every life is.
You have stories worth telling, memories worth remembering, dreams worth working toward, a body worth feeding, a soul worth tending, and beyond that, the God of the universe dwells within you, the true culmination of super and natural.
You are more than dust and bones.
You are spirit and power and image of God.
And you have been given Today.
I've recently been introduced to this amazing website The Work of the People: Visual Media for Worship and Mission. Here is a video I found there of Peter Rollins, author of How Not To Speak of God, discussing how GOD is beyond our definitions and imaginations.
I have now been back in the USA for nine
months since completing The World Race. While I can't say it has been an easy
adjustment, God has been faithful. Since September, I have returned to
work with First Presbyterian - Kingwood as a student minister to middle
and high school students. Alongside this, as of February, I have
started on a career path to becoming a middle school teacher starting
in the Fall of 2009. My desire is to work with at-risk students in
the lower income schools, and empower students and challenge them to
use their education to not only improve their lives but the lives of
those in their city, state, country, and world. While I do not have a
job lined up yet for the Fall, I hope to have one within the next
month. If I do not, the job search will have to continue long-distance.
As of a couple of weeks ago, I have decided to sign on with Adventures
in Missions, yet again, for another adventure. This time it is for one
month and I will be leading one of their Ambassador Mission Trips.
These trips are designed to give high school students the ability to
share God's love with those outside of their normal community, and
hopefully gain a greater understanding of God's love for them and all
people as they seek God's will in their life. As a leader, my
responsibility will be to disciple, encourage, serve, and simply or
not-so-simply 'be there' for the students as we seek God's voice and
join in alongside with what He is doing in the community. We will be
located in the city of San Juan de Laguna, Guatemala from June 19 -
July 19, 2009. I am very excited to be returning to Guatemala, as I
have so many fond memories of the country and its culture from The
World Race. It will be great to be there as those on the team explore
the country and discover the beauty of the culture themselves.
As with all AIM trips, the cost of the trip must be raised. I am
needing to raise $1,500 for the month, and as of right now I have
nothing. I have calculated that if 6 people would give $25, 10 people
would give $50, and 5 people would give $150, I will reach my goal!
Please, prayerfully consider being a part of this ministry either by becoming a prayer partner or by making a
one-time, tax-deductible donation. You can click here, Support Me!, and donate on-line right now or you may mail a check to Adventures In Missions. If writing a check, please make check payable to Adventures in Missions and write on the memo line, Appealed by: Lindsey McDonald
Mail checks to:
Adventures in Missions
P.O. Box 534470 Atlanta, Ga 30353-4470
Thank
you for your time and prayers. Please be praying for our team as we prepare to
leave this next month. Also, please be praying for the people we will
meet while in Guatemala and pray for God's will to be done and His
kingdom to come.
Posted in Justice by Lindsey McDonald on 4/28/2009
Recently, our high school youth participated in World Vision's 30 Hour Famine. I was asked to do a write-up for the church newsletter about the event, and today when I saw the newsletter my article was the front cover. I was very surprised to say the least.
So instead of coming up with something new to write here about my experience with and hope for the Famine, I thought I'd share what I wrote for the newsletter.
____________________________________________________________________ High School Students Fast During 30-Hour Famine
During Holy Week, the High School student's of First Presbyterian Church of Kingwood participated in World Vision's 30 Hour Famine, an international youth movement to fight hunger.
Starting Thursday, April 9 at 12 p.m. until 6 p.m. Friday, April 10, thirty-two students and leaders chose not to eat in order to experience what is estimated 153 million children around the world feel everyday -- hunger pangs. According to World Vision, each day, over 29,000 children under the age of five die from malnutrition or preventable disease. This is equivalent to one child dying every three seconds. That is an overwhelming statistic! Every time we count to three a child dies unnecessarily.
The purpose of the 30 Hour Famine, though, was not to make us feel guilty or hopeless or even to count our blessings. The hope is that as our community becomes more aware about the issues facing others in the world, we will seek to know how God wants us to respond. We worship a Loving, Active, and Just God who through Jesus' death and resurrection is bringing about redemption throughout all of creation, and He invites us to partner with Him in this process through the Holy Spirit. This is one reason why we decided to hold the Famine over Easter weekend. At Easter we celebrate God's victory over death. It is necessary to remember that God has already won, and one day His Kingdom will be fully revealed and everything will be made new.
"For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create, no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old... They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord, and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox... They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain," says the LORD. - Isaiah 65:17-25
Until that day, as people who love God it is necessary for the Church to trust that God's "Kingdom can come and His Will can be done on Earth as it is in Heaven" (Matthew 6:10), and to respond accordingly.
Posted in Culture by Lindsey McDonald on 4/26/2009
The last few years, I've realized I am very picky about my shoes. I
used to be a shoe fanatic buying new shoes all the time, but then I
realized I wouldn't wear them. I've always seemed to have one pair that
I prefer to all the rest and solely wear those. I'm a one-shoe kind of
person. It seems once a year or every couple of years I will find a
pair of shoes I love and wear them all of the time. I think I first
started doing this in college when I discovered Chacos. They were very
similar to the ones pictured below, but the straps had a green and blue
design. I believe I wore my Chacos for 2 years straight. You can wear
sandals during the winter in Texas.
Those
Chacos lasted me at least 5 years until I recently gave them up,
because I haven't worn them in the last 2 years. They gave me shin
splints or at least I blame them for the shin splints. After my Chacos,
my next shoe was a slip-on green canvas shoe by BC. Oh how I loved
those shoes. I wore those for at least a year and a half, and they were
great for winter or summer. It was difficult for me to leave them
behind when I left for the World Race. I feared they would get thrown
away or worse claimed by my sister along with the other apparel I left
behind.
Sidenote: While on the World Race my shoe of choice for the year was Crocs.
I started in these:
4 months later switched to these:
Crocs are a great shoe to travel the world in if you are wondering... lightweight, waterproof, and comfortable.
I
remember on the World Race sometimes the girls would start talking
about clothing we missed from home, and I would always think about
those green canvas BC shoes I left at home. I honestly don't know why
looking back I was so attached to those shoes, but when I came home in
August, I was ecstatic to find them waiting for me. Here's a side view
from one of the last times I wore them. The edges were supposed to be
fringed, but probably not that much.
Of
course I remember my mother's reaction when she saw me wearing them
again. One of, "Seriously? I think you might want to invest in some new
shoes." They were pretty worn out, I'll admit, but they were so comfy
and green (well actually they had faded to more of a yellow-green).
I
began a search for a new pair of shoes. I wanted something similar to
the BC shoe, but from an organization socially and environmentally
aware. After a few weeks of searching, I found the organization Simple.
An organization dedicated to making sustainable, eco-friendly shoes
made from recycled materials. Searching their site I found the shoe
that I was hoping to wear for at least the next year. A "green"
slip-on, and I mean green in color, of course, as well as by
environmental standards. By the way my favorite color is green, hence,
all the green-colored shoes, so far.
Those
shoes have served me well these last 8 months, but for the last few
weeks. I have realized the shoes do not fit me anymore. I keep walking
out of them. I guess I have worn them out or stretched them out, and
now sometimes I will be walking down a street only to have to back up
and put on my shoe again. It's pretty embarrassing. Especially, when
cars are waiting for you to cross the street or people are walking
close behind you.
The last few weeks I have been on the search
again for a new pair of shoes. This time still wanting to buy from a
socially conscious organization I went with TOMS.
If you don't know about TOMS for every pair of shoes you buy, a pair of
shoes is donated to a child who can't afford shoes. It is such a
wonderful mission, and the shoes though simple, are comfy and come in
fun, unique colors and designs. I have actually been debating on
getting TOMS for the past 8 months. There are so many different designs
I was having a difficult time deciding on which ones to buy, but as of
Friday I settled on these. I know they aren't green, but maybe it's
time for a change. So
this is my shoe for the next while. I'm still getting used to them.
They are definitely the brightest shoes I have owned, but they are fun
and support a wonderful cause.
After an amazing week in Jacksonville with the First Pres-Kingwood high school students, I am now in Gainesville, Ga. preparing for Guatemala. I think the highlight of Jacksonville for me was volunteering at a 
w (Saturday) I leave to take the
students of First Pres-Kingwood down to Jacksonville, Florida. It was
here, I made my very first U.S. landing after The World Race. Even
though, I am pretty sure I will not be retracing any steps I placed
there, it is still a little weird for me to return there a little less
than 11-months later. It was a great time with friends as we prepared
to return to our families after the Race, but even so there is pain and grief mixed in
with the joy as I remember what was. A couple of days after returning from Jacksonville, I will be
flying into the Atlanta airport, again remembering my World Race family. Our first meeting at the airport and our World Race departure will be fresh on my mind. A few hours after my arrival to the airport I will find myself at AIM's Training Camp in Gainesville, Georgia,
where I first met my World Race squad two years ago in April 2007 and again in
September 2007. In Gainesville, I will meet up with the rest of the
Guatemala team for some training before we are sent out. One of the last places I traveled
to on the World Race was Guatemala. Being one of the most recent, it is
one place where the memories are some of the most vivid, the bright
colors and beautiful people, along with some very interesting people,
met along the way. I bet I could even still guide you down the streets
of Antigua and introduce you to the 
that awaken your soul and make you feel as though God has created those words solely for you; for your ears to hear, for your mouth to speak, for your eyes to see. Writing that offers hope and peace, that leaves you praying the book will continue because you don't want it to end. Writing where you find yourself inspired to pick up a pen hoping that your writing could one day impact someone on that same level. 
for another adventure. This time it is for one
month and I will be leading one of their Ambassador Mission Trips.
These trips are designed to give high school students the ability to
share God's love with those outside of their normal community, and
hopefully gain a greater understanding of God's love for them and all
people as they seek God's will in their life. As a leader, my
responsibility will be to disciple, encourage, serve, and simply or
not-so-simply 'be there' for the students as we seek God's voice and
join in alongside with what He is doing in the community. We will be
located in the city of San Juan de Laguna, Guatemala from June 19 -
July 19, 2009. I am very excited to be returning to Guatemala, as I
have so many fond memories of the country and its culture from The
World Race. It will be great to be there as those on the team explore
the country and discover the beauty of the culture themselves.
sday, April 9 at 12 p.m. until 6 p.m. Friday, April 10, thirty-two students and leaders chose not to eat in order to experience what is estimated 153 million children around the world feel everyday -- hunger pangs. According to World Vision, each day, over 29,000 children under the age of five die from malnutrition or preventable disease. This is equivalent to one child dying every three seconds. That is an overwhelming statistic! Every time we count to three a child dies unnecessarily.
