Dear family, friends, supporters, and fellow missionaries,
another chapter is closing on this journey of my life. it's sad thinking about all the stories we'll tell and retell in the
next few weeks, while trying to suppress the tears and laughter that may
intermittently and involuntarily pour out in the middle of those
stories. it's surreal watching our last year in pictures set to music
flash before us at times too fast and other times too slow. it's strange how there are still some things I don't know about my teammates and friends, the trivial things that people would ordinarily know about someone else when they've known them for a year... but then there are other quirks and nuances that I know about my teammates and vice versa that normally take years of living with someone to discover and understand.
we're at that point where silly, stupid things that used to bother us fade away in light of the happy, sappy, unforgettable memories created throughout this year. we're soaking in as much time as possible with each other, solidifying relationships and making plans to see each other after the race. we're running around town trying to get last minute souvenirs and gifts. we're making the most of every opportunity to dress up and get dolled up for one night of fanciness after 11-months of grunge. and we're loving making new memories and laughing all the way. of course the goodbyes will be difficult, but they are not final. this is not the end of our journey together.
some days I wondered if I'd ever make it to this point of the journey. I've cried some nights thinking I just wanted to go home. I've shouted "it's not fair!" at the injustices we've seen. I've wondered if this was worth it. and I know that none of this would be possible without your faithful prayers, letters of encouragement, and support. I've been blessed to experience the true body of Christ, who has challenged me and given me honest and raw feedback as well as loved me unconditionally despite my hurting others and being hurt. thank you for your words that have comforted and encouraged me to continue to push on and press in to the things to which God called me. thank you for reminding me that I have a higher calling and purpose. thank you for believing in me even when I didn't believe in myself.
thank you for walking with me through this journey via this blog page and for commenting and loving me. I hope that we'll have a chance to catch up in real life really soon.
here's to the journey of this year and the adventures to come,
Priscilla
"One's destination is never a place but rather a new
way of looking at things." ~Henry Miller
Throughout these eleven months of the World Race, we have adjusted and acculturated to every new country's customs and etiquette. We have bowed with our hands together in prayer form to greet our elders in Asia. We rode unbuckled in the open bed of a truck around Africa. We have taken off our shoes when entering peoples homes in Turkey. We have observed the Sabbath on Saturdays in Israel. We have showered with a hose in the garden in Romania. Some of these customs will be easier than others to readjust to when we go through the acculturation process one more time back to the United States.
So here are a few tips about American culture we may have forgotten in our 11-months abroad:
Hygiene does matter! Showering, brushing your teeth, combing your hair, changing your clothes, using deodorant are all highly recommended daily activities for the making of friends. America has running water, use it! your friends will thank you for it. While our immune systems are probably stronger than ever before, this writer does not recommend continuing to neglect ones health when resources are readily available and accessible.
Some things are better kept to yourself. Although we were taught in kindergarten that sharing is essential to making friends, what they confused us with was that there were certain things we weren't supposed to share... like germs and stories about bodily functions. Sharing foods and drinks no matter how delicious with a friend while you're sick using the same utensils or straw is not suggested as this may be seen as gross and make you very unpopular. Talking about bodily functions openly, about your diarrhea or constipation is not suggested for casual conversation as this may silence your company, cause them to make a face, or burst out laughing hysterically.
Personal space is wider than a centimeter sphere surrounding you. Most Americans sense of personal space extends to a bubble around them. Standing face to face while breathing down someones neck or sitting on the railing as a seat in front of their seat so that your butt is in their face is probably not acceptable on public transportation.
Don't eat everything served to you on your plate. Everything in
moderation. In most of the rest of the world, we already have portions
controlled by those who serve us, especially at restaurants. With the
little resources they have, wasting things is not an option. In
America, we have not mastered portion control and insist on supersizing
everything.
Wear your seat belt or helmet when riding in vehicles. While seat belts may not exist in vehicles in Africa and helmets are suggested but frequently are left in the basket in front of the motorcycle blocking the headlights in Asia, in America, you may find yourself with a very hefty fine or worse an atrocious accident. Use caution when operating motorized vehicles.
Don't throw trash out your car window, even if its biodegradable. In America, this is called littering and is often punishable by a rather hefty fine. Trash belongs in those pretty black or green bins located on most street corners and in homes. If you put the trash in one of these pretty bins at the end of your driveway or behind your apartment complex it will magically disappear within a few days.
Currency is exactly the same value in USD as in USD. $1.00 = $1.00! Math brains no longer will have the privilege of showcasing talents by calculating currency exchange in a matter of moments. Bargaining and haggling is an art that is not appreciated in shopping malls and grocery stores.
Herd mentality is out the window. Driving to the grocery store by yourself, having a room and a bed to yourself, eating by yourself can be expected. Not all activities must be done in a group or with someone else. You are capable of deciding which cereal you want for breakfast without the opinion of 6 other people. Actually, you don't have to have cereal at all; you could make an egg white only spinach, mushroom, and tomato omlette with swiss cheese for breakfast just the way you like it.
and a few customs I hope never change no matter where I am; yes, I'm talking to myself here:
Talk to strangers. Make new friends. Wherever you go, smile and talk to people. You'll hear many wonderful stories and maybe get a chance to speak into their lives. People want to be heard and loved. Sometimes it just takes an understanding stranger to change the course of someone's life. You never know how far the impact of a smile and "how are you really?" can go.
Beauty is found within. So it doesn't matter that you don't look like you stepped out of a magazine, just go with your own personal style. So what if those patterns don't match or those colors clash? Create your own fashion!
Media is not an option for checking out. While it is very tempting to use music, television, movies to leave the present realities of life, it can become an unhealthy habit of not dealing with life. In most other countries, media is a luxury not a necessity. Escape into media is not an option, so having the difficult conversations with your neighbors, confronting those who hurt you, or choosing to forgive and let it go is your only option. Drowning it out in media input and ice cream is not an option.
Accept gifts and helps. While you may be able to do it on your own or get that for yourself, it is a joy and a privilege for others to give you a gift or help you. Don't rob others of that joy. Independence is not always a good thing. God calls us to live in community and to share with one another, that includes allowing others to serve you and love you through gifts. If pride gets in the way, get rid of it and allow others to love you.
Conserve water. Water is a resource that is becoming more and more scarce. In many parts of the world droughts and water shortages have caused agricultural hardship and contribute to poverty and illness. Clean water is even harder to come by; barrels of water often sit completely open to the elements, insects, dust, and other parasitic creatures. This water is frequently used for bathing, laundry, cleaning, and consumption. Just by turning off the tap when brushing your teeth saves gallons of water every year.
The world extends beyond America. There are more important things in this world than whose dating who in Hollywood or which referee made a bad call during a soccer game (no offense to you soccer fans out there). There are wars being fought on international turf, and while it may not have reached our backyard yet, it should rock our world. Literal wars are being fought over territory, over people, and over diseases, poverty, and social issues. Get involved!
So while there are many things I will miss and cherish from my cross-cultural experiences abroad this year, rest assured, I will be extremely grateful when I return home and people speak English to me instead of expecting me to know a foreign Asian language.
The low hum of the barista and the rich smell of coffee wafts out the door, beckoning morning risers to come in and enjoy a cup of coffee to start their day. Cheesecake? we have blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, apple, mango and coconut, banoffee, mocha, or brownie! or our new specials: spaghetti bolognaise, chicken burger, nachos or fajitas? Maybe a smoothie or ice cream for dessert? We have an ice cream buffet special for students! We eagerly invite our guests to partake of the wonderful menu selection put together by Ally Earle, a magnificent missionary who happens to be a trained chef from England. If you don't know what you've ordered, no problem, our staff are happy to teach you about the art of eating Western food!
From the outside Wongen may look like your average coffee shop with ice cream, comparable to every other shop on this street, but when you step in there's something tangibly different about this place, about the people, and about the service. While we're not as refined as other well-established cafes, we do have energy and spunk to spare. We may make mistakes and confuse orders, but we do it with great cheer and enjoy laughing about it with our customers. Communication may be difficult, but we laugh about that too making sure to speak slowly and enunciate clearly. We want to get to know you because you're more than a customer, you're our guest! Our goal is not only to serve you the best coffee, ice cream, cheesecake, and meals, but to offer you so much more... friendship, community, and Christ.
Wongen Kafe is also a haven offering an alternative employment to the bars and nightclubs that frequently employ innocent girls who need a little extra cash. Preemptively recruiting the most vulnerable and at risk, Wongen Kafe has created an alternative path that leads to life abundant. The staff are a joy to work with, extremely hard working but willing to take time to teach you a few things, like how to make the perfect scoop of ice cream. They laugh, joke, and can be found dancing to music on occasion. They are a family; sisters from different mothers who all share the same heavenly Father and rejoice because once they were lost but now they are found.
so, if you happen to be in Chiang Mai, Thailand, stop by and visit Wongen Kafe for coffee, dessert, or even a meal. We're located just across the road from Chiang Mai University's North gate. Say hello to Emmi and the wonderful friends I've made there and tell the they are loved! =)
Some may say that despite the drinking and merriment at the bars in the Red Light district there are few smiles that are not encouraged by alcohol or marked by an intention to increase business. Although there is the occasional eruption of laughter from the pool table or the bar, rarely do they come unforced from the girls. However, as you walk down Loi Khro Road, it is easy to overlook the girls waiting for customers in front of the massage parlors, girls in bars without customers reaching for passerbys, the street children that look eager to sell roses, women with babies strapped to their back selling popcorn leis, and the homeless man sleeping on the steps of a local shop closed for the night. It is easy to overlook the prostitutes who no longer want to be prostitutes.
The first night out, Chelsea was led by the Holy Spirit through a vision during prayer to a girl with a flowery mini skirt and big bow in her hair; her name is Pai. Pai, student and bartender with unregulated after hours business to earn money for school and livelihood, lit up with a dimpled smile when we introduced her to Wongen Kafe. She eagerly initiated a conversation about the possibilities of alternative employment, inquiring about the hours of operation, the location and working environment, and the availability of a position. On her "vacation," we invited her to meet for dinner to discuss with Emmi the possibilities of alternative employment paired with Christian discipleship through Lighthouse. Even though Wongen is just getting off the ground, Emmi feels moved to provide Pai with a way out. However, Emmi currently doesn't have the means to provide Pai with a comparable salary of $200 usd/ month. Please prayerfully consider helping Pai find her way out of the sex industry by donating a portion of Pai's salary for the next year, a total of $2,400 to Wongen Kafe. If you are interested in contributing to Pai's salary with a one time or monthly gift, please write me for details through the contact me link on the left.
While Pai's story is still being rewritten by the generosity of supporters and the mission of Lighthouse and Wongen, we knew there were many more like her who haven't found a way out yet. Although we don't have the means to connect everyone of them with alternative employment at this time, we do hope to brighten their lives in some small way. So last night, Brenda and I decided to put some smiles on
those faces, not with magic, or singing, or anything embarrassing; simply, with an assortment of wrapped candies for the women and children we see every night as we walk down
Loi Khro Road. With each small gift of a sweet, we were met with
delight and surprise. Eyes that were dark and gray before sparkled with
joy. Mouths fixed in a frown turned into toothy grins. Even the
homeless man, who sits on the corner near the phone booth, attempted to
speak a word of thanks in English. Children ran up to us eager to
receive a rare treat. Masseuses laughed in surprise at our gift but
became interested in these farang, foreigners, on a mission to
distribute candy. It was a simple piece of candy that opened the door
to conversations about school, work, family, and
eventually to God. Sometimes it doesn't take an extraordinary effort to
put a smile on someone's face. Sometimes it takes just a smile, a
"hello," or a small piece of candy. Sometimes all it takes is showing that you notice them, taking the time to listen to their stories, and extending God's love to them.
A couple days ago, Brittany and I went to Sasi Designs to order our final debrief t-shirts for the World Race J-squad. With a rough idea and design already in mind, we thought we were prepared for to create the masterpiece. Little did we know that we would be met with 20 different t-shirt colors, none of which matched our original intention - heathered charcoal gray and about 200 different ink colors, again none of which matched our idea of burnt orange. With so many choices before us, we were stunned; our minds were going through all the color combination possibilities and quickly became overloaded and overwhelmed. At the suggestion of our contact, Emmi, we narrowed our choices to 2 shirt colors and about 5 ink colors which made our decision more manageable. Although not exactly as we imagined it our shirts will hold true to the essence of the original design and we left Sasi an hour later satisfied with the choices we made. (We hope the rest of the squad will be too.)
Thinking about the possibilities and options available to me following the World Race, from where to live in Chicago for the next five years to when to go to Minnesota to visit friends to how long to stay at the beach in LA before having to make grown-up decisions after returning to Chicago, has been overwhelming and may have caused a headache or two already. Throughout the World Race, most everything has been decided for me and I've followed the team to board each airplane, train, and bus, rested my headed wherever they told me to, and eaten whatever I was served. Ministry activities have been organized and arranged with contacts before we've arrived. However, there are so many wonderful things that I get to choose for myself when I get home; everyday choices as well as real life big kid kinda choices. While I don't want to allow all of these options to take over my thoughts while still in ministry, I cannot help but notice the drastic dichotomy between my life and those of the prostitutes to whom we are ministering.
Some of the stories we've heard from the ladies go something like this...
"I used to work at a hair salon in Bangkok before I got married 10 years ago. I have two daughters, 12 and 2 years old, but I am having problems with my husband. He refuses to go back to work even though I tell him to. I used to have a business in our town selling clothes, but business is bad because few people are coming. So I came here because my friend says I can come and make money quickly. My friend lives 4 hours away. I miss my girls. They are in my village about 12 hours away." - Jane
"I own this bar for four years. Business is very bad now and many of the girls have gone home to their villages to work on the farm. I have a family - two children, but I am not married. I do not want my daughter to do this business, she is going to University now. I miss her." - Da
"I have a 10-year-old son. We live together. He is a good boy. He calls me here to say goodnight and ask if it is busy. We go swimming only Saturday and Sunday. Here, let me show you his picture. We are just two here. The rest of family lives down there. Two days and two nights by train. I come here to work and I send money to my mom, but I get angry when she give money to family. I only send to her. She did not raise me. My grandfather raise me when I was a little girl. I come to Chiang Mai because I like and I can work. I came with my friend on a trip when we were teenagers." - Mon
We hear stories of being forced into this business by exploitation, coercion, or even blackmail. When I hear these stories I thank God for the choices that I have. Instead of being born a couple generations ago in China and being forced to bind my feet and submit to my arranged match, I was born in America and given the freedom to choose my own husband with my big feet. Instead of being born in a rural village in Thailand where as a girl I am sold to earn money to support my family, my education affords me a profession where I can earn my own living. How many times do we we make choices without even thinking twice about the choice we're making? How often do we just assume that we will always be able to choose? How many of us pass by a gentleman's club or homeless person, thinking they made the wrong choice? but what if they didn't have a choice? What if "choice" isn't even a word in their vocabulary? What if?
"Instead of being welcomed into the world with joy, Emmi was birthed into rejection and despised for being a girl. Was she really the one who would bring a curse on her family as tradition dictated?
I always grew up with the need to protect myself. I had to be strong and tough because I had nobody. If I was weak, I would have been dead. But if I were a boy, no one would bully me anymore.
Emmi's outward appearance hardened as she reinforced her defenses. Shielding her true self.
Her Shan father, breaking from tradition, had spent 5 long years waiting for permission to marry Emmi's Thai mom. The family's story of love and determination came to a sorrowful end, changing their lives forever. Emmi's father, fueled by rage, lashed out and impulsively killed her mother. Emmi was only 3.
Instead of spending their years living happily in their village, Emmi's father went to jail and she was finally taken in by her great grandparents despite their poverty. The family was broken apart allowing anger and shame to take root.
At the age of 11, Emmi narrowly escaped being sold into prostitution by her grandfather. Instead, she found refuge in a Christian orphanage where she stayed until she was 18. She then left to attend Chiang Mai University.
Once again she felt lost and alone, in desperate pursuit of love. She found acceptance and appreciation in her newly discovered homosexual relationships. Towards the end of her studies, Emmi's missionary mom returned to Chiang Mai. She found her Thai daughter in a state of self-destruction as she broke into tears and urged Emmi to change. Emmi knew she had disappointed someone she loved. Tarnished by shame, she desperately searched to restore her life. In the last few months things began to change as Emmi started to learn about Jesus through her job translating for Christian groups traveling in Thailand.
Through different circumstances, Emmi traveled to the States to study while searching for answers that would allow her to live. She realized that in order to be whole again she must somehow approve her father and forgive him. It took three attempts to convince her that forgiveness was the only way to heal the hurt in her life. Her father had been hurt too. He had killed the wife he truly loved. It took faith and courage to call him but her last words were worth the effort.
Dad, I love you.
Me Too, he replied softly.
Forgiveness brings freedom.
Today you will not find Emmi wearing a flowery skirt but rather clothed in wholeness. She carries with her an inner peace. Her identity, security, and self worth are now centered purely on God's truth. She now frequents the Chiang Mai city bars with her YWAM Lighthouse in Action peers, reaching out to prostitutes and ladyboys. She makes friends with young students, confidently showing a selfless love and acceptance at Wongen Kafe. She has genuinely found her path in life."
Excerpt from Lighthouse in Action pamphlets located at Wongen Kafe.
Another chapter has closed on this book of the World Race as Team Shekinah has dispersed and another team has formed as a merging of Shekinah and Ninja girls has formed Redeemed. For many reasons we have chosen this name to describe our team... because God's story is one of ultimate redemption, our individual stories testify to the power of God's redemptive love, the collaboration of our teams is a story of redemption, and our message to the girls of the Red Light district this month is one of redemption.
I am proud to introduce our team leader, Chelsea DiPaolo. Home-schooled in Ohio, Chels is a spunky woman with a heart for discipling women and nurturing children. While she has some wild ideas at times, Chelsea is also really
grounded in her faith... she has grown out of her goody two-shoes
Sunday school days. A long time ago, Chels left her heart in Latin and South America and has been working towards ministering there ever since. Her fluency in Spanish, her open and crazy spirit, and her exuberant love for God's people will continue to draw people to her like fireflies to a light bulb.
Halley Power is a true magician, constantly surprising us with the gifts and talents she reveals as she ministers to people with her love. Before the World Race, Halley from Alabama wanted to be a missionary when she grew up, oh wait... she already is. Her resume includes a long list of talents from black belt in tae kwan do, accomplished worship leader on the guitar, magic tricks especially with cards. If you ever want to sweet talk her into something just offer her a coke and sweets. While Halley's southern charm and sweetness make you really like her, it's her genuine and authentic love for God and His people that make you love her.
Lacey Pauley is one half of our resident married couple. Nick and Lacey Pauley have been serving the youth in their local church in Indiana and are looking forward to becoming house parents for pregnant teenage mothers upon returning to the US. Despite coming from a broken family, Lacey is determined to break the generational strongholds and create new traditions and loves in her family with Nick. Even in the midst of trying situations, she tries to see the positives
and growth from it. Her love and concern for her family is evident in her thoughts and actions. Lacey has an incredible heart of prayer and intercession paired with a faith that can move the mountains.
We are Redeemed. Our lives have been changed by the God who pulled us out of the clay and made us into beautiful vessels to be used by Him. Our stories demonstrate the power of His redemption. Our prayer is that we will change Chiang Mai by breaking spiritual strongholds that have held women back for generations and introduce them to a God who can rewrite their stories to reflect His redemptive love.
Thailand is the "land of smiles!" and truly the smiles of the Thai people are contagious and exhuberant!
Culture: Thailand, known as Siam until 1939 (like in the movie "the King and I"), is called the "land of the free." Over 99% of Thai residents identify as Thai, originating from the mountainous region of Altai in northern Mongolia. The remaining 1% of Thai residents are Chinese, Malay, Khmer, Mon and Indian. Still today, there are a number of different people groups living in the hills to the north and west including the Akha, Meo, Karen, Lawa, Lisu, and Hmong. Thais have incredible self-confidence, but not arrogance, having never been under foreign rule. They put a great deal of effort into maintaining social harmony and use their smile to put people at ease and diffuse the situation. They are also extremely respectful people who greet eac other by pressing their hands together as in prayer and inclining the head forward in salutation, known as the wai. The top of the head is the most important part of one's body for a Thai because it is believed that a person's spirit resides here. Consequently, you should never touch a person's head. To demonstrate humility, your head should always be lower than that of your superior (I should have no problem with this! :)). On the contrary, the feet are the least important and should be kept out of sight as much as possible. Never point at anything with a foot or rest your feet on the table because this is the height of rudeness.
Ministry: Wats or Buddhist temples dot the landscape of Thailand. The Thai school of Theravada Buddhism is rooted in Hinayna Buddhism, an ancient school of Buddhism. Theravada Buddhists do not regard it as possible for a layperson to attain the state of perfection, only a reduction of suffering through earning merits with good deeds and avoiding evil, known as tam boon. Muslims tend to be concentrated in the south of the country, bordering on Malaysia. Christians are centrally located in Bangkok where there is a large number of Christian educational institutions. Some of the hill tribes practice animism, the belief that everything, animate or inanimate, possesses a soul or spirit. Our ministry this month involves ministering to the prostitutes in the Red Light district. Thais do not have any inhibitions about sex and while 60% of foreign men entering the country are here for sexual pleasure, 80% of the revenue produced in the sex industry is from Thai men themselves. Polygamy is generally accept and housewives tolerate their husband's extramarital activities, including having minor wives or regular conjugal visits to prostitutes. Officially prostitution is illegal in Thailand since 1960, establishments offering sexual services often masquerade as bars, restaurants, hotels, and massage parlors. Authorities turn a blind eye to their true nature because it brings in so much revenue. We will be in Chiang Mai working with Lighthouse, an outreach ministry of YWAM Thailand that provides prostitutes with an alternative employment.
Language: Thai belongs to the Austro-Thai language family and is radically different from most of the other tongues of Southeast Asia. Thai is a tonal language, meaning words are differentiated not only by vowels and consonants but also the 5 tones, which can be flat, high, low, rising, or falling. Thai script is even more confusing with 44 consonants to represent 21 consonant sounds and 32 vowels to deal with 48 different vowel sounds. When speaking Thai, men end their sentence in khrap and women end in kha. Some useful Thai phrases include:
sawadee meaning hello
sawat dii/la kawn meaning goodbye
khawp khun meaning thank you
khaw thawt meaning excuse me
sabai dii reu? meaning how are you?
khun cheu arai? meaning what's your name?
...yuu thii nai? meaning where is the...?
...thao rai/kii baat? meaning how much is...?
mai khao jai meaning I don't understand
Food: Many Thais eat kao tom noodle soup or rice soup for breakfast, a light meal of fried rice or noodles for lunch, and rice with a steamed dish, fried dish, curry soup, and salad for supper. Street vendors offer noodles and meat balls on a stick at any time of the day. Typical dishes are flavored with garlic, coriander root, black pepper, lemon grass, ginger, and chili. Some common dishes include: geng ped curry, geng jert nua beef soup, tom yam hot and spicy soup, kau pat fried rice, kwitiau noodle soup, tawt man pla or tawt man kung fish or prawn cakes. Thailand also has an extensive variety of exotic fruits such as durian, a spiky fruit with a stink, bananas, mangoes, papayas, pineapples, pomelo, rambutan, custard apple, jackfruit, and mangosteen. Desserts tend to be sweet often containing rice or coconut.
We have met incredible people
all over
the world during this past year. We have gotten to live day in and
day out with people who are putting it all on the line to follow
God's vision for their lives. We leave most months inspired and
thankful that God would allow us to see the ways in which He is
moving throughout the world.
This past month our team (Team Ninja)
worked with one such inspiring person. If you've been following along
with Team Ninja during May, you've already heard about him. His name
is Vuthy Nurn, and he lives in a small, remote village in Cambodia
called Toch Village. He was born in the village but spent his
childhood in Phnom Penh, the capital. After a few rebellious years,
he accepted Christ through YWAM. Almost immediately God laid a vision
on his heart for how Vuthy could transform his village.
Vuthy's vision is almost as big as his
heart is. His vision includes building a home for abandoned children
from the village, as well as for orphaned street kids from Phnom
Penh. He wants to construct a youth center for the local youth from
his village and the surrounding area. He wants a place for the youth
to gather to learn about God, to have a space for a computer lab, and
to run English classes. He currently runs English classes every day
for local children and youth.
Throughout the month our team caught
Vuthy's vision. We believe that God is working mightily through his
life. In order for Vuthy to be able to see these dreams come to pass
in reality, he will need financial support. He needs money to begin
the initial process to build both the orphanage and the youth
center. Please watch the video that we have put together to give you
a more complete picture of Vuthy and his vision. We hope that you
will be able to see the amazing things that will come out of your
donations to his project.
With love,
Team Ninja and all of J Squad
If you wish to donate to this cause, please go
to www.theworldrace.organd follow these
instructions.
1. Click the tab "Donate
"
on the top right side of the page.
2. Click
on the link "Click
Here To Give!"
This will take you to the donation page.
In
the box that appears, you will see:
ONLINE
DONATION INFORMATION
3. Please
select "Support a World Race Project" under Choose
Program.
4. Please
enter "2010
Jun J squad"
in the Project field provided in order to be sure your funds will go
into the account designated for this ministry.
If
you wish to send a donation by mail, please make your check payable
to Adventures In Missions and mail it to:
Adventures
In Missions
P.O. Box 534470
Atlanta, GA 30353-4470
Please
indicate "World
Race Project Fund - 2010
Jun J squad"
in
the memo section of the check.
What makes a person scream? sheer terror, irrational and rational fears, peer influence... maybe all of the above. While Lindie-Ann, Monica, and I were at the market shopping for our dinner groceries, the rain started to poor. We sought shelter under the awning of a shop at the market. As we sat on the edge of the sidewalk and yelled over the rhythmic beating of the rain pelting the sheet metal awning, we noticed cockroaches swimming in the puddles of water that were beginning to form. Candidly making a joke about cockroaches and Jesus being similar because of their ability to walk on water, Lindie-Ann laughed out loud then screamed as we saw a stream of cockroaches come out of their hiding place in the cracks of the sidewalk and scurry towards us and dry land. We laughed at our squeamishness and quickly screamed again as another entourage of cockroaches scampered towards us. Keeping our eyes on their hiding place while jumping around to avoid the approaching cockroaches, we witnessed a rat scurry out of the sidewalk and into the alley. A scream arose from all three of us followed by an eruption of laughter from the locals, who had been watching this scene of foreigners with great amusement. After wading through flooded sewer water, we reached the other side and were greeted by a dead rat in the middle of the sidewalk.
We were relieved to find shelter back in our concrete home, rat and cockroach free. But as I sat and watched the rain continue to pour down on the muddy pond next door, I could not help but think about the scene we must have created with our screams at an ordinary everyday occurrence that is probably welcomed as the rain storms roll through to water the rice and vegetable fields, their livelihood. Naked babies wading in the sewer water that are appalling to me are not given a second glance here. Insects, roaches, and rats are as visibly populated as people here. Murky pond water that rises with the rain is welcomed and will be used for everything from laundry and bathing to cooking and drinking here. This is life, no screams necessary.
Later that evening, Dan, our squad leader, screamed in response to a screaming gecko that had made it's home on the ceiling of our common room. As the gecko's screams grew louder and bolder, Dan got more squeamish and positioned himself as far away from the gecko as possible. We laughed out loud at the silliness of the situation - a grown man scared into the corner of a room by a 3-inch long gecko. But I think to myself, how many times have I screamed out of irrational fears? How many times has fear prevented me from doing something? How many times have I thought and re-thought an action plan before moving to action? How many times have I allowed fear to dictate my actions?
But God did not give me a spirit of fear and of timidity, but a spirit of power and boldness. "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship" Romans 8:15. "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline" 2 Timothy 1:7.
