The World Race - Lauren Outcalt

The Philippines Has Stolen My Heart

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I have made it to the Philippines. Here we go, month three! When we arrived to Manila, Philippines we found out that our entire squad would be serving together for the entire month (well, until April 3rd to be exact). I honestly never saw the whole squad being able to minister together since there are 53 of us, but this month we are! What a blessing! We are staying at KIM, Kids International Ministry Center.

Through this center there is a Christian school, an orphanage and many outreach programs. Jeff Long and his family (wife & 5 children) came here from Kansas. Jeff and his wife, Colene are the directors. He is a GREAT man of God and has a lot of enthusiasm for the Kingdom. He has great ideas to share the love of God with the people in this community. There has been many programs established like: medical attention, feeding children and after school basketball programs, and many others.

I found out that my specific ministry this month will be working in the children's home with boys ages 5-10. I have the morning shift, which is 6am-2pm. I make sure the boys are up, showered, dressed, fed and ready for school. They go to school for half a day and then come back for a nap and then playtime! These little ones are adorable. I'm excited God is allowing me to work with these boys. I'm nervous too. These boys are going to leave a mark on my heart. It's going to hurt when I leave. Maralyn, head nurse at the children's home, warned us they will steal your heart. We were encouraged to just love on these kids and care for them the best we knew how. Most of the kids were street kids, who were taken into the children's home. There stories break your heart to hear.

One of the little boys collected trash off the streets and sold them for 5 pisos, which is not even worth a penny, so that he and his brother could eat. Other boys that are in the home were found living in one of those storm drains that pour into a nearby river. It's so sad. Another little girl was at the children's home in order to receive proper medical attention and then would be sent home once she got better. Now this little one really touched me. Her name is Raeh, and she completely melted my heart. She has 8 siblings. Her dad is an alcoholic and her mom was described as lazy and not concerned about her children, therefore the two oldest girls, 12 & 14 take care of all the children. The children's home can't take these kids away from their parents because they are their guardians, which is frustrating to see, real frustrating. Maralyn told us that Raeh has never smiled and she's one and a half. I prayed that while she was in our care she would smile, and you know what we got her to smile!!! Megan was holding her one afternoon, lifting her in the air and we got a smile out of her. She has the cutest little dimples. Then later that day I was rocking Raeh on the front porch. I decided to sing to her because I remember how much that meant to me when my mom did that. I turned her around and sat her on my lap facing me and started singing "You Are My Sunshine" in the highest, most smile-est voice I could. Slowly, she began to smile, and I began to cry. It was just me and her on the porch and it was a precious moment. I was so thankful God gave me that moment.

Even though I've only been in the Philippines for a little over a week, the children here have already stolen my heart, like Maralyn warned, and I wouldn't want it any other way. I have so many stories already that I can't wait to share with you. If you could be praying for me that I may love on these kids with all that I have, I would appreciate it. I will need energy and strength.

Some of the kids out playing before school

Does that face not melt your heart?

The Truth Will Set You FREE!!! (part 1)

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

If it's alright with you, I'm going to share with you something out of my journal...

Freedom in Christ is so, so sweet! Praise God! We've made it to our first official debreif. We are three months into the race, in the Philippines. Tonight I entered into worship with a weary soul. I'm tired and feeling a bit numb. I don't know if that had to do with travel day and my lack of sleep, or just with where I'm at right now.

When worship began tonight, I knew I needed to get up and move to the back of the room, but I didn't feel like I had the strength to get up and actually move. Still, I felt God asking me to spend some time with Him in the back of the room, so I got up and went to the very back, where I kneeled down. Immediately, I started to weep. I couldn't even sing along with everyone--all I could do was weep. I held my hands out and cried. I wanted, I needed, the Lord to consume me. I felt completely drained and needing to hear from the Lord. As soon as I quieted my heart, the Lord clearly told me, "You do not disappoint me." He kept repeating this to me. It felt like He was sitting beside me, crying with me.

For a long time I've been consumed with trying not to disappoint anyone and not to let anyone down. I had taken on a burden of what others thought of me--feeling/thinking I had to be what they needed, what I thought they expected. In the midst of my crying one of my squadmates, Kristen came over to me, sat down beside me, hugged me and began to pray for me. I started to cry harder, almost uncontrolably. She told me God wanted me to know that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Kristen then reminded me that I am completely FREE in Christ and that at the end of the day, the only one that I need to make sure to put a smile on their face, is God--no one else. I will let people down, I'm only human, but God--He's never disappointed with me. I am His daughter. He made me who I am--"I am not The Great I Am, but by the grace of God, I am what I am." Lies. I've believed lies for far too long. It stops tonight! There is no more quilt--no more "would-of," "should-of," could-of's"--but I'm FREE! And as I write this sitting on a porch swing on a balcony in the Philippines, I feel a cool breeze across my face and hear the wind chimes sing, and I know God is pleased with me and He's here with me now. He wants me to find the truth (the truth shall set you free) out about myself according to Him. He is so good and so gracious, and just as we sang tonight, if grace is an ocean, then we're all sinking. Praise God! He continues to remind me of that--He's always there waiting for me wanting to talk with me.

I know that I'm hard on myself, why I am, I'm not completely sure. At the end of my life, what will matter? Will it matter what people thought of me or what God thought of me...

My prayer is to continue to walk in this new found freedom--to allow God to use me fully in His will--to be okay with not being okay--to be broken and to allow for great change in my life. What joy that will bring! Amen.

*Stay tuned for more on this, as I process this throughout the Race! Blessings!!!

The Truth Will Set You Free (part 2)

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I have found that in my life, God gives me certain songs to speak to me. Here is the song that He has laid on my heart. I highlighted some specific words and phrases that really spoke to me...

TIMES
By: Tenth Avenue North

(if you are not familiar with them, you NEED to check them out)

I know I need you, I need to love you Lord. I'd love to see you--it's been so long. I long to feel you, I feel this need for you. I need to hear from you, is that so wrong? Now you pull me near you, when we're close I fear you, still I'm afraid to tell you all that I've done. Are you done forgiving or can you look past my pretending? Lord I'm so tired of defending--what I've become. What have I become?

I hear you say, "My love is over, it's underneath, it's inside, it's in between- in times you doubt me, when you can't feel, in times that you question, is this for real? The times that you're broken, the times that you mend, times that you hate me, the times that you bend."

"My love is over, it's underneath, it's inside, it's in between, these times you're healing and when your heart breaks. In times that you feel like you've fallen from grace. In times that you heal, the times that you're hungry and are tempted to steal. In times of confusion, in choas and pain. I'm there in your sorrow and the weight of your shame. I'm there through your heartache, I'm there through the storm. In my love I'll keep you, in my promises. I'll never forsake you, my love never ends. It never ends."

Learning to fly, but I ain't got wings....

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

My life just got a little more simple--literally. We were given a unique opportunity for our last week in Australia to fly in a tiny, four-seater Cessna plane to minister in the community of Palumpa this week. Due to the fact that we were flying in on a Friday and leaving the following Thursday, and that we'd be in a pretty tiny plane, we could only bring our day packs aka my old backpack used for school. Just when you think you can't give up any more, you must downsize again. Praise God!

We arrived at the airport with our one alotted bag in hand when it hit me, what have I gotten myself into? Don't get me wrong, I was thoroughly excited, but I had to laugh because every time I don't think I can do something, God shows me I CAN! We hopped on the plane with David Shrimpton, our pilot. He was great, making sure to brief us on things he was doing and asking every now and then if we were okay. I'll admit, I made myself a little sick with how much I tensed up on the plane and had to lie down when we landed, but on the way back it shouldn't be as bad, since I know what to expect now.

our plane

Glenalyn, Leyna & I before our flight

Leyna & I in the back seat, we got to talk to each other through the headsets

(and I knew my glasses were going to come in handy)

We arrived an hour later in the grand community of Palumpa. The airport was a landing strip of red dirt and not much else. We were warmly greeted by Paul & Noe (since he flew out earlier). We are staying with Paul and his family for the week. Paul is married to Ompara (who is from the Philippines...do you see how God works?) and she has a son, Eugene. They told us last week they were given three mattresses and didn't know why and then we showed up and all had a place to stay. Again, do you see how God works? God truly opened many doors for us to be here. Let me just share a couple of those doors with you: Door #1, we should not have been able to afford our flights. By the grace of God, we got 3 flights for the price of 1. Door #2, it is wet season. This means no one should be able to get out and do anything this time of year. This has been they're driest wet season to date and on the day we flew--clear skies. Roger, our ministry contact for the month reminded us that we have the Lord's favor. WE REALLY DO! I've seen it first hand.

one of the little boys in the community, so precious

I've seen the Lord's protection, because let me just tell you, this place is right in the thick of spiritual warfare. We had a ministry barbeque on Sunday night and we asked if anyone wanted prayer. Megan and I prayed for three young girls who told us they felt curses on them. I've seen people look at me with glazed over eyes and what appears to be any empty soul, it's so sad. Many people have lost hope. Many of the men in this community drink and gamble their money away, not leaving enough money for their families to eat. It is a country that needs Jesus so badly, and they're thirsty for it, I've seen that too. Some of the women have come around to us, even some of the kids, but there is still much resistance. I think the ministry night was good. If it's one thing I've learned, it's that you can reach people through food. We put on a mini drama and sang some songs and then gave everyone a sausage. A few of us played with the kids while others talked to their parents. I walked away from that night, tired, hot and sweaty, but with an overwhelming joy in my heart. There was even a point on the hour ride home in our Troopie where we kept hitting mud puddle after mud puddle and I couldn't stop laughing as I was being thrown across the bench. It was great! (Yes, I realize I was most likely sleep deprived, but it was great none the less!) God continues to renew my strength just when I think, "no God, I can't do this anymore," he changes my attitude and lifts my spirits. He has been my constant through this ever changing journey. And I look forward to how He will reveal Himself next month to our team when we are in the Philippines.

A love like no other

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

This year, my Valentine's Day was spent in the Outback of Australia. I felt so filled with love in so many different ways. As a team we spent time out to eat and after wards we took a walk on the beach.

The boys spoiled us with chocolate, candy and cards

Perhaps the greatest way I felt loved this Valentine's Day though was that I am loved by God. His love is the ultimate. Noe reminded us that God daily romances us to Him. I've been thinking about that these past couple of days. OF COURSE HE DOES! His deepest desire is for us to fall madly in love with him. What better way to romance someone than to give them such beautiful gifts, and He has certainly done that during my time in Australia.

Tolmer Falls Sunset out our window at Woolaning Homeland Christian School

He has also given us beautiful star-filled skies at night with a moon that shines so bright. He has given us thunderstorms to cool us during our day. There is such immense beauty in all the things He's created, especially in His people whom He loves.

that's about as "gangsta" as she gets folks...

I'm constantly in awe of all these things and so thankful too. This past Valentine's Day was the best by far--feeling so loved by the One who matters most.

Outback ain't just a restaurant...

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I have officially been in the Outback of Australia for about two weeks now. I'll admit, when I first found out that Australia was on my Race route, I was super pumped. Immediately I thought: Sydney--right? because that's the only place in Australia... (Please note my sarcasm). My team and I found out in the last week of January that we'd be going to a community in the Northern Territory about an hour and a half outside of Darwin. I'd never heard of Darwin (although, this was where part of Australia was filmed), nor did I ever think I'd be going to Northern Australia...although why I keep thinking like that is beyond me. I gave up all those rights to even put God in that box--He can take me wherever He wants (which I know darn well, He will).

To give you a little insight of where I'm at, you need to know that it is blazing HOT here. You cross your arms, or your legs and you stick together. You go outside, you just start sweating. It really feels like I'm in an oven all day. FORTUNATELY, where we are staying has one large air conditioned room and we set up our tents for mosquito netting, so we stay cool and bug free at night. We even got our hands on some ice cream (shh, don't tell anyone).

Where are we staying you ask? Woolaning Christian College's Student Center. Our ministry for part of this month is helping out a Christian boarding school. In Australia students go through grade school then college, then Uni (or University). We are working with students ages 10-19 this first part of February. Most of them are here because they've had a rougher life, or they don't have parents. By being here, they have a place to stay, they receive an education or trade skill and they have people who will invest into their lives.

Megan and I helped out with the Level 1 classroom the first week. The students in Level 1 are learning their basics. We help them with their reading assignments, math, spelling, art--things like that. We also try and help the teacher keep the class under control, but a typical day could look like a fight, some yelling, things being thrown and occasional name calling, followed by storming out of the class. Each class has one teacher, 1-2 teaching aids and sometimes one guy to keep the boys in line. I have found that if you show them individual attention and care, they respond fairly well to you though. I even got one of the boys, Billy, to sit with me for a whole twenty minutes to practice reading. I was so proud of him; I could tell he was proud of himself too, because I'm pretty sure I caught a smile on his face for a brief second.

Along with the students, we've met a lot of great people at the school. The principal has welcomed us, the staff and faculty are great, but there's a special place in my heart for the house parents. The house parents have a huge responsibility with looking after the children. Each house operates like a family. There are 3 girl houses and 3 boy houses. The children range from ages 10-19 in the houses. The goal is to have different ages, like you would with siblings. Each house has around 10 kids and then a set of house parents.

Now if I can take a moment to tell you about the house parents we've met. One of our first nights here, we met Matt & Missy Eby.

They are from good ol' US of A, Pennsylvania to be exact. They invited us over for ice cream, to hear a little more about our stories. Missy and Matt are great. They were house parents in Philly for a group of inner city boys, before moving to Australia. They both studied abroad in Australia when they were in college and knew they wanted to return someday. They found out about this house parent opportunity and decided to sell everything and leave what they knew behind to come to Woolaning. They have been here for about 5 months now. They shared with us over ice cream about how it's been going so far. I was so thankful to have met them. Missy reminds me a lot of my cousin (Kim) and I felt like I had someone who understood me as soon as we sat down to chat. She was great to talk with and we could relate on a lot of topics. I was so thankful God allowed our paths to cross this month. I'm a firm believer that God brings people into our lives for certain reasons and seasons of our life. Someone who can walk with you, talk with you, offer advice or just listens--it's awesome! Even though it was only for a couple of weeks, I am blessed to have met her.

I have great admiration for Matt & Missy and what they do, especially because they are house parents for boys. As I witnessed that first evening at their house, it's not always easy--I mean, let's face it: boys will be boys. :) We left that night and walked back to our humble abode. I turned to the girls on my team (with huge eyes I'm sure) and said, "wow, I could never do that."

Well, God heard that, because within the next 2 days, things unfolded and needless to say, we found out this week's assignment was to be house parents for one of the boys houses. YIKES! When Noe told us this, I started laughing. God is continually showing me that He will use me in spite of me and that I can do all things through Him. So this week, we have been with the Tower House boys. Can I just say what a blessing it has been so far! I'm on the evening shift, which includes getting a snack/tea ready for them after school and cooking dinner. Yes, I, Lauren Outcalt, along with two others, cook for 9 hungry boys. Last night was my first go at it and I was pretty proud of myself. I cooked burgers on the barbie and I even grilled onions too, while Glenalyn made a salad. *Dad, you would have been proud of my grill skills!* Two of the boys even thanked me for cooking and said it was good! WOW!

We also have a team on the morning shift and they are responsible for cleaning and laundry for that day. In the evenings we get to hang out with the boys, since they are in school during the day. Slowly walls are being broken down and they are opening up to us. They are mostly shy and keep to themselves, but I can see that they're coming around. We've been able to play basketball with them (well, I cheerlead on the side) and we've had some good chats at night. I will really miss this place when I leave. I've learned a lot in the short amount of time of being here. My eyes were opened to new ideas and I was really challenged in my ways of thinking and praying. I am so thankful for having this opportunity at Woolaning Christian College these past few weeks.

Some of us with Woolaning Staff doing our best Steve Erwin impersonation

Promise Me This

Sun, 7 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

During my time in Brisbane, I had the opportunity to attend a service at Hillsong Church. Worship was high energy, exciting and glorifying. What meant the most to me during the service was the message that was shared. I felt like it was solely meant for us World Racers who attended that morning. The message was about God's promises for our lives. "Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises..." 2 Peter 1:4. Can I highlight something for you? God's promises are precious. He then went on to share the story of Abram's life when the Lord asks him to give up everything to follow him. "The Lord had said to Abram, 'Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse." Genesis 12:1-3 Hopefully you see what I mean about this message hitting home for me. ;)

God has promised to direct my path. He has called me to the Race and wants me here for a reason. "What God has called us to, far out ways what he called us from," the pastor reminded us (unfortunately, we weren't given a bulletin, and I can't remember his name).

God's promises always provides for our lives. The pastor went on to tell us how God's promise brings progress. If you look at Hebrews 8:6-13 it says:

"But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and is founded on better promises. For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people and said, "The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by he hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord. This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor or a man his brother, saying because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete, and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear."

Another one of God's promises is a picture for our future. Sometimes we limit God because of our own selves. But He has a plan for our future and He reveals it in His timing. And God's time is always perfect timing! As we read through the Bible we get a better grasp of what that picture is. With these promises though, it doesn't mean the absence of failure. Through these promises we will produce faith. If we lose faith and start to fear, then fear can lead us to failure, but in the midst of failure, God's promises still stand! "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." Hebrews 10:36

We were also reminded that a promise can redirect our path. "Is not the whole land before you? Let's part company. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left." Genesis 13:9 .What we need to trust in though is no matter which way we go, God's blessing is on us! And sometimes, God will purposely redirect your path through situations or circumstances, thus making progress in who He wants you to become.

We have to be careful not to forget His promises though. We have to daily remind ourselves that our Father wants the best for us. He knows our hearts, souls, and minds and only wants what's best for us--even if that means bringing us through something really tough. "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess for he who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23. "God is far more interested in our character than our comfort," Michael Hindes of AIM, reminded us at launch. So I praise God for the promises He has on my life. I'm thankful that He has made me rely on Him in new ways already this year, so that progress can be made in my life.

"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God." Hebrews 1:20

Send Me On My Way

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I hope this blog finds you happy, healthy and with a cup of coffee in your hand (because that's the way I'd want you to be reading this). I wanted to give you an update on next month's ministry. I'm looking forward with great anticipation about February. Next month will be drastically different than this month, but I'm excited. God has blessed me with a smooth transition into the World Race. He has challenged me in different ways this month, but I know next month it will be a whole other set of challenges and blessings.

Our team will be flying into Brisbane on Saturday, the 30th. We then have two days before heading out to our ministry. God has blessed us tremendously and has provided us with a home to stay in through a friend, of a friend, of a friend (no, I'm not even kidding). We were told we will be picked up from the airport, not to worry about our food, and that if we wanted a tour guide in Brisbane, they'd be happy to take us around! What a blessing! I'm sure this will turn out to be yet another home, away from home.

From Brisbane, we will be heading by plane to Darwin. Darwin is in the northern territory of Australia and we are repeatedly told it is HOT and humid there this time of year. It will be a change in weather, since New Zealand has been cooler and is just heading into their summer now. Once we are in Darwin we will be connecting with our ministry contact, Roger. Roger runs a network of ministries to aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory of Australia. He has connections in schools and communities all over the region as well as maintaining a home base for short term teams in Darwin. Roger has a heart for reaching out to the region using music as a tool in areas where relationship is difficult and people can't really walk in and start churches. He cultivates leadership underneath him to maintain a men's group and youth groups while he is away and has a heart for raising up other missionaries to live long term in these communities. Crisis ministry in aborigial communties is also another powerful ministry. There is a possibilty that we will work with an indigenous remote boarding school during our time there as well. There is another possible ministry that may involve splitting up the team into two groups and sending three people into the bush with a Salvation Army pilot. INTO THE BUSH! How amazing would that be? (This also means limited internet usage this month). As you can imagine, prayer for my team would really be appreciated this month for this transition. We were told there will most likely be language barriers too, but as I mentioned before, one of Roger's ministries is music and he believes, (as do I) that music can minister and reach all people. He also has a method to teach people how to learn a musical instrument quickly and he is convinced that he can teach us how to play during our month's stay. So I'm thinking I'll learn the guitar...haha.

*Thank you so much for all of your support and prayers! Like I said, internet will be limited, but I'll update as often as I can.*

Please keep Team Komboa in your thoughts and prayers this month as we continue together on this journey!

The Beauty of New Zealand (pics)

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

A glimpse of the beauty that God created in New Zealand...

This is the path I took to get to the ocean...

The woods I walked through to get to the ocean.

(Don't you feel like you'll see a hobbit run through at any time?)

The river I passed to get to the ocean...

Almost there...

"The Heavens declare the glory of God!"

(New Zealand is referred to as the big, white cloud and I found out why...)

I like to think of this as God's gift to us on our last night in New Zealand...

And here we areTeam Komboa! What a beautiful month it's been, in so many ways!

Thank you so much for your prayers, they are felt!

Blessings!

You're Never Closer to Jesus Than When...

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I can't believe tomorrow I leave New Zealand! Honestly, I don't know where the time went. We've created lasting memories here and I will truly miss the serenity and beauty of this place. I will also miss the people, culture, ease of life, tea breaks, the trees, the mountains, the flowers, the ocean and the weather just to name a few specifics...

This month I was shown the importance of slowing down and enjoying life as it comes. We worked hard and we played hard. We invested not only in our teammates, but in the people of New Zealand. Our friendships won't soon be forgotten, but I've started to realize that it will only get harder and harder as we continue to travel to new places and meet more people. God has placed these people in our lives, rather--these BLESSINGS--in our life for "such a time as this." During this month I have felt times of complete rest and of complete exhaustion. I am thankful for both. I've laughed so much this month, and cried some too. I know if I'm ever given the opportunity again, I will return to New Zealand.

Now, I want to catch you up on last week's ministry too. When I say we worked hard, I wasn't kidding. The group of World Racers that were here in Wakenai, which was about 20 of us, served on kitchen and cleaning crews. What crew was I on you ask?

The "Poo-Crew"

My team (Danny, Megan, Kelly, Lana & I) worked with Sam McAllister (wonderful man & head custodian) at El Rancho, cleaning all the camps bathrooms twice a day that were used by 700+ people...It was a humbling job and I was thankful to do it. As Rob, the camp director put it, "You're never closer to Jesus than when you're cleaning toilets." Amen. We were reminded to take the time to seek out the Lord during our everyday tasks. Where will you find your joy today? If this was all you did the rest of your life, how would you make it edifying to Jesus? I was so thankful for this job because twice a day I had concentrated time to think and pray. How do I seek God out in my day-to-day routine? Sure, some days I just put in my ipod and got to work, but other days were for just talking with my Father. The cool thing is, He meets you wherever you are, whatever you're doing.

A Home Away from Home

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I've been thinking a lot about what being homesick means. Last week, I had great insight on the matter when two of my campers got terribly homesick and wanted to leave camp after the first day. I felt bad for them because they couldn't even make it through a meal without shedding a few tears. Fortunately, my co-leader and I were able to keep them busy during the day to try and take their minds off missing home. I'll admit, it made me think of my home. It's awesome how God provides exactly what you need and when you need it though.

While being on this trip so far I have experienced the Body of Christ in new and amazing ways. God has given me a home away from home. When camp was over the "Americans" (as we're fondly called) and a few El Rancho Staff members all decided to go out to dinner and then up to a mountainside. It was about 15 minutes into our trip when it started raining though, so we decided to pass on the hike. Dave, one of the Camp Leads for the week invited us to his house instead. So, we picked up two huge boxes of take-away fish 'n chips and headed to Dave's house. When we got there, we were warmly greeted by Dave's parents and told to make ourselves at home--literally. There home was beautiful. It sits up on a hill and the view from their family room is amazing--it overlooks the ocean. It was so nice to be at a home, just to chill and relax. It wasn't long before his parents were making pizzas for us, giving us fruit--they even gave us these New Zealand iced coffee drinks in a bottle (similar to Starbucks), which won me over. I couldn't believe how they just opened their home like that and invited us in. They literally opened their doors to us and said what's mine is yours. I couldn't help but sit back in my chair and think, "yeah, THIS is what the body of Christ is all about." God provided me a home that night to relax in and a set of New Zealand parents that loved on us [God's children] for a few hours. It was such a blessing.

Here is a picture of Dave's house...

I know God is going to continue to provide me with "homes" along my journey, and I can't wait to share them with you.

Pictures of Camp

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Our campers working through the team building course. They did such a great job!

Can you believe this view? Mountains in the background and palm trees...simply beautiful. This team initiative was the spider web and they all had to figure out how to get from one side to the other.

Here is Tiffany & Alesha, two of the very sweetest girls.

And here is Stephan. Stephan is a great boy with LOTS of energy, it wasn't uncommon to find him climbing on top of something. He kept us on our toes this week, that's for sure. I was thankful for him to be in our group.

Race Route Update

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

My Race Route has changed!!! Just to keep you

in the loop, in month three we will be heading

to....

the Philippines, instead of Maylasia.

You can be praying for us as we make this

transition.

*On a side note, I'm excited to go here because my Dad served there for 9 months in Desert Storm, while in the Marines.

Blessings!

Camp El Rancho

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

For the past week I've had the privilege to work at a Christian Camp called El Rancho in Waikanae, New Zealand (I am pointing to it on the map). The camp's director is a wonderful man of God, Rob Namba and his wife Jen. They are from California and moved here with there three boys about 8 months ago. They immediately made us feel at home. I was so excited this was our first ministry. I love working with kids and I was praying that we were going to have a great experience while we were here. I was also excited to see how a children's camp is run in another country. We recieved a such a warm welcome when we arrived. There was a welcome dinner, which included cultural, tribal traditions. We were then introduced to the staff we'd be working with for the week (Kiwi's/New Zealander's who were between the ages of 15-19). We then spent a couple days of training before our campers arrived for the week.

I was in a cabin with five girls all who were 10 years old and two co-counselors, one of my teammates, Kendall Hawley and a Kiwi, Gabby who is actually from Romania, but has been living here for the past two years.

At El Rancho, they pair one girls cabin with one boys cabin to form a team (we were the Tsunamis) to compete in different activities throughout the week. So along with my cabin of girls, (Christi, Yvonne, Sophie, Alesha & Tiffany) I met three great boys (TK, Stephan & Zach) as well. We had a great week and I was so proud of all the kids. Many of the kids at camp committed their lives to Christ this week. It was such an exciting week. Our three boys even brought their Bibles to the rock climbing wall to read while they waited for their turn, it was great!

I was so thankful to be reminded about a child-like faith this week. It was a huge blessing. I was stretched and challenged this week, all for the better.

Lastly, here are some fun Kiwi sayings the kids taught me this week:

Lollies = candies

Jandels=flip flops

Tog=swim suit

Fizzy pop=coke

The Kingdom of Heaven is like...

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Please enjoy our team's video we made! I hope this project will bring a little joy to your day...

New Zealand::New Perspective

Mon, 4 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Well, I've made it to New Zealand safe and sound after my 13 hour flight! What a gorgeous country. God really He knew what He was doing when He created New Zealand. We are tucked at the bottom of a mountain with green hills all around us. I wake up to a wonderful view every morning, it's such a blessing. That's when I find myself asking, "God, am I really doing this?"

The World Racers have been arriving to New Zealand in waves. First team leaders, next finance & logistics people and finally the rest of the squad! Everyone (although tired) seems to be in great spirits, excited to get going on the World Race. We are spending a week at a YWAM (Youth With A Mission) base in Matamata, New Zealand (yes, where Lord of the Rings was filmed) and then we head out Saturday (your Friday) to a town called Wellington, to work at a youth camp, called El Rancho, for the month. I'm so excited to be a part of this. I have spent several summers of my life working for Spring Hill camps, in Michigan and Indiana, and to be able to get to work with kids at a camp again will be a blast. The last week of the month the camp is hosting a conference and my understanding is we will be on hospitality duty that week, serving in various areas where we're needed. We are serving with two other teams this month, so there will be a lot of us at this site. We are also tent camping (but praise Jesus there are showers and toliets available).

Speaking of teams. I have some news. God is moving. The Wednesday before leaving on the Race, we found out a team member of ours could no longer go. I was unsure if they would keep us as a team, or split us up because we now had four members. After discussing options and praying with my squad leaders, Kyla & Mark, we came to the conclusion that Team Poiema would be split up. It was a bitter-sweet realization. These are the women I have been praying for, for the past 8 weeks. We had the expectation going into this that we would be a team and be together. What I've realized though is that we don't have to stop praying for one another. We can always check in with each other, it's not like I won't ever see each other again. This does not change the dynamic of our relationships, it changes the dynamics of teams is all. I am continully being reminded that I need to surrender my expectations. With the dynamics of the teams changing, this means I will no longer be leading a team. I have been placed on a great new team, Team Komboa (which is Swahili for FREEDOM). My team leader, Noe Rivera is a man of God that I truly respect and trust. I feel comfortable being under his leadership and I feel I have a lot to learn from him. My new team has 7 members, Noe Rivera, David Shaw, Glenalyn Hunt, Megan Rouse, Leyna White and Cat Pollock, who will be coming from Team Poiema with me to join this team. (Find us on the WR site and adopt our team!) God is moving and He is moving within me. To be honest, I was expecting to lead. I was not expecting for things to go this way. So even though I feel a little thrown for a loop, I know NOTHING happens without a reason. I look back to training camp and up until now, even in that short amount of time, I see how things have unfolded and I feel the Lord is asking me to be obedient. Being a leader does not define me. I know there will be unique ways to lead with in this new family, but I think the bigger thing here was God wanted to know if I'd be willing to lead and once He knew that, He then told me it wouldn't be in the capicity I thought, but it would be for all His glory and good. As you pray for me, please pray for this transition. I also have been given the responsibility to be in charge of finances for the team (yeah shopping). I will be responsible for keeping close tabs on all seven of our expenses for this year. For those of you who know me well, you know math is not my stong suit, but I'm up for the challenge. So you can pray for that as well! Lots of changes, lots of good to come from it all. Stay tuned to see how it all unfolds!

Love & Blessings to you all!

Merry Christmas

Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Merry Christmas friends and family!!! I pray you all had an enjoyable Christmas day with loved ones. These are precious times to take in. God has truly blessed me this Christmas with wonderful memories with my friends and family. I was fortunate enough to spend four days in Cincinnati to see my extended family. I even got to attend my goddaughter's kindergarten's Christmas play, which was such a blessing. I have also been blessed to spend time with friends who've returned home from out of state. It has been great to see them all. Time is going quickly, but my family and I have managed to find time to do some things together before I go. We even got to go to Greenfield Village for Holiday Nights, which was a great time. It's times like these when I try to take in every minute together, because I leave in ONE WEEK! My family has been very encouraging and we all look forward to this next year. My mom gave me a little card today that said:

"Find rest in Me. I am your refuge and your fortress, your God, in whom you trust. You can count on Me to save you from the enemy's wearying detours and obstacles. My faithfulness goes before you. You don't have to worry day or night, for I will command My angels concerning you. They'll guard you in all your ways. Beacause you love Me, I will rescue and protect you. When you call upon Me, I will answer you. I will be with you in trouble. I will deliver you and honor you. You can do all things because I empower you". from Psalm 91:1-15; Philippians 4;13

It was just what I needed to hear. I will be taking this with me and remembering it often. As I prepare to leave over these next few days ahead I thought I would address a few questions you might be thinking:

1) Am I nervous? Not really. I am more excited then anything, but ask me next Friday and you might get a different response. I however, am feeling an overwhelming peace within, because I KNOW God has called me to do this.

2) Am I ready? Well, my bag is NOT PACKED as of yet, but I'm hoping to get going on that this weekend. Mentally though, I've never prepared for over a year for anything before, so I think I'm ready to get this show on the road. You can only wonder and think about something for so long, before you just need to GET OUT THERE!

3) Will I miss you? YES! But in missing you, I think that will make me realize how much you all truly mean to me!

Lastly, I want to let you know that as we get close to our launch date I need your help. Some of my teammates are still in need of some funds. I know that you guys have blessed me tremendously, but since it is the season of giving, I thought I would let you know that two teammates of mine are in need of more funding. Janet Garrison www.janetgarrison.theworldrace.org and Cat Pollock www.catpollock.theworldrace.org could use your help. If you wanted to help me out, by helping them you're helping me. These ladies form a very important sisterhood. We were all called to this race for a reason, I fully believe that. I do not want these women to have to miss out on this opportunity because of money, so if you could see even giving them $10, it will make a difference. I know God has big plans and if it's His will, it's His bill.

Those are all my updates for now. Your prayers will be appreciated this next week, as goodbyes are getting harder. I also know that getting ALL MY THINGS into ONE BACKPACK will probably be a bit overwhelming, so prayers for that too!

Love & Blessings to you all!

Airport Encounter

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

So as I've been home this past week I've been able to share stories from training camp with my friends and family. One story in particular that I've shared with only a few people has been on my mind lately and so I feel the need to share it with you.

When I was coming back from Georgia last Sunday I had about a four hour waiting period in the Atlanta Airport. I decided to grab some dinner as it got closer to the dinner hour. "This will be fun, I can people watch while I eat," I thought. So I grabbed some food and a front row seat to watch the travelers pass by. It wasn't too long before I was asked by a young man if he could sit by me. "Sure," I answered. Now, I think it's only appropriate that you know at training camp we were reminded of the importance of quieting ourselves long enough to hear God speak and so while I was sitting next to this guy I suddenly felt a strong urge to say something to him. "Oh gosh, no, I don't need to say anything to him, besides, what would I even say?" I kept fighting it, but I kept feeling the need to talk to him. All of a sudden out of no where a voice says, "where you flying to?" and the voice belonged to me. "Oh crud, I did it, how will he respond? Yikes! Why did I do that?" He, however, turned to me and said, "California. Where are you traveling?" So I told him I was on my way to Detroit. He then asked if I was a student (no, but thanks for the compliment). I told him I work for a small, private Christian college in Michigan called Spring Arbor University. "Oh, no kidding, I go to Biola in CA (which is also a smaller, Christian college)." He then asked why I was in Georgia. I told him I was at a training camp for a year long missions trip called the World Race. He then started to laugh and said a good buddy of his, Aaron Bruner, is on the race right now. NO WAY! I couldn't believe it! In that moment I just thought, "Man God, you're good." We then proceeded to chat a little while longer. I found out he is in his freshmen year and that he is originally from Georgia and since his dad is a pilot, he can fly home on the weekends to visit his family. He has also been on several short term missions trips. After chatting for a little bit longer, he realized he had to catch his plane. He asked me what my name was and then reached out to shake my hand saying, "Lauren, it was nice to meet you, I'm Conner and I'll be praying for you." Wow. I'm so glad God allowed our paths to cross that day in the airport. It was truly a blessing to be encouraged like that by a complete stranger. I cannot wait to see all the many blessings along the way during this next year of my life.

Peace & Blessings!

A Walk With God

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

October 2009::Training week. What a week! This week was a week of growth and new experiences. I met some pretty incredible people, who have inspired, empowered and encouraged me. This week has gotten me so excited for what is to come in this next year of my life.

God and I spent some real quality time together this week. Perhaps, the most memorable time was when God and I took a walk together. It was a time for me to be real. A time for me to voice my concerns, to share my excitement with Him and a time to laugh and cry. He reminded me that I am a daughter of a King. He spoke truth over my life and has equipped me to go and speak to the nations next year with a boldness like I've never known before. Along my walk, God revealed Himself in MIGHTY ways...

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen!" Ephesians 3:20-21

I look forward with prayerful anticipation for the January World Race 2010!

Simplify

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Simplify. A lesson I've been learning all too well this week. In just a few days I will be moving out of my apartment that I've resided in for the past two years. I recently had a garage sale to sell most of my belongings (yes, I held on to a few precious items) and continue to try to simplify my life as I prepare for the World Race. I will admit, it is hard packing up all my "stuff" that holds certain meaning to me or selling my "stuff" at my garage sale, but as a friend reminded me, it is just that, "stuff." A big reason I decided to go on the Race in 2010 was to center myself back on what Christ sees as important and not all the "stuff" I see as important. I was reminded this week of just how blessed I am.

Expectations of My Mission Trip

Thu, 21 May 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...

OH goodness...where to even begin. Ever since I first thought about going on the World Race not a day has gone by that I don't wonder what it will be like. What I will see, what I will experience, who I will meet, how I will be changed...

I expect to be completely in AWE daily with what God will show me. I expect that through this experience I will learn more about myself and better understand what RELYING ON GOD truly means. I expect to learn how to love on HIS terms, not my own. I expect to be stretched in ways I never have before. I expect tears, I expect laughter, I expect to create lasting memories. I expect to miss my family and friends terribly and in missing them, I expect to learn to appreciate them that much more. I expect that I will be reminded of how truly "charmed" my life has really been so far and that I will better understand getting back to the basics when I return. I expect to create lasting friendships during this journey with my team members and create a bond unlike any other. I know that each member of this team was hand picked by God and I expect that we each will bring something different to the table and we will teach each other new things.

Lastly, I expect God to do AMAZING things in me and through me and I'm SUPER excited!

"How I Was Called to the Mission Field"

Mon, 27 Apr 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 was blessed to be raised in a Christian home, with very supportive, loving parents. They instilled in me and my brother strong, Christian values from a very young age. When I was in ninth grade I had my first mission trip opportunity to Reynosa, Mexico. I went with my high school youth group for one week. This week changed my life. I bonded with my group, experienced things I never had before and saw God's love in a whole new way. It was there in Mexico that I saw how God transcends all languages and cultures. As the pastor prayed in Spanish over a family I begin to weep. I couldn't control myself. God was there! He's always been there and will forever be! I was so touched as I saw first hand God's hope being shared with a mother and her children. It was in that moment that I saw how God had used a high school youth group for His greater glory and I knew I had been a part of something big. I returned to Reynosa three more times, each year experiencing more of God's continued grace and His wonderful mercy!

When I started college I prayed for more opportunities to go places and serve, not knowing exactly to what capacity God would use me. During my freshmen year of college God had laid a burden for the city of New York on my heart. I was used to helping in poverty stricken villages of Mexico, so I knew that an inner city mission trip would be a whole new experience. So I applied for a college spring break mission trip to the NYC. I went with thirteen other college students, and again, my life was changed. I was stretched in many ways, working with the homeless and doing some different outreach programs throughout the week. God calmed many of my fears and showed me the importance of relying on Him.

He later gave me opportunities to travel to Puerto Rico and work with a camp there, while providing a VBS program for the children in the community. God has also given me opportunities to work with certain hurricane relief efforts for both Katrina and Ike--He has really cultivated a passion within me to work with people and give back.

The furthest and perhaps the most impactful missions opportunity God has given me was the one to Chennai, India in 2008. Even today, I struggle for words to describe my experience in India. I felt like when Slumdog Millionaire came out I it gave people a glimpse of the India I saw and then people understood a little more about what I was trying to explain. My aunt and I traveled to India, where we stayed in an orphanage, Gilgal Gospel Mission, with 30 children. We were "esteemed guests" and therefore were given one of their only bedrooms. Each day I woke to children peering in our window, waiting for us to walk them to school. I would have three girls on each hand as we walked down the dirt covered streets to their school. It was pure joy to see those smiling faces and be able to play with the kids. I'm always reminded about "faith like a child" when I am given opportunities such as these.

I know that all these unique opportunities and experiences were God's way of preparing me for the World Race. When I first heard about it in 2007 I honestly thought, "Man, I'd love to do that, but I'll never be ready." Well even though I don't feel "ready" I have seen how God has prepared a way and that this is in His perfect plan. I'm thankful He uses us right where we are, jsut as we are. He has allowed certain things in my life to fall in to place in order for this to happen. Sometimes I lie awake at night and think, "God, really?! You want to use me?" I am so blessed by Him and all that He does in my life and I cannot wait to serve Him in this capacity!