Audrey Powell - The World Race 2008

Living the Life!!

Sat, 6 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

So...it has been an extremely long time since I have written anything on this blog. I just wanted to let those of you who still get updates know what has been going on in my life since being home from the Race.

Beautiful Ohio Fall!!!

I spent the first four months living at my parents house in Ohio. I wanted to be home for the Holidays and also to see people I hadn't seen in a year. During those four months I also got to do a lot of traveling around the states to go spend time with my teammates and meet their wonderful families.

My family at Thanksgiving

During one of these trips, Cindy, Katie and I went to Michigan and later Cindy and I traveled down to Georgia. Essentially we wanted to see if we wanted to live in either of those places. You may ask, "Why Michigan and Georgia"? The only answer I really have is "That's where my people are". Michigan and Georgia both have great thriving communities of World Race alumni and AIM staff.

Katie, Cindy and I under my Christmas tree in Ohio!

I have told many of you that The World Race was the best decision I have ever made. Not only did I get to meet so many amazing people, learn how incredibly ALIVE God still is and how He still wants to use us today; I also found this incredible community of people.

I feel like I spent most of my life as the person who was everybody's friend. I had one or two really close friends in life, but I could never really show anyone else who I was. I just wasn't comfortable enough and quite frankly, I didn't really fit in with them. I have prayed so many times in my life that God would give me a group of friends who I could feel so comfortable with; as comfortable as I feel with my biological family. I thought that prayer was never going to be answered...I had prayed it so many times that I thought I was going to have to go through life as a loner. Then I went on the Race.

As I said, I got to see God move in SO many amazing ways! I got to see Him use people to encourage, heal and comfort people. But, at the end of the experience I also got my prayer answered. I came off the Race with the most amazing squad, G-SQUAD!!! Every single person on my squad, from the coaches, to every squad member and also my beautiful team; they were all an answer to my prayers!!

Carrying Cindy over the threshold of our apartment after 3 full days of driving from California to Georgia!

So, making a short story VERY long...I am now living in Gainesville, Georgia!! My teammate, Cindy and I are now roommates!!! There are so many incredible people down here working for AIM, including some of my squad and teammates!! I just recently got a job at as a receptionist for a local Center that has therapy sessions for woman and children who have been sexually abused. It is incredibly hard hearing the stories that come in but I am enjoying the job and the people who work there.

That has been my life since being home. I hope y'all are doing well also! I love you and continue to thank God for you blessing me with the opportunity of my life!!

Me, Katie, Cindy and Braedon in our apartment before Katie left for India! (Missing from this pic: Steph, who lives in Gainesville but was not there during the taking of the pic and our beautiful Bekah who is missed SOOOO much!!! love you!!!!)

"Home is where your mom is"

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I am home.

I arrived in the states on September 1st into Atlanta, Georgia where I was greeted by my parents and my sister. Automatically I was overwhelmed by the feeling that the last 11 months of my life had never happened. That everything I just experienced, every emotion I was faced with, every person I met...all of it, was simply a dream I was waking up from. For the next few days I walked around feeling like I was still in that dream and the only thing that reminded me that the Race even happened was the constant texts I was recieving from my other family. My beautiful team who I had just had this wonderful experience with.

Life has become more "normal" now. I know that I lived the last 11 months on the Race, but now I don't know what to do with it. I am faced with the question, "well, are you a different person?" This is a question that I would not have thought people would ask me. I was ready for the questions: "What are you going to do now?" (NO idea), "What was your favorite country?" (Guatemala followed closely by the Philippines) "What was your best memory?" (time spent laughing with my team) "What was your hardest/best experience?" (meeting and saying goodbye to Otim) Those are the questions I was ready for, but "are you a different person?" The only answer I can come up with is "I sure hope so."

I hope that in the last 11 months of my life the way I have experienced and come to know God has changed me. I would hope that my life, my world views would be different. But, what I am learning is that it is so easy to go back to "normal". It is easy to not get up and do morning devotions, it is easy to get sucked into the latest gossip about "Jon and Kate Plus Eight". It is easy to go back to who I was before. That's not what I want though. What I want is to be radically different. To be so confident in my faith in God that nothing else matters.

I was at a restaurant last night and the woman who owns the restaurant came up to talk to me about the Race and she ended up preaching me a sermon. She talked about the power of the Holy Spirit, people being healed and the way God can still move today. When she was done preaching I asked her what church she goes to. Her answer was beautiful. "I am the church on the go." That's what I want. I don't want people to have to ask me if I am different, I want them to be able to see that change in me. I want to be the church on the go. The problem is, that takes work. Am I willing to do the work now that I am in "the real world"?

I sure hope so.

Thank you!

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Today was our official last day of ministry. I wish I had some eloquent way to sum up this year, but I don't have the words.

All I really want to tell you is "Thank you"! Thank you for giving me this opportunity; thank you for believing in me enough to support me traveling around the world.

Tonight as our going away present at LaQuinta, the kids put on a show for us. They danced, sang and preformed dramas. Their last drama was to the song that says, "thank you for giving to the Lord, I am a life that was changed". As they sang that song, all the kids who live there came up and knelt in front of us. It is safe for you to assume that many tears were shed on us Racers part. It felt like every person we have had contact with in the last 11 months was in that room. It was an incredible experience and the PERFECT way to end the Race.

I just want that song to go to you all too. I know it is so incredibly corny, but honestly, I am a life that was changed because of you. Because of you all I am a different person today. Thank you. I can't say it enough; "THANK YOU"!!

Big, Strong and Mighty

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

When I was a little kid in Sunday school, I remember singing the song My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, theres nothing my God cannot do. I sang the words but I did not know what they meant. I didnt understand that God actually has the power to heal people. He is so strong that He can change peoples lives. He can heal spiritual and emotional
wounds that are deep inside someones soul. He can remind a girl that she is His beautiful daughter. He can tell the orphan that they ARE wanted and He is their Father.

Elvis lives here in LaQuinta. The other day I got the chance to hear a little of his story. At the age of 6, Elvis was riding a horse, fell off and was dragad for a long time. While he was in the hospital, the doctors told him that he would never be able to walk again; at best he would be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. While he was in the hospital, his parents left him. He doesnt know why or where they went, they just never came back for him. He ended up living in a childrens home called Messiah. While there he decided that God is the best physician and kept trying to walk, putting trust in God that He would heal. Elvis began to walk and can now walk with only a slight limp. While living at Messiah, Elvis was treated badly by the workers. They would beat him and the others and lock them in their rooms without food. Through all this, Elvis continued to have faith in God. After living at Messiah for 12 years it was shut down and Elvis was moved to LaQuinta. He has friends who came with him from Messiah and pastors and adults who love him.

Elvis doing construction.

MY GOD IS SO BIG!!!

Doa Marina is a friend of a beautiful 78 year old woman, Palla. We have become friends with Palla and on one of our visits Doa Marina was at Pallas house. Palla told us that Marina had terrible pain in her jaw and up her head and Palla had informed Marina that she was going to be healed that day. We began to pray for Marina and you could just feel the faith in the room. While we prayed, Marina began to cry and shake. We knew the Holy Spirit was working. After we were done praying Marina said she felt a hand rest on her head and move down the side of her face. As the hand moved, the pain went away.

Our beautiful, Palla!

MY GOD IS SO STRONG!!!

Perla is one of the girls who lives here and also spent a good amount of time at Messiah. Perla grew up as the only sister to 9 brothers. Her dad constantly told her that he did not want a girl so she tried to be the boy he wanted. She would wear baggy pants and shirts to look like a boy. Even dressing as a boy, her brothers friends would come over and want to have sex with her. With all this going on, she began to hate men. When Messiah shut down and she came to LaQuinta, she had arguments with one of the woman workers here. Juanita would tell her that she was a woman and needed to dress like one, but Perla insisted that dresses and skirts werent made for her. After being here for about 2 years, she now says she realizes that she is a princess; that God has made her a woman and that she is beautiful. She has forgiven her father and her dad is proud of what she is doing but is not proud of who she is. Perla talks about how God is her perfect Father and that He is SO proud of exactly who she is.

MY GOD IS SO MIGHTY!!!

Perla

Death of my computer

Thu, 6 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I just wanted you all to know that my computer officially died on me this morning. So, I will try to post when I can, but I dont know how often that will be.

We have moved to a location called La Quinta outside of Jinotepe. We are living and working in this area going to the neighborhoods around us, hanging out with the kids who live on the property and attending and helping with church services. We will also be going to neighboring facilities that work with youth to help out with Bible studies and just spending time with the kids.

I can tell you that it is not what I expected of this month, but I know that God has our team here for a reason, so I am excited to see what happens this month!

I will see you all soon!

Cribs!

Sun, 2 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Made by my teammate, Bekah Phelps.

A little view of our life in San Pedro, Guatemala.

My LAST Month!!

Sun, 2 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

So, it's official. I will be heading home on September 1st! I can't believe it...only one month left. There are so many questions I know that you have for me and so many questions I have of my own. I am trying to process through this crazy year of experiences. I am trying to figure out why God has shown me certain things. Why did he let me meet Otim in Uganda when I can't change his situation? When I can't bring him home with me and make his life easier? Why did God have me pray for the sick if they weren't healed? Why did He heal some people and not others? How am I suppose to take a year of learning and turn it into something that people will understand? Will anyone understand? Will anyone want to hear? How do I make a difference now that I know? Now that I know how big God is...now that I know that I have power, that we have power in Jesus' name...now that I know what God can do through me and through others? So many questions that I don't have answers to...but I'm listening and waiting to hear.

For our last month we are in Jinotepe, Nicauragua. We are suppose to be working in the slums and dumps in the areas surrounding us, which makes me super excited!

It was quite the process getting here...we might have been stuck in Honduras for about 6 hours at the border with no way out...don't worry though, we are completely covered in God's favor and the borders which were suppose to be closed indefinitely were opened for us!

I don't quite know what our internet situation is this month but I will update you whenever I have a chance.

I love you all and will see you in 30 days!

Top Ten Guatemala

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Top Ten written by my teammate Bekah Phelps.

Guatemala Top Ten!

(I will upload the Cribs video & more pics ASAP when I get better internet!)

-Worship in the park! The music caught the attention of everyone around and suddenly you saw more smiles.

-Construction, Construction, Construction! Whether carrying 600-20lb concrete blocks up a flight of stairs, or building arched windows, or making cement...Crux did it all! We now know all the tool names in Spanish.

-Kid's Programs! Spending 2 hours a day teaching little kids leap frog, sharks & minnows, and relays to exhaust them as quickly as possible.

-Fruit! Chocolate covered pineapple slices for 15cents (USD). You can't beat it!

-Taken! Watching the thriller Taken' and then walking home after dark through Antigua will cause a bit of paranoia of being kidnapped. I've never seen Braedon act so protective!

-Truck rides! Riding in the back of a pickup truck along the coast was our favorite mode of transportation.

-Toot-Toots! A 3-wheel mini taxi that is apparently equipped with the engine of a scooter, because Steph, Cindy, and Katie tried to take one home and had to get out of the taxi so it could make it up the hill.

-Benjamin's Testimony! We worked with Pastor Benjamin for 2 days in Panajachel and I've never heard a testimony like his before. It includes drugs, rape, adultery, attempted suicides, satanic worship, and cannibalism while being possessed by a demon. God's grace truly covers ALL sins as seen through Benjamin's life! Praises!

-Great Flood #2! Yes, we flooded yet another house in Panajachel. Somehow we hit a water line underground and flooded the house we were trying to renovate. No worries though, it was fixed before any major damage was done.

-Spanish Guitars! Pastor Antonio and his brothers played classical guitar & sang for us on our last night. Their melodic voices are beautiful!

-Cindy's Stitches! Cindy accidently ran into a street sign in Antigua and sliced her head open. She had to get 4 stitches, but luckily they were free. (God's favor!)

-Cooking! We cooked 3 meals a day for 10 people on only $12/day without a fridge or oven. Props to the master chefs, Steph & Cindy!

-Napoleon Dynamite! Braedon's alter ego is Napoleon and ironically Antonio's 11 year old son is named Pedro. They were 2 peas in a pod this month. Not only did they unknowingly dress alike, but they eat slowly and have the same sense of humor.

-Audrey's 24^th! Happy Birthday Audrey. We celebrated with deviled eggs & rice krispie treats. Unbeknownst to us, Guatemala birthday tradition includes the lighting to firecrackers. While eating our treats in the kitchen, minding our own business, Pastor lights firecrackers right outside of the window...at the exact moment Steph is lighting the gas stove. We hear loud bangs and see smoke and think the stove blew up. Everyone is screaming, I hit the deck, Audrey runs out of the room, and Katie pushes Cindy out of the way to escape. I thought we were being shot at. We finally calmed down once we found out it was a joke. We also realized Katie & Audrey have learned nothing about family on the Race...'when the going gets tough, every man for himself'!

-Pacaya Volcano! Hiking 5 hours over jagged volcanic glass to the top of an 8,000ft active volcano to toast marshmallows. One time was more than enough; I never need to hike another volcano again.

-Katie's Shoe Ministry! Katie gave her sneakers to Jeremiah (Antonio's brother who leads the construction) and her flip flops to a man in church. She now walks around barefoot or borrows our sandals. She has given away a total of 13 pairs of shoes on the race to people in need.

-Spanish Names! The family couldn't pronounce all of our names, so Braedon became Freddie', Katie was Jessica' and Audrey was Adrianna'.

-Katie's Jokes! Katie doesn't have a brother so she loves to pick on Braedon. We got the wild idea to pretend Cindy pierced Katie's ear, leaving a gushing wound of "blood" (ketchup). She screamed and ran into Braedon's room to trick him, thinking he would flip out and help her. He simply said, "You've got to be kidding me," and returned playing on the computer. Better luck next time Katie.

-Broken Spanish! Pastor asked Crux to sing a worship song in Spanish to his congregation. Only Cindy can speak Spanish, but we tried to learn the words. We're on stage in front of 150 people trying to sing this song in our off-beat; incorrect pitch, broken Spanish and I start thinking of how crazy we sound. Audrey must have had similar thoughts because at the exact same moment the two of us burst into a fit of uncontrollable giggles in the middle of the song! We can't stop laughing! Tears are streaming down our faces as we try to blurt out Spanish words through our laughter. All of the joy of the Lord, right?!

-Cliff-Jumping! The girls took a water taxi to San Marco and hiked through the jungle to find a cliff over Lake Atitlan. Gorgeous view and refreshing water!

-Creepy China Doll! Above my bed, is a creepy doll from China called "Lovely Baby Interest". The package has captions such as, "Want to play with me, I will give you a lot of surprised and pleased!" and "When I sing a song, pressing my mouth me will send out to have rhythm of the du-du voice". Baby Interest has made for plenty of laughs this month.

-Smelly Feet! Building a house is hard work and leaves one with stinky feet. Katie asked Audrey for a cookie and Auds said she had to smell her dirty, sweaty feet for the cookie...Katie actually did it. Welcome to the World Race.

-Accident-Prone! Our first day in San Pedro and Braedon broke a window carrying rocks up the stairs. Crux strikes again.

-Futbol Games! Cheering for Pastor as he played in the futbol league next to our house. He's pretty good, too!

-Colours! Little kids teaching me the colors in Spanish...azul, rojo,

-Ladies' Joy! Guatemalan women are so full of God's joy; it's contagious. I loved seeing them laugh, smile, and enjoy life.

-Quotable Quotes!

"Ya know, when Jesus took his disciples to Olive Garden"... Audrey trying to describe Jesus on the Mount of Olives.

"Tienas hombre?" (Got a man?)...Audrey trying to ask Pastor Do you have hunger' but confusing the word for hunger with man.

More San Pedro Pics

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here are some more pictures of our work in San Pedro and some pictures from MY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Awkward Family Photo on top of the mountain overlooking the entire lake.

Me eating my birthday cake...it was a rice krispie treat cake.

My birthday meal! Delicious...grilled cheese, chicken noodle soup and deviled eggs.

Me and a little boy at a church in San Juan.

Pastor Antonio eating rice krispie treats for the first time...HE LOVED THEM!!!

MY TEAM!!!!

We are helping build the second story of the house we are living in.

Women laughing as they watch the kids play a game of Duck, Duck, Goose

I hope you enjoy a few pictures of life in San Pedro!

Life in San Pedro

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This is a blog written by my teamate Bekah Phelps.

Crux arrived in San Pedro last Tuesday after a relaxing and gorgeous boat ride across Lake Atitlan. We're working and living with Pastor Antonio, a man of Mayan descent who ministers with his wife Kata and 11 year old son Pedro, to the nearby area of San Pablo.

Antonio's house is brand new (he moved in last week) and has 3 extra bedrooms which we've split between us. Braedon is grateful for his very own man cave' this month. We're blessed with a shower which has 2 water temperatures: freezing and scalding. The house is situated in the jungles of the mountain with lush green palm trees and overlooks the lake.

Our ministry this month varies. Some mornings we travel "Guatemalan style" in the back of a pickup truck to San Pablo where we play with kids, visit, and pray with the congregation. Other days we assist in the construction of the upstairs of our house. Antonio wants to convert the 2^nd floor into an area to house missionaries. We carried over 600 20lb cement blocks from the street, down the path, and up a flight of stairs the other morning. Its grueling work, but we're happy to help (and build muscle!) Nights are spent cooking for the family, learning Spanish, and worshiping on the roof under the stars...my favorite part of the day.

I'm convinced God has a purpose for us here because everywhere you turn there is a need. Whether is be surprising a shopkeeper and asking to learn phrases from their Mayan language, sitting with a little girl as she crochets hacky-sacks, helping Kata make supper, or singing worship songs in our broken Spanish to a church...the possibilities are endless. The Guatemalan people are so full of joy that Christ radiates from their faces. It's a beautiful revelation to discover God in every nook and cranny...and sometimes, I wish I could stay longer.

Support

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Thank you to all of my supporters for helping me reach my goal!! I am amazed at how God has moved each of you to support international missions. You have advanced the Kingdom throughout the world and I am so grateful for it!

For those of you who would like to continue to support missions, my teammate Katie Duff is still in need of $1,200 to finish the race! She is an amazing woman of God who pours out love to every person she meets. Ive enjoyed growing alongside of her and learning how to find joy in every situation just as she does. Please consider supporting her so she can finish the year with Crux. Visit her blog at www.katieduff.theworldrace.org

Love you all!

San Pedro Pic Blog

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

My team is now in beautiful San Pedro, Guatemala. We are working with Pastor Antonio and his wife Cata helping them in their churches and with construction on their new house. It is so incredibly beautiful here!

We took a public boat taxi over to San Pedro...the most relaxing transport on the Race so far!

This little boy was on our dock before we left trying to sell cards. We gave him a PB&J. He loved it!

The view of San Pedro from the mountain top.

Man fishing in his canoe.

Another beautiful view from San Pedro

A volcano we saw on the way to San Pedro

We live right near the water!

Bek and Katie in the back of the truck on the way to church...another amazing form of transportation here!

San Pedro is beautiful and we are looking forward to working with Pastor Antonio and Cata. Many of the people around here are from the Mayan culture. Pastor Antonio and Cata both speak Spanish and Mayan and are working on their English skills. Please continue to pray for my team as we are going into our last 2 months of ministry!

Teeny, Weeny and Full of Milk

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

My team just learned that we are headed to a town outside of Panajachel, Guatemala. We are not positive about where we are for sure going or what we are definitely doing, but we know we are headed out of Antigua. We leave tomorrow about noon and should arrive in Panajachel about 3pm. We have a contact that lives outside of the city, but we are not going to connect with him until Tuesday. I will write another blog when I know more about what is going on and when I have internet connection.

The last week we have been working with a ministry here in Antigua called "Our God's Children"...I would write it in Spanish, but I have no idea how to spell that. They work with families and kids who are too poor to go to school. They go into the dumps and find kids who aren't in school or find kids who are being trafficked (child labor or sex trade) and try to get them into school.

On Wednesday night, myself and two of my teammates, Cindy and Steph as well as one of our squad mates, Christi, went and stayed at a center (Casa Jackson) attached to the school that helps babies who are about to die because of malnourishment. When the babies go into the center they have a 90% chance of dieing and just by entering the center they have a 95% chance of survival. We had an all night shift, from 7pm to 7am and during that time we woke the babies every 2 hours to feed them, did multiple loads of laundry, cleaned the floors and weighed each of the kids to see how much weight they had gained in the last 24 hours. (PS Katie is the greatest.)

There was one baby there who was only 6 weeks old and SO tiny! Waking that poor child up to feed every two hours was so sad. Christi was the one in charge of him and it broke her heart to try to get him to drink the milk. The hard part was that we knew we had to feed them...we know that in the end, them eating is what is going to make them better, but when they are used to eating only coffee and tortilla's, it is hard to try to make them take milk.

There were also two baby girls there who were each a year and a few months. Both the girls were only big enough to wear 3-6 month old baby clothes. They were just so teeny!

Another beautiful boy was Jose. He is a 6 year old little boy who has cerebral palsy. When we got a tour of the facility we were told that we would fall in love with him. When I got the chance to feed him, I found out why. He struggles so much to eat, not only because of his cerebral palsy, but also because he is sick at the moment with a cold. He can't breathe out of his nose, so it was a constant struggle for him to breathe while he ate. It was so hard to watch and take part in...but then he would smile at you! Oh my goodness...his smile was beautiful. In the midst of his constant struggle he manages a smile!

Those kids taught me so much in just one 12 hour shift. While I struggled to stay awake, they were struggling to stay alive. I got to go home and sleep after my shift, but they live this life. They live a life full of struggle and hardship. They are always going to be in want and always going to be in need...and yet, they find time to smile. These are the kind of people I have met on the Race. These are the memories I will have forever.

Active Volcano!

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

My squad (G-Squad), as well as the squad who just finished their first month (I-Squad), are in Antigua, Guatemala. Yesterday, we decided to go on a squad outing together to hike one of the volcanoes around this area. We ended up choosing to hike Pacaya. For some reason we thought this hike wasn't going to be all that bad...after all, G-Squad has hiked the Great Wall of China! Boy, were we in for a surprise!

Just to give you an idea of what we had to contend with; cooled lava rocks that not only slid out from under your feet but also cut any part of the body exposed to them, extreme winds, a two hour hike up-hill the entire way and avalanches of lava rock that when hit not only cut you but give you quite the bruise.

I am glad I can say I hiked a volcano because it was quite the experience...I'm also glad that I can say I will never hike one again!

The horses some pf us rode to get to the volcano we climbed

The view of the lake from my horse

Me and my horse...look at how small it was!!!

Me, Cindy and Katie before we hiked the volcano!

Me and Laura freezing before we hiked the volcano

Me and the two Kelly's from I-Squad!

Me and Bek!

All of us heading up the volcano!

Lava!!!

Roasting a marshmallow over the lava!

The volcano across from us erupting!

As far as ministry goes this month...my team still does not have a contact here in Guatemala. We will be staying in Antigua for now looking for ministry opportunities. We will be spending our time here asking the Lord (ATL) what he wants us to do each day. If you could be praying for my team and where God wants to lead us, that would be great! Love you all!

Team "Vacay"

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

My team and I are in Split, Croatia. We are about to end our "vacation" and head back to Budapest for 2 days before we fly out to Guatemala on June 30^th. I thought this week would be a week without ministry, without having to be "on" and just a time to relax. Don't get me wrong, it has been all of those things. Croatia is beautiful and the water is amazing. We have had such an incredibly time here. What I am realizing though, is that ministry is everywhere.

When we first arrived here at our hotel we were checked in by the receptionist. She's a lovely woman who was so kind to us. Automatically, everyone on my team liked her. I got the opportunity to talk to her one day when I had to ask her a few questions. It is amazing how much someone will open up to you if you are willing to listen. I learned that she has lived in Croatia her entire life. She told me about the war and how it was particularly difficult for her because she is the minority, a Serb. She told me about how when she was younger she had thought about going out and doing humanitarian work, so she was particularly interested in what we do. She told me about her boyfriend and got that look on her face when she told me that she wanted to start a family and how he was particularly great. The most amazing part of talking to her was when I got to tell her about what we do. I got to tell her that we give up relationships for a year in order to dedicate it to God. That we spend this one year seeking after God's heart and what He wants for us and our life. I got to tell her about how God is always there in the midst of hard times; that He never leaves us even when we feel so completely alone. She told me how she isn't really religious but I gave her the name of some podcasts to look up of preachers anyway. She hasn't been working since I got to have that conversation with her (these are her days off) but I keep praying that maybe that one small conversation will spark something inside of her. I could tell she was so hungry. She is searching for something and doesn't even know what. She believes that there is something out there but she can't quite put her finger on it.

Cindy, Katie and I were in town one day sitting at a little caf. A man turned around and started talking to us because he heard we were speaking English and he and his wife are from Ireland. We learned that he is a retired Bio-Chemistry professor who now runs a farm with his wife. She is Catholic and he is Protestant. We sat talking to them about what we are doing and why we are doing it. They were amazed that we would be willing to give up so much to do the Race. He became even more impressed when he found out that I puked on Mother Theresa's house in India (he feels she is overrated). We got to talk to them about what life is about; serving the poor, reaching out to those in need, showing love and kindness to everyone you meet. It was nice knowing that we could keep a conversation up with a scientist and even impress him! They told us about how important it is to see the world and how an experience like this can change everything about us. (Little did they know one conversation with us and they end up on a blog!) It was incredible hearing their story and getting to tell them a little about ours; to connect with strangers when the only thing you have in common is your language and knowledge about God.

This week has been so restful and relaxing but it has also been a reminder that ministry is everywhere. Our team does not stop working just because we are on "vacation". We bring kingdom everywhere we go, because we ARE God's kingdom.

Cribs Video Blog- Bekah Phelps

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Where we lived in Hungary this past month.

Top Ten- Bekah

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Top Ten Hungary!

-Andrea! Her heart and God's love for her taught me volumes. She made my month.

-The Flood! Waking up to a flooded flat, a gas leak, and blowing up the microwave all in one day. Priceless!

-Fake-n-Bake! Cheap tanning salon across the street + 5 girls = lobsters. Crux girls visited a couple times and added some color to our faces just in time for summer J

-Miriam! The 2^nd oldest child of Ed & Susan. Miriam is a complete klutz and falls all the time, yet feels no pain. We thoroughly enjoyed laughing at her walk into walls and trip over her own feet.

-Sight-Seeing! Budapest is a gorgeous city, my favorite so far on the race. Ed took us out one day to all the major sights: the oldest Jewish Synagogue in Europe, the Citadella, Hero's Square, and a historic castle. It was a fun, sunny day of exploring.

-Dogs! We took the kids to a park each morning to burn off their excess energy and the park turned out to also be a dog park! I was like a kid in a candy shop playing and chasing all the dogs.

(this pup walked into the fountain, laid down, and refused to get out...maybe he thought it was a jacuzzi!)

-Braedon's New Addiction! Braedon bet me that he would read the Twilight series if I watched all the Rocky movies. Not only has he almost finished the first book, but he admitted, "I can't believe it's actually getting good!" He secretly loves it.

-Laundromat! We lived near a real laundromat and were able to have our clothes washed and DRYED IN A DRYER! We haven't used a dryer all year. They smelled so fresh & clean!

-Arribas! We found a delicious Mexican restaurant with free high speed wifi. We ate supper there every few days and it amazingly never got old.

-Shandar! One of the pregnancy centers volunteers, Shandar, surprised us with chocolate every night in our fridge. He knows the way to our hearts.

-The Idol! Sophie (the oldest child at 5 years) became obsessed with her balloon to the point that she refused to share it with her siblings or even let anyone else touch it. The balloon just happened to land on the grass and pop, sparking an immediate temper tantrum and Cindy joked that God popped Sophie's idol.

-Worship! Braedon led worship in our flat every morning. A great way to start each day!

-Cereal & Milk! We were blessed with a fridge this month and we all ate cereal and cold milk each morning. Not warm, whole milk that we got from the cow next door (like in Moldova) but cold, refreshing, processed, skim milk!

-Crying Children! We took the kids to the park each day and it never failed that at least one of the three would cry over something. Since the kids don't speak English and we don't speak Hungarian, we quickly realized that trying to convince a screaming child in a public park to follow you when you don't even speak their language looks very sketchy to onlookers.

-Bones! Thanks to Angi, Crux finished each day with an episode of our beloved Bones. How we love that Agent Booth :-)

My Dad

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

One of the major things I have learned while being on the Race is how important family is. I already knew before I left that God has blessed me immensely when He decided to give me the family I have. But seeing fathers with their kids and meeting kids who don't have families or are not close to them has made me appreciate what I have been blessed with even more.

I have been told countless times by some of my squad mates how much they love the relationship I have with my parents. The fact that I actually tell them things, and (gasp!), I'm even letting them read my journals that I send home from the Race, makes people think there is something different about our relationship. I don't know why my parents and I have this relationship. I don't know when, where or how we became friends, but I do know that they are my best friends.

Daddy,

I hope your day is beyond blessed. I love you more than this little blog could ever express. Know that I am thinking of you and loving you from Eastern Europe. I miss you.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!

Gettin' a little dizzy!

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Next week my entire team is going to go to our contact, Ed and Susan's , house an hour away from the city of Budapest. While we are at their home they are going to take advantage of having six babysitters and stay in Budapest for some quality time together and to concentrate completely on finishing what they need to at the office.

Please keep my team in prayer....but more importantly the kids...they may need it!

Budapest- Picture Blog

Sat, 6 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here are a few picutres of my life so far in Budapest...it has most certainly been an interesting week and a half.

Let's start from the beginning.

Stop #1 is Ed and Susan's house to look after their 4 kids. This is Joseph...too cute...super messy.

This is their daughter Mariam. She looks so sweet and innocent and at many moments she can be. The child just wants love and attention.

Katie and I with all the kids in the backyard.

This is the view from the backyard....beautiful.

The kids posing by the fence...Toni wouldn't come and pose, so he is missing. Please notice that Katie is being very sneaky holding baby Joseph up over the fence.

Feeding could get quite tiring...the stuffed dog became a very convenient tool to make meal time a little easier. :)

Katie and I finally got back to the city!! Bekah, me and Steph went out in the city one night....BEAUTIFUL!!!

Another view of the city.

One morning we woke up to about 2 inches of water over our entire flat. It was a very interesting day with a lot of cleaning....this was the cause of our flood. If you would like the know more about our "Day of the Flood" read my teammate Bekah Phelps blog called "Splish Splash".

A cute cafe in the city

That is life so far. It has been really random and weird and fun. I hope you enjoyed.

Splish Splash by Bekah Phelps

Sat, 6 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Crux is living in Budapest, Hungary helping a couple move their Crisis Pregnancy Center ministry from an old building into a gorgeous, newly renovated office. We finished the move last week and are now putting the finishing touches on the office, organizing, and leading prayer and worship each morning with the staff and clients.

Our contact, Ed, is a bit of a perfectionist who adores his new wooden floors. There are strict rules of what one can and cannot place on the floors in fear of scratches/dents in the wood (which is totally understandable since Ed wants the new office to as professional as possible).

But... there was a slight mishap Monday morning. Steph woke up early and sleepily stumbled her way through the living room and realized she was standing in 3 inches of water. A valve in the kitchen burst and flooded the entire flat! We jumped up and started cleaning immediately, scooping up buckets upon buckets of water. All of the boxes were soaked. Katie and Audrey tried to buy cleaning supplies, but it was a national holiday and ALL stores were closed. Ed was gone and we didn't have a working cell phone to call him. We were stuck in a flooded apartment in a foreign city. Luckily it only took a couple hours to clean. We watched a couple episodes of our beloved Bones and finally relaxed.

As we were leaving to wander the city later that afternoon, I smelled gas fumes in the office. Somehow, the flat had been leaking gas and we didn't realize it until then. We aired out the apartment and left before it poisoned us. Then, after supper the fumes disappeared and Audrey got the bright idea to boil an egg in the microwave, since we're lacking a stove this month. She put a whole raw egg into a bowl of water and cooked it for 10 minutes. (Mind you, the microwave is in the middle of the living room). About 9 minutes into it, the microwave exploded: the door flew open with a loud bang,

smoke billowed out of it, and egg shot across the room, even landing in Cindy's hair! A hysterical fit of giggles quickly followed.

By the end of the day, the house flooded, we almost died of gas
fumes, and we blew up Ed's microwave. All in a day's work!

Being a mom...

Sun, 31 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I'm sorry that it has been so long since I posted a blog. Life has been a little crazier than usual. We left our ministry location in Romania and headed to Brasov, Romania for a squad debrief. When debrief ended my team headed onto Budapest, Hungary to start our third and final month in Eastern Europe. Immediately after we arrived and met our contacts, Ed and Susan, my teammate Katie and I went to stay at their house for four days to watch their children.

They have four beautiful, hyper kids that Katie and I got to watch night and day. Midnight feedings with the baby, baths, cleaning, and feedings were all our responsibilty. The kids are amazing but one thing I have learned is that in NO way am I ready to have children. I now understand that being a mom is the HARDEST job IN THE WORLD!!! It makes me appreciate my mom even more for everything she did for me that I have no idea about. It also makes me see how hard Susan works. Not only is she a mother to four kids but she has the house to take care of and she works at the Crisis Pregnancy Center here in Budapest. The other members of my team were helping Ed and Susan move everything from their current office to the home of their new office. They spent days hauling anything you could imagine up to the new second story office location.

It has already been a busy first week here in Budapest but we are looking forward to everything this city has to offer and are looking forward to something new everyday.

Romania- Video Blog

Mon, 18 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We have been living in Romania for the past three weeks. We are about to leave tomorrow and go to a different location in Romania for squad debrief. After debrief, my team is headed to Budapest, Hungary where we will be working with a Crisis Pregnancy Center. I hope you enjoy the video and a little taste of my month!!

Love you all!!!

Cribs- by Bekah Phelps

Sat, 16 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

My team is living quite extravagantly this month so we made a Cribs video we like to call "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous". Enjoy!!

Romania Pictures

Sat, 16 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

More ROMANIA Pictures!!

Me and Katie in our gypsie skirts.

Steph and Bogdan stretching before their big soccer game.

Abi and little Adie at the soccer game.

The lady beside Katie loved her and attacked her with kisses right after I took this picture.

Cute old people from the village.

FIESTA!!

Pin the tail on the donkey.

Katie and I with our pinata we made of our contact John...ugliest pinata in the world.

Cute little boys at the fiesta

Tootsie helped Adie fish his apple out of the bucket.

My favorite boy...I called him "J" because I couldn't remember his name.

Me and Benny!

Benny and Adie...so freakin' cute!!

Adie, Abi, and Dany

Marisa, Alex and I working the taco line at the Fiesta.

Me and a cute little girl who played with my hair for a long time....she mostly

tossed it over my face and then laughed when I blew it at her.

Tootsie with Holden.

"J" and I during the Fiesta.

Mother, I LOVE you SO much!!!!

Fri, 8 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This blog is for my mom. Mom, I love you so much and I miss you like crazy. I wish this little blog could let you know how much you mean to me and since I can't be there with you, it's going to have to do.

Mom, I love you from the bottom of my heart!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

India Video- by Steph Connors

Thu, 7 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This is the India I experienced. My teammate, Steph made the video...hope you enjoy seeing a bit of Calcutta!

Romania Picture Blog

Wed, 6 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Bekah, myself and Katie getting ready for the funeral the first day we were in Romania.

Bekah and I were super tired.

Me, Katie and Bekah with our "mean faces" on about to go on a mission

to get Cindy since she had been away from the team for a week.

We got tired during our mission.

A beautiful baby we met. Her mother had been kidnapped at 14 and was forced to marry the man who kidnapped her. They now have this beautiful 8 month old baby.

Alex and I on a mountain top

Our contacts, John and Tootsie. John was preaching and Tootsie was translating.

Beautiful hands.

During one of the church services, this woman was standing in the doorway

Abi, one of the pastors we work with, reading his Bible during a service.

An old woman during one of the services.

The city we live in.

The Orthodox church has these Jesus figures all over the countryside.

Me and a little boy named Alex...he looks cute, but he ended up biting me later.

CRUX

My beautiful team!

Bekah, Katie, Cindy, me, Steph and Braedon

Gypsy Funeral

Sat, 2 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

When I heard that my team as well as two others, Holy Bandits and Fuse, were going to work in a gypsy village in Romania this month, I didn't really know what to think. The only thing I know about gypsies is what I have seen in movies and what other people have told me about them. So far, no one has been correct.

When we first arrived we were informed by our contact that his wife's grandmother had just died two days before and the funeral was being held in his front yard that afternoon. I was completely exhausted from the travel day but decided to put on every article of black clothing I have and go to the funeral. The first thing I learned about the gypsy culture is that everyone is a part of the family. I had no idea whose child was who's because the kids would go from person to person getting hugs and kisses. I loved watching the interaction between people.

One of my favorite moments was when an old woman was playing with a little boy. He ended up putting his hat on her head over her scarf. They laughed about it and the old woman took my breath away. Her face was radiant. Their faces are beautiful! After I took the picture of her I went and showed it to her. What a hoot! She got the biggest kick out of seeing herself in that hat! She grabbed my face with both of her hands and just held it there while she laughed and said something in Romanian...I thought she was going to lay a big kiss on me for a second, but she resisted. She was just so excited to see herself.

I can't wait to capture more breathtaking moments and faces this next month.

Cribs Video Blog- Bekah Phelps

Sat, 2 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here is a video of where we lived done by my teammate Bekah. Enjoy