Alex Herrera Between the Dreaming and the Coming True - The World Race 2008

Happy Birthday to me!!

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

My Holy BanditOz planned a wonderful fun filled day! I turned 28 in Granada, Nicaragua and it was GREAT!!

We rode a Horse and Carriage into the center of town!

With my horses!

With my family!!!

A major Surprise was getting to watch Harry Potter!! All us die-hards were Ecstatic!

Por Amarte

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

"Por amarte robaria un estrella te la regalaria." -Enrique Iglesias (he's the favorite this month!)

The Dump. The smell is more wretched than i can describe, the flies are

incessently friendly, and there is a precious family that has stolen my heart (how is it STILL possible?!). The mother has 9 kids that are very close in age. They are

beautiful barefoot children who hide behind their mother's skirt and grin shyly at us.

Luis Valerio the littlest boy reminds his mother to bathe him the night before the gringos come. The middle daughters, Ingrid and Raquel, alternate missing school so they can come get a plate a food and stare at us. They don't talk very much, and while were

singing songs today they were freaked out by the amount of attention they were getting.

BUT then the mother invited me to their home (in the dump) on Thursday, and little Maria Feliz yelled, "No HOY!" I was beaming.

There is so much ugly in this world that it can get overwelming. Yet there is such tender beauty hidden within that there HAS TO BE GOD whispering hope over his cildren that are broken and in terrible circumstances. I still marvel that He chose me to hold hands, wrap my arms around people, share HIS love all over this world. THANK YOU dear supporters, once again for sending me on this trip that has both blessed and shattered my heart countless times.

Anything But Ordinary!

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

You know you're a WR in Puerto Barrios Guatemala WHEN...

10. You grab your shampoo and race outside as soon as it starts raining to make the most of running water

9. Your tent becomes a 7lb keychain because you never use it!

8. Your bunkmates are, geckos, bed bugs, mosquitoes, and mice!

7. Rabid screeching dogs, a van with a megaphone yelling for the gas bill, and a demented rooster are your alarm clock each morning,

6. You blast ShofarFM 103.3 from your balcony even though you don't understand a word of it.

5. Your Eau de toilette is OFF bug spray

4. 13 people are sharing 1 bathroom and only 2 accidental viewings have occurred

3. When youre headed to the beach for the day there is a casket riding right next to you on an over crowded ferry.

2. You are so hot and starved for a beach you don't mind swimming in chocolate milk water.

1. Pollo Campero, the local fast food place is your end all be all hang out joint! (To call your family, use the toilet when the water goes out, eat camperitos, post blogs, and mostly to sit in the AC and stare at a wall, you know like the lovely mural behind us.)

The OneS I love

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Tomorrow is our last day here in Puerto Barrios, Guatemala. My dad gave me a hard time awhile back because apparently I always say I LOVE THIS PLACE about every country but i do! These last few weeks i have handed over my heart yet again, but this time to 22 kids at an orphanage. My dearest darling's name is Elias and every time I hug him goodbye i kiss his face and squeeze him til he starts screaming. I ADORE this child and would love to take him home with me. It is sad to say goodbye after every month and I'm honestly glad i only have to do it one other time. Here are some pics of our kiddos!

Hot Hot Hot!!!

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We finished our first week In Puerto Barrios, Guatemala!

We are living in this beautiful bright home! 3 Rooms and 1 bathroom for 13 people. It's super cozy. I have bed bugs for friends at night and no AC, but you know it's not that bad. One day the water went out for 24 hours, and since it is Incredibly hot here everyone needed a shower, big time. Thankfully it rained that night and we took advantage. I was reading in my room when i heard yelling, lots of it. I went to investigate and people were grabbing shampoo bottles and changing into their bathing suits . We went next door and showered, in the rain, it was glorious.

We are partnering this month with Shofar FM a Christian radio station. This week was their annual fundraiser and so we went door to door every morning and afternoon asking homes for donations. Almost every home we went to was willing to give even though they didn't have much. Many even told us how much they loved the radio station. One day Jill and I stayed at a house for 20 minutes because they had a monkey in the backyard, and she was a total show off. Another day, Ben and I were invited to make tortillas. I love this hospitable warm community.

Marvelous Things

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Blankenheim, Germany captured our hearts. The little town was charming and full of the RADDEST people! They opened their homes to us, and loved us greatly. We were there 5 weeks and cried like babies at the pain of leaving.

We worked with New Life Church. All its members live in a strong and loving community. It is a wonderfully safe place. It is interesting because this strong community has been created because no one really leaves. The expectations is that you find a spouse from within the church, marry quickly, and settle in the same town. But what if you are one of the few who feel a calling to the nations? It can be a scary thing to break the mold. That's why the youth we met, impacted my heart so greatly. They are asking hard questions, and dreaming big dreams of something new. They are the ones who will change their community and the world as they follow their dreams. Ich liebe dich!!!

Keep Holding On

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We have been debriefing in Antigua, Guatemala for 5 days, hanging out with our squad we haven't seen in 6 weeks. It's our time to get some good teaching, worship, and relax between ministries.

Yesterday, we went to Pacaya which is an

active volcano and hiked it! Crazy.

Hiking/climbing/sliding/falling over lava rocks

for over an hour to get to the top and see the

flowing lava was awesome, and the hardest thing

I have ever done in my life. No one escaped without some war wounds. Not unlike our last 9 months.

We have 2 more months left on this wild adventure. I am praying that they are the best yet! We leave tomorrow for our ministry sight, Puerto Barrios, and I cant wait to make some new friends, and see what the Lord is going to teach me through them.

Oh and I LOVE speaking Spanish!

A Good Man Is Hard to Find

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

LOVE bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

My dad and i are ridiculously similar. Same temperament, sense of humor, ways of handling conflict, and same love of good places to eat. I adore my dad. I can hang out with him for hours and it be all peachy and then bam one of us will get ticked off and it's all over for awhile. Well until we cant handle being apart and one of us will give in. He has had to deal with a lot in being my dad (a few little mood swings...) and his love for me is such a blessing. Ours is a special relationship, and i wouldn't change a thing abou it. He has taught me so much, and his character is solid. I want to be like him in so many ways. I love you dad, and miss you loads. Thank you for being my #1 encourager and supporter this year. Cant wait til we watch a good ole soccer game on TV and then go to Eatzis.

LOVE YOU!!!

Detlef Schrempf

Mon, 8 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Blankenheim Downtown

View from our apartment

With Elias!

Star Flower

For Ben's

birthday we dressed up as Dungeons and Dragons Characters! :)

We went to an indoor ski resort in the

Netherlands with a few of our

new friends!

Two weeks into Germany: WE LOVE IT! The youth are awesome, the families we are staying with have the whole idea of community down, and are amazing, and the church is a vibrant place. The people here are impacting our lives just as much as we are hoping to impact theirs.

Summer Skin

Mon, 8 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We are leaving for Belgium in the morning. 350+ youth from all over Germany are gathering for some serious Jesus time and fun AND FOOD. A dozen of us went shopping today for SIX hours to get enough food to feed this group. We are super excited to go, and welcome your prayers. Will report back in a week!

Madlin took about 700 pictures so here are some of the highlights.

PS: I wanted to add that the coolest guy ever is sitting next to me and hes just hanging out and being there...isnt that cool..you have to get to know him...Paul...remember this name.

I Don't Care Where You Live

Fri, 29 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Here I stand at the foot of the window. Oh! please I can help you fill the hole. All my life I depend on opinion.
You have solid soul. I don't care where you live. For today, I started loving you again.

Charlatans

The Holy Banditz spent May in Viile Tecii, Romania. There were 28 of us living in the small village, and plenty of opportunities for us to serve the community. I came in with the typical excitement of being in a new place, and living out in the lush countryside was inspiring. The Gypsies were super loving and fun, we connected instantly. BUT then the "8 month on the race" blues hit me. I had to fight to keep myself motivated to "do ministry." My brother, a United States Marine came home from 8 months overseas and moved back to Dallas. That event, his 25th birthday, and Mother's Day all happened in the same week. I was like, "ok Lord I'm done with the race, I want to go back home!" Home seemed so appealing because I was so tired! I confessed this to my team, and they prayed for me. Jill said she noticed my passion had quieted, and that she hoped to see me excited about ministry again. Her words pierced me. Passion is my favorite thing, if I'm excited about something, Ill do anything for it! I noticed that when I was at the Elementary School and teaching at the English Club, I came alive, but all other ministry I was just, "blahdy blah." I was struggling with the concept of ministry vs. life. This is what the race keeps enforcing in my heart. It doesn't matter where you live or what you do, ministry is everywhere, and YOU can be used as long as your heart is willing to seek out the opportunitites. Ask the Lord to break your heart about the areas in your life where you can serve Him and others. Ask for an intense love for people, that will come out of the overflow of what the Lord is doing in your heart. I was, A. Living out of my own strength and B. Forgetting to ask the Lord to refresh my heart, and give me His eyes. It's so easy to fall into this trap. I finally did the asking and HE did the answering. Refreshment is so good. Don't struggle any longer than you have to, You'll miss so much.

Video-Viile Tecii

Fri, 29 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This video, I made!! :)

You'll see a little glimpse of our life in Romania!

Always Where I Need to Be

Fri, 22 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

My teammate Ben wrote the following blog about how God orchestrated events that led us to GERMANY for the month of June! It's awesome!!!

*****

Hey Everyone! I have an awesome God story for you today.

The Holy Banditz are going to Germany!

Our 3rd month in Europe was a "pioneer month". We were on our own to find a ministry contact. A few days ago we had three potential contacts.

One was in Croatia working with evangelistic English camps. The Croatian contact told us that we were "an answer to prayer." They had been preparing these camps for two years and they were finally ready. And we were going to be their laborers.

The second was a church planter working with Gypsies just outside of Budapest, Hungary. He told us that he wanted us to come and was begining to make preparations.

The third was a youth pastor in Blankenheim, Germany. He expressed a strong desire for us to come and mentor his youth group.

Three Great Contacts! One BIG problem. It was going to be almost impossible for the Germany contact to work out. First, just getting to Germany was going to break out budget. The cheapest flight to Germany was still twice what we had for travel that month. Second, Germany is an expensive country and we did not think that our budget for food and lodging was going to be enough to cover our expenses.

We talked to our Germany contact about this and he said, "Dont worry about lodging and food. A laborer deserves his wages." OK, one obstacle out of the way.

Then our contact this month found us plane tickets to Germany that were within our budget! Two.

Then we found out that two other teams had contacts in Cologne, Germany (a city very near to Blankenheim) and that we could all travel on the same flight! Three.

Then the day before our team was going to make a decision about Month #3 the Croatian contact canceled on us. The contact that said we were "an answer to prayer" changed her mind and said they could no longer take us! Four.

Then the day that we were making our decision the Hungarian church planter cancelled on us! Five.

****

alex again: I can't express to you how very VERy excited we are to get to partner with this youth pastor and invest in the lives of the youth. Please pray for the relationships to be sincere and develop quickly. The pastor's heart for his youth is that they would be ignited to live passionately for Christ, and to live a missionary life right in their own community. Which is basically what we have been learning and relearning and then learning yet again for the last 8 months! Woohoo!

Video Killed the Blogger Star

Fri, 15 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

So, i have been baaaad about blogs in Romania, i know! and i totally love it here! One is in the works but for now, my Helena has been super into making videos and here they are...

INDIA:

Video Killed The Blogger Star Pt2

Fri, 15 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

UKRAINE:

She's Always A Woman...

Fri, 8 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mothers who read our blogs: WE LOVE YOU!!

My Best Friend

Wed, 6 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Bells rang on the 6th of May

As he appeared all full of joy.

Happiness on a mid Spring day

Whence came this handsome baby boy.

Hegrew in virtue to our delight,

Although in stature stayed quite slight.

Twenty-five years quickly passed by

And through all life's thick and thin

When days have warred to make me cry,

His friendship my great treasure's been.

Devoted as the sun that shines

Is this dearest brother of mine!

Hersson! I adore you and can honestly say that because of who you are,

I am a stronger person.

Thank you for friendship and love, they are one in a freakin million!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my most favorite favorite in the world!!

Basket Case

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Ben and I went to St. Vladymir's Cathedral on Easter Eve. The traditional service started at 11:30 pm. Easter Baskets are a BIG deal. Instead of candy and goodies they are filled with the food you will eat on Sunday. People take them to church to be blessed by the minister. They were everywhere. Most had Easter bread which looks like a gorgeous giant cupcake with white funfetti icing, but really just dry raisin bread!

The service was conducted in an ancient Slavic tongue, and the prime minister of Ukraine was there! So truthfully, I was bored and restless some of the time, but it was so authentic it was awesome. At 12:30, the bishop in all his glory (followed by a bunch of important people and then everyone else in the church) led everyone in a grand procession around the church to symbolize Christ's death. The Church bells rang and everyone chanted, "Christ Has Risen" (In Russian!) amongst other prayers several times before we went back in the church.

SO many people were there, fully aware of the traditions that have always been. I wonder how many know the great intimate love Christ has for them. I think that is why hanging out with college students and hearing about their lives fills me so much. Every conversation that allows me into their world also shows them mine. They may not care for the truth now, but I have utter faith that Christ will pierce their hearts just like He has mine. If i love a few of them after knowing them only a few short weeks, then i can rest that their creator loves them infinitely more and will woo them.

PS: We decorated Easter Eggs in the afternoon

and then the girls went to Swan Lake at the Opera House!

These are a few of my favorite things- Ukraine

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I'm pretty sure that this month jumped to the coveted, "favorite country" slot. Our ministry was making friends with college students and spending time with them. And since these college students were AWESOME, it felt like real life rather than ministry.

1. CCX- (Pronounced Es Es Ha!) This ministry hosts English Clubs at the University, plans fun events for the students, and has a Bible Study twice a week. The staff are amazing God-loving folks. 1 Canadian 3 Americans and so many RAD Ukrainians! Gosh we had so much fun with these folks and seeing how GIANT their hearts are for their community.

2. English Club- Watching Nooma Videos, talking about life, sharing our around the world stories, playing games, teaching then English slang, coffee with the students after club all of it, so fun. Seeing Patricia and Pete's hearts for the students was incredible and inspiring.

3. Lariska! From the moment we met her, all of us were totally in love with her, she's that cool! She is also studying Spanish so we would speak in 2 langauges :) Funny story: on our first day in the center of town I wanted to go to St. Sophia's Cathedral so bad since it is almost 1,000 years old. She was there with her classmates laughing at the goofy Americans dressed in Indian clothing with a red bearded fella and a dark bearded fella. Then a week later we walk into her English club. Then another week later in a city of 4 million people we run into her at a bus stop (I spotted her high top red converse). So it was fate that we become friends: fate or JESUS! The last day in Kyiv, her and I spent all day walking around the city. When i said goodbye I felt like i was leaving a sister; super hard.

4. Our apartment- Our little apartment housed 9 people the last week we were there. It was loud and chaotic, and a total blast. It was the first time in 7 months that we had our very own home. A place to cook whatever we wanted, come and go when we want, a place to unwind at the end of the day, to shower with hot water, to invite friends over...What we all took for granted back home was pure gold to us this month.

5. Curves: Every morning JIll would gently shake my shoulder just before 8am and we would cross the street and sweat it up with 2 awesome trainers! Helen then Kyla joined us as well. FYI Curves is strength training machines and dancing! :)

6. Bean Game- A game where you plant, trade, sell beans. lol! We all loved it and almost every night one person would casually ask, soooo bean game?? :) The tactics from the game spilled into our everyday life and we would say things like, Ill give you a token for the metro, for a McDonald's ice cream cone. We were wheeling and dealing fools!

7. Community Living- This month it started to get "real." People got annoyed and frustrated but this race has taught us how to handle conflict honestly and correctly. I think this is one of the things this year will forever leave me with, how to be angry gracefully. lol! Usually with those you love you explode or do the fun little silent treatment (whatever youre in the mood for on said occasion) but with these people you can't do that. You are eating sleeping working with them 24/7. If petty conflict arises and you dont deal with it...hell! Soooo anyway i love seeing us, seeing me learn how to do this well.

We are headed into Romania now where internet might be scarce...Love Y'ALL!!

Lo How A (Cherry!) Rose E'er Blooming

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Every day we walk past a million Cherry Blossom Trees. I am kind of addicted to taking their picture. At least once a day someone will roll their eyes, playfully yell at me to hurry up, or tap their foot as they patiently wait for me to pause, adjust my camera, and take a snap. I can't help it! I feel like I am noticing Spring for the first time.

I have taken pictures of the trees from little bud to darling white blossoms to new green leaves just waiting to pop out. Ok so right now you're like, "Alex it's a tree, blah blah..." but as I see it, there are only 4 more months left of this race, and maybe I'm trying to hold on to as many little things that I can to remember it all.

Yesterday I avoided buying a bar of soap because it reminded me of China, but even that made me smile because China has its own scent in my memory!

Jill and I have been talking about this a lot and we'll find each other during the day to share something small that we noticed that is completely insignificant to the grand scheme of

things (like a man almost getting hit by the trolley and the funny dance he did to jump out of the way, or how our favorite local vendor laughed when we used our 7 Russian words to communicate with her) but brings us joy because it is a part of our every day life.

When i get home life will get routiney before I even notice. I don't want to think that just because I am not zipping from country to country meeting new people and having all these

new experiences that life will be humdrum. I want to keep noticing the little things, always.

It's all about perspective.

So for the comments section you MUST write one totally random small insignificant thing that brought you joy today, Please. You're so good at commenting on my life, let me hear about yours!

Peaceful Easy Feeling

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Everyday stuff:

First morning in our apartment. I walk into the kitchen and it is a calm haven. Helen is nestled in the corner by the window eating oatmeal. I walk over to the freshly stocked cabinets and get some cereal sans milk because I don't know where we put it last night (No running fridge yet, milk is somewhere outside).

Enter Ben with the bag of milk. First he is all stressed out about how to open the bag. Then as he tips the bag to pour over his cereal he douses the counter as well.

Alex: "Oh my gosh Ben, seriously?"
Helen chuckles.
Ben: "You try it. It's not easy!" He then wipes the counter with the sleeve of his threadbare flannel shirt that he never removes.
Helen chuckles.
Patti enters: "Here give it to me."
Patti tilts the bag over his bowl. Milk is everywhere in an instant. All over the bowl, counter, and dripping onto the floor.
Ben: "Got it!" Alex and Helen laugh as they watch the boys try to fix the situation.
Ben quickly grabs newspaper places it over the spill, "I saw this trick on Big Daddy."
Patti then sets his bowl on top of the newspaper to catch what is dripping off the counter.
Alex: Patrick that is disgusting! We haven't even cleaned off that counter.
Patrick: Whatever it's fine. I don't want to waste the milk.
Helen chuckles.

Ben again challenges Alex to do a better job pouring. She grabs the nearest glass and pours over the sink.

Over her shoulder Pat mumbles something about a dirty glass. With minimal spillage, the milk is now in a glass.

Patrick: You say I'm gross look at that glass. No one is going to drink the milk now.
Alex: Oh no! I didn't notice it was dirty!
Patrick: I told you that glass was filthy!
Ben ready for his second bowl says, "Here give it to me, Ill just pretend it's pepper in the milk."
Alex: You can't even see the "pepper" past the little hairs in the glass. Sick.

Pat shakes his head.

Helen chuckles again and says, "I feel like I'm watching an episode of Friends.

MInistry:

This month we are living in Kyiv the capital of Ukraine. We have our own little flat on the sixth floor of a giant blue and white cement building. Hot water gushes out of the pipes (woohoo!), 3 bedrooms, little kitchen with fabulous windows looking out onto the streets, white (grey) flowered wallpaper; it's what you picture a dingy old city apartment to be, but it is all ours and we are absolutely enamored.

Everyday we go to English clubs on various university campuses and talk with Ukrainian students. (My favorite is a girl named Larissa who is also studying Spanish. So English for an hour and then I chat in Spanish with a Ukrainian) After club we go hang out with them at one of the hundred coffee shops in town. People walk around cold as ice, in a hurry, stylishly dressed in black, and ready to be somewhere. It's a far cry from Africa and India where everything is bright, slow paced, and you are the main attraction. At first glance it can be intimidating, but as you start chatting with people, and throw in some Russian words, you may leave with a new best friend. Please pray for the relationships we are building. These students know about Christ, He just isn't an important part of their every day lives.

Random:
I don't know why I love this country but I just do. After Kenya, it is my favorite so far and we have only been here 2 weeks. I thought I was becoming an intense lover of the country, but you return me to the city and I just melt. We walk everywhere! 15 minutes to the nearest farmer's market, 20 minutes to the metro stop, 25 minutes to our favorite pizza place, 5 minutes to Curves (Jill and I became members for the next 2 weeks!), and you are always surrounded by some amazing old architecture. Oh and I'm obsessed with the Cyrillic alphabet! I feel like a 5-year-old discovering words for the first time.

Life in Technicolor!

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We have been in India for 12 days, Here's a little glimpse of what it is like...

BT= Best Thing * NSGT= Not So Good Thing

Place: Ambala, India (3 hours north of Delhi) Bright colored clothing, Street food everywhere, Many places to shop!, Wild near accidents always about to happen, Thousands of cows just strolling around, incessant honking (each motorized vehicle has its own unique horn),

BT- Eating in fly infested hole in the walls and not even batting an eyelash.

NSGT- My goodness even China wasn't this dirty!

Home: Savoy Hotel

BT- Large Rooms open up to a lawn surrounded by a high white wall; very Marie Antoinette.

NSGT- A bathroom so dirty that even a gas station clerk would shudder to enter. Needless to say it is hard to get me in there to shower. We had to set mandatory shower days for our team!

Ministry: Visiting people's homes to share the gospel or encourage believers, Teaching at Belveree School, Hanging out with Nursing Students at Philadelphia Hospital.

BT- Sweet hospitable new friends and amazing food at every home

NSGT- The constant "Dio" from said delish food

Contacts: Geetangeli, Mama, Pastor, Powan (Translator), and Baba

(old man who seems to be around a lot; we love him!)

BT-They love us, spoil us, feed us, help us communicate...

NSGT- zilch! They are completely adorable.

Transportation: Autos (motorcycles with a cab attached) and Rickshaws (bike with a carriage)

BT- If you squeeze 11 people in then you don't flail around as much nor feel the impact of all the potholes.

NSGT- If you squeeze 11 people in then there is a greater chance one will pop out one of the open sides and no one would notice.

I absolutely love India! My team is just living in this constant state of joy. Maybe it is the halfway point approaching and we are all reflective like, but we LOVE everything the people, the ministry, the sounds, the food! It's greatness.

These are a Few of My Favorite Things-Tanzania

Thu, 5 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Our Tanzanian Family!! Margaret adopted JIll and I and treated us as one of her daughters. She taught us to make amazing Chai, songs in Kiswahili, and though recently widowed, she wowed us with her faith and honesty. She was a gem and her daughter Sheila on my right is brilliant. I would adopt her as my little sister any day!

Tanzanian Food! I just keep packing in the pounds because how can you not this food is to die for! Ndizi was my favorite. fried bananas but not the spanish kind. They were amazing. Top that with some Fanta and Goat meat, yum!

Safari Day! We were so pumped! Banans got smashed when Ben saw a warthog for the first time. He was that excited. We also teased our driver mercilessly (africans dont get sarcasm) about swimming with the hippos and dangling me out the car door to attract lions...ok so it was much funnier when you could see his face whenever we would joke about it!

Out in the bush with the Maasai. This was one of my favorite weeks (if i can even say that) the Maasai were super amazing and hospitable. Excited to hear everything you had to share with them about the Lord. Every night we would watch crazy African music videos and dance with them under a million stars. It was just amazing! Do you see Kili in the background? and NOT much else! haha. Loved the African Bush!

Happy, adorbale stinkin little, Happy! I handed her a Newsweek once while i was working on my journal and she sat right next to me super still, clutching the Newsweek, and only looking away from it to smile at me. I was in heaven! she was too cute. I have to get our pics from Jill's camera.

JIll and Lindsey walking to church. That Giant tree was our church for a week. We sat under it every day and held seminars and worshipped with our awesome African brothers and sisters!

ZANZIBAR, enough said! :)

Hot n' Cold

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This is the month where we saw we weren't just doing ministry we were living it.

I started the race "gung ho" about all that we were gonna do, but that has changed a bit. It's more like how do I remember the real reason I am here, when everything we do is so normal?

Girls on Safari Day!

It is normal to haggle with people over the price of a taxi or mango (I'm totally good at this! No Muzungu prices for us.) It is normal to be in the dark as to where you will be sleeping, or what you will be doing in the morning. It's super normal to hike through endless shacks and trash to find a place where you can do an evangelism outreach or dance your heart out in church or see the most amazing landscapes in the world as you zip by on a bumpy bus. I mean the list can really go on. So many times we stop and say, "This is our life." It usually revolves around something amazing but EVERYthing is an adventure on this race. I am realizing that I started to love the adventure, the new people, and new experiences more than the sole reason I am here.

Ngorongoro Crater, sooo beautiful!!!

We leave for the bush this morning. I mean the African warriors, your bathroom is the nearest bush, sleep in your tent with whatever rafikis crawled in there, Bush. Hmmm after 3 weeks of living in the city of Arusha and a brief jaunt to the breathtaking Island of Zanzibar this should be a bit of a shock. Good, Lord knows I need it!

Is my blog all over the place? I think it is. Mostly I just want you to know that I am at the beginning steps of what it will mean like to come home, and still live out what I have learned. When I am back in Texas (Or CA! Haha) and life again returns to normal, and change and amazing things aren't the norm. How will I continue to live for Christ when ministry isn't being presented to me as something to do, but is my way of life. This is the latest Q on my long list of em! ;)

Snorkeling in the Indian Ocean! The water was super clear and super aquamarine!

Random:

How do we feel about plain white rice? One girl added PB&J to hers tonight to liven it up. I opted for 2 mangos and a banana! Needless to say I'm starving right now! But fish heads and white rice? Yeah no thanks.

Crystal, I have had so much chai it is coming out my ears. I have a recipe for ginger chai that will blow your mind, and you my dear get to try it first!

So from being out of the loop with new music, I have reverted to HS days. Court , lately I have listened to so much NSYNC, Beatles, Backstreet Boys, Aqua, and Britney that it is quite humorous!

I am a mosquito's (pronounced: mo-skwee-to) favorite flavor.

E- I either lived at the base of Mt Meru or Mt Kili all month and also went to the ocean, how cali is that?! ☺

I saw a movie at the theatre for the first time in 5 months and it was Twilight, and we acted like a 14-year-old girls about it, and it was perfection!

Shiney Happy People!!

Tue, 3 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The squad sat in agony yesterday morning. Our new teams were about to be announced. Some people sat in joyful anticipation; it was time for a change. Others couldn't fathom losing the family they had created over the last 4 months. The rest of us fell somewhere in between those opposite ends of the spectrum. I wondered what the Lord would do through our leaders. I cried, I fretted and then like a nice cold shower I got the peace. The Transformers were great. Together we learned a lot about ourselves and each other and how to live life better. They are a part of me forever and I will miss some of them dearly.

After our last morning prayer time!!

Well the new teams were announced and...My new team is FANTASTIC!!!

At a Drive-In in Nairobi. you cant see in this picture but there were 2 other cars there ready to watch "Victory" with us! :)

Ben-our leader. He already was one of my most favorites, and to be placed on his team is such a surprise delight! He leads with humility and joy.

Helen- My sweetie from transformers is still on my team. I am so glad! Her quirky sense of humor and pure honest heart will continue to teach and touch my heart.

Shiloh- Lives life with such exuberance it's incredibly fun and contagious! She also has a deep and sincere love for people that is beautiful to watch.

Jill- Is a rare treasure. She has a discerning spirit, and sweet boldness to walk in what she perceives.

Patrick- Since my real brother cant be on this trip with me, Patty steps in and does the job of listening to my ridiculousness and encouraging me and of course absolutely driving me crazy. I was relieved that I got to keep him from Transformers!

Together we are the HOLY BANDITZ!!! Hahaha, utterly ridiculous, of course!

Jill's idea for us to jump in the pool after hours. We got yelled at by security for sure.
Also Helen, Patrick and I had no other clean clothes for the next day, yeah that was fun!
But you really dont think in the moment do you? :)

PS: We are in Tanzania now!!!! :)

All Good Naysayers, Speak Up! Or Forever Hold Your Peace

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This past month I came face to face with doubting the goodness of the Lord.

That's right, I said it. Alex, the missionary sent to the nations by her loved ones to impart Christ's love, doubted big time. How could I not? You walk through an IDP camp, and then sing, "You are good, and your love endures." I have seen real life movie type horror first hand, and it is not something easily forgotten. Right now it's late, way past my bedtime, but my brain wont let me sleep because the questions are many. What did I do in Uganda that mattered? Whose life was changed? I spent 10 days (only 10?) living in community with the most desperate people I have ever seen, and was anything accomplished? We left this morning, and I am left wondering at the fruit.

Each time I went to pray for people at the IDP camp, I would reach a point where I had to leave in a hurry because I couldn't take in any more. During feedback my team would say, "your prayers are so passionate and heartfelt...You instantly connect with people and I can see you relating to their pain." It makes my human heart happy to be praised for something that comes easily, but my spiritual heart screams for more. How do I best pray for a man crippled by disease? What do I say to the mother of a neglected 4 year-old that doesn't speak? Where has that family's little girl been for the last 7 days? Praying heartfelt prayers and then look into their hopeless eyes; You die a little. Or you become a cynic like I was that first week, completely ineffectual.

Choose Joy. Stop Complaining. Learn some darn Patience. See them as Christ sees them. Not your strength, His.

A new week started with the above written in my journal, and the result...

A radical change! With JOY, I wrapped my arms around some sketch looking orphans. I held hands with children I had just seen wipe said hands in all kinds of places. I sang til my voice went hoarse. I prayed my heart out for the broken and forgotten. I didn't take another nap, but entertained the little monsters that came a calling. I died to self a little more each day. He truly was our strength, and our attitude change affected how we served, big time. In the midst of it my heart is touched with sweet joys like "Penguin." Anena, my dear shadow, I just loved her! He knows the unique ways to revitalize my heart, and get it racing and bursting with joy. He is so good. I have to trust that He is that way with all his children.

The other day Sarah and I went to pray in a women's ward in a hospital. When we walked into the room with emaciated lifeless dying bodies I inwardly recoiled. Inside I yelled, "I can't Lord!" But then to my right a young woman was moaning and crying while getting some sort of drip. I dropped to my knees and put my hand on her flaming skin and prayed for her "in Jesus name" until I felt her calm down. We went around praying and chatting with the women and suddenly I felt like we needed to sing. We had seen worship change our hearts in Keyo what would it do in this place? Alice, the lady translating for us whose own daughter looked the worst started a song and the whole room joined in, Sarah and I even sang in Luo! It was breathtakingly beautiful. The room was charged with this joy that I kid you not only comes from the Lord. We are not talking worldly happiness, The room was bursting with hope! Even as I write this I am grinning at the memory.

I have few answers to my questions. I didn't change anyone's physical or financial state. My prayers weren't answered the moment I prayed them, at least not that I could see. I often felt useless in the grand scheme of things. I am not forgetting what I saw. I am just covering over it with a thick blanket of faith. I give up the load I tried to carry to the one whose very self is in and around each life. I guess I was dealing with pride, thinking I could do anything besides remind them that their Creator knows them, and is so very near to them. I learned that to give them hope is enough. It's everything.

These are a Few of My Favorite Things-Uganda

Sat, 31 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Preaching- I spoke at a funeral service at the IDP camp, for a young that died in a car accident. I prayed and prayed that the Lord would speak through me, and I truly felt like I encouraged the people. Our African contact said I preached like an African! Trust me that is a compliment!

The Moose Song- Audrey introduced us to this song and the kids love it. To hear them laugh and do the motions with us is delightful.

Church in Gulu- man these Africans can praise Jesus! You dance and jump and throw your hands in the air, it's wild and awesome!

Anena- Once while walking with a translator back from the camp I turn around and little tiny Anena is jogging 10 feet behind us. The only way I could convince her to go back was to give her a sweet. Too cute!

Rolex- We found this place that wraps fried eggs in a Chapati with Veggies. Delish! I will be making this in America!

Sharon and Audrey: These 2 girls joined our team while in Gulu and it was such a delight getting to know them! I'm pretty sure Audrey and I are the same person right down to the stars on our feet! ☺

Living in my tent: I drew a map of my tent in my journal (def. got made fun of) and had everything nicely organized in it. It was like my own little personal neat getaway. Except when Patrick (my very own personal torturer) thought it would be funny to turn it 180 and I threw the biggest fit when I came and found chaos within!

Praying at the Hospital- Watching women who are literally on their deathbed from HIV praising the Lord humbled me more than anything else this month. Their smiles and laughter were the most beautiful thing.

Radio Show: I preached a sermon on the radio one day in Gulu, now it was for sure not my best sermon (I need people!) but I was on the radio! Half my team was back at our place listening, I'm famous! Well you know...

Rafting in the Nile: Oh my gosh!!! Class 3-5 rapids, wild! I literally thought it was the end for me a couple of times when our raft flipped over and I was swallowing massive amounts of water and there was no end to the rapids! But then the times the raft wouldn't flip and it was just a wild ride were my favorite.

Lunch on Nile Day: Rye Bread Sandwiches with tons and veggies and fruit! Oh my gosh I ate and ate! After 2 months of mostly white flour carbs, are you kidding me a brown sandwich loaded with all kinds of veggies: I about died and went to heaven!

Everybody's Changing

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Written on Wednesday, 7 January 2009

We say TIA (This is Africa) all the time. We say it when contacts and everything else runs late, when things change unexpectedly, when church passes the 4-hour mark, when IT (can be anything) smells and looks terrible...you get the point. This month my team is getting a big ole serving of TIA. Things changed from the moment we arrived in Gulu. We couldn't leave the Hepzibah girls without a boy, and we didn't just want to switch 1 person so we blended our two teams. If at any point I didn't think I was super attached to our team, watching Helen and Dan drive away changed that instantly. I got a lump in my throat, and knew I would miss those 2 more than I had anticipated. Just when it was getting comfortable living with the Transformers, and honesty was flowing like the river Nile (I just saw it and it's awesome!) things changed; TIA Number 1. Another TIA moment happened while shopping in town today. We had to start from scratch, as in buying a baby stove, all the groceries we would need for 2 weeks, and many other necessities. I headed up this mission, and I truly enjoyed the responsibility of it even the communication gaps that were teaching me some true patience. At one point I was purchasing 3 kilos of onions and Helen said, "Alex! Remember how when you had to buy groceries for a large group in the Philippines you were so stressed? And now you are buying groceries for 2 weeks and it's easy!" I was super encouraged when she noticed that. I am changing! I can confidently handle tasks I would have shied away from before. Anyway 3 hours later we had a truck full of supplies for the 2 teams. Little tiny Ugandan villages here we come! These next few weeks we are living with the locals not very near them but with them. Should be interesting.

We asked God for challenges. Before we hit the road to come to Gulu, we prayed that He would use this month especially to transform us more than He had any other. We cant wait to see Gary and Lisa and have them say, "Who are you?!" in a good way.

Love LOVE you guys!!

P.S. I have worn the same exact clothes for 3 days, to sleep and during the day. My light khaki pants are covered in red dirt and food stains. The sleeve of my world race shirt serves as both my face towel and napkin. My feet are 3 colors: filthy, dirty, and ashy. My hair is wretchedly disgusting. I can't remember what shade of brown I usually am, and I definitely don't smell familiar! But here is the wonder of all wonders: I do NOT smell like B.O. I'll be sure to keep you posted. So to look at me is to cringe, but TIA right?

P.P.S. I already decided what I want for my birthday next year so start saving! A weekend at a spa. Yup, like those wealthy old ladies who have nothing better to do. It's gonna take a team of at least 5 to scrub me down enough so i can remember I am a lady!!

Smile Like You Mean It

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

One major lesson my team is learning is that no matter how many of your rights you give up there is always more to surrender. Uganda and specifically the Gulu area is as different from Kenya as light is from darkness. From the minute we arrived tired, thirsty, and dirty I have had trouble finding the joy that was constant in Kenya. This area sucks it right out of you. We have had to fight (PRAY) for our joy; it doesn't just come out of the overflow of our pure hearts. The area I most notice the battle is in regards to the children. These children look absolutely decrepit. They all have bloated bellies, scabbed dirty faces, and tattered clothes. Their state is simply heartbreaking. These are the "least of these" the ones we pray daily that we can impact with Christ's love. Daily, I stand in front of 90 kids and teach them all kinds of fun songs and then play games with them... but when VBS time is over I adopt the, "leave me alone" attitude, and they don't. All morning, day, and night they will bang on our windows, scream for us to give them something, stare at us...give us zero personal space. The adults aren't any different, at any moment day or night you can expect to see a stranger walking towards us wanting to hang out. I sound like a terrible person! Well I am. Trying to figure out the boundary line is causing me such grief. Where is my love?

I broke down on our first walk through the IDP camp. We were invited into a hut to pray for a baby that was dying of Malaria. While I held her still body in my arms whispering life into her, my tears overflowed. There is so little hope in this place; you can feel the emptiness thick in the air. Throughout the camp with maybe 100 kids following us, I thought I was going to choke and/or vomit at the desperate state of these people. It is overwhelming.

I can't fully describe this place so you can understand what we see and feel. I want to mean it when I smile at the people. I want to give them Christ's love not my own flawed human love, but the exhaustion is ever present. It has never been more necessary to adopt the dying to self, concept. I hope I rise to the challenge. What a waste if I don't. As it stands I am in need of a lot of prayer.

Be My Covering

Sun, 4 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

After a 12-hour bus ride through tea fields of bright green, rice fields of splendid green, and sugar cane fields of fun wild green, we arrived in Kampala, Uganda! This city is interesting because it has all this western influence in their infrastructure that makes it incredibly different than Kenya, (we even saw a Dominoes Pizza!) but it is still totally African. You know some people said they were culture shocked whereas I was whipping my head around left to right looking for the Target (in my dreams!)

Transformers and Hepzibah leave in the morning for Gulu. We hear it's another 12-hour bus ride there, fun. J We will not have Internet nor electricity again this month. Gulu has a large IDP camp that the government will no longer be supporting come April. One of our main ministries will be creating community in the villages from where the people fled. Our hope is to encourage more people to return to their homes. We are told that the spiritual climate of this place is incredibly dark. Feelings of despair, loneliness, and the atrocities of war are heavy in the air. As we will not have communication with our encouraging folks back home, I ask that you please keep our two teams in constant prayer.

On the 8^th: Lovely Mary Elizabeth, I will be thanking the Lord for your birth!

On the 13^th: I will be wishing that I could tightly hug my beloved Bryanna on her birthday!

I continue to embrace this crazy adventure the Lord has me on. Every day without fail I think, This is my life?! I am learning and re learning lessons I'm sure I wont fully grasp til I'm 80, but I trudge on! Thank you for your prayers.

Love!

PS: At the end of January we will be White Water Rafting down the Nile!!! AAAH!! J It's supposed to have amazing rapids, and it's the Nile! I thought I'd share that fun detail!.