Further Up and Further In! Elizabeth Uhles - The World Race 2007

I have a new blog

Wed, 3 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I just wanted to let you all know that after a looonnnng break from blogging, I have started a new blog again. Nothing special, just more of my journey and thoughts along the way. If you would like e-mail updates from the new blog, there is a sign up on the right hand column of the new blog.

http://elizabethuhles.wordpress.com

Hope to see you there!

I need your prayer

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I know I haven't blogged since I have been home, but tonight my heart is heavy and you are some of the best prayer warriors that I know. I have been praying for a friend of mine for a long time now, I have been praying that the Lord would radically transform my friends life. Sometimes I remind the Lord of what He did in Paul's life. I have been praying that the Lord would put my friend in a place where my friend would be completely dependent on the Lord. Sometimes when you pray things like this, the Lord allows difficult circumstances to break us so that we can be dependent. So right now in the midst of the difficult circumstances, my friend has a choice to turn to the Lord or depend on themselves.

In a spiritual sense, this is the difference between life and death. I feel so weak right now that I don't even know how to pray. I need you, the body to pray for my friend.

Pray for a miracle. Pray for victory in my friends life. Pray for change. Pray for an understanding of who the Lord is in their life. Pray for the Lord's strength. Pray for an understanding of the Lord's total forgiveness for all shortcomings in our life.

I would only post this if it meant a lot to me, so please pray.

And while you are praying, pray for someone else in your life who needs you to fight in prayer for them.

We don't pray for each other enough.

Mexicali was great!

Wed, 6 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I wanted to thank everybody who prayed for the Mexicali trip for praying. It was a hard week, but over all it was good. The teams learned a lot he about learning to love people that are different them them, which might be one of the hardest and most beautiful things in things in the body of Christ. Here is an entry from one of the students on the trip.

" July 31, 2008
Today was another very warm day in Mexicali, with temperatures far into the triple digits. Our group took part in what we call "ATL" (Ask The Lord). This is

where we walk through a neighborhood and follow literally where we feel God is leading us. We arrived at the new church site in the town and began by praying and listening to what we felt the Lord was asking us to do. At first it seemed that we were all hearing different directions from God, but as we took our walk one part at a time, things began to fall together. We purchased bread and water from local vendors who happened to walk right up to our group. We then took the refreshments and offered them to different people we encountered. Because of our obvious difference in nationality, everyone would ask where we are from, which often lead to us explaining our mission to bring Christ to the people. Julie and Isaac shared their testimonies and two people invited Jesus into their lives. Often times we want to see the big picture right away, but we need to learn to follow God's timing and take his instructions one step at a time, even if it seems to make no sense to us. - John (Wisconsin)"

On Thursday of this week, I will be flying to North Carolina where my fellow Lego Courtney will pick me up. We will pick up Christy along the way, and head down to Knoxville, Tennessee where we will be going to Silas and Brooke's wedding on 8-8-08. Which is same day as the beginning of the summer Olympics, which is my favorite day of every other year because Olympic opening ceremony day is the closest thing we have to heaven on earth. So many cultures comming together in peace and happiness makes me cry. It's really a beautiful thing.

Mexicali

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I know it has been a while since I updated, but I just wanted to ask for your prayers this next week. I will be leading an AIM youth mission trip to Mexicali, Mexico. The project starts Saturday, and goes through the following Saturday.

I was supposed to fly out today, but hurricane Dolly delayed my plans, so I will be flying out in the morning. This gives me a little less pre project setup time than I like, so please pray that everything goes smoothly once I get there.

Thank you for all your prayers. I know I can count on you all.

Love,

Elizabeth

I still carry my headlamp in my purse

Sun, 18 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I have been home a little more than two weeks now...

When I was in Nicaragua, the valve that seals my air mattress broke. I realized this one night as I was getting ready to go to sleep on the floor of a barn. That was one of the longest nights on the race. I spent the night cursing the air mattress that I still slept on even though it was flat. At five in the morning when the sun was creeping up, I thanked God and got out of bed because the terrible night was finally over.

So I heard a rumor that you could take gear back to REI and return it if it didn't meet your 100% satisfaction. Lots of stores have policies like this, but they don't actually mean that you can return a stained, beaten up, broken air mattress that has been to 14 countries and has been slept on for a year without a receipt. My brother told me I was an idiot, but I took my air mattress to REI, and asked if I could have a new one. The man at the REI counter said, "No problem, would you mind picking out the new mattress yourself." I said,

"Sure." He said,

"Here is your brand new, perfect mattress would you like a paper bag, so that you can walk around the store?" I said,

"Thank you, you are amazing. Please come home with me and be my best friend." (I have been going through withdraws not having my best friends who will talk about theology while going to the bathroom with me.)

Still in the store, I called my brother to find him. (I have been told that this is what people who have phones do, you don't have to circle the store five times to find your friends and family.) He was looking at a ridiculously nice $20 water bottle. I think I saw this same type of water bottle run over by a car and shot my a gun, and it still held water. I tried to talk him into a less expensive bottle, so that he could spend the difference on a head lamp. He said, "Why do I need a headlamp." I said,

"Why do you still use a flashlight? Headlamps are brighter, smaller, lighter, the batteries last longer, you always have your hands free, the light always shines where you are looking because it is on your head, it is a perfect night time reading light, and it cost the same price as a good flashlight." I love headlamps so much I could go into door to door headlamp sales. After a few minutes, I volunteer to buy the headlamp for his birthday gift. (My brother's birthday was last week, but I didn't get him a gift.) After a quick walk by the sleeping bags, we head to the cash registers with the water bottle, the headlamp, and some batteries. The cashier gives us our total, ask for my phone number to put the purchase on my REI membership log, and then hands me change and says, "today we are giving you money." (REI has a thing they call 'dividend' where you get back something like 10% of the previous years purchase sums in store credit.)

Let me summaries what went down at the store.

1. They exchanged my broken beat up air mattress for a new one without a hassle.

2. We got a water bottle, a head lamp , and batteries for free.

3. They gave me change that we ended up using to take the tollway.

Now if only the rest of reentry was that easy. Coming back the the States has been harder than I thought it would be. I think everyone assumes that coming back to the states you will have a problem dealing with materialism, and everyone having so much. This doesn't bother me. This is what I have learned, stuff doesn't make me happy. I prefer simplicity, but if someone else wants a closet full of "nothing to wear" that doesn't bother me.

What I do have a hard time with is not feeling like I am sinning when I flush toilet paper.

But on a more serious note... I think the hardest part is finding something to talk about with people. Sometimes I feel like to get along with people, I have to pretend like the last year of my life didn't exist. I told this to a friend today, and she was really nice and started asking me questions, but when she did I didn't know how to answer her questions.

"What was the weirdest thing that you ate?"

"I don't know ...Wart Hog?"

"Did you ever feel unsafe?"

"No, not really"

"What were your favorite things?"

"I don't know, in what aspect?"

"I don't know... country"

"I'm sorry I am sure that you are tired of people asking lots of questions?"

"Not really, I don't get a lot of questions because everyone assumes that."

I feel like I can't talk about the race because I don't really care about the fun parts that everyone wants to hear about. The fact that we ate on the street, rode on buses, lived out of a backpack, slept on the ground, and bathed with cold water was normal life. When I go to bed at night in my nice bed, I think about children I met that sleep on the streets or the women in the prison in Manila that sleep smashed together on wooden boards. I came home broken. I came home with pain in my heart for children that I don't even know. I came home desperate to feel God's love and to know his hope. I really just want to sit on someones couch and cry for an evening, and thank God for what He is doing, and keep walking. The problem is I am afraid to break down and cry because I am afraid if I go there, I am afraid if I cry alone, I won't be strong enough to thank God, and keep walking.

This is my problem, I still don't have a big enough picture of God and what He is doing. I still think about myself to much. I have seen the entire world hurting, but I want to pretend like I didn't. I want to be normal, but I'm not. I still carry my headlamp in my purse.

If only life was as easy as gong back to REI.

Im Comming Home

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

There were moments this year when I wasnt sure this day would come, but tomorrow I am getting on a plane and flying back to the US. I will spend the night in Florida, and then I will be back in Brownsville, Texas on Thursday. Im looking forward to seeing everyone. If you are intersted in meeting up with me, and we arent in contact already please feel free to click on the "contact me" link and send me an e-mail. But for now just for fun...

Here is a review of the last year.

My Favorite Countries

China and Nicaragua

My Favorite Ministry

ATL In Shanghai and the Womans prison in the Philippines

My least favorite Country
Botswana

My Favorite Adventure

Catching a lift to Victoria Falls, jumping off the falls, and then white water rafting the Zambezi

Biggest life lessons

God is supernatural, and cannot be controlled by human limitation

The hardest things that I saw

The streets of Pattaya where they handed you "menus" of girls

Children begging in Cambodia

Watching a kid die in Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua

The coolest things I saw

The Prisoner in Botswana accepting the Lord

The walls in the hearts of the women in the Philippines fall

The most sup rising thing about traveling from Country to country in a row

That you can physically feel different spiritual realities as you move from city to city and country to county.

What I am going to miss most

My friends from the race

What have I learned that I can live without

Everything, but my Duck

What I am most looking forward to about home

My family and staying physically well for more than a week at a time

What I am afraid of about going home

Bring lonely and being vulnerably

What does my heart want

People to become free and healed, and live with an excitment about life, the Lord, and love in their bones.

Thank you for all your prayer and encouragement this last year. As I go home, and reflect more on what the Lord has done this year, I will let you know what stop is next on this journey that has only just begun.

My Legos, My Sisters

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Today for the first time I realized that I only have a week left with my Legos before we leave the race and head our separate ways.

A year ago when AIM announced our teams, I was horribly disappointed. In fact, I looked at my new team, and fell on the floor and started crying. I didnt know how I would ever learn to love these people that were so different than me.

Now it is hard to imagine what my life was like before I new these crazy people.

Here are a few thoughts on each of my Legos...

Heather and I jumped off part of Victoria Falls together, and then we swam to a rock at the lip of the falls, and watched the water falling six inches next to us. Heather swears that this really wasnt that dangerous, but some of out teammates saw this from the other side of the falls, and were so worried that the stupid people on the other side of the falls were going to die that when they found out it was us, they became livid. in fact, to this day we cant really talk about this event without arguing. The point is that sitting on the edge of the falls with the power of the water rushing next to me was the most amazing experience of my life. I have never thought that the Lord was so big and so powerful as I did in that moment, and I would have never experienced that with out Heather yelling for me to jump. Here is the thing, I dont think anyone else in the world could have talked me into jumping. Heather is analytical like I am, and together she and I can probably talk each other into anything. I love talking to her because she can see through my fear and excuses, and push me to keep on going.

Christy and I spent sun up to sun down together at Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia. That was the day that a spider bit my foot. This is the same spider that two days latter had my foot so swollen that I limped my feverish body across the Thai border and straight to a doctor in Bangkok. But the day we were at Angkor Wat, Christy had me laughing all day. Sometimes I would tell her that my foot really hurt, and that I was going to blame her if it fell off. She would just laugh so hard that both of us would have to stop and catch our breath. Here is the thing about Christy, no matter how bad things are she makes you want to keep going, and shell keep you going laughing. Christy is the person that I wake up in the middle of the night when I have had a nightmare and I need someone to pray for me. She is the person who I crawl into bed with when the rats get to loud, and she is the person I like to pick play fights with when I just need to feel loved.

I cant pick one story about Tamara because most of the race, I have attached myself to her hip. Tamara is the gooiest person in the world. You can be sitting at dinner, and look across the table, and with one look she can make you laugh until you cry. Dur ring Thank giving in China, we had an improve Thanksgiving Pageant, Tamara played the "green bean of thanksgiving past" (or something like that, I am sure my fellow racers will correct me here.) Either way, she waddled around in a giant green sleeping bag, and had me convinced that she belonged in the new food pyramid diagram. The other thing about Tamara is that she has the sweetest heart in the world. I talk through everything with her. She always provides understanding, and a lot of times just talking to her brings about healing. I never feel crazy when I talk to her, even when I am an emotional mess. Tamara doesnt always see in herself how much the Lord uses her. People all around the world love her, and I m pretty sure that she isnt done with the mission field yet.

One my favorite moment with Courtney was when were on a bus going back to South Africa from Botswana. At this point we had been traveling for two days, we had been riding through the Kalahari dessert for about 10 hours, there were large women with things on their heads on the aisles pushing into our seats, and we both started crying. I dont really know what we were crying about- we were hot and tired, felt like freaks, were wondering what in the world we had signed up for. That is when my heart connected with Courtney. Court and I both like to take care of people. We call Courtney "Mama Courtney" because sometimes she acts like our mommy when we need one. Courtney is always the first one to sacrifice what she wants and needs to serve the rest of us. Courtney and I have done food together all year, between the two of us we can feed anyone anytime any place. But I think there would have been times our team wouldnt have eaten if the responsibility was just up to me. Many times I was just too tired and I felt like nothing I did was good enough. During these times, Court would just put her hand on my back, and say, "I know it is hard, but we can do it." I have learned a lot about being a servant from Courtney, and I hope I can learn to be as selfless as she is.

Brady reminds me that this world isnt about flesh and blood and what we see with our eyes, but instead it is about the Lord and spiritual realities that you cant always see. A couple of weeks ago, Brady and I talked about how a lot of times this year we have seen our friendship attacked my Satan. We wondered together why this was true for us, and I think the bottom line is because Brady makes me believe that the Lord can use me to do anything, even raise dead people. Back in Thailand, I felt like I had hit a wall, and I couldnt break it down on my own, but when Brady prayed for me, I felt like we were running through the wall together. I just see her as a great offensive player in the Kingdom, she isnt afraid to push forward. Just watching her life has taught me a lot about living without fear. One of my favorite ministry experiences with Brady was visiting our friends that lived in the underground tunnel in Shanghai. She and I sold squishy balls, taught English, and she played worship songs with her guitar down there. I dont think that there are many experiences that are cooler than that.

What I love most about my team is that they will encourage you to anything the Lord lays on your heart. You can say,"I know we are in the middle of race day, and this is going to delay us, but I would like to buy food for that beggar and pray for him." My team would say, "Do you have money? Do you want us to go with you."

Sometimes I feel like this has been a rough race. I feel like I walked through the fire, and sometimes what came out of me was ugly. Through it all my Legos loved me, listened to me, wiped my tears, and told me to keep on going. I wouldnt have been able to finish this race without them.

I have had the privilege to spend this last year with some of the most adventures, funniest, giving, godly people in the world. And I would be lying if I said that the thought of leaving them doesnt break my heart. I am so grateful for teammates that I can not only call friends, but sisters.

(Silas was on our team this year too, but I wrote an entire blog to just him. Read "My Ode to Silioso" to read about him.)

Street Food Cleansing

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Today is one of those days on the race when you wake up, and realize that you aren't going to leave your room because your body has decided to cleanse itself of the street food that you have been consuming and it wouldn't be safe to be more than five feet away from the bathroom at any given time. With that said I have spent a lot of time in bed this morning thinking.

Yesterday at church, I noticed on the screen that is said, "Welcome to Pana Worship, no perfect people allowed." So I have been thinking about churches, and why people aren't honest in their struggles with each other. I was wondering why we live under some social pressure to have to have our lives all together.

So I have spent my morning asking "Why can't we as Christians be real with each other?"

And the answer I came to is because we don't know who we are in Christ.

When we truly know our identity in Christ, we don't have to pretend like our life is all together because we know that we are nothing in of ourselves, but through the blood of Jesus we are new creations.

Back in the Philippines, I read in a book that I randomly picked off a self that said the best kept secret among Christians today is that "Jesus paid it all." I have been thinking about this for three months now, and I think there is truth to that sentence.

I have noticed that we in our own efforts try to prove that we are following Christ, but we forget that it wasn't our own efforts that brought us into relationship with the father in the first place. We hide from each other because we don't want others to know that we are failing at being good people. But when I stop trying to find my identity in being a good christian, and I find my identity in being a son/ daughter of the king it doesn't matter if I am struggling.

So I was really thinking, that I want to be the kind of person that other people can be real with. I want to be the type of person who's friendship can create a place for someone to be vulnerable. We need to be vulnerable with each other. We need to be able to let our guard down, so that we can let the Father into the deep corners of our life. We walk around as broken people, who instead of being vulnerable, letting the lies out, and coming to terms who we really are in truth, walk around pretending to be all together.

Why do we pretend to be all together? Jesus has done so much for us, why can't we put our pride aside, and actually let ourselves be put together.

Sometimes we need to have days like my body is having today. We need to let all the junk out that is inside of us even if it is painful and ugly, so that we can walk around like healthy people.

It is about the Poverty of Thier Spirits?

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This year we have spent a lot of time sleeping on crowded, hard places, but this month I have a double bed all to myself. I sleep right in the middle of it with three pillows, two blankets, and my duck. I share a bathroom that has hot water with only one other person, and at night I can sit in the middle of my really big bed and watch Conan.
The other night my entire team was in my room watching television. (We thought catching up on pop culture would be helpful to our reentry process.) While I was happy watching Family Guy in Spanish, I was the only one in the room laughing and we ended up watching "American Idol Gives Back."

Before I left home for the World Race, I would watch shows that featured starving kids in poverty all over the world, and I would usually get a little angry. I felt like the "big man" behind the television was trying to play on my emotions, so that I could give him money. I didnt want to be played, so I hardened my heart and pretended like the world really wasnt that bad. But this time when I watched the "sad stories" on American Idol I thought, yep that is pretty much how the world works. Or worse, I would think those people don't have it too bad. In fact, they have it better than they think, they dont even know what true poverty is.
At one point in the show, Billy Ray Cyrus visited a family that had a real house, and he said something like that is the worse living situation I have ever seen. I thought, but someone else in the room vocalized, Wow Billy Ray, you dont get out much."
Then I thought, "Wow, Elizabeth, you are a little judgmental."
I am not trying to justify my judgmental thought, but here is the thing. I have learned and seen that money doesnt make people happy. Some of the happiest people in the whole world have what most Americans would consider nothing.
Im not OK sitting back and watching people starve, but there is a certain amount of poverty that doesnt bother me any more. The world in my eyes no longer looks like the world I use to see in America. By American standards, the majority of the world lives in poverty, and this is just a way of life.

Truthfully, I am a little bit nervous about going back to the clutter of America. I think I prefer only having a weeks worth of clothes. It has never been so easy to get dressed in the morning, I just wear whatever is the most clean.
I dont need an entire closet. Having an entire closet of clothes, but having "nothing to wear." is stressful.
I dont feel like I have roughed it this year, I have always had everything I need. This is true even though I have only a fifth or less of what I had back at home.

A couple months ago, I started to realize this shift in my thinking. I asked one of my teammates, "What is wrong with me, am I not compassionate? I dont break for the poverty of these people. It doesnt bother me that they dont have a home like the one I have at home. In fact I could live like them ,and be fine"
And my teammate said, "Elizabeth, maybe you should just pray that the Lord would break you for the poverty of their spirits."

So here is the thing.
1. As far as material possessions go, by the common mans standard around the world, I have grown up like royalty.

2. This isnt a bad thing. In fact, This is a gift because while most people are stuck in the same neighborhood that grew up in, I have the ability to go to the nations and give.

3. There is a downside to this gift, I can be tempted to use this gift on my own selfish desires. I can be tempted to find fulfillment in life in this gift, and I can be tempted to convince other people to try fulfillment in my gift.

4. Because this gift doesnt define who I am or bring me happiness in of itself, I can live without it, and I am OK with other people living without it.

5. When I get away from all the noise and clutter, I find that it really still is all about the heart of a man.

I feel like my thoughts on issues like poverty are messy, inconsistent, hypocritical, and I am sure that even though I say that I would go anywhere and do anything, I would cry if I ended up living under a plastic tarp for the rest of my life asking literally for my daily bread. But the Lord is faithful provider, and when we follow Him, nothing else matters.

We are in our last country

Tue, 8 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Im in Antigua, Guatemala. We just met up with the rest of the squad. It is nice to be back together with all my friends. We will be here a couple of days, and then we will be heading to our final ministry location with our normal teams.

This last week of travel went really smoothly. In Honduras, we were able to meet an old high school classmate of my mom. He was really nice, and it was a special gift from the Lord to get to hear stories about my mom from her childhood. Listening to him talk about her made me love her a little bit more.

El Salvador is a beautiful country, and I am grateful that we were able to spend a day there before coming up to Guatemala.

Thank you for all your prayers this last week. I feel a lot better, and we could defiantly see the Lords favor as we traveled.

Last month was hard

Tue, 8 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I have had a hard time writing blogs this last month because the truth is I feel beat up, bruised, heartbroken, and ready to crawl home to my mom and dad.

This last month has been one of the hardest month on the race, and it felt like everywhere I looked, everywhere I turned, every time I slept, Satan was waiting for me to try to destroy me.

This is going to sound crazy, but one night in Ometepe, I had a dream where Satan himself gave me a tour of the last month of my life. He showed me my rash and said, "See, making you sick use to be enough to keep you down, but that isnt good enough anymore." Then He showed me conversations I had with people, and things people had said to discourage me, and he said, "See I did that to bring you down." Then He showed me temptations that he out in my path, and ways that I had failed and he said, "See the Lord cant use someone like you, you are a mess. This went on and on, and it was so vivid and specif.

I woke up from that dream covered in my rash. It was the worse that it had ever been. I prayed so hard that night. I prayed for against all the things that I had been shown coming against me. I stated out loud that I was a child of God, and the blood of Jesus makes me who I am. I said that it doesnt matter what I do or dont do, that Satan cant have a hold on my life.

That night I took a shower to help calm my rash, and when I woke up the next morning it was gone. Since e then, there are times like this morning when my hands start to itch, and when this happens, I say, "No Satan, you will not do this to me." And again this might sound crazy, but it goes away.

I know that the Lord must be doing something amazing in my life, or I wouldnt be experiencing these trials. I am encouraged and hopeful, but at the same time I kind of just want to cry.

From where I am standing at today, it is hard to see what good came out of last month, but the Lord is faithful, His ways are higher than my ways, and I am pressing on.

Last month was hard

Tue, 8 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I have had a hard time writing blogs this last month because the truth is I feel beat up, bruised, heartbroken, and ready to crawl home to my mom and dad.

This last month has been one of the hardest month on the race, and it felt like everywhere I looked, everywhere I turned, every time I slept, Satan was waiting for me to try to destroy me.

I know that the Lord must be doing something amazing in my life, or I wouldnt be experiencing these trials. I am encouraged and hopeful, but at the same time I kind of just want to cry.

From where I am standing at today, it is hard to see what good came out of last month, but the Lord is faithful, His ways are higher than my ways, and I am pressing on.

Closing out Nicaragua.

Tue, 1 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

My week at Ometepe.

The island of Ometepe was amazing. At the orphanage where we lived, you could sit and stare for hours at the volcano on your right side and the vast lake on your left side. The orphanage that we worked at was one of the best run orphanages that we have see all year. The week should have been amazing for me, but the truth is the week was hard personal week. I had hives and pink eye, and spiritually I had a hard time pulling away to spend the time with the Lord that I knew I needed to. I learned a lot about the Lord's grace and the importance of needing to spend time with Him over doing His work.

I'm in Granada

We got to stop back Granada for two days. We have been working on booking travel plans for the next leg of the journey. It has been nice to meet up with friends here, and have some time to spend with the Lord and pray into some thoughts He has given me for after the race.

Back through Managua

Tomorrow we will be going back to Managua to say goodbye to our ministry contacts there, and from there we will be heading out of the country.

Our plan is to travel through Honduras and El Salvador on our way to meet up with the rest of the squad in Antigua, Guatemala at the end of this week.

So lots of moving. When I have some time to stop and sit a minute, I will write more about what God has been teaching me these last few weeks.

Pray for my health, safety in travel, and for divine appointments along our way.

Save Me Easter Candy!!!!!

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Only on the World Race does Easter Sunday equal travel day.

Tomorrow we are going to Ometepe. It is supposed to be an amazing volcanic island in the middle of a lake. We will be there about a week working at an orphanage. It should be fun!

I hope you have a Happy Easter/ Resurrection Sunday/ Whatever is PC to say in churches.

O yes, please feel free to set aside any extra snicker eggs, chocolate bunnies, and chocolate covered cherries that you have. I will happily accept these when I come home in May. Seriously.

Can you have a mad crush on a country?

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

When I was in China, I thought I like it here, "Chief, can I stay here?" He said, "Elizabeth, look at me and keep on walking." When we passed through LA,I went to church with a friend and I asked, "Chief, can I stay here in the American church." He said, "Elizabeth, look at me and keep on walking." So there I was loving the Lord, loving my teammates, and living happily, emotionally detached from the countries I visited. Then I got to Nicaragua, the moment I stepped outside the airport, and felt the warm air on my face, I felt like I had just gotten home. The more I begin to like this place, I started asking, "Chief look at you and keep on walking?" But He said, "Love the people and trust me." I said, "Look at you and keep on walking?" He said, "Love the people and trust me."

As I rode standing smashed between ten people today on a bus with my new Nicaraguan friends, I started to cry because even though they were making fun of my breathing because I was squished, even though my feet are now permanently cut up and dirty, even though I have bruises on my leg from a dog bite, and even though I'm tired, I have fallen in love with this county. Coming here has unlocked new dreams in my heart, and it has broken parts of me that I didn't think could be broken.

I can't put into words what I love about this country-the people, the natural beauty, the Lord's heart for it. There is something deep in my heart that yearns for the people here. Some nights when I can't sleep, I stay up and beg the Lord to let me come back here. I don't know why I ask this. It is almost like I can't help but ask this. It is like when you meet a new attractive man or woman, and you don't know why you want to be with them you just know you do. That is how I feel about this country. I think, "Lord, I'll cry for your dying children here, I'll cry for the boys who grow up without fathers, I'll mentor the girls who don't have mothers, I'll teach the woman that you love them. Pick me, Lord, pick me." In the moments when I'm not trying to protect my heart, in the moments when I let my guard down and let my heart feel, I am overwhelmed by the Lord's amazing love for His people here.

This doesn't happen very often on the race, but when I woke up this morning I thought, today I would really like to be at home. I would really like to see my mom and dad, sisters, and hermit crabs. Then I thought, but as much as I want to see Hamster and Houdini, I don't know how I am ever going to leave Nicaragua. I don't know what the future holds for me, but I told the Lord that if He is leading my life in a another direction away from this country, I need Him to change my heart, because I don't have the strength to carry my heart out of this country on my own.

True World Race Conversations...Unedited

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The following conversations took place in a few hours span time.

Christy and I wrote this blog together just for fun. This is what happens when WR's have interent at the place they are staying at.. They get a little to creative. I hope you enjoy moments of our lives.

Disclaimer: We really didn't edit what we said. There is no true spiritual value to this at all (except that if you try hard enough there is probably spiritual value to everything.) It's just for fun. This is life on the World Race...unedited.

Saturday night at a church concert in the middle of Pochocuape...

Christy to Elizabeth: Look at 'Farley's' eyelashes! They're so black that they're blue! Find me a grown man with some of those who can speak English and I'm not leaving this country! You'll have to call Seth and tell him, 'Christy can't finish the Race because she found a man with blue eyelashes.'

Elizabeth to Christy: I can't do that! You're the one who is dragging ME out of this country...remember!

Again that night...

Elizabeth to Christy: Hey Christy, they bought us this melon juice. We need to drink it so we don't look rude.

Christy to Elizabeth: Nauh! I'm not drinking it, it gives me diarrhea! I just got rid of a worm; I don't want another one! (Side note: Elizabeth disclosed this personal problem to an all male group of 20 somethings at a dinner table. Then feeling bad later she tried to take the attention off of me by telling them that she had pooped a feather the month before.)

Elizabeth to Christy while sucking on a bag of melon juice filled with lots of ice: You're making me drink the poison?

Later the next morning after church while walking down the road with others...

Side Note from Christy: I had just shared my testimony at church about God being in the little things in life including when you need a hug or a kind word from someone.

Side Note from Elizabeth: The only translator in church, conviently went to the security guard's house right before it was time for us to give our testimonies. Therefore, I was Christy's translator.

Christy to Elizabeth: Did you see 'what's his name' come up to me after the service and try to hug me? Seriously, people! You can't use my testimony to get freaking frisky with me!

Elizabeth to Christy: Did I tell you what 'what's his name' asked me after the service? He said, 'Hey Elizabeth! I kept waiting for you to share your testimony. Why didn't you ever share it?' And I said, 'because I didn't want to keep standing in front of the entire church still speaking Spanish.' Then he said, 'Why were you embarrassed? You weren't embarrassed were you?' Then I said, 'Weren't you there! I was freaking floundering in front of all those people.'

Christy to Elizabeth: You said freaking floundering to him?!

Elizabeth to Christy: No, I don't know how to say that in Spanish. But it was something like that.

Christy to Elizabeth: We should Google translate it and see how to say it.

Later that same day now at our home...

Christy to Elizabeth: I'm so sad to be back. I sleep so well last night. There were no mutant rats moving furniture on the ceiling tiles in our room! (Side Note: These noises have been so loud that Elizabeth has crawled out of bed and gotten into bed with Christy.)

Then a loud noise from the ceiling. Christy looks to ceiling.

Christy to the rats: Don't you dare fall on me!

Cristie to the rats as she whips her arm in the air: Fall! Fall! Fall!

Elizabeth to Cristie: Whatever! If a rat fell on her head, you would be screaming the loudest!

Cristie to Elizabeth: Why would a rat fall on her head?

Elizabeth to Cristie: Because you're cheering for it to.

Cristie to Elizabeth: Ewww! No I just wanted to rat poop to fall on her bed too. (Side note: Rat poop falls on Cristie's bed every night.)

Later that evening we learned that there are both cats and rats that live above us which is why we can see the ceiling tiles move when they chase each other across the room. What a relief!!! It's not JUST mutant rats!!!

Lego Video

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

24 Hours in My Life

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

24 hours in my life

11:30- Feed the children lunch at the feeding program

12:30- Make Sandwiches for me and all our new best friends for lunch

12:45- Try not to throw up while watching the construction workers from the project play with cow eyeballs

1:00-Start doing house visits with my new best friends

1:30- Move on to the second person's house. This meant looking at every photo the family owns and translating for my teammates all the problems that the community has with the school board.

2:30 - New house, more pictures, and a fun game where I got to guess who was related to who.

3:00- New house, but this time they want to know about my life. I pull out family photos while explaining that my brothers are too young for them/ their daughters/ granddaughters.

3:30 - New house, we are now walking down the street in a caravan of about 7 or 8. We start talking to them about community development the persecuted church around the world. No photos. This is where Slumber party talk started developing.

4:00 - Start walking back with about 10 ladies to the community center. Buy a 3 liter Pepsi, and ask how to cook Iguanas. (This is because some men were walking down the street with them, and they are apparently all the rage during holy week.)

4:14- Serve the women Pepsi, and find them chairs. We get to play hostess at the community center.

4:30- Get into a discussion about women's ministry, and the role women play in the local church.

5:00- Our contacts show up to get us. Translated all the women's concerns to our contact. I passionately advocated for a drain in the floor of the kitchen.

7:00- Get home, while wondering where the last two hours of my life went.

7:00- Cook dinner.

8:30- Clean up dinner.

9:00- Check my e-mail, write a blog to ease my guilty conscience, and talk through my day with Christy.

9:30- Read my bible, shower, and pass out.

5:00- Think angry thoughts when the Alarm clock rings.

5:30- Yell at Christy because she was singing "Rise and Shine, and give God the GloryGlory."

6:00- Walk into the kitchen to make Chorizo con huevo.

6:00- Feed our contacts their breakfast, and clean up.

7:00- Load up in the car, practice translating the Good Samaritan story that Christy and I are teaching later.

7:30- End up at a Hyundai dealership, and switch to a different van

8:30- End up at the community center, when we arrive, we are told that the drain is being put in the kitchen, so we have to go cook breakfast at a neighbors house

8:40- Find my self standing over an open fire in the backyard stirring cereal, and thinking that it is ironic that cooking open an open fire is totally normal.

9:00- Serve Breakfast to the children from the community

9:30- Take a break to go to the restroom, but when I get to the restroom I find that the kindergarten teacher is in there cleaning. She tells me that her class is alone, so she sends me to take care of her class.

10:00- Translate Christy's Good Samaritan Story, and Sing "O Le Le"

10:30- Help the Students write Thank you notes to kids in America, I try to make this take as long as possible, so that I don't have to translate in front of another class.

10:40- I didn't stall long enough, and so I translate for another class. Then we sing some A-Tu-T-Ta.

10:55- Try to head back to help with the kids lunch, but we get stopped by another class. More singing.

11:15- Back to the neighbors house to help with lunch

11:30- Serve the children lunch. This is about the time, I tripped, stepped on a dog, and got bitten in the leg by it. Instead of checking on me, Christy apologized to the dog for me. (Don't worry mom, I'm fine.) Side note from Christy: The dog was starving and too weak to move out of E-Beth's way. She stood on it's tail, of course it would bite her.

My day might sound simple, but in a lot of ways it takes everything out of me. It is nice to be able to help feed the children, and teach them bible stories, but I am really excited about what God is going to do with the relationships that we build with the women.

Month 2 in Nicaragua

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This month I am on a differant team. My new team is called EC2 (squared).

This team consist of me, Christy, and Cristie.

We are in Nicaragua still, and these first two weeks of this month we are working right out side Managua. We are working with a feeding program here, and we spend our day at a project sight. There we help cook and serve food, and we help with the kidergarden that is on the same property.

Yesterday, we had some extra time in the school, and we had some of the kids take us for a walk. We ended up getting invited into a ladies house and then becomming her friend. Today, we saw her again, and she ended up taking us to five or six other houses for visits. Everytime we left a house, the woman who's house we just left would join us as we went to the next house. By the time we made it back to the feeding center, we had a group of about ten ladies walking around with us. It was really funny, and they started begging us to come spend the night with them this weekend. The words slumber party were used. I am mostly excited about our ministry with these ladies.

In about ten days, we will be moving to a differant ministy. I'll let you know what that is, when I know what it is for sure.

Thank you for all your love and prayers.

A Year of Growth

Thu, 6 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A year of growth.

Last April at training camp, I had a lot going through my mind. I was with a lot of amazing people who were all so excited to be serving the Lord, but I was telling the Lord that I wasn't even sure that He loved me.

During one training session, I was asking the Lord to free me (I don't really remember from what, probably everything) when Jenny (team awaken) came up at put her hand on my back. She said that the Lord had given her a picture of me and my past. She said that I had been walking with a friend in a field, and we were laughing and having a good time, and I felt so beautiful. Then I went on ahead, and I was laughing and playing and twirling, and I turned around to see if my friend was watching me, but when I turned around my friend was looking at something else like the grass, something a lot less important. She said that ever since then I had stopped turning around to see if anyone was watching me. I even stopped turning to see if the Lord was looking at me. She said that the Lord told her to tell me, that He was there that day. He was watching me. He saw what happened, and He is still watching me. She prayed, " Lord you have shown me that you are with her, now show her." Then she walked away, and I sat there and wept. One: I didn't know this girl yet, so I didn't understand how she knew this about me. Two: I didn't believe that the Lord loved me enough to send someone to me to tell me that He saw me.

This year has been an ongoing process of believing and receiving the Lord's love.

"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I run from you? If I go up to the Heavens you are there. If I lie in a grave you are there."- Psalm 139:7-8

In the last couple years of my life, this has become one of my favorite verses. Because it says, "if I lie in a grave you are there." There have been many times when I have wanted to be in a grave. There have been many times when figuratively speaking I have tried to dig my own grave, but even then the Lord has been with me.

"If I say "The darkness will hide me. Let the light around me turn to night. But even the darkness is not dark to you. The night is as light as the day. Darkness and light are as same to you." (Psalm 139:11-12)

Even in what appears to be darkness to me, the Lord see clearly.

Today at church, the Pastor called people up for prayer if they were sick physically or emotionally. While the people asking for prayer were at the front of the church, the Lord showed me a lady, and asked me to go tell her that He loved her, and that He saw her standing up there, and that He was going to work in her life. One, I thought that I must have made up these crazy thoughts. Two, I was feeling insecure about my Spanish. Three: who walks up to strangers to say things like that? I eventually stopped her in the isle with a blocking hug, and told her these things. But this message for her made me realize that for the first time in my life, I believe that the Lord sees me wherever I am. I really believe in my heart that He is with me, and will never leave me. I have known / heard this in my head for years, but now in my heart I believe.

This made me praise the Lord because He is the one who has healed my heart. It is because He is working in my life that I believe Him. It is because of His love that I trust Him.

Quick Logistical Update

Sat, 1 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

We left Puerto Cabezas a few days ago. We spent two nights in Granada meeting up with the rest of the squad. I was so excited to be reunited with my teammates that I cried when I hugged them hello.
Yesterday, I was able to spend some time visiting the homes of my new Nicaraguan friends that live there in Granada. Today we left our new friends to head to debrief. I cried again.
I am looking to have some time to process everything the Lord has done this last month.
Thank you for all your prayers this last month. Please continue to pray for the people of Puerto Cabezas and Nicaragua.

This Morning I Watched a Child Die

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This morning I watched a kid die (the same one that Courtney held a few days ago). Watched him die, as in stood by his bed with my hand on his mothers back as she sobbed over his fading body. We pray for this family every time we visit. Today we prayed for them too, but we just hung out a little longer than usual. As we were hanging out, I noticed that his breathing was get slower and slower. I looked at his monitor, and could see his numbers dropping. The breathing rate got lower and lower, until the line went flat. Once the breathing line went flat, the kid's aunt tried to close his eyes and mouth. His mouth wouldn't stay shut, so they put a towel under his chin to hold his jaw up. Then his heart rate got slower and slower, until the monitor was just a straight line. About this time, they asked us to leave so that the doctor could come in and pronounce him. We stood outside the room, and listen to his mother weep. I just wanted to have some magical power to make everything better, but I couldn't do anything. I just stood there hurting for her, but wishing that I could hurt even more. I almost felt like if I could hurt more, it would take away some of the mothers pain. I know this is childish, but I couldn't help feeling this way.

At the beginning of this month the Lord told me to "Love the people here."

Love the people here." I know that sounds like a silly thing because I am supposed to love the people in every country that I visit, and I do, kind of. . It is easy to show people acts of love, but it is hard to let them into your heart. We go from country to country, city to city, contact to contact, it is hard to love every one that you meet in every country. So when the Lord specifically told me to "love the people" I became angry at Him. I know that makes me sound like the worst missionary in the world, but it is honestly how I felt. I was afraid that if I let these people in, I would hurt. I know that pain isn't a bad thing, but because I have let pain consume my life in the past, I thought that if I let my-self hurt, I would fall apart. I didn't trust the Lord to hold me together.

After several days of pouting, I realized that by purposely choosing to block people out, I was blocking the Lord out. I realized that I was getting angry about stupid things that I never get angry about (like whether a window is open or shut), and I realized that I no longer had joy in serving (not even in feeding people). So when I would fight with the Lord and ask Him why he felt so far away, I realized it was because I was consumed by my own self-preservation. The Lord kept saying "love these people and trust me."-

So I have let my guard down (this is an ongoing process), and let these people in, and guess what, I hurt. I hurt for my friends in the hospital. I hurt for the pain of this country. I hurt for the mother I cried with today. On Thursday, we are headed back to go to debrief, and for the first time all year, I feel physical pain in my stomach at the idea of leaving my new friends.

Yesterday, someone asked me if I would be willing (hypothetically) to just drop everything and stay here. The truth is I would. I see hunger in the eyes of the people, and I would give a lot more than just this month for these people to know the Lord and the truth of who He is.

This verse has been running through my head, "The earth belongs to the Lord, and everything in it- the world and all its people." -Psalm 24:1

The Lord was at the hospital with us today. In all the pain, he was there right beside me. I can trust him to comfort my new friends, and I can trust him with my broken heart.

My Ode to Silioso

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

My Ode to Silioso,

Earlier this month, Silas, by his own choice, left the race to go back home.

Life on the race is not the same without him. When I walk into the living room, I think, "Someones missing, where is Silas? O yea, he's gone."

I remember the first time I heard about Silas, we were at training camp, and leadership made an announcement saying that Silas was wanting to come to camp, but he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to make it. I remember thinking, "Silas is supposed to be here, the Lord wants him on the race." I prayed and prayed for him, and when he finally showed up at the end of the week, I saw him and said, "You're Silas?" Then I gave him the biggest bear hug, I have ever given anyone in my life. (Which those of you who know me well, know that I am shy around new people, and this was very uncharacteristic of me.)

When our team started out without any men, I prayed and prayed that the Lord would provide men for us, so when we were told that Silas was going to join our team, I was thrilled that the Lord had answered my prayer through him.

Living with Silas was fun; it was like having a brother around all the time. Silas was the king of desserts, he always advocated chocolate and ice cream. He had one dessert that was a half baked chocolate chip cookie with ice cream on top that turned us all into starving savages.

We also felt bad when it came time to watch movies, because with six girls we were always afraid of out voting him. A lot of time, we would let him pick, but he always did a good job of picking what most people would want to watch.

Silas did great living with us, when he would come in from running, he would always put his tennis shoes outside the window, so that the entire room wouldn't smell. He would always coming in dripping wet, with his arms wide open. He never learned that we didn't like his sweaty hugs. One time our entire team shared a hostel room in Shanghai. We used to lock him out, so that we could change. He would just patiently (at least this is how I pictured him) wait outside and laugh at us when we finally let him in.

Silas was so encouraging. He held an air about him that said everything is going to be okay. No matter how bad I thought things got, when I would look at him, I knew that everything was going to be okay. I think this is because Silas genuinely cared about all of us.

Silas had a lot of wisdom, and we would let him get away with speaking truth to us that we wouldn't necessarily let other people say. He was just so good at how, he said things. Even if he pointed out a flaw, he always built you up. When he was done, you were ready to go take on the world.

Silas always told us we were beautiful. Usually, I would roll my eyes, but I think somewhere throughout this year, I think I started believing him.

Silas was great with children. Kids all over the world would flock to him. In every country, he had children that he would want to take home. He is going to make a great father some day.

Silas was really great at Sports ministry, he could draw a crowd around him in seconds when he would hit the field with a soccer ball.

Silas is getting married in August, and I know that he is going to make a great husband. He is a man that loves the Lord, and he loves Brooke. I hope that someday the Lord gives me a man that love the Lord, the way Silas loves the Lord.

Silas,

It has been my honor to get to spend the greater part of this walking beside you. I pray that the Lord blesses your life, your marriage, and your ministry, and that we remain friends for years to come.

Love,

Ebeth.com

Is that kid dead?

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This sentence came out of my mouth earlier today:

"Did Courtney just walk by with a dead kid in her arms?"

Everyday we do hospital visits. We are supposed to go from room to room praying for people, except that last week Sarah and I made a friend (Isabel,) and we have ended up going to the same room everyday. We just go, and sit with the family for an hour or two at a time. They are believers, and we always pray fervently together. This morning, Sarah and I walked to our friend's room, when we noticed that things weren't quite right. There were a lot of people around her bed, and her daughter was crying. We stood back trying not to be in the way, but when the daughter saw us, she motioned for us to come in. She told me, that her mother's infection had spread, and that she had almost died this morning.

Even as the nurses worked, they had us pray for her. As we prayed, I asked the Lord to show them His presence. As I prayed this, I felt like the Lord was saying "this is why I sent you here." I couldn't argue with the Lord, but I don't feel like my physical presence is a good enough answer to prayer. I am nobody, and I don't do anything. I just sit, talk, and pray, sometimes just stroke my friends head.

Today, I sat on her bed stroking her hair, and I just couldn't help but think, "The Lord is here. He is with this family."

Sara h and I left to go buy lunch for the family, and while we were gone they moved her to the UCI (ICU). We couldn't go in and see her anymore, but we poked our hands through the window when the nurse wasn't looking.

We spent most of the afternoon, just sitting outside with the family. I gave the daughter a head massage because her head was killing her. It was as I sat outside with the daughter that I saw a hysterical mother, and Courtney with a very sick child in her arms. As I saw them walk by, my heart dropped to my stomach. All I wanted to know was that the kid wasn't dead. Eventually, I was able to go ask, and it turned out the kid was just very very very sick.

But that was kind of like the whole day was. Everywhere we looked it was like death was just hanging out, waiting to take over. But as I prayed, the Lord just said over and over. I am here, I am working, I am with these people.

As I sit here, there is actually physical pain in my heart. It is hard to be still and know that God is God, when there is so much pain around me.

Please pray for our friend, and the ministry being done at the Puerto Cabezas Hospital. We are planning to go back in the morning.

Sarah has been writing an amazing series on what our days at the hospital look like. She and I go into the room together. To read more click here: http://sarahdager.theworldrace.org/

Taco run detour

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

My favorite World Race ministry is the ministry that happens unexpectedly.

Yesterday, I heard a rumor that a Taco run was starting to be organized, and so like a good little Elizabeth, I joined this movement.

We walked to the street to catch a Taxi, but there were too many of us to fit in one taxi, so we split up. My group was on the street the moment we heard the word "Taco", the other group spent some extra time inside brushing their hair and flossing their teeth. Almost immediately, my group ended up catching a free ride on a school bus, but the downfall was we only had a one way ride. When we got to the Taco place, we realized that it was closed because it was Sunday. So standing on the side of the road, school bus long gone, we made the defeated decision to walk home. We were trying to call our friends, so that they wouldn't waste Taxi money, but about the time someone was saying that "we can't get a hold of them", there smiling, nave faces pulled up in a taxi. A couple of us decided that we were too hungry to walk, so we pulled the World Race clown car trick #289. We had( give or take a couple) five people in the front seat, and I was in someone's lap in the back trying not to hit my head of the roof as we nose- dived into potholes/giant lakes.

We were all laughing as we were trying to close the door of the Taxi, when someone asked if there was another Taco place in town. I play translator, and ask the Taxi driver. He says yes, and he agrees to take us there. Then we started playing a fun game called "verbally harass the Taxi driver." He seemed amused by this game, and answered all of our questions. Allison said, "Hey we should invite him to lunch" so I did, and he agreed to eat lunch with us. When we got to the Taco place, we realized that it didn't sell Taco's, but they did have some amazing lime chicken.

So we spent lunch hanging out with our taxi driver. It turns out that He is a believer. He was baptized only a year ago. He used to be an alcoholic, but the Lord has freed him. He works with the Gideon's and was talking about all the bibles they get to pass out.

We told them about us, and who we were. He said that it was a blessing to get to meet us because he when sees foreigner in town, he wants to talk to them, but he can't because He doesn't speak any English. I told him that he was a blessing to us because we love getting to meet our brothers and sisters around the world.

After lunch, he gave us a tour around town. He took us to the pier, and he showed us where they catch turtles, he showed us his house, and where he and his wife work. When he finally took us home, we sat in the car and prayed for him before we exchanged phone numbers and got out.

The day turned out very different that I thought it would, but it is so amazing to me what God does when we get over our agenda and just roll with the punches.

Allison, me, Lauren, and Esther with our Taxi Driver Miguel Morales at the end of the pier. Casey took the picture.

What I am doing

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

We are still out in Puerto Cabezas, but we found wireless. I had the best morning today, we went to the hospital to pray for the patients, and Courtney and I ended up on the baby ward. There were mothers with babies that had been born less than a day ago. I asked if I could hold one to pray for one, and after that the mothers were putting the babies in my arms. One mother took lots of pictures of me and her baby. I don't think that life gets more fun than getting to hold and dedicate babies to the Lord. It's so amazing how tiny humans can be.

We are working along side a church from Granada. Our team and their team have joined together to work with the Misquito Indians. We help run three church services a week, teach bible lessons in local schools, we (my teamates) do construction work, we visit the hospitals, and we work out in the barrios. My two favorite ministries are the hospitals and the barrios.

I am also the food coordinator for my squad. This takes up a serious amount of my time since you have to go to five different places to buy food for dinner. If I have time, I will try to write a food blog this month, my headaches will make you laugh.

God has been doing a lot in my heart these last couple weeks. He has been tearing down walls that I have built that I use to protect myself instead of depending on him. I'm not sure I can verbalize what is going on inside, but when I can I will.

So that is all for now, I just wanted to give you a little of what was going on in my life.

Goodbye Asia

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I am in Nicaragua away from the internet, but some of my friends back in Granada agreed to post this for me. As I transition into life in Latin America, I don't want to move on without some closure on Asia.

God did so much in my life as I walked across Asia, that I wanted to take a moment and review. When I first got to Thailand, I hated everything except the iced coffee. I hated the heat, I hated the smell of incense, I hated the temples, I hated the prostitution, and I hated myself for not being a better missionary. But as I kept walking, God proved himself faithful, and before I knew it the land of smiles started to feel like home.

I didn't think that it was possible for people to be friendlier than Thai's, but then we crossed the border into Cambodia the Khmer's broke me with their kindness. The Khmer people have been through so much political turmoil. In the last fifty years they have had their own government and the rest of the world come against them. The state of their country broke my heart. I didn't know how to handle the five year old beggars, I didn't know how to handle the legless, land mine victims, and I didn't know how to love the orphans we worked with every day. That month God healed my heart by filling it with a supernatural love for the Khmer people. There were days when I would hold the kids at the orphanage, and hold back tears because everything in me just wanted them to have all the love in the world.

My side trip to Viet Nam was amazing. In Viet Nam we enjoyed Dr. Pepper for the first time in five months. It was surreal to ride along the Mekong river delta, and just marvel at the people who live there. Viet Nam was a weekend that I will never forget.

Then there was Hong Kong where I discovered Sprite Ice which is like regular sprite, but with a deep cooling sensation. When I think of Hong Kong, I will always remember sitting at a coffee shop overlooking the Harbor and committing to the Lord that I will start living out the passion that is inside me.

Then there was China. I loved China. I loved getting to know individual faces in the crowds of people. I loved the cultural exchange program. I loved getting to spit my food on the table (not really, but it always made me laugh when I was encouraged to do this), and push my way through a crowd without being considered rude. I loved the different people that we would meet on endless train rides. I loved that God felt closer to me in China than ever before in my life. More than any other country that we have visited, China is a country that I would love to revisit.

My second trip to the Philippines was even better than my first (which is hard to believe since the first trip changed my life.) in the Philippines I was able to speak God's truth to people. I didn't even know how much I loved to teach until last month. I love watching people be freed from bondage that they are holding on to. I love watching people's faces light up with joy. I love watching people find purpose and hope. It's amazing how truth and love can transform lives.

I Made It to Nicaragua

Mon, 4 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I made it to Nicaragua! We leave on an 18 hour bus journey to the exact opposite side of the country tomorrow at four in the morning. We will be in Puerto Cabezas on the north east coast. It should be a fun!

From Keith (Brother):
I talked to Sister today, and she is doing well. I had been wanting to talk her to her before she went to some internetless location in Nicaragua because I will be going Nicaragua for Spring Break with 11 other guys from DBU. I was interested to find out where Sister was going and what she would be doing. After talking with her (This is crazy. Are you ready for this?), it appears that my group will be doing very similar work to what Sister and the WorldRacers will be doing. They will be doing hurricane relief work for Miskito Indians in the northern part of Nicaragua. My team will be building houses that had been destroyed by floods from a hurricane for the Miskito Indians. (I told you it was crazy) I am very excited to hear back from Sister and the end of the month to find out all sorts of things about the people and place where I will be going to serve. I am even more excited about my trip now than I was before... which was pretty darn excited.
Be praying for Sister and the others on her team as they work and serve and live with these people for the next month. Send her emails as well so that she will have plenty to read when she returns to the world of the internet. She would appreciate it.

When Crazy Trips Collide

Sat, 2 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

So I wanted to write a blog to fill you in on my last couple days, but I am so tired that the room is spinning a little bit. So I decided to invite a guest blogger to fill you in on my life. I hope you enjoy the different voice; if not you can write me, and tell me how much you miss my writing. Enjoy.

Today's guest blogger is named Benson.

First, though, super news! The Bible study Elizabeth helped begin in Manilla has continued! The ladies continue to love on each other.

Elizabeth, the rest of the Legos, and this particular World Race squad got to the Los Angeles area Friday morning. But it was actually their second Friday in a row - after leaving Japan on Friday, they showed up in the U.S. the next day, which was still Friday. That crazy International Date Line!

Elizabeth hadn't had a true night's sleep since Wednesday, and the group was told not to take naps after arriving in Los Angeles (that can help with the jet lag).

All that means the members of the Lego team were particularly sleepy yesterday. And by sleepy, I mean ridiculous. That's where I come in, plus some pretty incredible God-providence.

My name is Benson Hines, and I'm Elizabeth's buddy and old college minister from Dallas. This year, I'm on a year-long Road Trip researching college ministry around the U.S. (Really. You can read about it at exploringcollegeministry.com.) As it worked out, my trip brought me to California last week. Beginning in San Diego, the plan was to come next to L.A.

When? Friday. Neat how that stuff works out, huh? God's providence abounds - I know it does for the World Race, and it sure has on my trip, too.

So, I have had the wonderful opportunity to chauffeur Elizabeth, Courtney, and Brady (yesterday) and Elizabeth, Courtney, and Katey (today) to such wonderful locales as...

Target
the Post Office
Chick-fil-A & the surrounding Los Cerritos Mall
NewSong church (a completely unfruitful visit, but that's another story)
the UPS Store
Panera Bread (more for the wireless than the food)
some churches ('cause Elizabeth is joining in my research)

Really, though, it was fun to see the gals freak out about the glories of being in a real-life Target for the first time in a good while. Elizabeth jumped up and down. Which still only gets her to like 5' 4".

Tomorrow, they leave for Nicaragua (via Miami). Sadly enough, they could be internet-less for 3 or 4 weeks, so don't count on blogs or emails for a while. :(

But if you want to drive down there and see her, take it from me - it's definitely worth it! These missionaries are amazing, amazing peeps.

(Elizabeth does NOT condone my use of "peeps" in the last sentence.)

But if you can't take a Road Trip to Nicaragua, Elizabeth says you should load up her email inbox with friendly emails, so that when she gets back to civilization, she'll have a billion. So that's your dare from me, Ben Hines: an email a week to Liz over the next month. You can do it!

Many Travel Days Ahead

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Our time in the Philippines has come to an end. In about seven hours (4 am my time) we will be headed to the airport. We will be arriving in LA on Friday morning. We have a long (48 hour) layover before we head to Nicaragua. Once in Nicaragua we will be headed to a remote location near the coast (where Internet doesn't live yet.) I hope to update you sometime in the next couple days, but if traveling gets too crazy, I just wanted to give you a heads up before I disappeared from blog land again.
As always thank you for your prayers.