"Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your might"
"Go and Make disciples of all the nations" in these verses I find no fright
Take care of orphans and widows, clothe and feed those in need
Serve the Lord wholeheartedly, Oh how I love verses like these
But this month in Mozambique it was not those verses to which I was called
To do, to help, to go, to serve those actions came to a halt
A new set of verses on which the Lord asked me to meditate
And because He is good, Sovereign, and true I knew this was no mistake
For sickness had overcome my body, as the Lord desired me to Be Still
For this month came with its own instructions as to how to walk in His will
Verses like "Pray without ceasing" and "Be still and Know"
All the Lord your God to fight for you wherever you may go
His power's made perfect in my weakness, and this month I was weak
While my sister's were out preaching, only to Him was I called to speak
He's made me a doer and He knows I love action
But sometimes He stills me to check what's my reaction
This month was very different, there were days I never left the bed
And though I was ready to leave, I don't look back with any dread
Because my Heavenly Father sat and stayed with me all the while
And ministry still took place, just in a different style
For my words this month were not for the people of Mozambique
They were for encouragement and intercession and my own little mountain peak
For I serve a jealous God, not jealous of me but jealous for me
And as the author of my faith, I trust it was all for His glory
So I'm rested and restored and filled up to the brim
Thankful, not regretful, for the time I got with Him!

Waiting on our ride, it's half past ten
Fifteen more minutes and we'll try his cell again
Over an hour late, but we know that is the norm
And just when doubt sets in, that's when we hear the horn
Excited for some travel we grab our bags and head outside
To find no luggage rack or trailer in which our bags should reside
This is a minor problem, you see our bags are quite big
The driver says, "More money, you're taking half the seats up in my rig"
Oh communication barriers are something we do love
So after friendly negotiation we receive some grace from up above
We're headed to the border or Mozambique and Zimbabwe
To meet the gentle warriors and to debrief make our way
The first leg of our journey is not so bad at all
Stamped out of Mozambique, man they're really on the ball
Just across the border our squad mates wave with such delight
Even though we can see them, it's still an hour ‘til we truly unite
As we must purchase our visas and allow them to check our bags
No one gets in a hurry as time continues to drag
Then there's a quick and nasty run in with the Staff Gents toilet
And most of the girls say forget it, they'd rather just hold it
Finally across, all 14 girls share a quick embrace
As we see the "Prince of Peace" a smile sweeps across our face
The "Prince of Peace" is the name of the maroon van on which we all must fit
And to say it has seen better days is quite the understatement
But it's all laughs and smiles when you travel with this crew
Besides it's the World Race what else can you do
Travel's going amazing, the roads are actually paved
We're all so proud of ourselves and the money in which we've saved
That is until we stop and the inevitable is asked
Only to be informed that we ran right out of gas
So Silas our dear driver hits the road with empty gas can
And soon a car pulls over to lend him a helping hand
He's off to the nearest station, for that we thank the Lord
The stars and moon shine with such beauty this stop feels like a reward
It's actually much warmer with no wind seeping through the cracks
Still the night is cold so we grab our sleeping bags from our packs
All cuddled up together drifting in and out of sleep
Two and half hours later is seems we've finally got this beat
Silas' journey was successful, the van cranks on the second try
So we hit the road again, only one more border to cross by
We arrive right at midnight and had heard this border is no game
We're on the road again about 3 a.m. from the details I'll spare you the pain
Of course we fill up with gas and grab ourselves a little snack
Then we hit the ground a running, the rest of this journey's ours to attack
Yet all to soon the sun is up and we find ourselves again at a stop
And Silas wants to know "Where can this group be dropped?"
We look around uncertain, this can't be the right place
We see a sign with Naboomspruit written on its face
While Naboomspruit may be similar, Nelspruit is specifically what we said
And our driver looks unpleased as he begins to scratch his head
We call our beloved contact and find we are still far away
While our driver's only response is "More money or here you'll stay"
After another friendly negotiation we're seemed to work out a plan
Yet another two hours later and we're having to use the gas can
But by the skin of our teeth we pull into the station
Now we're just ready to get there, so we throw some money into the equation
Of course we head the wrong way and bust a U-turn in the middle
A sign to Nelspruit, a few more hours, by now that's just a little
So we sputter up the hills, doors and windows all off track
Our eyes are fixed ahead, there's no more looking back
The kilometers tick away and finally we do arrive
With praises to our Heavenly Father who kept us smiling and alive
It may have taken over 27 hours, we know that much is true

My amazing teammate Shannon put up a video from Indonesia so check it out a www.shannonhiggins.theworldrace.org

John 14:6
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

1 John 2:23
No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

1 Peter 3:15
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect"

       My love for this Jesus is so real and so true that my greatest desire is to proclaim His name to the nations.  I want everyone to know that there is something different here.  It's not an obligation but a love, not a law-enforced dictatorship but a choice, not a phase but a lifestyle, not something to get me through this life but my reason for living.  It is not a good story but the truth, not something to be earned but a free gift, not at all easy but worth it.  It is not a way but the way, not a truth but the truth, not a life but the life. 

 

 

p.s. My dear teammate Kristen and I are learning some similar lessons this month and she posted an incredible blog about it!!!! Check it out at http://kristenmckee.theworldrace.org 

Happy Belated Mother's Day to my amazing mother, Natalie Brendle, from Indonesia!!!! Sorry it is a day late due to problems with the internet, but do know that your special day was not forgotten! I love you so much and could not be more proud of who you are and who you have raised me to be! Thank you for your continual support and unconditional LOVE! I looooooooooooooove you!

 

Also a special Happy Mother's day to my Nana and my Grandma as well! I love you and miss you and can't wait to see you in December! 

 

And Happy Mother's Day to all mothers everywhere!!!!! This is for you...

Once again a HUGE Thank You to Liz who so amazingly makes videos of our time in each country!  This video brilliantly captures the month of March that we spent living at Pastor Keat's in Cambodia. Of course, never to fail Liz has also added some of the craziness at the end.... at our debrief, we had a skit night where each team had to present their month in a fun way... ENJOY! 

 

We are headed to Malaysia tomorrow and then Indonesia the day after that, so Internet access is unknown until we are settled, I will post again soon! Love and miss you all! 

The Lord just says "exactly" every time on Him I call
My heart's in a place where communication was slim to none
My heart's in a place where it's hot through rain or sun
My heart's in a place where edible describes everything
My heart's in a place where bugs and flies are a constant cling
Where butchering meat is a daily affair
Where mealtime lasts for hours and no one seems to care
Where church is a pavilion with no walls and plastic chairs
A service that children, lepers, and locals equally share
A place where farmland and sports' fields reside side by side
A place where waste is not an option as they even eat cowhide
A place where smiles constantly abound
But a place when I left all I could do was frown
My heart was hurting and as I said this love makes no sense
Three weeks of my life is all the time there I've spent
And though I left with a frown and tear filled eyes
My love for this place became less and less of a surprise
So what that grass and crickets regularly made the dinner spread
So what I slept on the floor and never once saw a bed
This place understood something for which I longed
It was truly a community where any and everybody belonged
It was Acts chapter two verses forty-four to forty-seven
It was life at its best on this side of Heaven
And though most of it logically makes no sense to me
Now that I'm away it's a place I long again to be
I long for Pooh and Mook and Ma and Pastor
I long to sit on the ground for a night filled with laughter
I long to play with Matthew, Yo, Fom, and Ben
I long to sit with Bo, Joy, Noot, and Can again
I long to know Isaan so I can clearly speak
The love God gave me for these people in only a few weeks
The facts are simple, if in God's will I shall return
For now, his will is my constant prayer to learn
A piece of my heart stayed back in Selaphum
But the Lord has promised to continue to make room
Room to love in month five as much one through four
Room to embrace change all the way to my core
Room for the courage to admit I don't have a clue
Room for perseverance to finish this race all the way through
Aware and grateful I praise God for all this room

Yo dying Easter Eggs...and most of himself as well!

 

            2 Hilarious dance contests              2 Bottles of baby powder

            All we were told is that we were going to be praying all night long, a first for most of us. It was good Friday and we opened at 9 p.m. with the reading of John 19 a chapter describing all of the events leading up to and the eventual death and burial of our Savior. I looked around and couldn't help but be in awe of the way my Father perfectly ordains all things. The church is a pavilion so welcoming with no walls to intimidate or keep anyone out. This allowed for a crowd of 10 elderly people with leprosy who live in the Leper Colony behind the church, 12 or so kids sponsored through Compassion International, 8 University students from Bangkok, and the 6 of us white American girls on this trip called the World Race...only God could bring together a group like this. We tried to understand each other with the help of translators, but the mix of English, Thai, and Isaan (a dialect of Laos as we are so close to the border) sound nothing alike. Only the Lord could break down a barrier like this providing the assurance that though many tongues and voices they were all being raised to the one true God!  We played games throughout the night to keep us awake; one such game was a version of hot potato with two bottles of baby powder and you had to cover yourself with it if it happened to land on you when the music stopped. Those who lost during the games then had to get up in front of everyone and dance. Picture this: a less than 5 foot 70+ year old woman with leprosy, a 5'10'' white American, and 3 preteen Asian girls battling it out for best dance moves at 2 o‘clock a.m....hilarious. All in all, words really can't describe the night of prayer, worship, and fellowship we experienced with each other, but there was one common theme that ran throughout the night binding us all together-- Jesus Christ died an ugly and painful death only to conquer it 3 days later by raising from the dead providing new life, mercy, and grace for all people everywhere who choose to believe!