This month team Zion and team Hadassah are headed into a rural Indian village to plant a church. Partnering with Indian Christian Ministries (ICM), we have the opportunity to literally reach the unreached in one of the world's most densely populated countries. We will spend the next 3 weeks living amongst the people of a small village building a community around us.
As part of the process, we are going to be looking for someone to donate a plot of land that the church will be built on. After we establish the plot, we will physically be building the church structure, and this is where we really need your help. In order to erect the church we need to raise $2,000 in the next two weeks. Between the nine of us here, each one only needs to raise $220.
Our squad has been fully funded because of the hundreds of thousands of dollars generously donated by our friends, family, churches, and even complete strangers. We know first-hand how God provides for His children, and we are asking for more of his favor as we tackle this next endeavor.
If you have ever wanted to preach the Gospel to someone who has never heard it, to reach out a hand to a community who has no church, or plant a seed in the hearts of people who have never heard about our God's love, please help us in this challenge. Every amount helps, and we fully believe, by God's grace, this church will be raised before we leave.
It doesn't end with finances, though, we need a team of people back home praying for us as we go into this village and reach this community. We know how powerful our prayer warriors across the world have been in the last 9 months, and we truly couldn't be here without all of you.
At the end of each week, we'll have the opportunity to update you on our progress in the village, as we'll be coming back into town each Friday. We want you to be a part of this with us, each step of the way.
Step up, reach out, and love our brothers and sisters in India who need to know the love and hope of Jesus Christ.
To donate to our fund please click HERE. Thank you.
Month 8 has come and gone. To say that Nepal is beyond beautiful is an understatement. To say that I won't miss these women and children I've grown to love is even more of an understatement. They've become my family in only 3 short weeks.
People here in Nepal constantly ask me if I'm Nepalese. I tell them no, American...They find it so interesting. They ask, "where are you staying?" I say "Asha Nepal." Then it's the awkwardness...I could read there expression. "Why is she staying there?" People outside of the gates know about Asha. They know who stays there and they know where they came from. Judgment creeps forth like a plague...like an uncontrolled stare when someone "weird" walks by. It's contagious.
Asha Nepal - A place of Rescue and Restoration
Women and children who have been rescued from being sex trafficked in India find a new start in Asha. They find life again.
Your a 14 year old girl living in your village with your family. Living a simple life...content...not really knowing anything else beyond your village. A Struggle - your family is poor. They NEED you to find a job so your family can eat. Someone comes along (most often a woman) offering your parents to take you into the city where you can make more than enough money to help your family out. It seems like your prayers to one of your gods has been answered. A miracle even. The woman takes you and places you in a hotel for sometime. She gives you a little work here and there in that hotel (making jewelry or sowing). This woman is very kind and even lets you call your family in the village to tell them your doing well and making enough money. You send them your earnings for those couple of months. Then the woman takes you away from the hotel abruptly. She drops you off with another woman. You never see her again. They put you in a tiny room, no windows..its dark. The next day the women comes in with a man. You are forced to start the business. You scream and cry...you beg.."please, I'm young enough to be your daughter." No one listens. "You must pay off your debt," they say. They beat you until you have no choice and the act is done. You have just been sold into one of the largest growing industries in the world. You have been sold into sex slavery. This tiny room will become your hell for the next 3 years. Theres no escape. You must pay off the the price that they bought you for. They train you for 3 years...they break you...tell you that this is your life...you will never be anything else. You are lower than an animal...goods to be sold and used. 3 years pass and your debt is payed off. You are out in the real world but don't have any money. How do you get home? Will your family want you once you've told them what happened (most often you get shunned, rejected)? What do you do? The one thing you were trained to do. It's who you are right?
This is one of the main ways young girls are sold into this "business" everyday. These are the women I have been honored to spend time with. To love.
One of the women here whom I adore has a similar story. Only the person that sold her was her brother. He needed money to go to school, so decided to hand her over for 50,000 Rupees ( a little over $700). She was rescued through much prayer. A women (who now is the director of Asha Nepal) stood in front of the brothel praying over it everyday and teaching the brothel owner the word of God. Many months later the brothel owner gave her life to Christ and released all the women in the brothel (over 35 women).
There are 8 women and 16 children living in Asha Nepal. Each one with a similar but different story of their own. The children were young and exposed.
-How some of the children were treated as infants-
Drugged enough to be unconscious and shoved under the bed for days.
Sleeping in the same bed while they're mothers were with a customer.
The young girls were in danger of becoming like they're mother in a few short years.
3 of the women are HIV positive and one of the babies has not been tested yet. She turns 1 at the end of April. Please join me in prayer as they take her to get tested. She is the happiest most beautiful baby. Full of life. I love her so much and she can't have HIV. I won't accept it. Her nickname is Angel. Pray for Baby Angel.
Out of Africa and onto a new continent. Month 7 in Tanzania was pretty challenging. I was placed into a new role...leaving the finance position to take on leadership for team Segullah. Ah Transition. :)
Month 7 was probably the most difficult for our team, with sicknesses taking over and the feeling of homesickness prevailing. We spent the month preaching and speaking at different schools. As amazing as Africa was and the awesome things God did through us and in us we were ready to leave. We had rest in Zanzibar for 3 days which was much needed, then came the big announcement.
TEAM CHANGES
Now with only 28 people on ouR squad (some squad mates were called home), it was time for things to be shaken up a bit.
So Team Segullah no longer exits but will forever live in our hearts.
I am now leading 2 different women and 1 who was on Segullah. It's the four of us.
We're Team Hadassah! New country, New dynamics, and completely scary. I love it! It was so different at first not knowing what to expect but we all took on the challenge with excitement. We're pumped to see what God will do with Hadassah and how He will use us within the team and in ministry.
Hadassah was Ester's other name. This name was mentioned before she became Queen. Ester is royalty as are we. She had courage and great faith. She was an intercessor for her people. She was a beautiful woman who had great favor with her king and The King of kings.
This name was confirmed to us after we walked into Asha Nepal (our first ministry together as a team) and saw a young girl. Shannon greeted her and asked for her name. She said "Hi, I'm Ester".
I am not...but 5 of my squad mates WILL be sent home in 2 days if they don't become fully funded !
Christopher Garcia, Jeannie Moore, Curt Devine, Lacey Malcomson, and Janelle King do not have plane tickets booked to India because they are not fully funded.They will be flying home. unless you help. Lacey, Curt & Jeannie are all on the same team!!!
AIM cannot purchase their tickets on MONDAY if they are not fully funded by SUNDAY MARCH 20TH.
You have hours to make a difference in their lives and the lives & eternities of hundreds around the world. Save A Life.
I know this is drastic and sudden, but we just got the news and the weight of it is heavy.
I cannot do this race without them. R Squad cannot finish this race without them. The Lord has provided OVER FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS for R squad thus far. $400,000 people! We are only in need of around $13,000. NOTHING for what God can do. Nothing we as the body of Christ cannot do right?
I am asking you, pleading you to help in any way you can. AIM is asking for donations and they will even take pledges. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS MAKE A PROMISEof something you can give between now and July. All you need to do is email bethany_dragon@yahoo.com telling what you can donate and she will pass the information along. ANY AMOUNT WILL HELP. Do not let the enemy win by saying 5 dollars will not do anything, it will. Please pass this blog along to anyone who will read it.
I also am asking you to cover them in prayer, and our squad, as this is a heavy and stressful time for all of us. Perfect Love casts out all fear.
We have 48 hours to watch God do a miracle... or as I like to think it throw some chump change around.
To read stories about how God has been moving in their life around the world, go to their blogs by clicking on their pictures below, you can also donate directly to their account on their blog pages (click the 'support me' tab on the left of their page).
Chris Garcia: http://christophergarcia.theworldrace.org
After 172 days of ministry in six different countries, we
(R-squad) have seen God do some incredible things. From restoring the
lives of gangsters in The Philippines to redeeming women in the sex
trade of Thailand and healing crippled widows in Kenya, He has made the
impossible possible. The journey is only half over and yet we've already
seen that the Kingdom of Heaven is more than an abstract idea or a
fantasy to hope for-it's a reality to live in. In the next five months,
we plan to take this kingdom to Tanzania, Nepal, India, Ukraine and
Romania. We will continue to be the hands and feet of Christ, working
for the least of these, loving the world as God loves it-but we need
your help.
As a squad (31 members), we owe about $30,000 by March 15. Knowing
that God has been faithful to get us this far, we have full confidence
that He will continue to provide. But for the sake of glorifying His
name and staying united as a squad, we want to take care of this burden
together and meet the deadline once and for all. Whether you're a broke
college student or fortune 500 big shot, we want to invite you to take
part in what God is doing in and around us, no matter the amount. Let's
show the world that money isn't an issue when it comes to bringing
Christ to the nations.
We have two options available for giving. You can follow the
Paypal link below and give any amount to our squad. This account is NOT
tax deductible. Tax deductible donations can be made into the AIM
accounts of individual racers linked below. The Paypal account is a
general fund for the squad, co-managed by our squad leaders, Michael
Perez and Joni Viets. Any extras funds will be used for ministry
opportunities that arise on the field. We're excited to see the miracle
God is about to do.
Thanks and much love,
-R-squad
Paypal: http://bit.ly/eTzz5g
Racers:
Chris Garcia:
https://www.adventures.org/give/donate.asp?giveto=worldrace&desc=For%20Chris%20Garcia&tuid=7571665
It's our fifth month of ministry. It feels so great to step into a new culture, new region. Our squad had spent four months in Southeast Asia. I still have to post updates and pictures of Malaysia and Thailand. It's coming soon, sorry for the delay.
It's been over a week upon arriving and it's still hard for me to wrap my mind around it. I'm in Rwanda! The Lord has brought me to a beautiful country to serve along side my brothers and sisters. Time has been going by so fast. I've meet so many different people and have worked in all kinds of ministries. From working in a kids home in the Philippines, to teaching English in Cambodia, to working in a homeless center and raising money in a local hospital for kids who can't afford heart surgery in Malaysia, to sharing the love of Christ with prostitutes and bar owners in Thailand, to now...Rwanda Africa...spreading the gospel on the local radio station and preaching in a church in the slums. God is so good.
I'm overwhelmed that he has allowed me to be used this way.
Let me just say that the people + the weather + landscape= Insane beauty
Rwanda has the most beautiful weather...It's not hotter than Africa here.
Around the afternoon eveningish the weather drops down to the mid 60's. Who would've thought summer time in Africa to be so...so....ohh like this. PRAISE HIM.
This month we have been linked with a Pastor in Kigali, Rwanda named Pastor Innocent. Him and his wife, Vanessia, along with there three young boys have been such a blessing to team Segullah. They have so much joy knowing that we are here in Rwanda serving in their church.
I had the opportunity and honor to preach this Past Sunday morning on faithfulness. God's faithfulness and our faithfulness. What I didn't realize was that, along with preaching to the congregation of Christian fellowship, I was also preaching to myself. My struggles, my worries, in essence my hidden thoughts were screaming out, Trust God. I can leave them under the care and protection of my Lord Jesus. I can trust Him, and I've known this, but sometimes my actions and thoughts don't always show him that I know He's faithful. I don't always show him that I know he is more than able, that I can trust my creator with the life he has created. I'm reminded that He is my dwelling place. My place of refuge. I'm under the shadow of His wings. I keep thinking I need to hold on tight, hold onto God, But he says, "No my beloved...I'm holding onto you...And guess what? I'm never letting you go."
Walking down to the church is one of my highlights of the day. Children running up to us screaming Mazungu (White people). At first you could tell they were scared or almost unsure of the Mazungu's, but once we welcomed them with smiles and open arms, now all they want to do is hug us, touch us, be close to us, and return the affection. Saying I love this moment, is an understatement. I can't express the moment or feeling in this blog.
Sidenote
Theres one baby that comes to the church, we're in the process of finding out his name, but he has a swollen torso. I don't know what it is. At first I thought malnourishment, but it looks different than that. It looks like a tire is wrapped around his little body. Please keep this baby in your prayers.
Coconut trees (I'm determined to make my way to the top before I leave)
Palm trees
Rice Fields
Wooden houses on stilts
A cool breeze that comes after a rainy night
Green everywhere
Children's laughter throughout the day
Watching the interesting games they play (marbles, hole in the dirt, and hopping on one leg - kids do the darnedest things)
The market - a 5 minute bike ride - filled with sweet sticky rice, amazing banana rice cake things, and dragon fruit - mmmmm. (I love me some Cambodian food)
Headlamps
The lake
Amazing sunsets
Baby blue mosquito net - Praise The Lord
Banana trees and there leaves that are useful for so many things
The icee man
Who needs Oreos when I have me some Stereos
Singing, "Do you love my Jesus, deep down in your heart" with the kids through the rice fields
The cutest baby pig that walks crooked (He's broken)
Listening to Dara (one of the kids) singing Justin Bieber
Sour Mangos :)
The milky way, stars, and moon (Looks unreal out here in the country side of Cambodia)
Homes filled with hammocks - sweet living
My Cambodian momma's cooking
Bucket showers
A translator
Walking around barefoot because its socially acceptable
Squatty potties (Love/Hate relationship)
The Lord please help me see the beauty
Gecko's with heads the size of my fists that freely climb on our walls
Sneaky chickens that try to invade our house
RED ANTS
Mosquitos
No rain = no bath
Squatty potties (Some days I just long for a toilet)
Coconut trees, rice fields, chickens, pigs, wooden houses on stilts, blue skies, green everywhere, and can't forget the squatty potties. There is no electricity (except for a generator that comes on for 5 hours every night) and no running water. There's just something about waiting for it to rain to allow enough water for a bucket shower. My first thought was, "uhh this is different," but I've grown to actually love it. Simple living. It's so peaceful out here. I've never been to a place like it.
Our ministry this month
We're working with a Cambodian named Vuthy who works with YWAM (Youth With A Mission). He brought us to his hometown, Toch Village.
His vision
- 150 Youth in his village would come to know and accept the Lord as their savior.
- An orphanage built on his land given to him by his mother and father.
Team Segullah and Vuthy
Ministry
Four days a week from 8:30-10:30 am we go on house visits. This is our chance to get to know the culture, listen to the Khmer people, and hear their stories. We love on them the best way we know how and it's amazing how welcoming they are. Led by Vuthy (who translates the whole conversation), they welcome us into their homes and sit us down on their bamboo tables and their hammocks. We greet them with a "Chom reap sur" - our hands held together, tips of our fingers to our nose, and a slight bow. This is the formal "how are you?" This is one of my favorite times throughout the day.
Last week we helped an old woman make a broom out of dried up palm tree leaves to sell (she sells them for a living but has slowed down because of her age). It took us a long time just to make one but we loved each others company.
Learning how to make the broom.
The completed broom :)
Grandmother
Most days we visit a woman in the village, named Con, and pray for her. She has mouth cancer and is in constant pain. Some of the times when we sing and pray over her she says her pain lessens and she feels joy. She doesn't believe in Jesus and says she won't unless He heals her, but she is open to receive prayer. So we will continue to pray. We will continue to speak life and truth into her life whether God decides to heal her or not, but believing He can.
My teammate Jasmin and Con
A majority of the people in Cambodia are Buddhist. We pass by houses and smell the incense burning and see the sacrifices at mini alters for there gods. The strange thing is when we ask these people why they believe in their gods, a lot of them cannot give us an answer. Then they ask us why we believe in Jesus and we're like "YES" an open door. Sweet. Alright Lord lets rock their socks orrr flip flops. :)
More ministry
We stay in a stone building a couple feet from Vuthy's home which is a couple feet from another stone building where church and classes are held. This is almost like a youth center for kids of all ages to come and learn English, learn Bible stories, and to be loved.
Our team has been taking on different classes through out the day. I teach a beginners English class four days a week for an hour in the mornings. I love love love walking into the classroom and hearing the kids say, "Hello teacher, how are you, I am fine?" Or my favorite, "Hello Leyna, What is your name?" (In a sweet little Khmer accent, so cute)
I also teach a girls hip hop class two days a week. This is rather difficult. One - I have no hip hop experience, and two - Cambodians have no rhythm (I say that with love :p). Oh bless there hearts for trying, besides we all have fun doing it.
Stay tuned for more of Cambodia and all that God is doing!
On the left is Vuthy's home and to the right is the church/school
I am now in Mindanao, a mountainous Island about an hour and a half south of Manilla. And so it begins! We're working with an organization called K.I.M (Kids International Ministry). It is so beautiful; from the workers, to the children, to the town, to even the clouds. We pull up in a bus filled with hungry world racers eager to see where we're staying, and all we see are kids running across a dirt field coming to greet the visitors. Smiles on their faces, ready to play and be loved.
The main reason we are here is to help this ministry, but there are tons of other ministries to get involved with in the town.
We're taking shifts to help the workers with the children (24 orphans total) and showing them as much love as we can. Through out the day all I can here is, "Hi Ate Leyna, come play!' At that moment I just think of how much I love them already. They call me Ate or Tita, which means Sister or Aunt. There are just 24 bundle of joys running all around, even the ones who've been battered and abused, or abandoned because there mother left them in the middle of the night to try and "escape for a better life".
We're also starting to help out with a prison ministry in town. I can't explain how I felt walking into this jail. I was scared not knowing what I was going to see, comforted knowing our brothers were standing in front of us to protect us from stares, and excited to see what God has been doing with the inmates. Walking into the prison...crowded jail cells, hands reaching out to have some outside human contact, small sleeping corners, dirty, smelly, and just unlivable. We stopped in front of Cell # 2 where 14 men were baptized the week before. Amazing praise! Then the feeling of complete comfort and peace fell over my heart. The leader of cell # 2 picked up his guitar and started singing a worship song to us. Before we knew it, the men in the cell were worshiping too. Then we all couldn't help but worship as well! The presence of God fell over that jail cell. So unexpected but beautiful! This has been just week 1! More stories to come.
Reminder: 5,602 left to raise. Thank you to all my supporters. Love you all
