Preface: This blog is not meant to attack. It's my simple
effort to bridge the gap I see between what we're exposed to in America and
what I've found to be true in most of the places I've traveled.
I think we are too quick to forget about or brush aside
issues that seem to be "too big" or "too complicated" for any hope of change.
Before leaving the States several weeks ago, someone asked
me, "Does Haiti still need help?" I was a bit taken back, but kindly replied,
"Yes. Yes, they do." I often struggle with questions like this, simply because
I have seen and know there is so much pain and injustice in our world that we
so easily overlook from the comfort of home.
While I am not one to blame the media for all of America's
problems, I recognize the great influence it has on us. One of my first mission
trips was to aid the relief effort months after Hurricane Katrina hit
Louisiana. I was amazed to see the immense need for help still in existence,
and yet so many Americans had forgotten about the thousands or perhaps millions
of lives that were impacted by this storm. I too found myself in this category
of ignorance until seeing the need with my own two eyes.
Let me assure you: Haiti still
needs help. Haiti still needs people
willing to go and do the dirty work. Haiti still
needs people to hold the orphans, feed the hungry, and love the outcasts.
Ultimately, Haiti still needs to know
there is HOPE in Jesus.
Haiti. Still. Needs.
I heard a first-hand account of the earthquake today from a
Haitian man with a heart as big as Texas. He told me his account of literally saving
a woman from an angry, religious mob. In their anger and frustration, this
religious mob wanted someone to point a finger at; someone to blame for the
pain, destruction and fear in the aftermath of tragedy. She was the easy target
for one, simple reason: she was walking around topless.
"It's because of people like you that God has brought this destruction upon us!" they
ferociously screamed as they physically attacked her. This woman would be dead
had this man not stepped in to save her.
It's hard to hear accounts like this and to know that we as
humans are capable of believing such lies. I am reminded of the story of the
religious mob in the bible that set out to kill the prostitute. Jesus acted
contrary. He loved her, accepted her for who she was, saw that her true
identity was NOT as a prostitute, and welcomed her into a new life in the
Kingdom.
So are the problems in Haiti too big? Are they too
overwhelming for us to take action? Not with my God. My God is a God who
loves people out of their sorry existences and gives them a new life in Christ.
He is a God who gives hope to the hopeless. He is a God that uses the weak things of this world to shame the wise.
We are here for that very purpose, and I am honored to say that God has called me to lead a squad that is HUNGRY for the things of God. They are HUNGRY for his presence. They are HUNGRY to see change in our world, and they won't be satisfied in sitting and watching on the sidelines.
I will continue to travel around Haiti for the month of August. Please be praying for God's favor and provision!!! We are all expecting God to move in miraculous ways!!! :)
*As you can most likely predict, internet is scarce in
Haiti. I’ll keep you updated as best I can on my travels around the country
these next two months. I encourage you to read the blogs of the teams I am
spending the month with (Crash and SOAR) if you’re interested in knowing more!
I had the privilege of spending the past week with team
Crash at an orphanage in the mountains of Haiti. One of the most remote places
I’ve been to on the World Race, this village is far more beautiful than I ever
imagined! Since there was no electricity, we became accustomed to going to bed
in our tents when the sun went down and waking up with the sunrise. It rained
every afternoon, and most of the team had the experience of hand-washing their
clothes for the first time! We dove into loving the children although they only
knew Creole and we only knew English. It was a time of rest and finding
contentment in “being” rather than “doing.”
On our way to the village from Port-au-Prince, we traveled a
long, winding, bumpy road through thick vegetation, steep cliffs and a raging
river. From the bits and pieces I’ve seen of Haiti on T.V. and in magazines, I
was honestly not expecting to encounter such magnificence.
It’s evident that the river is these ones’ source of life. I
was quickly taken back to my first month on the Race in October 2008 where I began
to recognize the great value and basic human need of water. (You can read that
blog here.) I was living in the Philippines and working at the city dump where thousands
of people live among heaps of trash. In such a place, there is no such thing as
clean water. Because of that experience, God quickly revealed to me the
blessing I had taken advantage of my entire life: having an unending supply of
clean water for drinking, bathing, cooking and the like.
My appreciation for water was taken to a deeper level this
past week. The heat in this country is one thing, but the humidity is another.
Talk about sweat! After two days of trying to conserve the few gallons we had
brought, the eight of us were in dire need.
On Monday morning, Lia and I began our trek down the
mountain. Little did we know what it would entail! As we waited at the gate of
the orphanage, we were told it would take two hours there and two hours back,
wherever we were going.
Our contact Leo found a man on a small motorcycle to drive
us down the mountain. Imagine this: Jimmy (the driver) in front, Lia next, me
third, and Leo hanging on the back. Needless to say, we had no room for
movement. Double-Stuff Oreo, anyone?!
After two crowded bus rides, hauling four 5-gallon
containers of Culligan water on our backs, and one crowded ride up the mountain
in a truck full of Haitians, we had water. It had only taken approximately four
hours, as predicted! The next problem? We discovered it took less than a day
for us to drink one of the 5-gallon containers. Yes, we MUST have water to
survive. No, this will NOT be an easy task for these first-time World Racers!
I don’t think I will soon forget my Double-Stuff Oreo
adventure. I am so thankful to be in a place where I am once again reminded of
all the blessings I’ve taken for granted in my life.
Please pray for the people of Haiti and these World Racers
as they adjust to life here. Although it’s not always easy, it’s ALWAYS worth
it!
Happy 4th of July from none other than Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic!
To give you a brief update, I have safely landed in Santo Domingo as of yesterday evening! YES, it's blazing hot. And YES...I already love it here.
I had almost forgotten why I love being in countries where I am so thankful for a fan and a cold shower to wash away my dirty, sweaty grime. There is a simplicity to life here that I absolutely adore and could stand to be reminded of from time to time. The most amazing thing is to watch these new World Racers' faces as they see a chicken on a busy intersection for the first time or a man walking in the middle of the road selling plastic toys. It brings me back to my first experience of what life is like in most of the world.
Half of the P Squad is currently here, and the other half will be here tomorrow. I am so excited for all of us to be re-united again and know without a shadow of the doubt that God has huge things in store for us this year! This first week is called "Launch" where we will be doing more intensive training for the year ahead. At the end of the week, part of the squad will head to Haiti and the others will remain here. As for me, I will be spending most of these first two months in Haiti. My role is to love on and push these Racers to go farther than they think is possible.
At the end of August, we will all jump on a plane for Ireland where we will join up with the rest of the World Racers that are currently on the mission field as well as many World Race alumni for a mini "reunion" of sorts. We're calling it, "The Awakening," and will spend five days growing as a body through worship and teaching by some of the World Race fathers.
For the months of September and October, our squad will be in different places in eastern Europe. I will continue to travel from team to team and after this time will head back to the States. The squad will continue on to southern Africa and will end in Asia. I will visit them at two different points throughout the rest of the year! It's going to FLY by, and I hardly know what to expect at this point other than to continue trusting in God to get me from moment to moment!
PLEASE be praying for us as we come to mind! Pray for: - our health. - our unity. - our strength. - wisdom. - the rest of our support. (I currently need around $3,000!) - and whatever else comes to mind!
Thanks for your support! Sending my love to each of you!!!
Several weeks ago, I did something that had previously
seemed impossible.
I ran a 5K.
For some of you, running a 5K is a "walk in the park." But for others, the thought of running just over three miles makes
you want to faint. I was that person in the past, believing that it was
physically impossible for me to complete such a feat.
Let me take you back in time. As a freshman on my high school volleyball team, I was one day given the assignment of running a mile. While walking from the locker
room to the track, I kept hearing voices that said, “You can’t do this. You
will fail. You might as well quit now.” The problem was, I believed those
voices and gave into the failure before I even began.
Do you want to know what happened that day? I didn’t
complete the required four laps. I remember lying on the ground in pain and
telling my coach, “I can’t do it. I just can’t do it.” I remember feeling the
shame and embarrassment of my peers as they watched me fail. It was a painful
defeat in more ways than one.
Several years ago, I didn’t believe I was cut out for the
World Race. There was no way I’d be able to live out of a tent for a year,
carry all my belongings on my back, raise that much money, and simply be that
adventurous. I just wasn’t THAT girl.
The problem was, God wouldn’t relent in his prodding.
“The World Race, Janina. You can do it.”
I finally applied and was accepted. I knew that God was
calling me. The problem?
I was told in my acceptance packet that I needed to be able
to run three miles in 30 minutes.
Though I'd failed at running in the past, I decided that I was going to do this. I would conquer this fear
instead of letting it conquer me! I began to speak words of life over myself
rather than death. I chose to replace the voice of defeat which said, “You
can’t do this!” with the voice of TRUTH which said, “With Christ, ALL THINGS are
possible!”
I started out slow; I mean, REALLY slow. Some days were
tough, and my body wanted to give up. However, I continued to choose to believe
the TRUTH, and God was victorious! I set my eyes on the prize and chose not to
relent.
So here I am, two years later, able to confidently tell you
that the person who couldn’t run a mile is DEAD.
Allison (my former roommate in
Michigan!) and I completed the 5K in Port Huron together, crossing the finish
line in just under 30 minutes!
This is what happens on the World Race. *God causes the old
parts of us that hinder us from walking in freedom to DIE. *The lies that were
once a part of our identities become squelched by the TRUTH of who God says we
are as children of the Most High. *The result is that we begin to walk in heavenly confidence and
authority, ready to follow God wherever He leads and no matter how impossible it seems!
The July "P Squad" is launching in just under two weeks! Please continue to pray for us as we prepare to leave. I have a financial need of $6,750. If you would like to partner with me as I lead the P Squad, you can do so here.
It's official: I will be leaving the States July 3rd, 2010 for the Dominican Republic!!
The Dominican Republic is the Launch spot for the P Squad. ("Launch" is the term we use to refer to the first week of on-the-field training for our World Race squads.)
My goal over the next month is to raise $7,500. This will cover my expenses for leading this squad over the next four months. It will also take care of my financial need when I return to the States in November to cover things like food and living space.
Would you consider partnering with me as 1 of 25 monthly supporters over the next six months?
I've calculated what it will take to reach my goal of $7,500.
As you can see from the chart above, I've broken it down into three amounts that make this number 100% attainable: 10 Supporters @ $25/mo. 10 Supporters @ $50/mo. 5 Supporters @ $100/mo.
The red pie reveals that I've reached 4% of my goal with one monthly supporter of $25/mo. WOO HOO!!!
I will continue to update the graph as the numbers increase.
Click below if you're interested in being 1 of the 25 and helping me reach my goal! Partner with Janina!
We bring the new Racers in with more questions than answers and spend the week letting God do his "thing." Worshipping with Jonathan David Helser and listening to Michael Hindes teach were some of the highlights, but more than anything it was a recognition of the ways God has continued to bless my life.
For me personally, it was a week of growing in love for 74 people that I had never met. It was seeing God begin to wreck their world (in the BEST possible way!) and watching more of who they truly are come forth. There are no words to express the joy I feel when someone walks free of an addiction or of lies they have been believing their entire lives.
My last blog was about worshipping one night for three and a half hours. Did I mention that my calves were afterwards sore for THREE DAYS?! I didn't even know that was possible.
Another of my favorite nights was towards the end of the week where we as P Squad were given the assignment of, "Have Fun." By this point in the week, everyone was feeling more comfortable in their own skin. It was already obvious that the P Squad as a whole tends to walk on the WILD side of life, so we ended the evening by having a dance party. Let's just say, this squad knows how to have FUN! But even more than having fun with these 74 world changers, watching them walk in the freedom to be THEM was an experience out of this world.
I believe in the power of dancing and letting loose. I believe when we dance before the altar of God, HE shakes loose the gates of hell and gives us freedom. That might rattle with someone's theology, but when I read Psalm 150:3-5 which says,
"Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!
Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!"...
I can't help but recognize these are not QUIET things. Clashing cymbals are NEVER quiet. Trumpets? Not typically quiet or reserved. The only picture I get in my mind is of a group of people so wildly in love with Jesus that they can't sit still!
In these verses, God is commanding us to dance,
and it is my belief
that the King wants us to get WILD before him.
Have I mentioned yet that I LOVE this squad?! Yet this is only the beginning of something bigger than I can imagine.
I made it back to Michigan yesterday after spending two weeks in Georgia for the July Squad training camp. To say the least, it was an INTENSE week of teaching, worship, and transformation. I remember coming home from my first training camp, completely blown away by what I had learned and the ways that God had moved in my heart. Because of that, I would never be the same, and I'm positive that most of these new racers would say the same.
I'll have more to say on the last couple of weeks, but first I want to share a video with you that Daniel Durick put together from a crazy night of worship. Enjoy!!
Training camp for the July 2010 squad starts in nine days.
Whaaaat?!
I just finished reading through a few of my old blogs from
“back in the day” when I still had no idea what the World Race was or what I
was doing in saying “YES” to God! It blows my mind to think that it was almost
two years ago that I left the comforts of my life in Nebraska and headed to
hot, sweaty Georgia for training camp.
Now I find myself about to embark on the Race again, this
time leading fifty-some zealous men and women of God whose desire is nothing
short of infiltrating every corner of the world with the love of Jesus!
I wrote about one of the most powerful moments of my
training camp in August ’08 in my blog, “Trudging.” God used a hike through the
woods to strip me of some weight I was carrying that needed to be dropped. I
realized that my burdens could be summarized as my own effort to control every
area of my life. The weight of control suddenly felt so heavy that I
decided it was time to drop that log.
God used eleven months on the Race to strip me of my comforts and securities, to break me time and time again, and to teach me what it means to depend on him for my everything. I wasn't prepared for leadership, but He threw me in head first. I wasn't prepared to look at the crap in my heart, but I was given no other choice. I lost control.
I can sit here and honestly tell you that as I prepare to lead this squad, the lies are:
“You are not good enough.” (whatever THAT means…)
“You don’t know how to lead this squad.” (as if anyone that's ever done anything great knows what they're doing!)
“Your bank account is empty, and you’ll never be able to
raise this support.” (even though the Lord has provided every step of the way
so far, down to the last minute!)
So instead of believing those lies...
I am choosing to expose them for what they are, and
laugh at the voice of the accuser!
I am choosing to get over myself and get my focus on Christ!
This isn’t about me. It’s about depositing the life and
freedom I’ve found in Christ into the lives of these new Racers!!!
Would you consider joining me in prayer for this squad and our upcoming
training camp? The dates are May 22nd-30th.
I am expecting God to show up in BIG WAYS at camp - and you can bet I'll have lots of stories to tell when it's all said and done. COME ON, JESUS!!!
I am continuing to give the Lord control of my finances and
my daily bread, and I wasn’t kidding when I said my bank account is empty. (at
least, almost!) I currently have $166 in my support account and need $584 by
May 25th. I’ll need another $7,000 to lead the World Race squad in
July.
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from
above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no
variation or shadow of turning." James 1:17
I love having something tangible to show for the work I've
put my hands to. I've felt accomplishment in creating my own pottery in
elementary art and in baking my very first cake. Performing in a concert is one
of the best highs I've ever had, and after all the work I put into school, receiving
a college diploma was surreal.
This list could go on and on, and I suppose most people
would agree there is a thrill in having something to show for all the time and
effort put into doing something and doing it well. We as people love
visible results; data; hard evidence.
So much of what we do with the World Race is the exact
opposite of this. There is so little tangible evidence of what we're doing because
the real "goal" we are shooting for is a changed life, and I'm not sure you can measure that or hold it in your hand.
What I do see are pieces; pieces of every shape and color,
working together and doing their share, whether that is buying a plane ticket,
doing an interview, commenting on a blog, or saying, "Hey. We care about YOU."
The amazing thing about these pieces is that when you step
back and take a look, you no longer see the individual squares. You see one,
big, beautiful piece of artwork that somehow fits together into something much
larger than itself.
As I begin to process leaving Port Huron, I am realizing how
much this place has become my home. I will be leaving a piece of my heart here,
and the things I am taking away are not those tangible kind. They are things of
the heart; things found from living in community and from watching families
live ordinary lives in an extraordinary way.
There IS one tangible thing I am taking away from here,
however.
While everyone else was watching the Super Bowl this year, Erin,
Laura and I began working on our very first quilts. (Surprised?! Me too!) With
our quilting expert and beloved teacher (whom we call Rabbi Joey) by our side, we have spent hours picking out
fabrics, measuring and cutting squares, and sewing pieces together. (I'll admit; I've had to use the seam ripper quite a few times!)
Although it was frustrating
at times, I became more and more excited with each piece that I sewed because
no longer were they individuals.
I watched them become a part of something
larger, something more beautiful than individual squares!
One of the best parts of learning to quilt has been the time
spent with these amazing women. It has been a "labor of love," so to speak, and
I know this quilt will be the most tangible thing I have to remind me of all
that I've learned in Port Huron.
It's already full of stories, and I know there
will be more to come.
I couldn't help but weep as I read this blog by Lana Waites that resembles a woman that stole my heart in Guatemala. Her name is Mary, and her story can be read here.
Be blessed as you read the following story of these courageous World Racers in Thailand!!
----------
Today, the 15 of us girls traveled to a village about an hour away from where we are staying. We divided into groups and went house to house visiting people. We arrived at the first house and an older woman was sitting outside. We gathered around her and asked if we could pray for her. She was blind and asked us to pray for healing. As we prayed, I knelt down beside her and looked into her eyes.
In that moment, she looked directly into my eyes, and I knew that God was going to heal her. I began to weep because I knew that He was about to show up in a big, overwhelming way.
After our group prayer for Noi, it was time for us to finish visiting the village. However, four of us knew that the Lord had different plans for us. We just kept sitting. I knew God was telling me to continue to pray. And I was not alone. So Jesse, Emily, Amanda, and I asked Boon Rong [an elder at the church] to stay with us. When we were about to start praying, Amanda spoke up about something the Lord taught her in Cambodia. He requires faith. It is not healing thenbelief. Its beliefthen healing. Our new friend, Noi, was not a Christian. She did not know her creator... just yet.
But as our translator shared the gospel and his own story, she came to know Jesus. She was ready for inward healing. We sat and listened as she prayed to her Father for the first time in her life. Listening to the reverence in her voice was such a beautiful thing. Once we were all 6 in agreement that God was fully capable of healing her eyes, we began to pray. We began to plead with the Lord. His presence was so overwhelming... Emily, Amanda, Jesse and I began laughing hysterically. I could not hold it in. The spirit was blowing me away. It was undeniable. As Noi was praying, she began to laugh with us.
I began to explain to her what was happening, why we were laughing, why we were so excited ... and that the Lord wanted her to ask Him to heal her eyes. He wanted to hear from his daughter. Just as I got those words out of my mouth, she began to speak to me, as if she heard every word that I spoke. Boon told me that she was saying my tongue was beautiful, that she could not understand what I was saying, but she knew it was beautiful, because she could feel it. That is the kingdom. Right there. I explained that yes, she could feel the weight of my words because now, she had the same Spirit that lives in me, living in her. What an absurd thing to attempt to grasp ... God redeemed Noi today. She is now part of His Kingdom.
About an hour went by of us praying, reading scripture, laughing, praying, believing, praising the Lord, praying, trusting Him, and praying some more. In that hour, I experienced God in new ways. I felt his presence in a powerful way. My faith increased ten-fold. He has not healed Noi yet. But, the 4 of us have faith. More faith than ever. God will heal Noi. I do not doubt that ... I just hope I am there to witness it.
[We plan on re-visiting Noi sometime during our stay in Thailand. Please pray for redemption of her eyesight. Stay tuned for part two ... whenever it may come.]
