This is how we Rolllllllllll....

Well here we are... Headed hommeeeeee. I'm writing this with 9 hrs down and 21 hrs to go. I'm still deeply processing a lot of our trip, so I thought I'd bring you some humor while I organize my thoughts. 

Driving/walking (there really isn't a difference): 

I made the following meme to help set the mood...

Let's start with when Josiah got ran over by a moto.... Don't worry his foot is fine... We had a medical professional look at it...aka Nurse Lindsay. Fortunately, Cambodians drive like crazy people (FYI my driving skills are going to fit in great) so at least when it got ran over, they were going so fast, they soared accrossed it instead of crushing it. Besides a few tire marks, a few scrapes, and a broken toenail you'd never even guess his life flashed before his eyes. Way to take one for the team Josiah... A true leader, sacrificing his leg for the good of others... (But let's just say, luckily no one else followed his lead on this one...) 

Earlier that morning, Linds, Brittney, and I decided to go on a walk... We asked the lady at the front of the hotel where to cross the street aka where the crosswalk was. She replied with ...right there.... Pointing to the "four" lanes of traffic zooming by (more like 12... No one actually uses the lines). Ummmmm how appealing was that riverside view accross the street? Appealing enough that we found ourselves standing on the edge. A nice tuk tuk driver saw us doing the chicken bob...go now? No, now, no wait, now, no... and graciously parted the traffic for us.... All our feet made it successfully. Apparently the secret to getting across with only your foot run over, not your whole body, is to just walk at a moderate pace and the cars and motos and tuk tuks and mobile fruit stands just weave around you (unless you are Josiah, then they just run over your foot).... If you run... Then they say you die. Well we didn't die, so we must have figured out the "moderate pace." 

This picture doesn't do it justice, but this is where we crossed...

Then one time, we couldn't figure out why we could run across the street and not get hit, and why our driver, who is always early, was no where to be found. Apparently, the King heard we were in town and wanted to stay next door to us at his palace. He even invited the Prime Minster over. So thoughtful of him, but somehow our invite got lost in the mail. Hmmmm. And word on the street is (literal street haha) that when they come to town, it's like when the President is in town... They block off all the streets and no one can get through so they don't get shot or shanked. 

But it was ok because then we got to walk along the river and then ride in tuk tuks and buy 2 for $5 fake Ray Bans from a man out of a box hanging around his neck... Way better than popcorn, but not as cool as buying them out of his coat....  

Well, lots more still to post :) but here's a snipbit till then... :) 

Xx Prayyya pro de'em po (God bless you) 

Kat 

He never gives up on us.

Day 2:

We were all fast asleep by 730pm last night and up by 530am to take on a new day. 

We are right next door to a coffee shop... Randomly the best Americano I've ever had... But the sunrise might have been influencing that :) and the steepest stairs I've ever climbed... Insert photo here lol 

We ate breakfast and headed to church. Linds and I were just chatting about how we really do serve a universal God, we know that in theory, but don't truly know it, until we've fully experienced it. Standing in a room packed with people of all ages, singing in Khmer and us singing in English, will bring you to tears. To feel His presence radiate off those arounds you as they sing, with every ounce of themselves, praises to the one true God, is something that can't be described. We were thankful for the English subtitles and a translator, but had we not had them, we still would have felt at church, in worship, in God's presence. 

One of the songs said, "He doesn't give up on us." How beautiful is that truth? We are in a church with survivors of trafficking worshiping next to ex-pimps/ ex-traffickers. We are in a church with survivors of the Khmer Rouge. God doesn't ever give up on us. It is never too late, we've never done too much, or not enough. 

The pastor spoke about how much God hates sin and how much he loves holiness. He loves us so much, he cleanses us of our sin and fills us with His holiness, His righteousness. He spoke of Noah and how God distroyed the world, but saved Noah. It made me think- God could have started over, He could have wiped the whole earth clean and built a new Eden, but He didn't. He didn't give up on Humanity, he spared Noah and His family. We serve a beautiful and redeeming God. 

The Killing Feilds: Content below is going to be graphic and heavy, so read at your own risk. 

Some of my blog post hopefully make you laugh and brighten your day, but I hope they also open your eyes to the world that we don't see regularly... Or ever. I hope they provoke you to step back and think and value life and inspire you to participate in stoping injustice, no matter how small the contribution. 

Today we went to one of over 300 of the mass execution and grave sites from the Khmer Rouge era. The Khmer Rouge started in 1975 and fell just over 3 years later. 3 years doesn't seem like much, less than you need for a college degree or a high school diploma, but in those 3 years and 8 months, 1 in 4 Cambodians were killed in a mass genocide. In less that 48 hours of the Khmer Rouge had forced every person out of all the cities. Can you imagine New York City completely empty by force in 48 hours? Everyone was forced to their "home" village and forced to work in the Feilds. Pol Pot, the head of this communist party, demanded rice production be tripled immediately. Now, I don't know about you, but if I grew up in a city.... I wouldn't know the first thing about farming. So here these people were, with no training, no tools, forced into labor they didn't understand, from the early hours before dawn, until well into the night, with no food and no breaks. People were dying in Feilds, tied to plows. They were also separated from their families, men with men, women with women, children with children unless they were very young. That was for the lucky ones. 

As for those who were educated, spoke another language, wore glasses, or were trained in any modern vocation, they were executed. 

Overnight, Pol Pot took a culture back to the Stone Age. 

Obviously this was not a stable plan, so eventually people would steal rice (babies were dying because mothers couldn't even produce milk) or try to escape. They would be thrown in jail and forced to write false confession of fake crimes (being spies for the US etc.). Later, they'd be taken to the Killing Feilds and be executed. They would do it at night and blare revolution music, so that those living in the area wouldn't know that people were being executed. So much of this horrifying atrocity was done in secret. The rest of the world didn't even know if the rumors from the refugees that made it across the boarders were true. 

Here are some of the mottos of the Khmer Rouge: 

"We don't gain with them, and we aren't at a loss without them." 

"To kill the grass, you must destroy the roots." 

You could say the regime didn't have a high value on life. The first one is a major reason why so many were killed, the second is why all the members of their families were eventually killed as well. They said they had to kill them all so none would one day grow up and seek revenge. Sick. I know. 

As we walked through the grounds and saw the graves it's quite overwhelming. Most of the large bones were exhumed and put in a memorial 17 floors high, but they left the smaller ones because there wasn't enough room. So as the weather shifts the soil, more bones rise to the top and every few months they are collected by the care takers. As you walk on the path there are small signs and when you look close it says, please don't step on the bones. And as you look closely at the path you see bones rising up right below your feet. I can't fully discribe the feeling that overwhelms. It all becomes so tangible. 

The horrors just kept coming. The regime was poor, so they had no money to buy ammunition, so they had to execute everyone by torture. They used anything from axes to hoes to sharp edged vines. Women, men, children, babies, and an entire mass grave full of headless soldiers. Among the other graves, were 6 Americans and 3 Australians. 

Pol Pot was so paranoid, he killed millions by making them sign false confessions. He was never seen in public and ran his communist regime in as much secrecy as possible. He studied in Paris and while there, became part of the communist party. He drew on the Chinese for power and example. When he came back to Cambodia, ironically he was a history teacher for a few years before the revolution. 

Needless to say, Cambodia has had a very recent traumatic past. The USA didn't intervene, due to just finishing Vietnam and the USA not having a positive image with war among Americans. Eventually, Vietnam intervened and over threw Pol Pot. Through the 80s Cambodia struggled still and eventually the U.N. intervened and held the first public elections in history in the 90s. But even then, the candidates were flawed and from political parties with very selfish platforms. To this day the amount of corruption in the government is still great. 

But from the few I've met and the many I've observed, they are overcoming. They are making life turn as best they can. God never gave up on them. He is redeeming them. Their hurt, pain, PTSD, and the culture that has formed from such traumatic experiences. i.e. Trafficking. 

Tomorrow we will start our work at AIM, and see first hand how God has transformed the largest Red Light District in Phnom Penh. A street, that less than 10 years ago was lined with brothels (mainly child brothels), now is 100% rid of them. 

Sorry this is being posted so late. More to follow. Also, my spell check isn't working so.... Who knows what I actually typed lol 

Xx 

Kat 

I should always travel with a nurse... #freefood

We've officially made it to Taipei! 14 hour flight from LA and our kankles are ripening nicely. The rest of the crew is hunting down Starbucks and I'm manning the bags and charging the phones. 

You're probably thinking... Blog post already? You aren't even there yet, but we're the Swick's... We can't do anything conventional. Take flying for example... The cabin is all tucked in, lights off, I'm in the middle...and my feet don't touch the ground... Needless to say everyone, but me is passed out. And good thing, because Nurse Lindsay is dead to the world when the announcement comes. 

"Attention all passengers, we have a medical emergency, a passenger needs immediate medical attention, will all nurses and doctors reveal yourself." 

Me... Panic mode sets in (all I can think of is when Marine flew for Air France and a man died mid flight over the ocean). I whip around, shake the ball that is Lindsay awake (not an easy task... It took me screaming, "Lindsay they need a nurse, they need a nurse" at least 3x). I flag the attendants, Linds grabs her glasses, stands on her seat,  jumps over us, and is off down the aisle (insert proud sister moment here). Meanwhile in all my panic, I slammed my toe into the metal pole at my feet, adeline has now passed and all of a sudden, I get so light headed I pass out.... I didn't think I actually passed out, but Linds was only gone in my world for like 30 secs... In pretty sure it was at least 15. Nausea swept over and I kept taking deep breaths, I knew if I stood I'd puke and passout in someone's lap (all I could see was Niccole passing out and breaking her nose on the train last month...). I was sure I broke my toe, but my super sympathetic sister said, "You're fine, dork." 

Part of me wishes I'd stood up, because it would have made the best story for them to tell Lindsay, "I'm sorry, we need you back by your seat, there's another medical emergency."

Anyway, the lady was fine. Apparently when you don't drink water all day and then fly and then add in some red wine, you pass out. So nurse Lindsay took her blood pressure and diagnosed her and proscribed water and orange juice. She shaped up real quick. The doctor that eventually showed up, kept asking Lindsay what she thought and eventually said, "I think you got this, I'm going to go back to my seat." The flight attendants even asked for her business card... (We need to make her some for next time) Ok so they probably asked for liability reasons... But still. 

In return for her service we got a 1st class fruit tray and a bag of snacks.... The good kind. I made her share, since had it not been for me sacrificing my toe (that's still throbbing, but "not broken") and waking her up she wouldn't have been Hero Nurse of Eva Air. 

So needless to say, we thank you for choosing Eva Air, and hope you fly with us again soon... It's always entertaining. 

From Taipei, 

Kit Kat Toe (get it... Like tick tack toe?) 

Pulling out the rusty old blog for another Kat adventure...

It's midnight...and I've been packed for over 24 hours. This is a first. I almost can't go to bed because I keep thinking I should be panicking and pulling an all nighter... I have to be forgetting something? I'm Kat! But here I am... all ready to go. It's a good feeling, a calm. I sometimes find myself wishing my everyday life was spent this way; instead I'm always rushing and late. I think this is why people speak of finding rest in the Lord. Restful rest feels good. The rest where you don't have burdens or worry, because you're prepared. God is always prepared, so we always have the opportunity to find rest in Him...if we choose. My prayer for us as we embark to Cambodia is that our team walks in His restfulness. That we don't become consumed with the little things that make us lose sight of Joy, but that we seize every opportunity and our minds are at peace. Cambodia has had a very rough last 40 years. A lot of death, destruction, and trauma. I pray we process these events and are humble and sensitive toward a hurting people. At the end of the day we are all broken and hurting people in desperate need of the Gospel. We are broken people serving broken people. We may not have seen genocide, experienced extreme poverty, or been faced with selling our children so our families can eat, but we have our own list of trails and tribulations that define us. So, as we embark, please be praying for humble hearts, protected minds, selflessness, and that we will overflow with love and joy. I'm not sure how often I'll be able to blog, but I'll do my best to try to post something :) Love you all, and thank you to all who are supporting me- financially and through prayer. Blessing and love, Kat xx

Shalom

How do we let a moment control us, ruin our day, change our mindset, etc? Today I was asked to give my testimony at bible study. Of course it was the day we started late and had two chapters to cover instead of one. We all know I can't say anything concise, especially when it is something deeply personal. So my testimony was probably 15 mins long and right before I finished I said, "Sorry this is so long, I promise I'm almost done." More as a side note than as an apology. And one lady in a serious voice said, "Yes I'm going to cut you off if you don't finish now, we do have a study to do today." I had about two more lines to say and my life verse. I had to choke through them, because my stomach was in knots and I felt so sick and couldn't keep the tears in. Maybe I'm PMSing, but all I wanted to do was get out of there and cry and never go back. I sat silent through the rest of the study as the same lady spoke for 20 mins on Neiamiah (Ch.7...its mainly just a list of descendants) and through the five minutes of chapter 8. It was stated multiple times over and over, "well since we don't have much time..."

I was consumed by this sickness, I didn't listen to a word that was said. All I could think of was, when did a time table become more important than a person? I had just poured my heart out to these people I don't even know, and I felt the largest feeling of rejection I've ever felt. I wonder how Christ felt when the pharisees rejected him, the son of God. I can't even imagine. I can barely take rejection from a few old ladies in my bible study, how did he take it from the leaders of the law that His father/ he had written. Fully God, fully man: is how I guess. He felt what I felt I'm sure, he was human, but he was God as well, so He didn't let it define Him.

I know it was wrong that I went too long on my testimony, I didn't realize till it was too late. But why would someone ever feel it was ok to treat me this way? But the main question is, why did I let that person define the rest of my day instead of God? Why did I want to crawl in my bed instead of go on the walk I had planned? Why instead of reading my bible and asking God for comfort, did I just want to call my mom? Why could I only think of the things they did wrong and not admit I had wronged them?

I know the "right" answer, "God needs to be our security, not the opinions and actions of others." But is that possible as a human? To disregard our human feelings? Shalom means wholeness with God, peace with God. My heart yearns for Shalom, Yahweh. One day we get to stand in eternity and all of our insecurity is only a memory, not a feeling that can consume, that can ruin our day. We will stand in God's presence and our security will be so strongly felt, insecurity will no longer have a meaning. I just have to keep reminding myself that. At the service before we broke into our groups, we listened to Phill Whickham's song Devine Romance. It says:

The fullness of Your grace is here with me
The richness of Your beauty’s all I see
The brightness of Your glory has arrived
In Your presence God, I’m completely satisfied

That last line was all I could think about as I drove home. It was the only thing that calmed me.

So, Shalom. May you yearn as well for wholeness with God. One day He is coming. Seriously, Oh Glorious day. One day our spirits will be completely satisfied.

Shalom.

The end is near...

I'm sitting at our debrief location on a little Island off the gulf. It is incredible. We are staying right on the beach and it is BEAUTIFUL. I am listening to the waves crash and looking at a perfectly empty beach. How can someone not believe in God and look at the ocean? Such power and beauty. It's breath taking and was made with such precision and care. Mmmmm I want to stay forever!

Sadly, in almost 24hrs exactly we will be boarding a plane and bound for the US. Wow. How did that happen? 2 months down and a life time to go. In 2 short months God has flipped everything I've know upside down. My prayer is that when I return I don't just push away what God has shown me, but instead I propel into a life of change. A life of living for others, of not being consumed by the world and possession; a life of obedience. This life is temporary, but Heaven is eternal. At the last ministry we were at Brynn and I lead a study by John Ortberg called "It all goes Back in the Box". This was his main point and he used the example of going to a hotel. You don't go stay at a hotel and decorate it, hanging all your art work and family photos on the walls. (Motel 6 has their own lovely art work picked out to coordinate with your bedspread). You wouldn't spend your own time and money decorating it. Why? Because you know it is temporary. Just like this life. Everything is temporary. Everything, except people. So why spend your time on things that are temporary, when you can spend it loving people and making disciples as God asks? We need to turn off the TV, the internet, our phones, etc. for a bit and spend sometime with people. These last few months I haven't checked my phone once...ok so its half way across the world...I've used the internet maybe once or twice a week, and I've watched almost no TV (minus the Thai dramas playing in every restaurant and watching Harry Potter with the girls at Abba house lol :) ). I've found I have formed some of the closest relationship in such a short time. Why? Because my distractions are limited...and we all know how distracted I can get. :) I know coming home I will be thrown back into life in the US, but I hope I remember how beautiful these last two months spent loving people constantly have been. I've grown, changed, and experienced so much joy. So please pray as I adjust back into life back home. Pray I adjust well but don't forget what God has changed and revealed to me.

I've found a family in our team, a home in another culture, and a God greater than I ever realized. It has been an incredible adventure. I want to say thank you to all my supporters whether it was financially or through prayer. You all are the reason I am here. You all are the reason someone felt God's love for the first time or someone was encouraged and loved and served. And you all are the reason God has opened my heart and eyes to so much of the world I didn't know existed. God provided for His children, thank you for being part of that provision for me. I hope one day I can serve and bless you as well.

I plan to keep blogging about my THailand adventures when I get back since so much has been left out. So keep your eyes open for some fun stories of trips to a Thai ER, night bus madness, a potential musical performance, and much more! :)

Oh and a quick shout out to my Dad the Hero...once again...We've used all the Aloe and Sunscreen you bought me “just incase” in the last day and 1/2! Life savers... My next blog was going to be titled “Anut Karen is Right” b/c I didn't even have a tan line after 2 months...but I think I might have gone a little darker than off white after the last 2 days!! I might prove her wrong yet...I might actually be able to get tan...) it might just be in weird splotches all over my body from the salt water washing of weird bits of sunscreen, but I'm not picky its color! :)

Love from Thailand one last time,
Good night and Swadee Kha!

KL

The ants came marching one by one...smash...there is no time for hurray.

OK so this is part one of about 10 blogs...So sorry it's been so long. We only have one computer between all of us now that we are at Abba House and our days are so full and I spend most of my breaks sleeping. Speaking of sleeping...I've never slept this much in my life (and you all thought it was bad when I fell asleep during staff meetings and prayer...), every second I get a break I just want to sleep. I'm blaming the heat...and the ants. They stress me out 24/7. At Abba house they are everywhere!!! Speaking of ants...5 just arrogantly walked across my pillow. What nerve. Everyday I have to pray for grace and mercy on them so I don't just crush them and plot to sweep them off the second floor. So I've moved from Mosquitoes to ants... I'm not even going to talk about the swarm of fire ants I rescued the trashcan from...

Anyway... This post is going to be a recap of our time at Lighthouse. Wow. I don't even know where to start. We lived at Lighthouse for 4 lovely weeks. We made amazing friends with the World Race team and I might even have a business partner out of it. :) We finally got to meet P'Emmi, the woman who founded Lighthouse. She got back from visiting the states the day before we left so we got to here her story which is incredible. She is from a hill tribe, her parents died, and then her family disowned her b/c they thought she was cursed and the reason for her mother's death. So she lived with her a different grandfather, but he hurt himself badly and couldn't take care of her so he brought her to a Christian orphanage. Meanwhile, her other family sold her to one of the pimps that come from the city to the tribes. When he came to collect and she wasn't there (and the family had already spent the money) he came looking for her. The orphanage was able to raise the money to pay him back and she was able to stay. She went to college and started making a lot of bad choices, her mother from the orphanage came and sat her down and told her straight to her face, "If you continue running from God and living your life this way, you will end up in Hell." I was like wow that was harsh, but she said because it came from the one person that had cared about her, the one person that had loved her all these years, she knew it was because she loved her and she knew it was true. So she decided to turn her life around. She got a scholarship to come to the US, and when she came back she felt called to start this ministry and the coffee shop Wongen. She is soooo incredible and hilarious. But what I love most about her and her testimony is that she gives God the glory for all of it.

So we were able to be a small part of her story and Lighthouses future. :) Now I want you to meet my friend Hong. Hong is 29 years old and works at Kat's Bar (haha I was right at home). She is half Chinese and half Thai. She speaks both languages fluently, and is so much fun. I first got connected with Hong one night at the bar when we were playing pool with some of the other girls. She told me I had a "baby face" (patted it) and then told me I had the voice to match. LOL One thing I learned from Hong is honesty. The next week she told Brynn that she looked like a boy and asked if she had showered. (Ps. Brynn smelled fine.) One thing you learn really quick about Thai culture is never to be offended. They tell you you are fat one second and the next thing out of their mouth is that they love you.

One night we decided to bring art supplies to the bar and we sat down outside the bar at a table and asked if anyone would like to paint. Hong sat down with a few others and began to paint. It turns out that she is incredibly talented. We came back early the next night before customers got there and painted again. She came running in holding sketches for us to paint. We were able to paint and talk. She asked us what we thought of all the American men that came and about the ones that were 60, 70, 80. We told her it made us sad and asked her what she thought. She said she thinks it is really sad, and most of the older ones just want companionship, someone just to talk to and pay attention to them. It was so sad. I wanted to cry.

The next night we showed up to paint, but her boss said that we couldn't (it was distracting her from the customers). It turned out to be a huge blessing because she suggested we meet up in the afternoon. So Brynn, Rachel, Boy, and I met her at Burger King. We painted and she did our make up (remember how she called Brynn a boy...she thought this was much better...I'll post pictures soon). You know how some make up looks better depending on eye shape, skin color etc. For example, Estrella can wear bright colors on her eyes and she looks incredible...but then you transfer that to me...well let's just say the boys would be starring alright... Well the same goes for Asian makeup. By the end we had eyeliner to our ears and caterpillars for eye brows and fabulous red lips. Hong looked fabulous, but let me tell you we were a bunch of lookers. Let's just say the look didn't transfer quite as well...but we sure had a fun Burger King photo shoot. The next day she invited us to get the look ourselves and took us makeup shopping and to the market. It was really fun and she kept just putting everything we could imagine in our hands saying, "This is good, This is good." It was so hilarious and awesome.

The next night we met her to go to the mall and shopping. We had to have a team meeting before we left (some issues that needed to be dealt with came up). So we were 2 hours late. I was disappointed we were so late, but the meeting was really good and brought us together as a team and was so impacting in our functioning as a team. Unfortunately that doesn't translate well when you are the one waiting for 2 hours and can't figure out were we are...Hong was a bit annoyed (remember she likes to point things out lol) and only got to eat with us before she had to leave to go get ready for work, but she had brought Fon another friend from the bar, so we got to hang out with her and watch the movie. Then Fon took us shopping (don't worry I only bought two pairs of shoes for under $10 put together). Fon is really really sweet and we had a lot of fun with her. She also came to the market with us the day before. Her English is really good and she is so sweet and generous.

That night was our last night at the bars. I walked in and the first thing Hong does is poke me under the eyes and says, you need to go to sleep (I told you it wasn't just me!), go home. She is sooo funny. We stayed for about two hours and every time she walked by she poked me in the eyes and told me to go home..."you need sleep." And then would show anyone near the bags under my eyes lol.

Brynn and I for the first time weren't having a great night conversation wise, so we decided to pray. Wow it was so humbling. Julie and Boy went and prayer walked as well. Someone famous said, "Prayer is not preparation for the greater work, prayer is the greater work." It is so true...thank you famous, wise man. Everyone else started having amazing conversations and the evening turned out to be one of the best. It was so hard to leave. These women have become my friends. They have taught me a lot about life and joy. I'll miss them dearly. I hope God has plans for our paths to cross again. I keep finding business possibilities. Hong speaks Chinese and if her English improves she would be great working with manufactures and she is a beautiful artist and could work in design. Plus she's a go-getter. Nothing holds her back, and she is not afraid to be blunt. :) Jeremiah 29 has been a huge theme while over here. I know God has great plans for their lives. I hope one day they will get to know Jesus better and surrender their lives to him.

Well we will see what God has in store with these relationships. I hope to one day see the fruit, but if not I know there will be a harvest. We got to love on so many girls. Every night they would tell us we were different, that we weren't the same as the rest. They saw Christ in us. We got to love them and not ask for anything in return. It was truly a life changing experience. My views changed on people. Anyone can be your friend. I now hate the word prostitute. All it leaves you with is a profession and takes all your humanity. These women are warm, loving, and full of joy. They have hopes and dreams. Most are just tying to support their families. Some are doing it so their siblings can go to school and not have to end up in the bars. No one has any right to look down at them. Yes what they are doing isn't right, but they are just trying to survive. They make anywhere from 2,000 baht to 10,000 a week. Minimum wage is like 1,000 baht a week. This is why it is so appealing.

Everyone needs the Gospel. These women, but even those closest to you that you don't want to offend. If I could love these girls in the bars with Christ's love and bring them his gospel, than why can't I do the same in my life back in the states? We all need Jesus. What are you going to say when we stand before God and they turn around and ask, "Why didn't you tell me?" "Why didn't you try harder?" Jesus died and then came back with a message (I'm guessing it's important if he came all the way back from the dead to tell us :) ), He said go and make disciples of every nation. Every nation. That includes our work, our family, but also Africa, Russia, Europe...every nation. This is what God has been teaching me over here :). I'm reading Radical by David Platt. It is so good...but will mess you up and convict you. So read it but prepare yourself for craziness!! :)

OK here is an opportunity for those that want to make a difference in the bars. A girl from the world race team, met a few girls that want rescued out. Here is the final part of the 7 part blog that tells about the story. It is incredible! We prayed for a harvest and here is way! http://emilytuttle.theworldrace.org/?filename=help-wanted-maes-story-part-4 But As you will read, these girls are here illegally, and will need housing and a job. So lighthouse needs to raise $2,000 immediately to make them legal and provide for them...in less than a week. And continually funding for their futures. So if you can give, please do. Give up your Starbucks for the day. :) This will be able to put them in recovery and into a discipleship program and give them a new life!!! Hopefully this is just 2 of many to come. :) I hope you read the story from the beginning. It's powerful. And I hope you can give. Thank you friends! God blesses us so we can bless others :). xx

Well I'm off to teach English! Yes they let me teach people to spell... scary. They also gave me a pulpit...that will come in the next post :) hahaha

Lots of love!
KL