This is it.... Megan Dunegan - The World Race 2007

Romania Update!!!

Wed, 6 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I received an email from AIM saying that we wouldn't be able to reopen our support accounts. I am just going to set up a separate savings account through my bank. You are more than welcome to contact me here, or whatever way is easiest for you, and we can work out the details. THANKS AGAIN!!!!

The Awakening in ROMANIA!!

Sat, 2 May 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hey there everyone!!! Hope all with well in your lives! Things have been wonderful and crazy here since being back from the World Race. Life never seems to slow down, but that makes it all the more interesting, right?

In the past few years there have been several World Race teams that have gone out. The number of people going out each year is growing like crazy!! This year AIM has decided to put on an annual gathering for all the WR alumni. AIM is expecting about 225 of us to be there! Most of the coaches from WR teams will be there leading us in some teachings and discipleship. They are also putting together a worship team made up of people from a few different squads. This year, the gathering--which they are calling "The Awakening"--will be in Ville Tecii, Romania! We will be there from September 22-25th. As of right now, all we are responsible for financially is the travel to and from--which is pretty amazing! I was looking at airfare this weekend, and I found some pretty good deals. As of right now, the cheapest tickets I have found are about $750. I'm not sure how long it will take for the prices to shoot up. Right now this is a pretty great deal!

I am asking that you pray about how God may be asking you to help support this amazing opportunity for me to experience. This is going to be a time of teaching, fellowship, worship, and spiritual growth. I am going to be in school at this time, but I feel like this is an important thing to be a part of and something that I feel is worth missing a few days of school for.

So, if you are interested or have any questions you can contact me on here, facebook, email me or call me.

I think I'm going to have to set up a new WR support account, but I will let you know the details when I know.

This is my email where you can contact me: duneganmegan@yahoo.com

THANK YOU for your time and prayers!!!

We are to be houses built on ROCK!!

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In Matthew it says that those that hear and obey the word on God will be like a house that's built on a rock. No matter what comes their way-no matter what tragedy strikes-they will stand firm on The Rock! Nothing will be able to destroy them! Nothing will be able to come against them! We may feel like we are at the bottom of the pit, and we may feel like it couldn't get any worse. But, those who stand firm will not be destroyed!!

But those who turn from the Lord and aren't obedient to His word, will be like a house built on sand. As soon as disaster strikes they will be knocked down and destroyed! They cannot be saved! The bible says that a man that builds his house on sand is a fool, and the man that builds his house on the rock is wise!

God never said that as a follower of Him we wouldn't go through times of tragedy and persecution. If anything, He said we would have to endure even more (here on Earth) than ones that don't believe and follow him. Because we love him and live our lives for him, we will be tested beyond our measure. Our faith and our devotion to Him will surely be tested. Faith is believing in something not yet seen. And, if God is who he says he is, then I have to KNOW that whatever trials come my way, and no matter how hard I fall--He is with me, and will NEVER leave me!! Nothing that has happened in my life so far, and the things that are to come in the future, do not come as a surprise to Him. God knew the things that would try to come against me before I was even a thought on my mother's mind. And, He has a plan for everything--He will not allow me to be destroyed! I may feel knocked down and lost at times, but He is always there...waiting for me to reach up for His help.

So in that, we have to build ourselves on The Rock, Jesus Christ-otherwise we will NEVER make it!

what are we to do?

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

About two weeks ago, my sister called me to tell me that one of her friends had committed suicide. He was around 24 years old. Married for a few years, and going through a separation with his wife.

Yesterday she called me again to tell me that another one of her friends committed suicide. She was also the same age and married for a few years, and was arguing with her husband the night she killed herself.

I only knew of these people just from going to the same school as them, and from my sister talking about them. I didn't know either of them very well. Yet, there is this pain in my heart for the people that loved them very much. A pain I can't quite describe. Maybe it's more guilt than anything. Guilty at the fact that they felt like this would be the answer. Guilty that our world is so fallen. Guilty because, something or some one else could have helped them. Guilty because I know that I walk past people every day that are hurting in the same way. People that just need someone to reach out to them. Someone that loves and cares about them. I go through my days thinking only about me 95% of the time. I am a selfish person. I know that it's not my job to save everyone, but I know that there are times throughout my days I recognize the cries of others, and I keep on walking, not even looking back.

With the news of these two very young people taking their own lives, I have been filled with hurt and deep empathy. I wish there was more I could do for people feeling so hopeless and lost. I wish I could tell every single person feeling this way that there is another way to deal with their hurts. There is a God that loves them deeply, and cares for them more than they would ever know. He is all they ever need. He IS enough. And, all He wants to do is love you, unconditionally.

Lord, open my eyes in such a way that I would know when people are truly hurting. Lead me to show your overwhelming love for them.

Speak truth and love always.

Joy

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hen I think about joy the first thing that comes to my mind is a child. The joy a child has is so simple and uncomplicated. They are joyful at the sound of their mother's voice. Or when they color a picture and get it hung on the refrigerator. Pure and simple joy. The innocence of children makes me envious.

Now as I have gotten older, and the reality of life seems to hit harder than it did when I was a child, I find joy to be something that I have to really work hard at to find. Not that I'm not happy, because I am. There are plenty of things for me to be happy about. But, joy? Joy is different. It's more than just an emotion or a smile on your face. It's the state of your heart, and position of your spirit. It's like when you hear people finding joy in the most hopeless situations. They are not happy, but they find joy in their soul and heart. It's almost as if joy and hope go hand and hand. We have joy in the Lord as well as find hope in the Lord. I believe that we have joy because of hope and we have hope because of joy.

So if joy comes from the Lord, why does it seem so hard to find sometimes?

Lately I have found myself asking, "What makes me have joy? Real, true joy?" Is it the sound of the ocean, or the feeling I get when I know I'm going to see someone that I love? Even as I am sitting here writing this, I am asking myself these very questions. I think that my joy comes from knowing, in my spirit, that no matter what happens and no matter where I end up in life, I will always have hope. Hope in The One that has created every single thing about me. I know that even in the seasons of feeling lost or spiritually dry, there is always Someone tugging at me-watching and waiting for me to run into His arms again. Never has He left me-I am the one that seems to leave Him. There have been, and will continue to be, those seasons in life where I feel completely uncertain of what comes next. But, I can still find joy in knowing that He knows.

Joy is a choice that I have to make every day. Am I going to have joy today in every circumstance? That doesn't mean that I have to feel happy or have a smile on my face. It simply means that my spirit is positioned to know and accept that God is in control. It comes with the discipline of being conscious of what is happening inside of my heart. What is God trying to teach me today?

The joy of the LORD is my strength. This encompasses every single thing in our lives. Joy is on a much larger scale than we can outwardly see, or inwardly feel. It's beyond our human nature to define. Real joy can only come from the Lord.

Discipline

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Why is it so hard for me to do the thing that makes me the most happy?

Why? I wish I knew why.

Starting the right tone for my day should be more important to me than just shoving it off and opening my computer, or doing something as equally monotone.

I am 100% capable of reading my Bible and writing in my journal, but I choose to do anything but that.

It's not like it's a disciple to watch t.v. or be on facebook all day.

So why does it seem like such a discipline to pick up my Bible and read it?

I can spend hours during the week corresponding with friends and acquaintances, but can't seem to fit even an hour in to spend time with my friend, Jesus.

One of my favorite things to do is spend quality time with people, but how can these relationships flourish if I don't spend just as much, or more, time with The One that created me?

I don't deserve His love, but He gives it to me freely.

This is what I read in My Utmost for His Highest' today:

"We are not saved to only be instruments for God, but to be His sons and daughters. He does not turn us into spiritual agents but into spiritual messengers, and the message must be part of us. As his disciples, our lives must be a holy example of the reality of our message."

Being a disciple comes with a cost...

Lord, teach me how to be a true disciple.

life in a nutshell: the past 8 months

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I've been home from the Race for almost 8 months now!! I can't believe it! There is no way that it feels that long already! And, I'm sure that you've noticed, I haven't written a single blog since then. Lame, I know...

So, what have I been doing??

For about the first month of being home I was having trouble just "sitting still", so I did some traveling. I went to Colorado for about a week to visit the Blacks, and other people from the WR. It was a wonderful trip! I had never been to CO before, and I loved every second of it. The mountains are gorgeous!! I thought that this is where I was going to move when I got back from the Race, but oh how things change. I'll get to that in a bit.

Then I went to Florida for about two weeks to visit my amazing friend, Pam. I had a wonderful time being with her! We had a lot of time to just relax and be with each other. Then, I ran out of money and had to go home to face the reality of finding a job. Not always the most exciting thing to have to do.

Two World Race weddings, and one more coming up :) these have possibly been the best things since coming home! It's been a wonderful recharge for my spirit!!

So, what to do until August rolls around?

I am in Houston right now living with my sister and her boyfriend. They are both amazing people. My sister works as an art director for a magazine, and Sedone, her boyfriend, is an artist. My job while I'm here is to be my sister's personal assistant helping her with her freelance work. Also, I am helping her get her website up and running. I will be living with them until the end of May. Then from May to August I will be working at a summer camp called TeamEffort. They mainly do community outreach, and a lot of relief effort type work. I will more than likely be working in Galveston doing hurricane relief. I am super excited about this!! I really miss working at summer camps, and I miss being out in the communities. I think it will help scratch the itch that I've had since I've been home from the Race. I miss so much the going and doing that comes with the WR.

Then...drum roll please...

Starting in August, I'm going back to school!!!! I know, I know this seems crazy! It came as a surprise to me too, after not being in school for four years, and saying I would never go back! Never say never, right? I am going to be starting classes to get my RN. I hope do be done within 3 years. I think being on the WR furthered my desire to go into nursing. Also, when I got home I was working at a doctor's office, and I LOVED it!! I am definitely excited about going back to school! My ultimate goal for having a nursing degree is to be able to go back to Africa (probably Swazi) to be able to help the people in a more practical way. I want to be able to go into the villages and provide medical attention for people that can't afford it. I am excited to see how God is going to use this time to train me to do the work He has called me to.

I know that these past several months of "sitting still" have been good. I have learned at lot, and God has been teaching me so much!! It has been very difficult none the less. And this will be what my next few blogs will be about...

Africa Video

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This is a video that a woman made about the AIDS epidemic in Nsoko, Africa. This will also give you more of a picture of me and my teams time we spent with Moses and his family!!

God bless you all!!

coming home...

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

this is it...

where did this year go? how did it happen so fast?

tomorrow i will be flying back into the states, and then two days after that i will be flying to texas to see my family for the first time in 11 months. back to the comforts of home. back to the people that i love very dearly, and have longed to see for so many months. i will be able to see my new neice that was born while i was in cambodia. i will be kissing the faces of both of my sister's beautiful children. i'm sure i will be flooded with tons of emotions all at once; some recognizable and some not. i will be eating all my favortie foods, and trying not to cling to the things that i've been away from all year-starbucks, target, t.v, shopping, my cell phone, my family...trying not to get sucked back into 'the fog'.

i don't know when it will happen, but i know it will. i know that one day-if not many-i will wake up in the morning, and realize that i am not waking up next to the same people i have all year long. i will not be spending every waking hour with my team that i love more than i can put into words. i will not be walking down the streets of some foreign land getting stares as i walk by, and hearing-"it's a white person"-in many different languages. i will now blend in with the rest of all the other white people. i will blend in. i don't want to blend in. i want people to know that i am different. i am set apart. i am Christ on earth. how will they know? i will blend in if i allow myself to. it will be a choice everyday when i wake up. how can i bring life to someone today? how can i be Jesus to them today? i am anticipating many times when i will long for the lifestyle of community living again. i will long to have my teammates (now family) by my side, lifting me up. i will long for someone that gets it the way i do. someone that can relate to the things that i have experienced this year. someone that isn't blinded by our american culture. Lord, bring me people that see past the blinders. i am fearful that eventually i will put them on again, and not be able to see past the darkness. i don't want everything that my eyes have been opened up to this year to fade away. i will long for a little girl to come up to me with her sweet, heartbreaking smile, and torn clothing, asking me for money. i will long to be walking down unfamiliar streets; with people all around me speaking foreign tounges. as my sister heather said last night-after about 3-4 weeks when it would be time for the squad to come together for debrief, i will be sadened to know that we won't be. i have become a part of an amazing family of 26 people. i know that each one of them will be in my life forever. there will be times when i need every single one of them. i love them with all my heart. i wouldn't trade this past year for anything in the world.

the world race was the hardest, and most challenging year of my life. there were many times when i just wanted to give up and go home. choose the easy way out-or what i thought would be the easy way out. stop trying so hard, and stop pressing in. now looking back, knowing if i would have given up and gone home, i would have been missing out on one of the most amazing years of my life so far. this is just the beginning of what God has planned for me. this isn't it. it has just begun. this has just been a fleeting second compared to this mystery that is called my life. i have no idea what the Lord has in store for my future. why would i want to know? that's part of the fun and mystery of God. it may seem as though i am about to be entering into the chaos of america, and everything that once was in my life. there may be things that are there, waiting to stare me in the face. waiting to pounce. but if i believe that God is who he says He is, then there is nothing to fear, but Him. i have been equipped with the full armor of God! i will put it on every morning when i wake up, and i will be prepared to fight against anything that is waiting to push me off the Solid Rock i stand on. my God is not a god of chaos or confusion, but a God of justice and peace. as i have heard many times this year, i just have to hover above the chaos.

so, i don't know exactly what will be waiting for me when i get home. but i am ready for it. i am not who i was when i left home 11 months ago. i have learned more about uncondtional love, patience, trust, community living, church-in the real sence of the word, the Holy Spirit, sacrifice, dying to myself, picking up my cross daily, serving, family, trials-how they make us stronger, friendship, discipline, integrity, GRACE, and so many other things than i ever have in my entire life. i feel undeserving of this life-changing experience. i am not worthy enough for God to use me in the ways He has, but He has chosen me. for that i am thankful. i know He will continue to use me to bring Kingdom down to earth!

the women in my life part 3: Happy Birthday Pammy!!!!!

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Pam Perry is my friend. She will be my friend for the rest of my life, and for that I am thankful.

We all have those people in our lives that we don't deserve except for the fact that God has given them to us as a gift. Pam is that gift for me. She is an extraordinary friend and sister, and she means the world to me. She is an incredible picture of what grace should look like in a person (I'm not just saying that either,Pammy). She really is one of the very few people in my life that 'does' grace well in every aspect. I have only known her for a little over a year, and what an incredible year it has been. What else could I ask for in the first year of a friendship than to travel the world together? We have been to a million different places and seen so many amazing things together that I never expected to experience with anyone in my life. One, out of many, awesome memories that I have with Pam from this year is going to the Great Wall of China! Being able to live out one of my biggest dreams of hiking The Great Wall, is one of the most amazing blessings God has given to me in my entire life. Not to mention the part when we ate lunch at the top on the wall, underneath some of the ruins, while it was snowing. Being able to experience something as breathtaking as this, and living in that moment with Pam, is more than I could ever have asked for. Absolutely beautiful. This year, on the race together, has been full of unexpected blessings like this. Now, that our time on the road together is coming to a close, I am looking forward to the years to come of even more adventures.

Who is Pammy to me?

she:

makes me laugh.

LOVES to dance.

is truthful and loyal.

has a favorite color, and it's green.

loves and appreciates music more than most people I know- for almost any song that comes on you can ask her what the name is and who sings it, and she'd be able to tell you.

has a heart of compassion for Christ's children.

is extraordinarily beautiful inside, and most definatly outside.

loves the beach.

loves the outdoors.

loves vanilla icecream, but her favorite milkshake is chocolate.

has an incredible appreciation for all of God's creation.

has a unique fascination for animals.

is a great woman of integrity.

is my sweet and loving sister, and I think she is one amazing chick!

Pammy, you are a gift. I love you so much!!! I hope that your birthday is amazing, and this next year is full of blessings! You are an amazing woman of God, and you have been an incredible example to me. I look up to you very much, and I am more than thankful to have you in my life. Thank you for everything you do for me, and the countless times you have been there when I have needed you the most. You are such an encouragement to me in so many ways. You're amazingly beautiful, in every aspect of the word. You make me smile, and my heart happy.

iloveyouthewholeworldroundandbackagaintimesinfinity!!

-Your Loving Sister-

Megan

one more week...

Mon, 7 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

WOW! i can't believe that we have one more week of minisrty before we head off to debrief!! it almost doesn't seem like reality. it has been such an incredible 11 months! God has shown up in so many different ways, and in so many different places. i have expeienced God in areas i have never known were possible.

as i am beginning to get anxious about the end of the race, and everything that is to come as i enter back into the states, i'm trying to not loose sight of what is still happening here. my team, plus beloved one, have been living in Jinotepe, Nicaragua for the past couple of weeks. We are staying at a hotel that a missionary couple runs. they use it mainly to host teams that come through here. they work with a ministry called La Quinta in a town called Duriamba(not sure about the spelling). we have been going there throughout the course of the week helping them with some projects. the main things we have been doing is painting, and the guys helped put in a cement pathway around the church to help block the water from the rain, so it doesn't ruin the foundation.

the church

seth and aaron also play soccer with the guys at la quinta.

also, we have helped with the womens bible study, the youth services, and sunday morning church.

D.R.I.M.Eing

Molly speaking at youth

this week we are focusing more on the carnival we are putting together for saturday and sunday. we are splitting into groups, and going out into the barrios (neighborhoods) to pass out flyers. also there are groups going out today and thursday to one of the biggest, if not the biggest, dump in Nicaragua to love on the 300 people that live there.

it's not over yet! God still has tons of things planned for this next week. i am so exctied to be a part of it!!

how to do the 4th right in Nica..

Sat, 5 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This is how world racers celebrate the 4th of July in Nica:

#1 go to a shady neighborhood to find homemade fireworks. make sure there is a sign out front that says "danger! no smoking"

#2 make sure you buy the most shady looking ones with a long wooden stick comming out of the bottom of it.

#3 find a good place to shoot them off. like a roof of a hotel, in the middle of a busy town, with houses and buldings all around you.

#4 make sure the person lighting the fireworks has little to no experiance with forgien bombas (spanish for "fireworks") also you have to have a pretty unreliable lighter to light them.

#5 also, make sure you have a really ridiculus outfit on to celebrate this holiday. Seth definatly had this covered...

#6 after you have made sure you have steps 1-5 in order, it's time to put it to the test!

The All American Girls

having never shot off these kind of fireworks before the first one didn't work out as well as we had hoped. instead of flying up into the sky, it pretty much went horizaontaly into some trees above a building across the street. not a good start. the next several attempts went well though. the only other shady thing is the stick that the firework was attatched to flies through the air-still having an ember burning on the tip of it-and there is no way to tell where it's going to land. apparently these are the kind of fireworks people shoot off all the time, so i guess that's just the way it is. always be aware of things falling from the sky...

then there was Traday's attempt at shooting off the firework. let's just say that we're all happy to be alive and well. it was a good try Traday, and i'm proud of you being the only girl that would try it.

i would have to say that this is one of the more interesting 4th of July's i have ever had. i most definatly won't forget it. plus, i spent it with some pretty awesome people!

The fireworks!!!

They are READY!!!!

Let the games begin!!

A Successful Attempt...whew!

Traday's Attempt...not so good.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!!

Seeing Through the Eye(glasse)s of Christ

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Something that I have wanted to do for a long time was to be involved in medical missions, but I didn't think I would ever get the chance because I don't have a medical degree-and don't plan on getting one anytime soon. When I heard about a medical team coming from Florida to Nicaragua at the same time we would be there I jumped at the opportunity. They said they would need help even from people that didn't work in the medical profession. So off I went with team seveneleven to Granada, Nicaragua.

Me plus team Seven:Eleven

Before each day the whole team; us, the medical team, and the staff from the church, would pray and invite God's presence into the clinic, and ask for His guiding hand over the day. We worked as a unit. Even though we were placed in different areas, we were all there for one main purpose, and we were all one body in Christ. Each person worked in their unique way, and each position was there to help the other. One part of the body can not say to another part, 'I don't need you', because we all need each other to function correctly.

The way the clinic was set up was one half was the medical side, and the other half was the optical side. On the medical side they had blood pressure and blood tests for blood sugar and anemia. After the patients got tested they would go see the doctor for an exam. After they saw the doctor they would go to the pharmacy to get basic medications and vitamins. On the other side of the clinic the patients would get their eyes tested to see if they needed reading glasses. This is the area I helped out with.

Taking Blood Pressure

Blood Testing

Doctor Andy

The Pharmacy

I have prayed all year that the Lord would allow me to see miracles in the lives of His children around the world. God truly performed miracles in the lives of these people at the clinic. Most of the patients that came through the eye clinic were from ages about 40 and up. Some were younger, but most of them were in this age range. Before they came to the clinic they had gone through a large part of thier lives not being able to see clearly close up and far away. Person after person would come and sit down in front of a piece of paper with lines of different sized numbers printed on it. Through translation, we would ask them to read the lines of numbers out loud to us. Most of them not able to even see the larger numbers on the page. They would look defeated and embarassed, because of their lack of ability to see. As we handed them a trial pair of reading glasses, and asked them to read the lines with the glasses on it was as if their whole world changed! They could see!! A huge smile would form across their face, and some would praise the Lord for their new sight! Who would have thought that one pair of reading glasses could turn someone's world upside down? Praise Jesus!! Then after they were tested for the correct prescription they would come over to me so they could pick out a pair of glasses that they liked. This is what I got to witness over and over, and be a part of, for a whole week! It was amazing seeing person after person dicovering the gift and miracle of sight given to them from God. There is nothing more powerful than seeing God's love and healing hand placed over His children. These people were truly experiencing God.

The medical clinic got TONS of reading glasses donated from several different places before they came.

Testing people's vision

Picking out glasses

After they went through the clinic, before they left, there was a prayer team by the exit door. Each person that came through got prayed for. This was the most important and impactful part of the whole clinic. Several people each day came to know Jesus as their Savior! The prayer team consisted of many amazing teenagers from the youth group, and a few of our team members. Hearing the youth pray for these people was so amazing and powerful. The Holy Spirit was most definitely present throughout the whole week.

The AWESOME Youth Group/Prayer Team!

Kuna Yala...and the livin's easy

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A couple of cultural facts about the Kuna people group:

1. They are the second largest indigenous people group in the world (they are only in Panama City and the islands of Kuna Yala).

2. They are the second smallest people, physically, next to dwarfs, in the world.

My expereince with the Kuna people was one of the best cultural experiences I have ever had. Spending ten days submerged in a completly different culture proved to be more challenging than I had anticipated, and it also showed me the greatest picture of real community living I have seen all year.

This is the pastor and his family.

The island we were on had about 900 people living on it. To walk from on end to the other took probably five minutes at the most. Houses crammed next to one another with narrow walkways inbetween. No electricity, except for the light in the church is run by a generator-also they have solar powered lighing. Most, if not all of the homes, have hammocks that they sleep in. Tons of children everywhere you turn. One little store where they buy their main food staples for cooking and such. All day long the women would sit outside their houses making thier handy-crafts. They mostly make quilting squares, and beaded jewelry. They have about two months of tourist season when groups come through for tours, so in the meantime they make their crafts to sell when all the forigners come to visit. The men go out fishing durring the day to catch fish and other sea creatures for the meals for thier families. It was incredible to see the men come up to the shore with boats full of the largest and most beautiful crabs, lobsters and conch I have ever seen in my life!! Meanwhile all the children are in school from 8am to around 12pm. So this is the life on Kuna Yala. Very, very simple. Very laid back, and tranquil. Oddly enough this was the difficult part for me. It made me realize how busy my life has to be as an American. I feel like if I'm not up doing something or going somewhere then I am wasting the day away. But these people live and thrive off just being with eachother, and working on their handycrafts or fishing. This is how they live. Simple. This is how they prefer to live. By our American/Western standard we would say they are poor financialy. For them, they just see it as what they have always known, and I didn't sence that they desired anything more. The islanders are one big family, and all they need and want are eachother. Some of them are Christians, and some aren't. They all love and accept one another for who they are.

This is the "bathroom" over the ocean.

The village

This is where we slept.

Making quilting squares.

Bead Work that the women do.

The children on the island are probably the most joyful children I have been with all year. They have the most amazng sence of adventure and wild imaginations. It was so sweet, because I would just be sitting outside and a within minutes I would have a swarm of children around me-poking and prodding, smiling up at me and asking me questions I couldn't understand...I think most of them were about my tattoos and piercings. It didn't take very long for them to warm up to us, and soon enough they were always in the church where we were living and always wanting us to come out and play with them. They would stay with us all day until we made them leave at night so we could have our rest. It was also amazing to see how non-western they were. It's possibly the first place I've been to this year where the people still hold to their traditional ways and haven't allowed the western life style influence the way they function as a village and culture. They do what they have always known to do, and it works for them. For me, Kuna Yala was one of the hardest places to leave all year, because of the love I felt from the people.

Me trying to go to sleep, but the kids wouldn't leave :)

Playing games on the basketball court.

The kids playing around the bathroom water...yuck!

We took some of the kids to a nice beach one day.

Sweet little Nathan :)

Whenever we needed to go anywhere we had to take a boat.

This is the water we drank...we prayed against parasites with every drink.

they will get their innocence back:

Thu, 22 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

the world of media in your face all day long. if you don't fit their mold of what you should be and look like then you're not worth paying attention to. so why bother evening trying to amount to anything? you have no self-worth. so you turn to things that make you feel better about yourself, and try to drown out the noiseof life. drugs, sex, alcohol, abuse, neglect, abortion, eating disorders, suicide, cutting/self-mutilation, self-condemnation,depression...you allow your soul to get cut deeper and deeper in search for freedom and significance, but all you're left with is emptiness and hopelessness. nothing will fill the void in this thing called life. satan is trying to steal this generation's innocence...and he loves it, because he thinks he's winning.

six young girls sitting before me. i'm looking into their eyes, and i see freedom. this freedom has not always been there. thier eyes were once left empty and hopeless. they were lost in the darkness. they didn't know where to turn. so they turned to the quick, nonsatisfying fixes that the world hands them on a silver plater. their quest for life becomes almost nonexistant. where is this hope, freedom, release, peace, and significance found? before they knew it life threw them into a whirlwind, and they found themselves living at a boarding school for troubled teens. as much as they don't want to be there, and hate it, they have no idea that it would end up being the thing that saves thier life, and changes them forever. they come from families that were at the end of their rope, and with no other choice but to send them to this nine month, rehabilitation and restoration program. as i talked to these precious girls they told me about the lives they came from. my heart aching more and more with every word. my spirit screaming, "God rescue them! save them from this hell they come from" his strong wisper comes back to me and says, "I already have". as we continue to speak to one another, His promise becomes more and more real to me. these girls have gone to hell and back, only with the help and grace of Christ. these girls now have hope, because they trust in the Lord. they know that even though life has handed them crap, God is making it into gold. during worship one night i was looking at all six of them and praying for them. praying that God would reveal himself in a way that they have never experienced before, and know it's him. as i prayed this, God told me, "these girls are the voices of their generation. they are the voices of truth, freedom, and hope. they are the living example of what this generation will become". his peace flooded me instantly. i could see and feel the hope and calling in them and through them. these six girls are going to be tall pillars of strength and redemption in thier schools, homes, work. every where they go people will see the light in them that comes from Christ. as much as my heart aches for the things they have had to go through, and are still going through, God keeps tellng me, "megan i have them in my hands. i am taking care of them. i am their protection. i am their father. i love them. trust me. they are my daughters".

after worship i went into their room, and talked with them about the incredible calling God has over their lives. i got to speak life into them, and pray covering over their lives. it was hugely encouraging, and more of a blessing to me than i can express. i pray it was the same for them.

they are taking their innocence back that satan tried to steal from them. they are made whole again through the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ. they have purpose and calling over their lives, and i can't wait to see the fruit that will come from it.

my most amazing bday ever!!!!!!!!

Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

And this is how my 23rd birthday started! I woke up at 6am to Sarah B. shaking me saying, "Hey! It's May 13th, and it's your birthday!" Then at 6:15am I woke up again to Molly and Jeanette throwing 11 1/2 orange balloons all over my bed while singing "happy birthday" in a whisper, because everyone else was still sleeping. Then needing to get up to use the bathroom, I walked out into the hallway to see a bright "Happy Birthday" sign hanging on the wall-thank you Pammy!! After I got ready for the big day I walked over to the YWAM base, and Seth made me some amazing organic Costa Rican coffee. Colleen gave me a spanish strawberry short cake card with a birthday message for a free pedicure (something that is long overdue for me).

Then I did what any birthday girl would do...

JUMPED OFF A 260 FOOT BRIDGE!!!!!!!

I was nominated to go first, because I was the birthday girl. Suprisingly, I wasn't that scared. I figured that if I spent the whole time being scared then I would miss out on the exhiliration of it all. After I got the velcro wrapped around my ankles, I stepped up to the platform. Aaron (the bungee worker) says, "ok I'm going to count down from 5. I will be ready for you to jump as soon as I say five, but you have to jump by 1-no hesitation." There I was, standing on the edge of a metal platform listening to a guy behind me count down from 5. I waited until he said 1 just to make sure he was ready. Then, without any hesitation I jumped. I jumped into the unknown, not even "am I sure I saw him strap that velcro tight around my ankles?" Free falling into the wide open is the most freedom I have ever felt. It's the closest to flying I have ever experienced, and I loved every second of it. It was just me and God, out there in the open. As I was screaming my guts out, I felt His closeness wrap around me. After I stoped bouncing in the air, I felt stillness. Hanging by my ankles, all I could think was, "I hope I don't black out", as all the blood had rushed to my head. As they started to pull me back up, that's all I was consentrating on, "don't black out, don't black out." I was seeing stars floating around me. Then sucess-I made it back to the top of the platform. Holding on for dear life, not wanting to experience the rush again, with my body shaking, and wearing a huge smile on my face, the only words I could get out were, "That was freaking awesome!!!" Then it was Mark's turn.

23rd BDAY Jump!!! from Megan Dunegan on Vimeo.

After I got back, my amazing team had a night-o-fun planned out for me. They gave me clue cards for every place we went. I got to have mexican food, pizza, and AMAZING red velvet cake. After cake they told me they had one more suprise for me. They sat me down infront of a computer. As I watched my birthday video from all my teammates who were unable to be here because they had gone to Panama, my heart was flooded with joy and love. That night I fell asleep in my balloon-filled bed.

Birthday Wishes from Megan Dunegan on Vimeo.

Honestly, this was the best birthday I have ever had in my entire life.

I LOVE MY WORLD RACE FAMILIA!!!!!!

funny story...Satan HATES cameras!!!

Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

There I was, laying on the beach with Pammy and Traci. We noticed that the tide was comming pretty far up, but we thought we would move back when it started to get a little closer. Traci said, "ok, when I say 'get ready' be prepared to grab your stuff and run." Not even five minutes later she starts yelling "RUN, RUN! HERE IT COMES!!!" We all jump up, laughing our butts off, and grab the towels we were laying on and everything on them as the tide came in very quickly, but to our demise we realized, too late, that our bags with our cameras, money and everything else in them were attatched to our bikes-they were COMPLETLY soaked!!! With salt water none the less. So needless to say, mine and Pam's camera's are now ruined. But it sure was funny!!

God doesn't live in a box, silly!

Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Freedom in Christ.

What does this mean?

God doesn't live in a box, right?

Minisrty, Missions, Chrstianity, Grace, Love, Unconditional love, The World Race, Trust, Worship...

All these words we put into this box that we think God lives in. Oh, but boy are we wrong. What does ministry really look like? What does freedom in Christ really mean?

A repeating pattern on the race that I have seen is that God does not work by our agendas or plans. In our little American-christian minds we chalk 'ministry' up to be these programs: build a house, plant a tree, paint a fence, go to orphanages, pick up trash on the side of the road, teach english to forigen students, perform two hour programs with a drime, a message and maybe a worship song or two, show the Jesus film...and when you're doing these things you feel good about yourself, accomplished, and good-natured. I believe God is in these things, and they are minisrty. But it seems to me that when we're not out 'doing' these christianese, religious programs-we're not really doing ministry. And we feel guilty because this is the way we've been taught in church.

Can't minisrty also be hanging out with non-belivers, going to a concert, surfing at the beach in Costa Rica, sitting at Starbucks drinking your soy, white mocha with no whip cream and some caramel syrup, hanging out at the beach, going to the mall, working at a resturaunt, or sitting behind a cubical? Can't it be walking in down town Manhattan or sitting in Dean and Deluca's reading a book? Talking to your taxi driver on the way to the movies or an art museum? Getting a tattoo and sharing the love of Christ to the tattoo artist? Going on a road trip with a few close friends? Talking to your waitress at Chili's?

Christ doesn't ask us to do two hour programs, teach English, paint houses, or plant a tree. He asks us to take care of the widows and orphans, and to bring Kingdom down to Earth.

How do I do this? How can I make this my life style?

When I go home after this year there aren't going to be setup programs for me to do everyday. There aren't going to be people around me telling me that I have to go do this or that. I am going to have complete freedom-the kind of freedom that Christ came to give. Just because I'm not out painting a house or picking up trash doesn't mean that I'm not doing ministry. I am being ministry everywhere I go and to everyone I see. I am being ministry by the way I talk, and the 'not casting stones' attitude-not judging people, because I have just as many planks in my eye as the next person. Loving people as Christ loves them-unconditionaly. Making myself avaliable for anyone in need. Being aware of other people's stuggles and faults, and loving them in spite of it. I want to be able to seap Jesus out of my pores so much that anyone, at anytime and anywhere knows what I'm all about-Jesus Christ. This to me is being Christ to all people at all times: the tattoo artist, the homeless man, the hopeless pregnant teenage girl, the druggie, the alcoholic, the mother with four children going through a divorce, the husband whose wife just passed away, the child with his hands out asking for money and food to bring back to his family, the girl at the beach, the waitress, the bartender, the single mom, the list goes on and on.

Being Christ instead of doing christianity.

This is how I choose to live.

my morning journal entry

Fri, 2 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Lord-

how do i love when it's difficult?

how do i love when i have no more patience?

how do i love when all i want is someone to show love to me?

how do i love when i feel rejected?

how do i love when i feel betrayed?

how do i love when i don't feel like it?

how do i love when i'm having a bad day?

how do i love when i'm feeling alone?

how do i love when i feel satan attacking me?

how do i love when i'm irritated?

how do i love like You love?

EPHESIANS 4

"...Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowences for each others faults because of your love. Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace..." "...Instead we hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does it's own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love..." ..."So put away all falsehood and "tell your neighbor the truth" because we belong to eachother. And "don't sin by letting your anger gain control over you". Don't let the sun go down while you're still angry, for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil..." ..."Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior. Instead be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you."

when was the last time you did something for the first time?

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Just a few days ago

During the time we got to Costa Rica and before we left to go to our ministry locations, some of us decided to check out the beach. We took a bus about four hours away from San Jose to the coast to a beach called Quepos. It was very beautiful, and the weather was perfect! I went with eight other wonderful people from my squad. It was the most fun I've had in a long time, and if you know me that's saying a lot for just going to the beach. Beaches aren't my favorite places; actually I really don't like them at all. But this time, for some reason, it was different.

Maybe it's because I went SURFING for the first time!!! It was so incredible! First of all, I never thought in my entire life I would be going surfing. Second, I never thought I would actually enjoy it. Getting into the ocean is a big step for me in general, let alone getting that far in with waves and such. Surfing is harder than it looks. It's very exhausting, and it is hard to get the balance of staying on your board when you're waiting for a wave to come. But once I got that down I was doing pretty well. I caught a few waves riding on my knees, and half way stood up a few times before the wave came crashing over me. Tossing and turning under the water I had to tell myself-"Ok, don't freak outyou'll see the top of the water in a few seconds. Then up I would come gasping for air, laughing, and yelling-"THAT WAS AWESOME!!"-then ready to go back out and try it again. Now I know why surfing is such a popular pastime. The adrenaline rush is enough in itself. Plus it's a pretty intense workout. Besides the bruises on my hipbones and chest I didn't get injured-unlike Danny that got hit in the head with his board.

Surfing is one of my new favorite things to do. Maybe one day I'll live on the beach somewhere.

The Women in my Life: Part 2

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Shelly:

You know those people in your life that you know will be there forever no matter what? The kind of people that no matter how long it's been since you've seen them or talked to them you seem to just pick back up where you left off. Shelly is this person for me. She is my friend and my sister. She has been in my life for about eleven years now. She was there when I asked Christ into my life at the age of twelve. She has been my spiritual mentor and an example of Christ throughout our whole friendship. She is the kind of friend that I know I can tell anything to, at any time and she will never cast judgment or think differently of me. She is a very rare kind of friend to have.

Shelly, you have been more of a friend than I could ever ask for. You are a blessing to me. I cherish our friendship very much. You have been there for me when no one else was. You've welcomed me into your family with abundant love and grace. You have pushed me along, and encouraged me in my spiritual walk throughout the past several years. Words can't describe the amazing example of a woman of God you are to me. You are a woman full of integrity, love, wisdom, gentleness, patience, kindness, trust, beauty, and grace. Your faith in God is one to admire. There have been countless times when I have seen you walk completely in faith, with no looking back. You are an amazing mother. It makes my heart sink when I see you with Timothy. Your sense of adventure and travel is awesome. It makes me want to travel more, and the way you encourage me to speaks volumes. You (and Brian) are huge influences of my decision to come on the Race. Your support and encouragement this year has been over flowing, and has kept me going when I thought I couldn't go anymore. I am undeserving of a friend like you, but I am very thankful that the Lord has put you in my life.

I love you more than you know Shelly. I could never put it into enough words.

the heart of my teammate

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This is something that was put on one of my teammates hearts. I just wanted to share it with you :)

A couple of weeks ago I was fasting and the Lord clearly asked me to pray and fast again.

"Pray and fast for the men of all ages and generations"

Within those few brief moments God revealed to me a real burden, concern, respect and love for my brothers in Christ.

The whole vision then began to unfoldA call for all women of all ages and from all generations to rally together for a day of fasting, repentance and interceding for the boys and men in our lives, in others' lives, and in the world. Men are created to be Godly strongholds, pillars and towers for their families and for future generations around the world. Some men today walk boldly in this call on their lives. Others need to learn how to do this; they are capable - they just need encouragement and empowerment.

The Lord showed me that for far too long, men have received attacks - on their character, on their intentions, on their actions or lack thereof. Then the Lord shared with me how we as women can positively influence this to make change. We are to enter into their world with encouraging, uplifting and interceding words and actions.

Beyond prayer, I was asked to repent (ask forgiveness) on behalf of how I and generations of women have thought about, disrespected and treated men in our lives. Any thought, frustration, attitude and word that wasn't uplifting or edifying to them I was to ask forgiveness for. As the first step I asked forgiveness from the men of the September 07 and January 08 squad. This time brought encouraging verbal affirmation on the impact that this call of obedience is going to bring.

Along with interceding and repentance, fasting was the last part of the process. I believe that fasting brings the cry of one's heart to a closer intimacy and urgency to the Lord. It can be a fast of food, things, events, etc.

The day that was chosen is Wednesday, April 30^ththe last day in April.

Join me for a day of impact: impacting men's' lives, our lives and therefore the world!!!

The vision that the Lord showed me was that this needs to spread like wild fire. The more women that are prayingthe greater the intercedingthe greater the changethe greater the impact. Please join us on this day. Send this message to women all over the worldeven send them this blog.

I believe that God is calling thousands of women to participate on this day!

A few things that are laid on my heart for us to intercede for our brothers about:

-Godly men to come along side each other - covenant brothers that will love, challenge, and uplift and hold each other accountable.

-Direction in the calling the Lord has put on their lives and to rise out of a life of discouragement and confusion.

-For a life that rejects passivity and abounds in courage, strength and power.

-That they would be men who pursue the woman God has chosen for each of them (if called to marriage) and that they would then lay down their life as Christ laid down His.

-Vision, obedience, encouragement and power to step into spiritual leadership of their family.

As this day comes nearer my prayer is that God will reveal to each woman what this day looks likefor things to pray for, repent for and fast of.

The call of obedience for this day is so strong. I can't wait to see the change that this is going to make! Thank you for joining me in uplifting the men that are currently impacting and will continue to impact our lives.

a day in spain...

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

After a 10 hour flight from Joburg to Zurich, and off to Spain, we landed in Madrid at about 9am.

This is where the fun began.

A day and a half in Spain...what's a girl to do?

The first thing we did was eat amazing food! AMAZING cheese, bread and beverages!

Then we ventured off into the city. We walked along the beautiful narrow streets. Surrounded by old buildings, flowers, green grass, the sound of spanish ringing in my ears. Everything about it was beautiful! I couldn't believe I was there. The whole time I felt as if I was in a movie.

We got to go to a Picasso exhibit. It was strangely beautiful-or beautifully strange-depending on how you look at it. The experience was unlike any I've ever had. It was a surreal moment in my life. 4 stories of nothing but Picasso work. amazing.

Later that day me, Pam and Krystle walked to a beautiful palace. On our way we went into several little shops along the road, and took in every smell and sound. The palace was amazing...just like everything else.

After the palace we walked some more, and took more pictures. Then ate some more amazing food. And saw a beautiful sunset.

And of course we had to get lost in Spain. We started walking back to our hostle around 9pm, and what should have been a 20 minute walk, we made it back around 11pm. But it's a great way to see more of the city.

After a good night sleep in Madrid I woke up and went on a walk to a beautiful park. Krystle and I walked around and found it to be breathtaking. Once again we ate amazing food-then off to the airport to head to Costa Rica.

I was only there for a day and a half, and I loved every second of it. This is on the top of my list for the best things I have ever done-right up there with the Great Wall of China.

I have 209 pictures from Madrid. If you want to see all of them you can visit my snapfish site.

IPOD at ransom

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

As I mentioned in my previous blog, my team and I were in Mozambique for the past 10 days. We were helping a guy named Don at an Iris center that he runs. There are about 10 guys that live at the center. Recently, there was a guy that got kicked out of the center because he was stealing from Don. He was sent to jail, and then Don bailed him out and told him that he would continue to help him, but he could not live on the base anymore.

On Sunday we were all at church-about a 5 minute walk from the house. In the middle of the service one of the guys came in to tell Don that someone broke into his house. It was the guy that just got kicked out. He was only in the house for a matter of seconds because he realized that someone had seen him go in. The only things he managed to take were mine and Seth's IPODs-as they were sitting close to the window he broke into. As soon as we realized what was going on some of the guys jumped in the van to go find him. The whole day we tried to find him. No luck.

The next day we were all on our way to a different Iris base about 30 minutes away. Don received a phone call from the guy that stole the IPODs. He admitted to stealing them, and he said he would give them back if we gave him 500 meticai (about $20). At this point I had to really think about this. I didn't want this guy to think it was ok for him to just take our things, and then get rewarded for it with our money. I didn't want him to think we were okaying the way he feels he has to get money. He says he did it because he needed money for food, and a bus ticket to go see his mother. I wanted him to know that he doesn't have to steal to get what he needs to survive. Also I wanted to do whatever I had to, to show him Christ's love and character. So we prayed about it and discussed it as a team and with Don. How could we show Christ's love and conviction at the same time? Then God told me-"Give him the money, and get your IPOD back. I AM the judge of all people, and I will convict his heart and transform his life. You show grace and love to him, and forgive him for taking your things. You are not rewarding him by giving him money-you are showing him MY grace". Then God reminded me of the story about the prostitute woman that was going to be stoned for her sins, in John 8:1-11. Jesus came and told them, "you who have no sin shall cast the first stone". And they all left without stoning her. Interestingly enough, this happened to be the very story that Jesse shared at Som do Ceu that same night. Som do Ceu is a youth event that takes place weekly in Maputo, Mozambique.

This really showed me that it is not my place to judge people and condemn people for their sins. I have just as much sin as this guy that stole-it just looks different with our human eyes, but sin is sin to God. God is the ultimate ruler and judge. We will all have to answer to Him face to face one day. I believe us giving him the money showed God's grace and love for him.

After we had gotten our stuff back he called Don again. He said to tell the missionaries I am sorry. We forgave him, and told him that God loves him. I believe there will be fruit from this.

Glory be to GOD.

The Women In My Life: Part 1

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

My Mom:

When God first laid it on my heart to write this blog I was overwhelmed with the idea, because there is so much to say about my mom and I am finding it difficult to articulate exactly what I'm thinking. It's hard to put into words how much this one woman has completely shaped my life throughout the past 23 years. We all have mothers-some great and some not so great. God has blessed me with an exceptionally great mother. They say you can't choose your parents, and I'm glad for that because I'm not sure I would have done such a great job as the ones chosen for me. It's funny how much more I am realizing this now that I have been away from my mom these past eight months. Sometimes you have to be separated from someone to really know how much you appreciate them.

I have to narrow this down or else you would be here for days reading this blog, because believe me there is tons more that I could say about my mom

You don't have to be around my mom for long before you recognize her huge selflessness attitude. I don't think there was even one time I can remember that she didn't do something for me that I really needed. She will drop everything she is doing if you ask for anything. My mom gets the idea of dying to yourself daily-this is the life she lives. She has seven children, and seven grandchildren that she is constantly thinking about and taking care of. She would do anything for any of us at any time, and she has proved this time and time again. I know that one thing I have realized since being away from her is how much I depend on her for even the small things. Anytime I need to know something like a recipe or some random bit of information, I call my mom. Anytime I am sick, I call my mom. Anytime I need someone to console me, I call my mom. Anytime I just need to talk to someone that I know loves me no matter what, I call my mom. She is an incredible servant, and she does it always with a joyful heart. Daily she gives and gives of herself. She is always there when I need her, and often times when I think I don't need her she's still there and I'm always thankful.

My mom has a huge heart for people unlike anyone I have ever known. Not only does she think about her family she thinks about others as well. I'm sure she has been this way her whole life, but I have been recognizing it more and more these past few years. I'm sure it's because my eyes are more open to seeing others hearts rather than focusing on myself so much. There are many stories of which my mom has given of herself for complete strangers. She is always aware of other people's needs, and if she is capable she helps them. I will never forget the time when I was in high school and she opened up our house for my friend that had a terrible family life and needed somewhere to stay for a while. She hates seeing people that are struggling and in need. When we were younger for Christmas we would all get one "big gift", one that was nicer and cost a little more than the other gifts under the tree. Now that we are older instead of spending that money on a "big gift" she chooses one charity or cause to give the money to. This has really spoken volumes to me, and it squeezes my heart every year.

One more thing, and maybe the most amazing thing to me, is how much she has cares for and supports our family. When I was young my mom had at least three jobs at one time to support us. We didn't have much money, but I would have never known it if someone didn't tell me. She was such an amazing mommy, and she always made things fun for us even if we couldn't go to the movies all the time or go out to eat every weekend. I think some of the best memories I have growing up where Friday nights. My two older siblings would be out somewhere, and my sister and I would be at home with my mom. She would pull out the sofa bed, make popcorn, and we would watch the movie Home Alone, and have a slumber party in the living room. We did this every single Friday night for many years (I could act out the whole entire movie for you if you asked me to). On the weekends she would take us to the lake to feed the ducks and fish, and play at the park. Even though we didn't have much money, she made our childhood fun. She read books to us every night, and we always had food on the table. Now that we are all older, she still does everything she can to make our lives fun and full of memories. Until I came on the Race, my mom and I would so shopping and have lunch together almost every Friday. I looked forward to it every week. Even if we didn't buy anything, it was still so much fun. We have a few family traditions, and this became one of them.

My mom is the strongest, most amazing woman that I know. She is drop dead gorgeous, smart, kind, patient, selfless, brilliant, artistic, and many many other things.

Mommy, you bless me more than you know. I am thankful for you every single day. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about you, and thank God for you. I know I wouldn't be where I am now or be the person that I am now with out you. Thank you for always supporting me. Thank you for taking care of us in such an amazing and graceful way. You are a pillar of strength, and I look up to you more than you know. I can't tell you enough how much I love you. I pray so much that I can be at least half the mother that you are to me one day. I can't wait to see you J

Mozambique

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

My team and I just returned from our venture across the border to Mozambique. It was quite exciting to say the least. There is a guy named Don from the States there, and he heads up an Iris base in Masaka. At his base he helps young men get reentered into the "real world" after being brought up in various orphanages. He teaches them life skills, and helps them in their decisions for their carriers. There is a guy there that is going to school for engineering, and Don is helping him through school. There is another guy there that has a dream to one day go to India for missions, and another that wants to be a child lawyer. Currently there are 10 guys that stay on the base, and 3 of them live in Boane; which is about 15 minutes away from the base, because it's closer to school for them. All of the guys are in thier 20's, and most of them are still on high school level-some in lower levels.

My team and I got the opportunity to spend about 10 days on the base with them. Since Don is tackling the task of living with these guys 24/7-we came in to help him around the base with construction stuff, and helping him around his house. We painted, cleaned, and organized. Also, I have never baked as much on the trip as I did these past 10 days. It was so amazing. Another part of his ministry is going out to different villages in the area and showing the Jesus Film. We were able to go with him a few nights to help him with that.

These guys are some of the coolest guys I've been around. They are so respectful, and funny, and caring. They all have huge hearts, and are greatful for the things that Don has been doing for them. There is a lot more work that needs to be done around the base, and with the guys. We need to be in prayer for Don and the base. There are a lot of finanacial needs that need to be met in order to get more construction done-there are a lot of things that Don has to pay 'out of pocket'. We also need to be praying for more teams to go out and help him. It was a blessing for us to be able to go out there and help him out this past week and a half.

team Ignite just got a little more awesome...

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

When we came to Africa there was a guy from Texas named Mike, and with him he had a girl named Tracey (we call her Traday so we don't confuse the other Traci). Her original plans were to stay in Africa with Gary Black and his family until June, and do mission work with them. Now that the Blacks have to go back home to the states sooner than they anticipated, Treday didn't know what that meant for her. She spent all month with us in Nsoko, and pretty much fit in with our team instantly. After prayer and talking with Gary and people back at AIM it has been decided that she will join our team for the rest of the race!!

Team Ignite is now a team of eight God fearing men and women. We are more than blessed to have her as a part of our team for these next few months. The elders in her church back home have blessed her by raising the remainder of her support for the race...PRAISE GOD!

(PLEASE REREAD) God save this dying world

Tue, 4 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This morning at 5:15am we get the phone call any person would dread. Molly answers the phone, and on the voice on the other end says-"I'm sorry, but baby Moses has passed away." They said he just suddenly stopped breathing, and that was it. There were two girls from another AIM team there with him. Immediately after the phone call we wake up the rest of our teammates to tell them the news,and to pray about what must happen next. Tons of questions rushing through my mind. Why has this happened? What do we do now? What about his mother and siblings? Why this baby? Why us? After all the praying, prophesying and speaking life into him, why did he have to die?

My team and I went to the hospital where Moses was, and we got to see him. I looked at him as if I stared at him long enough he would begin breathing again. I thought, maybe if I stay here with him something will change. I stood there looking at him through tears in my eyes. "This doesn't seem real" I said to my self. A few moments later I wiped the tears off my face, gave him a kiss and covered him back up. My heart sunk as I walked away from the table he was laying on knowing that I would never see his sweet little face again. Seeing his funny facial expressions and feel the softness of his skin. Never again would he lie on my chest and sleep so peacefully. I will never hear his funny little cry, or whimpering cough. I miss him all the time. But I have peace in knowing I will see him in heaven one day, and he will run up to me with his sweet smile and an amazing hug. He will be able to tell me how thankful he was for all of us taking care of him in his last two weeks on earth.

We are going to pick up the death certificate, and then take him to his mother's home in Nsoko where the funeral will take place at 6am the next morning. Traci and Aaron went out there this morning to tell his family the news. Please keep them in your prayers. The mothers health is deteriorating, and there will soon be four children with no home and no family.

After thinking about all these things this morning, I was reminded that the world is full of death and destruction. It is a world that God is wanting to save and have grace on. It's like in Jeremiah 18:7-12, Jeremiah was sent to Judah and Jerusalem to warn them of what the Lord said. He said that if they don't turn from their evil ways God is planning disaster against them instead of good, but if they turn from their evil ways and do what is right then the Lord will bless them. This is the point that the world is at-the Lord is asking us to turn from our evil ways so we can be blessed by Him. God is a god of grace, redemption and unconditional love for His children and all nations. We are all the same-Africa, America, Europe, Asia-where ever you are, God is the Father of this world. He has the same grace and redemption for us all. We are all dying nations. We all have the choice everyday to choose life over death through Jesus Christ.

Moses is just one baby out of millions that have died out of innocence. God will always have grace over Africa and His people. There are hundreds of children in Africa that have the calling on their lives to lead their nation into greatness. I believe that Moses was one of these children. And he still is. Now through his story he will take part in raising up great leaders and rulers in this land. His story has already reached so many people across the world-now it will be spread throughout the Kingdom of Africa.

This may not have been what God intended for Moses, but everything-good and bad-works together for good for those who follow Christ. I am praising God for the divine time God has placed us here in Nsoko, Africa to be blessed by this amazing child. He has brought peace among many, and joy like no other into our lives.

Moses' sister

Thier home

Thank you again for all your support and prayer. I will update you on how the family is doing, and if anything happens with the other children.

Baby Update!

Mon, 3 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The baby-Moses we are calling him now-is doing better every day! We have had him for about 2 weeks now, and he has gained about one pound since he's been with us. His mother has signed over indefinate custody of him to us. We took him from Nsoko to Manzini yesterday so he could go to a nutritionist. The mother has been diagnosed with TB. Moses is too small to be checked, but the doctors said he's more likely to have pnumonia. He has been admitted into the hospital for observation. We are taking shift staying with him there. Both his blood counts are a little off, but they have him on medication and IV's. We believe he will be ok. As far as the mother, we are not sure. My team and I are trying to line up a place for Moses if her condition doesn't change before we have to leave Africa.

Please continue to pray for wisdom of what God wants for this child. Thank you for all your support and prayer.

The God I serve is a loving, gentle, just, healing God.

how can i love one boy so much??

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

one mother. five children. no father. and a disease that kills millions of people a year.

I climbed into the backseat of our kombi after a long morning at the care point, expecting a semi-normal answer to the question, How was your day today?' when I turned to our ministry contact Pastor Gift. He replies "We got a baby today". We got a baby today? I said back to him a bit confused. He proceeds to tell me a story that ends up with my team and I caring for the tiniest, most amazing, beautiful boy.

He is four weeks old and his mother is suffering from AIDS. She has not been able to feed him since he's been born because she is no longer producing milk, and she has little to no strength to care for him. She has four other children, and now she is teaching her eight year old daughter how to be a mother to all her siblings, because that is the role she will have to take on after her mother passes away. A couple days before we got the baby Aaron and Pastor Gift had gone to do a house visit to see the family. That day the mother was in extremely poor condition, and she had the baby there with her. Traci and Pastor Gift returned to the house a couple days later. Having knowledge of the situation Traci asked if it would be culturally appropriate to ask if we could take the baby for a while to care for him, and see if there was anything we could do for him. She and Pastor Gift talked with the mother, and she allowed Traci to take him. So until further notice our team has acquired the task of taking care of a four week old baby boy that is in very poor health. He now has seven surrogate parents (none of which have previous parenting experience). This is a pretty huge task to take on, but he has been the greatest gift to me and my team this whole race. We took him to two different clinics today. He weighs 4.8 pounds, and he is on four different kinds of medicine and electrolytes. He has trouble breathing and he's got a really severe cough. We believe that he will become stronger and healthier everyday. We pray and prophesy over his life and little body every day. We take turns holding him, feeding him, and changing him. He's been sleeping with Traci in her tent on a little bed she made him, but we'll probably switch it up to give her a break. His mother told us today that she is very thankful that we have been caring for him and praying for him. She wants us to continue taking him back to see her during the week, and she'll let us know if she's ok with us continuing to care for him. Since the mother is so sick we have been praying about having her sign over adoption so we can take the baby to an abandoned baby center. The ministry we are working with knows of a couple excellent centers that he can go to where he will be taken very good care of. Please join us in praying for his continued health, provision of the next steps to take, for the mother and the rest of her children, and for our team that we would have wisdom and love him more than he's ever been loved.

one campsite. five mothers. two fathers. one sweet, little baby boy. One Love that heals the weak and thebroken.