It was a very eventful flight from Cairo to Nairobi, but now we're here in the slums of Kibera - and loving it!

One of the more eventful aspects of the flight involved the fate of our beloved Sarah Rinn.  In perhaps the most drastic and last-minute plan change of an entire trip filled with drastic and last-minute changes in plans, an offer was extended to Sarah to join the Yellow and Lime Teams in Tanzania for the month, rather than staying with us in Kenya.  Sarah took the offer.  The same offer was extended to  and accepted by Jessica Sisson of the Brown Team.  So it looks like the Bread Team (Brown Team + Red Team = Bread Team) will be down a couple of slices during our ministry in Kenya.  Make sure to check out Sarah's personal blog to follow her adventures with the South Africans this month.

Then, the eventfulness continued with the airline's loss of not just one or two of our bags, but more than half!  Luckily, this trip more-than-prepares one to spend three days in the same clothes, without toiletries, in a foriegn country.  What would have been a major irritation eight months ago is now a minor inconvenience. And by yesterday, all of the missing bags had arrived.  We picked them up, along with a cool $80 USD each for our trouble.  Ice cream's on us, baby!

Our home here is the AIM base in Kibera.  It is a group of three or four houses on the edge of the slums with a fence and 24-hour armed guard service (so all you moms out there don't have to worry).  Our hosts are three Canadians who are involved with a drama and street evangelism ministry called DRIME.  (Check it out at http://www.drime.com .) They have been here for several months, scouting out the possibility of a DRIME base here.  They have been amazing servants to us, and we can't thank them enough for their help in these early days.  Please pray for God's blessings for Mark, Shelly, and Lillian, our new Canadian buddies.

Yesterday, we worshipped at the church we will be working with while we are here.  It was a jubilant celebration of the Lord's goodness!  There was much singing, some dancing, very loud whistles, and more.  It was a blast.  They have this great tradition where whenever someone brings them greetings from another church or another group of believers, that person waves  at the congregation, and then they wave back energetically.  It made me smile every time.

We were very warmly received.  Today one of the pastors, Pastor Mike, came by our place to talk about potential ministries.  It sounds as though we will be doing a number of different things, including outdoor revival-type outreach events and door-to-door evangelism in the slums.  It should be an amazing time of ministry!  Please pray for our ministry plans, that God would lead and guide, and that He would be preparing those to whom we will minister.

That's all for now.  More later in the week.

-Gary, on behalf of Team Doulos

During our days in Turkey, we were fortunate enough to befriend the Roberts Family.  Mark Roberts is an American who has a God-given burden for the people of Turkey.  He and his family moved there, started a church, and have been reaching out to Muslims for the last three years.  During our conversations with the Roberts, they expressed to us their great desire to find someone who might be willing to come to Turkey and serve as a tutor for their really terrific kids.  We agreed to help them out by puting any info they sent us up on our website.  Who knows?  God may be calling you to love God's people and reach out to Turkish Muslims.

Anyway, here's the info from Mark:

So much has happened in the last two weeks. It makes you feel a little like Inigo Montoya when he says, “Let me explain…No, there is too much. Let me sum up.”

After the conclusion of the Race, the next morning we visited ancient Ephesus. We thought it would be nice to actually see the ruins, instead of just running past them as we had the day before. There among the ruins, we read the account of the Apostle Paul’s ministry in Ephesus from Acts 19. We sat in the Great Theater that the men of Ephesus filled in riotous anger at Paul’s alleged defaming of their alleged goddess, Artemis. It’s sort of surreal (in a really good way) to sit in a place and see the Scriptures come alive like that.

After our visit and the requisite souvenir shopping that followed, we headed off to the nearby port-town of Kusadasi to join our fellow World Racers at a campground across the street from the sea. Here, we paused to study the Scriptures together and figure out just how exactly we were all going to get from Turkey to Cairo without spending an arm and a leg.

Brown Team Paul and I led an intensive, three day, five-session survey through the book of Ephesians (appropriate, given our locale) which the Lord used to challenge us and renew our thinking as we approach these last few months of the trip.

Meanwhile, the travel planning was fast and furious. Doors opened, we prayed, doors closed, we prayed harder, plans were made, then altered, then recast, then reevaluated, then made once again. It was a turbulent time of trusting in the Lord. Any of you who have ever really trusted in the Lord will know what I mean.

At long last, plans began to come together for people. Everyone but us, that is. There was a group flying directly from Istanbul to Cairo, another group headed through Cyprus, a group of South Africans plus Cathy headed through Jerusalem, and a group consisting entirely of Lloyd headed for a bold overland route through Syria. But we had nothing.

Well, not quite nothing. Sarah felt strongly that the Lord was challenging her to travel through Cyprus with the group going that way. We were glad to see her being obedient to the Lord’s will. But Katherine, Ashley, and I didn’t feel we were supposed to go to Cyprus. In fact, Ashley was still praying about whether or not to continue on the trip, seeing as how she was down to her last $400. Katherine and I felt strongly that we needed to wait, to stay and seek the Lord with Ashley, and to stand by her as she made her decision. Katherine also felt strongly that God had something more for us to do in Turkey.

So, we waited.

On Thursday, we met a local man along with his daughter and her fiancé, all of whom are believers. It seems the man had seen someone from our group reading the Bible and he introduced himself. We were encouraged by this man’s powerful testimony and humbled by his decision to move back to his native Turkey, leaving behind a life of wealth and leisure in Spain, because of his burden to share the Gospel with the Turkish people.

His daughter, Melik, also had a testimony to share. She had felt God leading her to go to Guatemala to minister. Though she spoke fluent Spanish, she knew no one in Guatemala. So, of course, she went. Through friends of friends, she found some churches that would let her preach about missions, and about Turkey and what God is doing there. And during her ministry tour in Guatemala, she met her fiancé, William.

Their story is great, but it’s long. Especially the way William tells it. I’ll try to record it for posterity later, but no promises. Suffice it to say, when God wants to introduce you to that special someone, He gets it done. Even if it requires flying that person halfway around the world.

So, we invited the three of them to our Bible study that evening, and they invited us to church on Sunday. A good time was had by all.

Later that evening, they came to Bible study, and they brought their pastor. His name is Mark, and he’s actually an American missionary from Colorado. Mark told us that he was helping promote this concert featuring a Christian band called No Longer Music and they were pressed for time in terms of promotion, and could we help him out. We were thrilled to help. So, Friday we headed into Selcuk to pass out flyers and promote the show that was to take place later that night.

The show took place in this great little amphitheater. Like a mini-version of the one a couple of miles down the road at Ephesus. That night about three or four hundred people showed up to see the show. It was an eclectic show, featuring music by Smashing Pumpkins, Billy Idol, and a lot of original stuff with heavy guitars and samplers. It was a rock opera of sorts, communicating the ugliness of sin and the emptiness of existence apart from Christ.

The climax of the show came when the lead singer, representing Jesus, was buried in a cellophane coffin filled with smoke. Suddenly, his hand burst forth from the cellophane, defeating death and Satan and saving mankind.

The audience burst into applause.

Not what I would have expected in a Muslim country like Turkey. But the story of the cross is powerful in any cultural context.

After the show the lead singer, David Pierce, shared the Gospel with a group of a hundred or so young people. Unfortunately, the police broke things up, just as David was about to lead a prayer of repentance. Please pray that these young people take seriously David’s words and give their lives to Christ.

The next morning was church. It’s always nice to be in church on Sunday, but especially so on the World Race. So many Sundays we are traveling or otherwise unable to attend services. It makes Sunday worship kind of a rare treat.

The congregation was as mixed as a place could be. There were Turks, Australians, Englishmen, Americans, and William the Guatemalan Worship Leader, all praising God together. We sang in English, and Turkish, and a little bit of Spanish. The last song was one that William said he expected us to sing in heaven one day, all together again; it was a chorus of Hallelujahs. It was beautiful.

After church, Katherine and I hung out with Melik and William. He played guitar and we tried to see how many worship songs in Spanish we could remember from our days in Mexico and Guatemala. We sang together for a long time. William ended up giving us a copy of each of the worship CDs he has recorded as a gift. We asked him to sign them, which he did very graciously.

After that, we got invited over by an English family on holiday that happened to be worshipping at the church. Steve and Claire Wright treated five of us cash-strapped World Racers to a beautiful afternoon, followed by a sumptuous meal that included chicken, potatoes, pasta, salad, homemade coleslaw, and a host of other goodies. Thanks again, Wright family. Your hospitality is much appreciated.

When we returned to the campsite, we found that Pastor Mark and his family had come by with a big pot of chicken soup for us all. Though we had just come from eating a host of good things, we somehow found room for some delicious soup. We were stuffed, and very, very happy.

By Monday, every other World Racer had left the campground but me, Katherine, and Ashley. It was a strange feeling. Sort of like what Survivor contestants must feel like when they make it down to the final three. You feel introspective, peaceful, and maybe just a little bit lonely. Anyway, by this point, Ashley had decided to go ahead on faith; that she would make plans to leave for Cairo even if the Lord had not provided additional funds, trusting Him to provide when she needed it.

So, we made our plans. For the three of us, it would be two more nights of camping, followed by a boat trip back to the isle of Samos. There, we would stay overnight, and catch a ferry back to Athens in the morning, where we had a red-eye flight to Cairo waiting for us. All of this together is still way cheaper than flying straight to Cairo from Turkey. Weird, huh?

So, we waited. Again.

During our wait, we took up a new and exciting hobby: cooking using stuff you find in a junk pile. Let me explain.

We had a small fire pit, and we wanted to cook dinner over it. So, Ashley headed out to the junk pile just behind our campsite and found us a big pot, some bricks, and a steel grate. She stacked the bricks beside the fire pit, placed the grate on top, washed the pot, and BEHOLD!! We were prepared to cook.

And cook we did. Katherine and Ashley went off to the store and secured ingredients for a beautifully cheesy pasta with little chunks of hot dog in it. Without a doubt, it was one of the finest culinary experiences I have enjoyed during the World Race.

With each successive meal, we improved our campfire cooking skills. Our last night, we even popped popcorn over the fire using the same pot covered with some aluminum foil we found. Jiffy-Pop’s got nothing on us.

We had extra reason to celebrate that last night in Turkey. Earlier that evening, Ashley found out that within the last few days, she has received an additional $1150 dollars in donations. God is honoring her decision to continue. We popped popcorn, sang songs, remembered times we have shared during these last 7 months, and dreamed together about the days ahead in Africa. It was a special night.

In fact, it was last night. As I type this, I’m sitting in a coffee shop on the isle of Samos, killing time until we go find us a place to camp out for the night. Sarah is somewhere between Cyprus and Cairo, and we’re here, hoping to meet up with everybody else in Cairo on Friday.

That brings you officially up to date on Red Team doings. More later, hopefully as it happens.

Grace and Peace to You All.

-Gary, on behalf of Team Doulos

Hey, Peeps!

The promised race story with pictures has been delayed because, well, somebody lost our memory stick. 

**cough*Gary*cough**

Fortunately, Sarah has done an awesome job of telling the story and has some great pics up over on her blog.  Check it out, if you haven't done so yet, by heading over to:

http://sarahr.theworldrace.org/

The race is on!

We left Athens this afternoon, and we are on our way to Turkey, a stretch of travel dubbed the "Revelation Race." During the course of this multi-day competition, each team will visit three cities in Turkey that were home to the ancient churches to which Jesus commanded John to write letters in Revelation 2-3.

At present, we are on a ferry, crossing the sea, headed for the isle of Samos (where Paul touched down briefly on his way back to Jerusalem in Acts 20:15). From there, we will change ferries and continue on to the ancient church sites: Smyrna, Pergamum, and Ephesus. We have specific tasks to perform in each, all of which you will get to read about once we have completed our adventure. [Ed. - Actually thýs was wrýtten on the ferry.  It ýs beýng posted at a bus statýon ýn Smyrna.  In case you are ýnterested.]

And you are a part of the fun, dear reader! You see, one of the tasks that must be completed during the Revelation Race is to compose a post detailing our thoughts on the letters of Jesus to the seven churches that John records in Revelation 2-3. That’s what you’re reading right now.

So, grab your Bibles and follow along! Without further ado, here we go!

Each of the seven letters contains a few common attributes. First, Jesus praises the church for anything praiseworthy they are doing. Then, He confronts their sin with strong rebuke. And finally, He includes a promise for the future of "the one who overcomes." We’ll point out what these are in each letter.

Promise to the one who overcomes: He will eat from the Tree of Life.

The Lord seems to have much for which to praise the Ephesian church. They had undergone hardships and difficulties, and yet they did not grow weary. They were not taken in by the false teachings of the Nicolaitans, as some of the other churches of Asia were. The Nicolaitans were a group of Christians that advocated taking advantage of our liberty in Christ to the point of licentiousness. Eating food sacrificed to idols and sexual immorality were commonplace among them, in direct contradiction of the instruction of the apostles to Gentile believers in Acts 15:29. The Nicolaitans advocated these practices so that Christians in Asia could continue to take part in the pagan feasts and celebrations, thereby remaining a part of their secular community.

But the Ephesians realized that these were false teachings and hated the practices of the Nicolaitans, for which Jesus commends them.

However, the Ephesians had forsaken their first love. We don’t have much elaboration on what exactly they had forsaken, other than Jesus’ instruction to them to "repent and do the things you did at first." This seems to suggest that they had lost their passion. Just as the flames of romance die down between man and wife after a few years of marriage, so too does the romance of the marriage between the church and Christ, if we are not mindful of it.

Let us remember the passion with which we prayed, and studied the Word, and served in the church when we first came to the Lord. And let us commit ourselves to doing so again.

This letter does not fit the pattern of praise and rebuke, but is rather a letter of warning.

Promise to the one who overcomes: He will not be hurt at all by the second death.

The persecution of the church at Smyrna was great. This was the church of Polycarp, John’s disciple who was martyred in 168 A.D. by the Jews, members of what the Lord here calls the "synagogue of Satan."

Jesus sought to comfort the church and prepare them for what was ahead. He warned that they would undergo persecution for ten days, during which time some would be put in prison to test them. If they were faithful, even to the point of death, they would receive the crown of life. For undergoing a trial that only lasted a short time, they received an eternal reward.

Let us remember that our sufferings only last an instant, but our reward in heaven will last forever. In view of this truth, let us refrain from grumbling and instead rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that they pale in comparison with the glory that lies ahead of us.

Praised for: Remaining true to Christ in the midst of a sinful city.

Rebuked for: Following false teaching, eating food sacrificed to idols, licentiousness.

Promise to the one who overcomes: He will receive some of the hidden manna, and a white stone with a new name on it known only to him.

Pergamum was a city loaded with idols. So much sin went on there that Jesus referred to it as the place "where Satan has his throne." This must have been a constant battle for believers in the city, yet they remained faithful to Christ.

Yet, there were some who accepted the false teachings of Balaam and the Nicolaitans, who allowed themselves to participate in sexual immorality in worship of false gods. Jesus demands their immediate repentance.

Though we may have not denied Christ, we may have sin in our lives that compromises our commitment to Him. Let us search ourselves and repent of anything that might be displeasing to the Savior.

Rebuked for: tolerating a false teacher who led many into sinful practices.

Promise to the one who overcomes: He will be given authority to rule over the nations, and he will be given the morning star.

This church had many faithful servants of Jesus among its ranks. They loved and served together. They demonstrated their faith with their deeds, which increased with time walking with the Lord, as they ought.

The band is back together, for the most part.

More accurately, three-fourths of Team Doulos has joined back up in the city of Mostar, Bosnia.  Here, all of the World Racers will spend a few days reuniting and debriefing our time in Europe before splitting up to tackle various ministries in Bosnia.

The Red Team will be staying here in Mostar for at least a couple of weeks, working with a ministry called Missions Without Borders.  We have a meeting with them on Monday to lay out the specifics, but our ministry will include hunger relief for the poor and teaching English to local children.  We'll also be partnering with a local church to do some youth ministry in the Croatian part of town.

Then, it's off to the Croatian coast for two weeks of youth camps.  Sports, hiking, and fun, fun, fun.

Of course, these plans are still somewhat tentative until our meeting on Monday, so please pray that God's Will would be done in that meeting.  Thanks!

And the biggest and best news of all... Sarah will be rejoining Team Doulos in Mostar late next week!  Finally, we will be at full strength again!  Hurry back, Sarah.  We miss you.

Tonight we were blessed to be a part of the local church's youth group, and by 'youth' I mean women from ages 16 to 47! 

When we arrived we were blessed to hear of God's quick answer to a prayer.  Last night at the worship service we prayed for a girl named Garn's mother, who on Easter became paralyzed and was not able to walk.  She called Garn this morning and told her she was able to walk!!!  She also expressed an interest in moving (she lives in Northern Thailand) down near her daughter in order to be able to learn more about her daughter's faith and  God.  What an answer to prayer!

About 30 minutes after we arrived, we were on our way to a fun and Spirit-led youth group.  We started introductions with a group of 5 women.  Following the name, age, job, and favorite food sharing, a 17 year old girl named Lydia led us in worship on the guitar.  And then it was time for the fun to break out!

After worship, I led the group in some small group games.  One game in particular was quite fun, the Hi-Ya game.  This game requires everyone to make the best samurai warrior noises possible.  Mass chaos breaks out as everyone has to pay close attention and perform the right actions to stay in the game.  Many laughs were had. 

Our talk of the night centered around alcohol and what the Lord has to say on it.  We had each person take 2 slips of paper and write on them negative ways that alcohol has affected them, friends, or family members.  We taped these pieces of paper together to make a paper chain (you know like the ones you make as a kid at Christmas time to count down the days).  Gary used this for an illustration later.

After the short introduction on the topic, we pulled out of our back pockets the old "In the Light" drama, which we hadn't done since Guatemala.  This illustrated a girl trapped in the sins of drug and alcohol abuse and turning to Jesus to set her free.  Our audience of 5 was very entertained. 

Following the drama, Gary gave a brief talk to discuss the issue in further detail.  Using our paper chain (representing alcohol), he wrapped his wrists up as if a slave to sin (going along with scripture references in Romans 6).  To emphasize the dramatic point of Christ freeing us from our sins and making us slaves of righteousness instead, Gary, with the strength of Arnold Schwarzenegger, managed to break himself free of the paper chain, leaving it in pieces on the floor. 

God had a purpose for this topic to be discussed tonight.  Towards the end of Gary's talk a woman, who spoke very good English, and her daughter walked in to join us.  Better late that never in this case for sure!  She  immediately picked up on what we were talking about and began to ask questions.  She told us her husband has been drinking for years and asked how she could make him stop.  Gary was ready to answer this, relating part of his testimony to her and emphasizing that it is in God's hands.  The Holy Spirit could change him, and she could be faithful in prayer.  All of us prayed for her and her husband.

We closed the time first with more prayer requests.  A few people wanted us to pray for their families because they were the only Christians.  We were also asked to pray again for the boy (whom I wrote about earlier) that will lose his sight in the next year.  We found out that he actually had accepted Christ last Sunday on Easter!  We were thrilled to hear this and prayed for him and the others.  After prayer we opened up the time for a question and answer session.  We were asked questions about American culture, and how we ended up on a trip around the world.  Fellowship with these girls has truly blessed our team.  We hope to see some of them one last time tomorrow at church. 

Praise the Lord for Christian friends in Thailand!

                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Sarah, on behalf of Team Doulos