Red Team - The World Race 2006

Under African Skies

Mon, 4 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

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

Is God Calling You to Be a Tutor/Missionary?

Fri, 1 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

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:

Thanks for putting the word out for tutors for our kids. Their ages are 11,12,14,and 16, grades 5-10. We use the ACE program.

We will supply room and board for up to two tutors. The church has sleeping rooms, a kitchen, fridge, stove, washing machine, closet space and hot shower in the bathroom. The applicants should know that the weather is warm and sunny for six months of the year but it is rainy and cold in the winter. It is expensive to heat the entire church building where they would stay, so warm underwear and sweaters are a must for the winter months. Electric and gas heaters are available at the church and the heating expenses will be paid for them.

The hours of the school day will be 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM Monday through Friday. Church service attendance is expected on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. The rest of the time is free! The tutors are welcome to stay here for the summer during semester break and will continue to receive free room and board. Expenses for health insurance, personal items, clothes, and city bus fare would all have to be provided by the applicants. The costs of personal items are about the same as Walmart prices in the US. The school room is at the church so the tutors can roll out of bed to work, that is nice. The city bus fare is one dollar one way to the downtown area.

The applicants should obtain a letter of recommendation from their Pastor or ministry leader and supply a brief work and education history for us. No formal teacher's education is necessary, but they should be a high school graduate. The applicants should have some experience with children for example: baby sitting, teaching Sunday School, camp counseling, boy scouts, girl scouts, or youth leader or helper. This position is a great opportunity for someone who wants to reach out to people who have never heard the Gospel and also wants to serve God's people.

Blessings,

Mark and Karen

If you would like to seek more information about this position, or if you'd like to apply, contact Mark Roberts at: libertymark@hotmail.com.

When Doulos Was In Egypt Land...

Mon, 21 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Just a quick note to let everyone know we are safe and sound in Egypt.

Katherine, Ashley, and I had an interesting time on our journey from Samos to Athens. There was so much wind that the waves just threw our ferry back and forth. For six or seven hours!

I've never seen so many seasick people! Everytime I went to the bathroom, there was at least one guy throwing up. And the wind blowing across the deck was fierce! It would knock you down if you tried to stand up.

I quickly came to see how easy it might have been for Paul to get shipwrecked, crossing the Agean in a smaller wooden boat.

Anyway, once we made it back to Athens, it was an uneventful bus ride to the airport followed by an uneventful red-eye flight to Cairo. We reunited with the other World Racers, slept a couple of hours, and piled into a bus bound for Quissia, a town in the dead center of Egypt. The Christians here believe that an altar at the local monastary is the fulfillment of Isaiah 19:19:

"In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD at its border."

We will spend ten days here, teaching various classes, leading youth groups, playing with orphans, and hopefully serving the poor. Please pray for these ministries, and that God will continue to show us other opportunities to share His love.

More in a couple of days,
-Gary, on behalf of Team Doulos

The Turkey Leg

Wed, 16 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

So much has happened in the last two weeks. It makes you feel a little like Inigo Montoya when he says, "Let me explainNo, 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 fianc, 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 fianc, 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

The Story of the Race

Thu, 10 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

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 Revelaton Race

Sat, 5 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

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 ths was wrtten on the ferry. It s beng posted at a bus staton n Smyrna. In case you are nterested.]

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.

Letter One: The Church in Ephesus

Praised for: hard work, perseverance, not tolerating wicked men, discovering false apostles, endurance of hardships for the sake of Jesus' Name.

Rebuked for: Forsaking their first love.

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.

Letter Two: The Church in Smyrna

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.

Letter Three: The Church at Pergamum

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.

Letter Four: The Church in Thyatira

Praised for: love, faith, service, perseverance.

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.

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.

But the church in Thyatira also had a false prophetess named Jezebel who led many astray. She taught the believers to participate in eating food sacrificed to idols and in sexually sinful idol worship.

Jesus calls the sinful to repentance, and the faithful to continue in what they are doing.

Interestingly, the Lord says He had given Jezebel time to repent, but she refused to do so. This once again demonstrates the great patience of our God, who bears with us in our sins. Is God allowing you time to repent of something today?

Letter Five: The Church in Sardis

Praised for: Nothing

Rebuked for: Being spiritually dead, having incomplete deeds, being spiritually asleep.

Promise to the one who overcomes: He will wear white, and his name will never be blotted out of the Book of Life.

Only this church and the church in Laodicea are not praised for something. This is an indication of how dire their spiritual condition must have been. Thus, Jesus gives them a call to action. Wake up! Get moving! The little faith you have is about to die! Strengthen it before it is too late!

And yet there were a few people in Sardis who faithfully pursued Christ. They were not sleeping like the others, and like the righteous remnant spoken of in Old Testament prophecies, this group would not be forgotten. They would walk with Jesus, dressed in white. God does not forget the righteous because they live among the wicked. He knows each of them by name, and they will be rewarded.

Let us never blame the shortcomings of our walk with the Lord on the failure of the Christians around us. We must always run as to obtain the prize, even when it seems like no one else is.

Letter Six: The Church in Philadelphia

Praised for: Keeping His word, not denying His name, enduring patiently.

Rebuked for: Nothing

Promise to the one who overcomes: He will be made a pillar in the Temple of God.

The letter to the church in Philadelphia is not a letter of rebuke or correction, but one of praise and promise. This was a church as it was supposed to be: patiently enduring persecution, remaining faithful to the teaching of the apostles, pursuing the Lord, etc.

Rebuked for: Nothing

The letter to the church in Philadelphia is not a letter of rebuke or correction, but one of praise and promise. This was a church as it was supposed to be: patiently enduring persecution, remaining faithful to the teaching of the apostles, pursuing the Lord, etc.

And so, because of their faithfulness, Jesus promises to deliver to them some of the Jews who persecuted them. He says that some of the "synagogue of Satan" would fall down at their feet and acknowledge that theirs was the true God. This seems to suggest that these Jews would accept Christ and acknowledge Him as Lord. So, not only would this church endure persecution, but it would win over its persecutors. What a great victory!

Do you have people in your life you are patiently enduring? Do you know people who make it hard for you to be a Christian? Take heart, because if you remain faithful, God may bless you by allowing you to win those people for Him!

Letter Seven: The Church in Laodicea

Praised for: Nothing

Rebuked for: Being wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked, and not knowing it.

Promise to the one who overcomes: He will receive the right to sit with Jesus on His throne.

The people of Laodicea were very wealthy because of banking activities that went on in that city. Wealth, unfortunately, breeds spiritual apathy and false comfortableness. It makes one believe that one is blessed and spiritually healthy, even when this couldn't be further from the truth.

Jesus says that the people of this church were wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. They looked to their worldly wealth for their fulfillment, rather than looking to Christ and receiving from Him the true wealth that is not of this world.

I fear there are many churches in America that fit the description of Laodicea. Rich, comfortable, fat, and lazy. They think themselves blessed, when in reality they are wretched. And yet, just as it was for the Laodiceans, if God's people will repent and look only to Him, He will open their spiritual eyes and clothe their spiritual nakedness.

Let us never grow so comfortable in our worldly wealth that we lose sight of our true spiritual condition.

So, there you have it. A few thoughts on each of the seven letters to the Revelation Churches. Thanks for reading the whole thing. I'm sure there's some sort of blessing in store for the one who endures that.

We'll leave you with the words of Jesus in Revelation 3:20, a timeless invitation to anyone who does not yet know the Lord.

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."

[Ed. - A full report on how we ran our race, ncludng pctures, wll be forthcomng tomorrow upon offcal concluson of the race. So, stay tuned!]

Team Doulos Reunites...Almost!!

Sat, 17 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

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.

Thanks for Praying!

Tue, 6 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Thank all of you so much for praying for me. Right now I am at home after a long trip from Italy. I was able to go to the hospital yesterday. They ran another blood test and CAT scan to see if they could get to the bottom of the headaches, bump on my head, and low white count. My white count has gone up a little but is still a ways below normal. The CAT scan came out clear so that means there is nothing major! Today I am going to another doctor to look at the blood test results. I will keep you guys updated on how that goes. Thanks again for praying and caring! God is good!

Sarah

Pray for Sarah

Sun, 4 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Hello friends,

It's been a while since we've posted to this red team blog, but we wanted to post a special prayer request. Right now, our team has split up to travel through different sections of Europe, but I've found out through e-mail that our teammate Sarah Rinn is ill.

Sarah found a bump on her head, about two weeks ago, then began to experience a fever and shooting pains in her head. An Italian doctor gave her a prescription, which unfortunately didn't help. She was admitted to the hospital to have some tests run, but nothing was determined. She made the decision to check out of the hospital and fly home to receive medical treatment in the United States. She is planning to return, and join up with us once again when she is back on her feet.

Please pray that the doctors in the States would easily diagnose and treat whatever problem she is facing, and that she would be able to return to the race in good shape. Also please pray for her emotionally as illness can be so discouraging, especially when it separates you from your team. We hope to have her back with us soon.

Thanks -

Katherine, on behalf of Team Doulos

Youth in Asia

Sat, 22 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

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

We're going to Youth Group!!!

Fri, 21 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

That's right, Red Team's going to youth group in Thailand!

We will be guest leaders for the group at the church that we attended on Easter Sunday. As three youth leaders and one camp counselor, you can imagine that we are psyched about this opportunity! We plan to do our "In the Light" drama and do a Bible lesson on alcohol.

We'll be leaving shortly, so we will probably be there while you are reading this (for all you blog addicts). Please pray that God would bless this ministry time and help us connect to the Thai youth despite the language barrier. Thanks!

Katherine =)

Youth Group Postponed

Fri, 21 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

There was a change of plans. Tonight, the church held an impromptu prayer service, and postponed youth group until tomorrow evening. We will still be leading it.

This was a sweet surprise, though, as it gave us an opportunity to meet more people in the church and join them in prayer.

Please continue to pray for tomorrow night's youth service. Thanks, peeps.

-Team Doulos

SAYING FAREWELL

Mon, 17 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

To my beloved Red Team Readers

In case you have not noticed, my name has not been mentioned in awhile. Be reassured that I am alive and doing well.

Since before this great adventure around the world began, I've been praying about my role and relationships on the Red Team. I am very different from the other team members in personality and lifestyle. The more I prayed the less I heard from God about my team.

Then to everyone's surprise I was the only person to be separate from my team for all of the ministry times in China. Looking back I think God was just trying to prepare us for what He was going to do next.

When we arrived in Thailand God spoke to me it was time for me to change teams.

I talked with leadership and had them pray with me about it. When we were on our Muslim Island the Red Team met with leadership so that we could all pray. God gave each one of us a peace about the decision.

There is no-one to blame and no grudges being held. It is just Gods timing for a change.

I don't yet know what team I'll be joining. We'll have that all sorted out in the next couple of weeks.

I still love Sarah, Ashley, Gary and Katherine and wish them all the best in their ministry and races.

Much Love,

Casey Wells

QuickThailand Update

Fri, 14 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Howdy Peeps!

It's been a while, but most of the good stories have already been told. Make sure to check in with the other blogs on this website once in a while and pray for all of the other World Racers.

For the entire lowdown on our most recent race from Trang to Phuket, check out the twin renditions of it by Sarah here, and Ashley here. The stroy's so nice, we told it twice.

As for now, we are ministering in a small traditional Thai-Chinese village on the island of Phuket. The people in the village here do not speak English, so please pray for our ability to communicate and be understood.

We'll have more info for you in the coming days.

Safe in Thailand

Mon, 3 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

We have arrived in Bangkok, and we will be spending a couple of days of rest and tourism here before heading to our first ministry site in Trang. We will update you later on our doings in Bankok.

Cheers,
Team Doulos

Adventures in Yu Mon

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

WARNING: This post is going to be VERY LONG! We Apologize for the length, but we were five days without internet access, and we'll probably be another three days without starting tomorrow, so we're posting while we can. Thanks for your indulgence.

When last we reported in, we were on the eve of our trip to Yu Mon, a rural city in western China filled with Tibetan Buddhists. And boy, what a story we have to tell.

The bus ride from Jade Tree to Yu Mon took seven hours, but the time passed quickly because of the amazingly beautiful scenery. Our trip took us further into the mountains, and as our elevation passed 14,000 feet, the slopes around us became blanketed with a thin layer of pristine snow. We passed several Buddhist prayer flags, which resembled huge tents made from strings of brightly colored flags, and every time we passed one, several of the people on our bus threw brightly colored papers with images of Buddha printed on them out of the windows of the bus. This, we later found out, is a common form of Buddhist prayer.

Late in the afternoon, we arrived in Yu Mon. The city was constructed along one main street, with several dirt roads extending from it. A local that I had befriended on the bus pointed out a hotel as we passed by. (It turned out to be the only hotel in town.) The hotel was pretty rough: no heat, a shared squatty down the hall for a bathroom, broken door locks and windows, and only three hours of electricity per day from seven to ten at night. But it wasnt like we had many options, and as four white people with gigantic backpacks, we were already drawing a crowd, so we checked in.

We decided to get the lay of the land by trying to find a laundry and an internet caf. We had only vague hopes of finding either in such a rural place, but we went for it anyway.

Outside, we encountered a young Tibetan man, maybe 20 years old, who offered to help us. Using the phrase book and some body language, we made ourselves understood to our new friend, and he took us where we wanted to go.

We even found an internet caf. Getting there required journeying down a dirt alley, and navigating an intricate maze of twists and turns through a residential area, until we came to the backyard of a house.

Oh, no, we said. We dont want to invade someones house just to use their internet connection. But our nameless friend ushered us inside.

We went in.

And there in what we thought to be a house, we found an internet caf, just like every other one weve seen so far, complete with a flock of teenagers playing online games. We were surrounded by curious faces, eager to see what we were doing. As we read our e-mail, they pressed in to look over our shoulders. It was less than ideal.

Also less than ideal was the fact that we could neither send e-mail nor post to our blogs. The limited bandwidth wouldnt allow it. Bummer.

So, we got up to leave with our nameless friend and his crew in tow. When we returned to the street, we thanked him profusely for his help and bid him good evening.

Thats when things got ugly.

Our friend demanded payment for his services. And not just for himself, but for each of his friends. We tried to explain that we had no idea he would expect payment, and that we thought he was just being friendly. His demands persisted. We refused and tried to leave by heading into a restaurant for dinner. He and his posse followed us and took up seats next to our table.

By this point, I was agitated. Who was this guy? And why did he think we were going to pay him and his friends? Did he really think that by ruining our meal he would convince us to pay him?

We tried to simultaneously order our food and negotiate with the ruffians. First the price had been three yuan, then five, then five for each of his friends. As I continued to refuse, the guy and one of his friends began to threaten us with fists pounded into hands and cutting gestures along cheeks. I didnt feel intimidated, but I prepared myself to protect my team should things get physical.

Ultimately, Cathy paid them five yuan just to go away. They did, and we were able to finish our dinner in relative peace.

We returned to our heatless hotel in low spirits. We knew no one in town, could not communicate with the people, knew nothing about where a monastery might be, and we had made enemies with a local gang. Not the best first day ever.

I went back to my room, alone, and called out to God. Lord, what are you doing? Why did you send us here? This place is so hard, and so cold. I miss my wife, Im freezing, and Im miserable! Why, God, why?

His answer came back softly, Because Im stripping away your comforts, that you might seek comfort only in Me.

In that moment, I realized that Gods purposes were being accomplished through all of this. He was chipping away at my self-sufficiency, making me more dependant on Him. Trying to find contentment, but struggling to do so, I prayed for Gods comforting Presence. It was an amazing time of prayer, which seemed almost to warm me supernaturally, and afterward I fell off to sleep in the coziness of my sleeping bag.

The next day, we gathered as a team to plan our next move. Most of us had had similar experiences of the Lord challenging us to refrain from grumbling despite hard circumstances. We resolved to seek the Lord and His purposes and decided to spend a good chunk of the day in our rooms in prayer.

Late in the day, our Latino translator and track-bombing coach, who we will call Willis, arrived. We were very excited to meet him and to have him join our team, if only for a few days. Because Willis spoke hardly any English, I functioned as the translators translator. Katherine is so much better at it than I am, and we missed her mightily! But we made due.

While searching for the bus station to buy our return tickets, we met a man on the street who spoke English. His name was Dondrup, and he was clearly Gods way of giving us direction for the week. Dondrup had both an uncle and a brother who were monks at a local monastery. He offered to give us a tour of the monastery the next day.

Score!

So, Tuesday morning we traveled to a monastery for a guided tour. Because we were with Dondrup, we were allowed into a number of temples and sacred places that foreigners are not usually allowed to see. There were all sorts of idols and statues, candles and incense, beautifully crafted curtains, and a creepiness surrounding it all.

There was a long structure that held several dozen prayer wheels, engraved golden canisters about a foot tall set on a post, allowing them to be spun. Buddhists believe that by spinning the wheels, they can atone for bad things they have done and increase their chances of being reincarnated to a better life. And the more wheels spinning, the better.

Around the corner from the prayer wheels, there was a room that contained a giant version of the same thing. The giant prayer wheel must have been at least 10 feet tall, and it was being spun by two older people and a handful of children. Every time the wheel completed one revolution, it would ring a bell. The older man chanted in prayer as he hurriedly walked around the circle of the wheel. It was heartbreaking to see people so deceived, devoting so much time and energy trying to earn a redemption that could be freely theirs, if only they knew and believed.

After seeing a few of the temples, we were invited to Dondrups uncles dormitory. Dondrups brother served us hot water and bread, as well as some dried raw yak meat, which we decided to pass on. As we ate, Dondrup decided to show us some traditional Tibetan dancing. After much prodding and study, I joined in. Eventually, we moved outside and Dondrup, his brother, and another monk danced in the courtyard. I couldnt resist joining in again.

Later in the afternoon, we saw the monastery on the other side of Yu Mon. It was much smaller than the first one, and seemed chiefly concerned with the production of prayer stones. These rocks were hand-painted and hand-carved with traditional prayers and Tibetan characters. There were tons of them. We saw one pile that was at least 12 feet high and 50 feet long.

There was also the biggest Buddha statue I have ever seen. In the picture to the right, thats little old 63 me standing at the base of the statue. Yep, thats a big Buddha.

Later that evening back at the hotel, we made our plans for the evening. We would sneak up to the first monastery we had seen under the cover of night and place tracts and Bibles written in Tibetan on the prayer wheels we had seen. Willis, Sarah, and I would go, while Ashley and Cathy covered us in prayer from the hotel.

Soon, the hour of our departure came. We donned our darkest and warmest clothes, packed our pockets with literature, and headed out into the street. The lack of street lights in Yu Mon was a blessing for us now, as the goal was to be unseen and inconspicuous.

It was about 1.5 miles to the spot where we turned off the main road and headed up the mountain into the canyon where the monastery awaited us. Dogs were barking everywhere, which was good, because it covered our presence, but it was a little scary because we didnt know where the dogs were or how close they might be. Slowly, deliberately, we made our way higher and higher up the road.

Back at the hotel, Cathy and Ashley prayed fervently for our success, that God would shield the eyes of people we encountered and close the mouths of the dogs. They prayed that the Spirit would lift us up and give us strength to finish the task, that even the air we breathed would be warmed by Gods Presence with us.

Guided by flashlights, we worked our way up to the monastery. We had one run-in with a dog on a chain that gave us quite a fright, but other than that, it was just the three of us and the darkness.

When we arrived at the base of the monastery, Willis gave us final instructions. We crested the hill and headed for the prayer wheels, placing literature in small stacks every 5 feet or so with rocks on top to keep them from blowing away. In a matter of minutes, the operation was over and we were headed back down the mountain.

The return was much easier for us, given it was all downhill. The adrenaline pumping in our veins kept away both fatigue and cold. We only had a couple of run-ins with cars driving slowly down the street in the middle of the night and a couple of guys fixing a motorcycle, and soon we were back at the hotel. We banged on the chained and padlocked door, and explained to the lady who opened it for us that we had been at a dinner party and had lost track of time. There had been several other late returners that evening, so she wasnt the least suspicious.

We came into the room that Ashley and Cathy had been praying in, and we celebrated together the success God had given us. We had hiked 6 miles roundtrip, including the climb to the monastery and the placement of the tracts, in about two hours.

We pray that the monks who find the tracts and Bibles would be open to the message of Christ, and that the Spirit would work powerfully to convict their hearts of their need for Jesus.

-Gary, on behalf of Team Doulos (and Cathy)

Safe, Though Freezing, in Jade Tree

Sat, 25 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

After a somewhat brutal 20-hour overnight bus ride, we have arrived safely in Jade Tree. And man, is it cold here! The coldest temperature we got on record last night was 17F, though that was at about 12:30, and I'm sure it got colder as the night went on.

Jade Tree will serve as our jumping off point, as the four teams who made this leg of the trip will split into five new teams and travel to remote Tibetan villages to minister for the next four days. For us, the majority of the Red Team stays intact. Gary, Sarah, and Ashley will remain together (and be joined by Cathy) to minister in a small Tibetan Buddhist village that we have yet to name. But rest assured, a suitable pseudonym will soon be forthcoming. Casey will be ministering alongside Chad, Lloyd, and Liesl in a village a little further up in the mountains. Katherine, as you have probably already read, was led by the Lord to stay back in Atlantis to help take care of Eugene's wife and baby.

So, Team Doulos will be spread across the map of China this week. Please pray for God to work powerfully through each of us. Also, please note that because of the remote nature of these villages we are going to, there may not be internet access for us. So, blogging may be a little scarce. Butu when we return to the wired world, we will definitely be eager to share all of God's wonders with you.

Yu Mon, Here We Come

Sat, 25 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Tonight at dinner we found out a few more things about what lies ahead of us. One thing we didn't know is that we have the longest bus ride from Jade Tree of any of the teams. As in 6-8 hours long! After the bus ride yesterday, this was not exactly welcome news. Then, we also found out that for our first day in town, we will be without a translator. That's not as scary, because we just did it in Won Gai, and God was so faithful to us in that situation. But going to a place that even Eugene has never gone before, it would be kind of nice to have someone with us that speaks the language.

And then, the ride back is going to include a 24-28 hour ride aboard a sleeper bus, followed by a 4-hour train ride, then a 30-hour sleeper train ride, then a couple of hours on a bus, and then a four-hour flight to Thailand. So it could be as much as 68 hours of uninterrupted travel time for us! Almost three solid days!

But we're getting ahead of ourselves. Our time in the village is going to include an opportunity to distribute Christian literature in Tibetan to the monasteries in town. The reason we're targeting the monasteries is that the monks are the only ones who can read. The only thing about it is, distribution of Christian literature is illegal here in China. So, we will be forced to carry out our mission under the cover of night! Who knew that missionaries got to do cool James Bond stuff like that?

Oh, and one more thing: we have found a pseudonym for our city. At the suggestion of a friend of Sarah's, we're going to refer to it as Yu Mon. That way, when you e-mail us you can ask, Hey, what's up with Yu Mon?

Genius. Pure Genius.

-Gary, on behalf of Team Doulos (soon to be under-cover in Yu Mon)

Goodbye Won Gai, Hello Opportunity

Wed, 22 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Our time in Won Gai is over. I'm pleased to report that our dinner party was a smashing success. All of the teachers we spent time with this past week attended, as did Hannah, our favorite student.

Our guests allowed us, as hosts, to order all of our favorite dishes. So, it was sweet and sour pork, braised beef in a sizzling skillet, spicy noodles, chicken, and rice. We told stories, shared memories from the week together, and wished each other well for the future.

After dinner, two of the teachers who are a married couple invited us to their house. We gladly accepted the invitation, and were treated to coffee and fruit, and repeated offers of Chinese brandy. We traded songs in English and Chinese, and Katherine and I danced a little for everyone. Soon, everyone had notebooks out and were writing messages and trading our e-mail addresses. It was like the end of the school year, and we all just got our yearbooks.

All kidding aside, the message writing was a great opportunity for witness. We were able to write our prayers, that our friends would come to know Jesus, and that they might understand the depth of His love for them. It was yet another door the Lord opened for us.

However, we had one closed door, too. Throughout dinner, the after-party, and a farewell breakfast with our friends this morning, Katherine and I repeatedly tried to share what Christians believe with our friends. We tried any number of different approaches, but we could not get he words out before the moment had passed and everyone's attention was elsewhere. It felt as though we couldn't quite get there without completely forcing it and making things totally awkward. So, we didn't. We decided to trust in the Lord's leadings. He opened so many doors for us; if He didn't open this one, it must for a reason.

By the way, the school we spoke at is open to employing a foreign teacher to teach English! We had been praying for and searching out an opening to allow a missionary to be in the city long-term, and now here it is! And the best part is, they would pay you $1000 yuen per month, which is more than enough to live on quite comfortably in Won Gai. So, a missionary filling this role wouldn't even have to raise support! How amazing is that! If you feel that God might be leading you to China, or to the teaching of English, or both, please e-mail us and we will put you in contact with the right people. We want so badly for someone to seize this opportunity. Please pray with us that God would make the right person known, and soon!

Oh, and also by the way, we finally met the one guy from Won Gai. But we met him here in Atlantis, not in Won Gai. Nonetheless, it was inspiring to meet this brother. I can't imagine what it must be like to be the only believer among your people. May God strengthen him and give him boldness in witness.

Tomorrow, it's on to the Tibetan regions! Until then...

- Gary, on behalf of Team Doulos

Final Night in Won Gai

Tue, 21 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Just a quick note to say that this is our last night in Won Gai. We're throwing a dinner party for our Chinese friends, and we're praying that God gives us one last opportunity to share more of the Gospel with them.

Please pray for us, and more importantly pray for our new friends.

We'll let you know what happens!

-Gary

Our new chinese names!

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

At our lovely feast a few evenings ago, our new friends dubbed us with Chinese names.

Thought you'd like to know our new monikers:

Gary: "Jung Hao" Means: talented, ambitious, handsome. A traditional Chinese name.

Ashley: "Chu-chu" (sounds like choo-choo) Means: Lovely & beautiful girl.

Sarah: "Jia-Jia" (sounds like zsa-zsa) Means: Very, very beautiful girl.

Katherine: "Ping-ping" Means: Type of water plant. Named for Ping-ping, the given name of one of our friends here.

The Most Amazing Day of my Life

Fri, 17 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

I am nearly speechless after one day of experiencing first hand God opening doors before us. What can I say about our first 24 hours in Won Gai?

We arrived on a bus, not even knowing if we would be able to identify our stop. Luckily, an elderly Chinese gentleman helped us along the way, and we stumbled out into the square, without any plans. While Ashley and Gary looked for a hotel, Sarah and I guarded our packs while greeting the surrounding crowds of curious people. Within half an hour, our Chinese Angel arrived, ready to help us.

Once Gary and Ashley returned, David led us to a good hotel, and invited us to visit his school where he teaches English. He told me, Your husband is a very handsome boy!. Which, I already knew, of course! After we settled in, David showed us around town, where he pointed out the laundry, then a good restaurant. Over a dinner of chicken & potatoes and broccoli & pork, we discussed many things, mainly enjoying each others company.

We had planned to visit his school the following afternoon, at 2:30. Our team would get a good nights rest, then pray and prepare our lecture in the morning. Imagine our surprise when David knocked on our hotel room door at 9:30 (we were still in bed) informing us that the school was expecting us in an assembly in half an hour! While we tried to subdue our panic, David told us it would be a piece of cake. There would only be 300 students, in an informal question-and-answer time. David suggested we also teach them a simple song in English.

We hurriedly threw on our layers (it was even colder today!) and ran down the street after David, trying to wake up enough to greet the 300 youth that awaited. We were led into the yard of the #1 Middle School, the largest in the province, then ushered into the office of the headmaster to wait until all the students had arrived. The office was very beautiful, decorated with scrolls of Chinese characters, a collection of bonsai trees, very nice furniture, and even a bed where the headmaster can take naps!

When the assembly began, we entered the conference room, and were seated at a table in the front. I was expecting a stage in an auditorium, but it looked and felt very much like a press conference. The students were giddy with excitement to meet the foreigners coming to their school. They had prepared questions for the visitors, and I was very impressed with their level of preparation and English fluency.

Hello, my name is. It is very nice to meet you. I would like to welcome you to our town. May I ask you a few questions? How do you like China? My English is very poor, do you have any suggestions for me? I have already taken too much of your time. Thank you and welcome again to China.

A few students volunteered to present us some of their famous local folk songs. We even got a Chinese Kung Fu demonstration! We were also requested to share some songs with the students. I had asked David if it would be alright for me to teach them a well known Sunday school song, Jesus Loves Me. I didnt know if this would be allowed, but I was very excited about the possibility this presented. I wrote the words up on a chalkboard, while Gary told the student body about some of our holidays, including Christmas. Then, I taught the students Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Never did I imagine that I would hear hundreds of Chinese students singing a religious song, in their school! Yet this is the opportunity God provided for our team today.

Once the first assembly finished, the English teachers treated us to lunch at the finest restaurant in the city. Course after course of delicious Chinese food was set out before us, until we thought we would surely explode! Never before have I seen such a feast! Pork, beef, chicken, fish, noodles, rice, bread, more pork, and vegetables! Not to mention, hot glasses of green tea that were refilled after every sip. Just when we could eat no more, we were whisked back to the school for our next presentation.

The second assembly was for the older students at the school, and the auditorium was packed beyond capacity. Perhaps 500 students peered at us in anticipation. Apparently (as we were told later), the students had not believed their teachers when they were told that foreigners were coming to visit them!

We introduced ourselves, and opened up the floor for more questions. Many of the questions were similar this time around, with only a few tough ones thrown in (What do you think of Chinese biology?). We began to be concerned that this session wasnt going as well, as the teachers had a difficult time keeping the crowd quiet. Often we couldnt even hear the questions over the noise of the students. We were relieved when the leader changed up the format by asking us to teach the group our song.

Fortunately, the words to Jesus loves me were still up on the blackboard, and I began to teach the students. (Again, I was totally awestruck by the surreal-ness of this situation!) We sang through it a few times, when suddenly one of the teachers stopped me. I dont know if they understand. Can you explain to them what the Holy Bible is, and explain what the song means, line by line?

This was an opportunity handed to me directly from God, and I was thrilled to respond! Here I was, in a town officially closed to foreigners, being asked to explain Jesus and the Bible to over 500 students! My heart leapt within me, and I joyfully explained to all those before me about how Jesus loved each one of them. It was an awesome moment, knowing that for most of them, this was the first time they heard such a message.

All too soon, our time in the assembly came to an end. Before we left, we went out to the schoolyard to spend time with the students that wanted to greet us. There was no way we could have been prepared for the reaction that awaited us we were greeted like movie stars! The students rushed at us with pens and notebooks, asking us for our autograph. They pressed in on every side, sticking their paper in our faces until we couldnt see or write anything. Although the attention was flattering at first, it quickly became overwhelming and almost scary as we were pushed around by the crowd.

It's strange to receive such attention, knowing that we're only interesting because we're foreigners. I just pray that their interest in us will open their hearts to the gospel message that we bring.

The evening was filled with more food and friends, and is a time I will cherish forever. But as I came home and prepared to go to bed, I couldn't help but reflect, and pray and weep, for the beautiful faces of the school children that would not leave my mind. This was the first time in my life that Ive met so many people that I knew did not know about God's plan for their salvation. I was suddenly overwhelmed with love and the realization of the responsibility we have to make sure they know about what Jesus has done for them. They have to know! I cried out to Jesus. Send them more people to tell them how much you love them! You love them so much, and they dont even know it. Oh Jesus, they have to know!

Jesus loves me, this I know; for the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong; they are weak but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes Jesus loves me.
Yes, Jesus loves me; the Bible tells me so.

Posted by: Katherine Weston

Our Chinese City

Thu, 16 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Before we begin, we should mention that Casey is not with us for this week of ministry. She felt a strong burden for one of the other cities, and she is being obedient to that by travelling with the Blue Team to minister there. We pray that God uses her mightily there, and we look forward to reuniting with her next week. Rock on, Casey!

The other four of us have arrived safely in our new home for the next week. We won't mention the name of the city we are in for security reasons, but it is in Northwest China, in a region that is very heavily Muslim. There are more mosques here than there are anywhere else outside of Saudi Arabia.

Brother Eugene told us that he led a Muslim man to Jesus in the city we're in. To Eugene's knowledge, this man is the only Christian in town. We hope to meet him this week while we are here, and in his honor, we have decided to refer to the city as Won Gai. That way we can say, in China, we traveled hundreds of miles to visit Won Gai.

We think it's funny.

Anyway, upon our arrival in Won Gai, Ashley and I began searching for a hotel. This is not easy when you can't read any signs or talk to anyone on the street, but we were armed with a phrase book and a fierce determinationl, so we weren't going to be stopped. And indeed, we found hotels. But the ones we found were either too expensive or too sketchy, so we returned empty-handed.

Fortunately for us, Katherine and Sarah had been approached by a Chinese man who speaks English (we'll call him David). Turns out, he teaches English here in Won Gai. David was more than happy to help us find a hotel that fit both our price range and our sketchiness tolerance level. We're paying about $7.50 USD per night for a double room. That's cheap!

However, we didn't realize until after we checked in that it was a government-owned hotel. You know, the same government that doesn't want people sharing the Gospel in China? We should be just fine, but pray for us nonetheless that we wouldn't run into problems with the authorities.

We also found a good noodle shop where the four of us ate lunch for less than $2.50 USD. So we won't starve. There is a woman there who speaks English as well. Her name is Maria.

David has asked us to come visit his classroom as "guest foriegn teachers," and we plan on going back to the noodle shop, so pray that we can cultivate relationships with David and Maria. They may be the only people we get to share the Gospel with while we are here.

As we begin to contemplate what ministry here over the next few days will look like, we realize how very important the power of prayer is. There are no other Christians to work with here, no church plants to nurture. There are only people who are lost, most of whom have never heard the Gospel before. Pray for us, certainly, that God would lead our steps and teach us how to minister here, but more than that, pray for the people of Won Gai. Pray that the Holy Spirit would move here in power, and that the roadblocks that are keeping the Gospel from being preached here would be removed. Pray for workers to come here on a long term basis to continue to let Christ's light shine. And pray for that single brother who lives here, that he might be built up in his faith, and that he might share God's love fearlessly with others.

More to come tomorrow, with pictures I hope

-Gary, on behalf of Team Doulos (Winners of the China Race Leg, if you hadn't heard)

The slow boat to China....and a fast taxi!

Wed, 15 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

It was tough getting on an airplane to Hong Kong after spending a week in LA. All the fun things we experienced there, catching up with the other teams, and eating the foods we know we love... it was difficult. But at the same time, we knew there were many more adventures to be had across the Pacific and many more months of this crazy thing called the World Race.

We got on our flight with the best airline of 2006, Cathay Pacific, and flew 15 hours non-stop to Hong Kong. It was a long flight, but it was quite bearable. We arrived there and had a great time sight-seeing and prepping for China while our visas got processed. Our team decided that Hong Kong is a definte must-see-place in the world. It's just crazy and cool, a very nice mix.

After all the logistics were worked out, our contact led us into the mainland. We got on a bus for three hours to cross the border and arrived in a city that was apparantly bigger than Hong Kong. We waited around for most of the day because our train didn't leave for a while. After one last McDonald's run we crossed town and arrived at the busiest train station in the most populated country in the world. Try that on for size because that's no easy bridge to cross. I hate being pushed around and that's exactly what that train station was all about. We ended up paying a little extra for a nice place to wait for our train to arrive because you just didn't want to hang around with the 3 million Chinese people outside.

Getting on the train was quite the task as well. Our packs aren't small, and we aren't a small group. We had hard sleepers on the train which provided a good place to rest and relax, but it really wasn't a whole lot of extra room. We got settled in and finally it seemed that the crowd of people we had been immersed in all day, was thinning out. Sarah was happy about that.

36 hours, 29 spades game, 19 books, and lots of sleep later, we arrived at our destination in China. That was one super long train ride. It went by faster than we expected, but new adventures awaited us. We could already tell the temperature had dropped. Just how much it had dropped wasn't experienced until we walked out of the train station. Winter had finally caught up with us. Hats, gloves, jackets, and layers were dug out of the deep holes of our backpacks as we tried to prepare ourselves for the shock. We got into a bunch of taxis for two separte rides totaling about 2 and half hours.

The taxi rides were amazing. It was our first real driving experience in the country and that is always heaps of fun! We crossed some giant mountians with breath-taking views of China. The fact that it was snowing, just added to the granduer. We were happy, and we were very very cold.

We've been at our destination for a day and half now, getting prepped for the rest of the journey here. We haven't had a race leg for China because the Americans and South Africans were on separte flights, and then the rest of the trip was booked together. So we planned the race for today. It was a scavenger hunt in our city to find certain places. It was a complete culture immersion.

Our host planned out the spots we had to visit, 8 of them in total, and wrote them down in English and Chinese. We started from our hotel at 1:00 PM and had to finish before 6:00 PM. It was destined to be crazy. And the red team was ready for another victory.

Before we got started today, Sarah and I obtained a map of the city. Mind you it was completly in Chinese and totally no help to us, we took it with us. I'm personally surprised we even found it, and even more surprised that we bought it. We showed it to the rest of the team before we launched out. We didn't have a plan really, and we were just going to hit up the places as best as we could. The language barrier is such a problem, we didn't think communicating our ideas to a taxi driver would be easy. But... God must have been with us on our journey.

Some people from other teams couldn't participate for various reasons, so the deal was cut between the teams that only 4 people had to race, and you could take more if you wanted too. That became a very important deal for the Red Doulos Team. When the whistle blew (that's figurative...there really wasn't room for anybody to pack a whistle), we bolted out the door. We grabbed the first taxi we could find and we were off.

And by off I mean, the entire team was off and I was standing outside of the open door as it dove away. I screamed in panic that I was getting left behind, and finally the driver stopped. It wasn't easy squeezing five people into a little car that looks like a Geo Metro... with a taxi driver. After we were all in, and we were really off on on the road, we instructed the driver to take us to the first stop. This was some tram to the top of a mountain overlooking the city.

When we arrived at the tram we made the plan that Gary, Katherine, Casey, and Sarah would actually ride up the mountain, and I would stay with the taxi so he wouldn't drive off. While the team was away, I got out our list, our map, and our Chinese phrasebook. These three tools and the grace of God is what saved the day. In less than a minute I had an entourage of 10 or 15 people looking over my shoulder at the map on the hood of the car, deciding where each place on the list was. I started marking down by numbers, where the place on the list was located on the map. It didn't take long before everyone figured out what was happening and I didn't even have to do that! When my team finished running down the mountain (not riding the tram!), I had found all the places on the list on the map and we were able to plan out a route that kept us from criss-crossing around town. It was awesome!

And so we dodged pedestrians, bicyclists, carts, buses, cars, and debris we went from place to place. Our host had us visit 2 parks, a mosque, a zoo, a fast-food resturant, a furniture market, his house (which we were required to stay there for 30 minutes before leaving) and finally back to the hotel. The only Chinese word we know besides hello and thank you, is "FAST!" Good thing it worked well. We love our taxi driver. What was expected to take a couple of hours, pretty much happened in a an hour and fifteen minutes.

Our last stop was our host's house. We weren't sure if our driver knew where to go, he had a puzzeled look about him, but to our astonishment, he drove right up to the apartment complex. I stayed in the taxi to make sure he didn't leave, just in case it wasn't the right stop, while the other memebers of my team ran inside the apartment complex to look for the right door. A minute later Sarah was running outside after me, beckoning me in. We had found the right apartment. Not only did we find the right place, we were the first people to arrive at his house. We got in and sipped on tea and hot coccoa. As we waited our mandatory 30 minutes, all the other teams showed up.

The key here is that no team would disclose which one had arrived first, so it was a mystery which teams would be leaving and going directly to the hotel. We had about a lead of about 8 minutes on the next team that could leave, but we had a little problem. Before we went into our host's house, we had paid our driver and he had left. The other teams had brought there drivers with them into the house!!!!! Now we were facing a long run down the alley to the main street to catch another taxi before we could leave. Would our 8 minute lead hold out for that? Espeically considering my slowness and my cough?

Gary and Sarah ran out the door and down the alley, hailing a cab to the hotel. Katherine, Casey, and I panted slowly behind trying to make it as fast as we could to the main street. Gary and Sarah had the driver come and fetch us and we quickly turned around, headed down the street, and back towards the hotel. We got out, paid the driver, and ran inside. Our time... 2:50 PM. We were first!!! The Blue Team, Brown Team, Yellow Team, and Lime Team followed in suit in a matter of 20 minutes! It was surely a close race, but we have been victorious. It's been a great day and lots of fun. Now we turn our eyes to the reason we have crossed oceans, rivers, and mountains, and look for God to do amazing things in that.

The Price is Right...at Disneyland!

Sun, 5 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

We are currently in Los Angeles, California for some debrief and China training. The trip here was quite an adventure. It all started Monday morning at 6am, when we get into our "privado" shuttle from Panahachel, Guatemala to the border of Mexico. Apparently, private and leave when you want in Guatemalan means your shuttle is connected with the Lime and Yellow Teams' shuttle, and you have to cross the border at the same time. Race also means drive as slow as possible as to not get too far ahead of the other vehicle and stop so that the driver can get breakfast. Oh and 4 1/2 hrs really means 7hrs.

After we get across the border and into Tapachula, not only did our "private" shuttle slow us down, but they didn't even know where the bus station was! Several direction stops later we show up at the bus station and are glad to be back in Mexico where the bus lines have movies (in Spanish), air conditioning, and reclining seats.

We hopped on a 17 hr bus to Mexico City in hopes of getting to the airport early enough to go standby on our airlines morning flight to L.A. Hitting some Mexico City traffic put us 17 minutes too late to get on the early flight! As we are walking around the airport seeking out options of getting on earlier flights we run into the Brown team! Luckily their flight wasn't till the next morning and standby was too much for them to change. We felt pretty confident of first place getting on our flight at 6:30pm that night.

Now the goal of this race leg was to get to the Santa Monica Pier to stop the clock. We had to arrive by 10pm as to not aquire a penalty for breaking the past 10pm driving rule on race legs. Our flight was scheduled to get in at 8:30pm Pacific Time, thus giving us 1 1/2 hours to get through immigration, customs, grab our rental car, and make the 20 minute drive to the pier.

We started getting a little nervous this might be tough when our flight left about 30 minutes late from Mexico City. However, good time was made up in the air and we landed just about 15 minutes late. Immigration and customs went smoothly. Then our shuttle driver to the rental car place totally understood the concept of a race. As Katherine told the rental car guy that we were racing, in their vehicle they were about to give us, he worked as fast as he could to get us processed.

We jump into our white minivan about 9:40pm, throwing bags in as fast as possible. As we take off we realize the car is on empty, but there is no time for a gas stop so we pray that God gets us there! God answered prayers as we got to the pier, jumped out of the van, ran down to the ferris wheel and took our picture at 9:57pm! Right on time and clinching first place this leg!

Being in L.A. has been a lot of fun for our team. We have been staying with Katherine's parents since we got in 4 days before debrief/training starts. We have been sure to not waste fun for one second while we are here. Thursday I got to fufill a life long dream of getting to see Bob Barker in person and witness a live taping of the Price is Right!!! The getting up at 3am and standing in line at 4:15am paid off! After the day of waiting in line to get a number to wait in line to get another number, we finally got into the studio about 2pm. We were row 4 behind the contestants! Although we didn't get called to "come on down", all our efforts were totally worth it to see all that goes on behind the scenes! Check out TPIR on March 27th and see if you can spot us in the crowd!

Our adventures didn't stop there! The next day we were blessed to get free admission to Disneyland and California Adventure through a friend of a friend's sister who is friends with Gary and Katherine. Don't try too hard to figure that out...the point is we got in free! We were there from park open to park closing. We rode almost every ride at Disneyland, all the major attractions at California Adventure, and were still able to catch the 50th Anniversary firework show and then Fantasmic! Our team thoroughly enjoyed our day, even with the pouring rain in the morning, which luckily kept away the locals, and kept all lines under 30 minutes!

We are about to go downtown to the Dream Center in L.A. where we will start China training and debrief. We will be in the States until Wednesday, March 8th when we fly out to China and start the next part of our adventure! Pray for us as we have left behind a culture where dogs try to eat me and go to a culture where I may have to eat dog!

Posted by Sarah

Video Reports: Road Delays on Leg 1 in Mexico

Fri, 24 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The Red Team, Leg 1 - Day 1	The Red Team, Leg 1 - Day 2

^ Click the play button above to start

Video Report: Making It to the Finish Line of Leg 1 in Mexico

Fri, 24 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The Red Team, Making It to the Finish Line of Leg 1 in Mexico

^ Click the play button above to start

ReachinOut with the Light of Christ

Mon, 20 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

We had our outreach service on Saturday night on the basketball court in San Pablo. When we arrived Pastor Antonio was already helping get the sound system ready. I knew when I saw the speakers that this night we be nothing less than loud and powerfull.

The speakers were huge and totally ready to blast out the sounds of our worship, our drama, our testimonies, and the message of our Lord. We set up chairs for the people to sit in, and there were also plenty of seats alongside of the court that resemble bleachers. The sounds guys also came with a huge nice keyboard for Pastor Antonio to play, and I think he really enjoyed the opportunity to get some good sounds out of those black and white keys. They set up a microphone on the side for the youth of the church. They all play drums, maracas, or tamborines. We have quite the percussion section, and you could see the joy on their faces as they came on stage to show off their talents.

While everyone was getting ready, Gary hooked up his laptop to the sound system and started playing some David Crowder, John Reuben, and Grits to attract a crowd. The music was just the way I like it... LOUD! Kids starting coming in and came down to the front to investigate. One of them had a basketball, and so I offered them the opportunity to see my skills. (My skills really are quite limited, but I think the show was entertaining none the less.) Katherine came over and the two of us had a great time, making the kids laugh. Shes got some basketball skills of her own, dont be fooled.

Finally, people started to come and fill the seats. They came on Guatemalan time, meaning about 6:30 rather than the start time of 6:00. Were getting quite used to the adjustment though. Pastor Antonio and our team organized an order of service and prayed together. We laid hands specifically on Pastor Antonio because he was to give the sermon that night on the Prodigal Son. It seemed apropriate that he go ahead for the sake of skipping out on two translations.

The music started and a great atmosphere of praise and worship surrounded the court. It was full of the sounds of songs in Spanish, keyboards, lots of drums and maracas, kids playing on the other end of the court, and the bustling street. The wind started to pick up, almost like God was saying... "HEY! Im here." The night was going great.

Soon it was our turn to take part in the service. We sang a song in Spanish that we have been learning and Pastor Antonio played the guitar. It was one of better singing performances. As soon as it was over I broke out the iodine and bleach and went to work telling the Gospel through my object lesson. The kids always like to see whats going to happen to the dirty water when you add a little bit of bleach-filled Jesus. Their eyes grow ten sizes and their mouths drop to the floor.

The time finally came for the drama. I introduced the idea behind the drama. God creates two girls. The first one rejects Jesus, and in turn is opened up to the attack of Satan. I play Satan and get to sneak up behind the girl and trap her in her sin. The other girl accepts the Lord though, and lives a life that glorifies and praises Him. Satan doesnt like that very much. So I sneak up behind the bad girl and lure her deeper into sin. Finally, disgusted with her life, she turns to Jesus with the words, "Whats going on inside of me! I despise my own behavior! Jesuslook of compassion falls on the girl, and He breaks her from from her sin with powerful force. Satan is now done for, laying face-down in the corner. Both girls then set out to worship the Lord, and the song ends with everyone praising Jesus!

I was so proud of the team. Many of them hadnt been involved in these types of dramas before, but they learned so quickly and acted powerfully. Sarah was convincing as the bad girl, and Katherines big smile really did praise God throughout the drama. Gary has a soft heart, so he played a very compassionte Jesus. Casey, though she wasnt in the drama, was a big help in starting the music and making sure it faded out on que.

My quick glances through the crowd during the drama showed a very attentive crowd. The kids were struck with awe. The adultshearts were beating fast, and people were stopping all along the street to see what was going on up on the stage. The best part came after the drama though. While everyones attention was on the stage, Sarah came up and shared her testimony. She spoke about her connection with the character in the drama and how after giving her life to Jesus, she finally found true joy. Ive seen the drama done lots of times, and Ive heard lots of testimonies to go after the drama. But Sarah connected in such a way that nobody could dismiss the saving power of our God. It was an amazing visualization of Gods grace and love.

Pastor Antonio finished up with his sermon on the Prodigal Son. I couldnt understand any of it, but he spoke with a unparralled passion and conviction. The little town of San Pablo experienced an evening dedicated to grace. We didnt have any salvations that night, as far as we know. But the light of Christ shown throughout the town. It was like Joshuas trumpets were bringing down the walls of sin and lies over the San Pablo. Christ is coming in, and its been great to be a part of that work in Guatemala. I cant wait to hear stories throughout the year of how God is changing hearts and lives here.

Philippians 2:14, 15
"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which
you shine like stars in the universe."

Loving the Women and Children

Sat, 18 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Our team had a fantastic experience ministering in San Juan on Thursday. We went out to visit a women's shelter, and spend some time interacting with the women and children. Our team had prayed the day before, and had a strong sense of God wanted us to do while we were there. An older lady, Juana, met us when we arrived in San Juan, and talked our ears off as she guided us to where the women were waiting. She kept telling us, "Thank you, thank you, we appreciate you coming so much." We turned the corner and found about twenty women, waiting on the front porch of the main building. Many children danced around us, others clung shyly to their mothers' skirts.

Sarah began our presentation with a fun game for the kids: "Wah Master", which they loved. Gary & Katherine put their Spanish skills to use and taught them "Gloria a Dios". Within moments, kids were jumping up in their groups, trying to outsing the others. While we had the children's attention, Ashley shared a story and demonstration about sin and the cleansing effect that Jesus has on our lives. Casey rounded out our presentation by sharing her testimony with the women, and inviting them to pray.

As soon as we had closed, the women rushed forward, pushing their children to the front, asking us to please pray for them. We began to hear bits and pieces of their stories, all of them heartbreaking. "This boy's mother died a year ago. We don't know where his father is. Now his grandmother, a widow, is trying to raise him." "I want my child to get an education, but we can't afford the school supplies". "This woman's husband is in prison for killing one of their four children. She's here at the shelter, trying to raise the other three on her own." Though the stories were all different, the request was always the same: Please pray for my child.

Our team split up to pray over and bless each child, then each woman who wanted prayer as well. Although the women will continue to live in difficult circumstances, our team felt so blessed to have the chance to share God's love with them. To remind them that God does care, that He will look after their children, and that they are not alone in this world.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27

Headed to San Juan Today

Thu, 16 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Just wanted to share a short story with you and to let you know what we're up to today.

This photo was taken Sunday night. That's Pastor Antonio in the middle, with Zacheo on the left and Mariano on the right. Both Zacheo and Mariano are men we prayed for our very first day in San Pablo. Zacheo's story, we have told repeatedly. Mariano had not gone to church since his wife passed away years ago. That very first day, we prayed that God would soften his heart and bring him to church so that he could hear of God's amazing love for him. Sure enough, that night and every night since, he has been at our evening services. Praise God for His faithfulness in answering our prayers!

The reason the picture is significant is that, on Sunday night, these two men became members of the church. They have given their lives to Christ and are now a part of His body in San Pablo! There was a third man, Marcos, who also became a member that night, though he is not pictured. Please pray for these three brothers, that God would strengthen them, and that they would continue to fellowship with God's people and hear God's Word on a regular basis.

This afternoon, we are headed out to a women's shelter in San Juan. There are about 20 women and their children there, and none of them know the Lord. We are planning to play games and sing songs with the children, and to share testimonies and present the Gospel with the women. Please pray for our efforts, and pray that God would be glorified in all that we do.