So I lost my phone during month 3 of the Race. Not having a phone during the remaining 8 months meant that I wouldn’t be taking very many photos through out those months. Luckily I had a lot of teammates who took plenty of photos and photos often tell a much bigger story than words ever could so I thought I’d provide a blog in pictures and give you a tiny glimpse of what drives me to live a life of missions.
Traveling
Traveling around the world can look very different than in the states.
You usually have to be flexible, sometimes quite literally.
You tend to travel in a variety of ways. Sometimes you might even find yourself in the back of a police car.
motorcycles and bicycles are common place around the world and sometimes your only form of transportation.
You better like people because often you have to squeeze to fit everybody.
On travel days you try to rest whenever possible.
Traveling the world can have you using a variety of forms of transportation.
Even a lawn mower (kidding but its possible.)
(photo cred: Josh Pareja Instagram)
Some Tuk Tuk’s in Thailand are powered by tractors.
Culture
Doing missions allows you to experience God’s beautiful creations from the food to the landscapes.
Ministry host in Ecuador provided us with lunch.
Latin America has some of the worlds best cuisines.
Fish and rice is popular throughout the world.
You wont always be eating at a table either.
Street food is popular regardless of where you may be.
Even the more exotic kind.
You’re probably in need of a coffee break, just make sure its instant Nescafe!
(photo cred: Josh Pareja Instagram)
No seriously as a missionary, you’re gonna need a LOT of coffee especially when kids are involved.
Now that you have your coffee shall we continue?
Life around the world looks very different.
(photo cred: Josh Pareja Instagram)
Bicycles go to see the end of their lives in Ghana, surprisingly it turns out to be a great location for evangelism and it so happens to be right next to a pig slaughter house.
spending time with the father walking through his beautiful creation can be a great way to connect with the father and find peace.
some days you might find yourself sharing lunch with a Peruvian potato farmer.
Some people live in clay huts.
(photo cred: Josh Pareja Instagram)
Others live on water.
for school children learning takes place in a variety of ways.
In Cambodia, Vietnamese children learn English by having two classes in the same class and through hangman.
In Ghana, school children learn about Jesus through song and dance while wearing matching school uniforms.
Buildings around the world don’t speak, but their walls tend to say a lot.
(photo cred: Josh Pareja Instagram)
Bullet hole and mortar rattled walls show the scars of a painful war ridden past and a future that is desperately seeking hope in Sarajevo, Bosnia.
In Medellin, Colombia a luxurious estate sits in ruins and a shell of its former self. It shows the struggle of a country with drugs and its attempt to overcome it.
Ministry
Missionaries often take on many roles and must be adaptable.
You can often find them being constructive and building things.
Or destructive. In Romania we tore down walls literally so that pastors could have a place to learn to tear them down spiritually
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often times we are called upon to be preachers and encourage teachers.
you can usually find us praying for one another.
We can often be found gently loving on the children of the village we live in.
Did I mention the children?
No seriously, Missionaries are basically jungle gyms who get hungry from time to time.
Sometimes games can get pretty competitive when Jesus and children are involved.
I think Jesus mentioned a thing or two about the joy of children, they tend to bring me lots of joy as well. Maybe its because I tend to be childlike myself.
On some days you just have to hug dogs as a form of ministry.
In Ecuador, a soccer ball was our tool to help spread the gospel.
It tends to be pretty effective in the streets of Africa as well. (My dancing tends to look a lot like this)
Often times your ministry hosts become your ministry.
You might be blessed with an opportunity to share the gospel with a village chief and the rest of his people. (Oh the birds)
Worship can look very different around the world. It could be a single person singing acapella or it could be an entire orchestra made out of whatever instruments were found laying around. Regardless it provides a joyful noised to the father’s ear.
Sometimes in missions you don’t necessarily agree on everything.
And then there are the days you just go crazy.
It’s probably pretty obvious, I have a heart and passion for missions. I love people I want to help bring out the same passion I have in others and walk with them as they go through life recklessly pursuing Jesus. However I believe that I need to be discipled myself and become a better leader before I can effectively lead others. For me CGA gives me that opportunity to become that. In order for others to be filled up by us, we must first be poured into by others. This is an opportunity for me to be poured into and developed as a leaders living a life on mission.
Oh BTW………… Did I mention the sweet children?
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