http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org Melanie Barber - July 08 World Race - Returning me to who I am en-us Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:09:31 GMT 30 http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=it-is-only-month-two http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=it-is-only-month-two I serve a good God!   I just wanted to tell you that!   This month at Cicrin Orphanage, nothing has been what I expected.  I expected to have children hanging all over me and to spend the month loving them with all that is in me.   But, as always happens with me, I was wrong.  I was wrong.  (I'm practicing saying this because I have found that it is rather freeing!)  I was wrong AGAIN!    This month has been about the transformation of my mind, learning to serve in every moment, and loving my God with all that is in me.  And in doing so, seeing the Lord in all the places and people that I encounter.   So, in a nutshell, these are the things the Lord has been talking with me about this month:   1.  I am absolutely beautiful!  I just wanted to tell you again in case you haven't already read the other four blogs the Lord had me  write about beauty.  About five days ago, I realized that I still Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=observations-from-an-ohio-girl-on-latin-america http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=observations-from-an-ohio-girl-on-latin-america  There are no traffic laws, or at least none that anyone abides by  Fifteen minutes really means an hour  Being "late" means you are on time  Some "roads" are less traveled by cars and buses and more by cattle, swine, and horses (at least on the Isle de Ometepe!)  Breakfast, lunch and dinner consists of beans and rice, beans and rice, and more beans and rice Waving and beeping your car horn are ways of communicating things such as:  "hello," "do you want a ride?" "I'm going to pass you so get out of the way!" "are you sure you don't you want a ride?"  Time is only of the essence outside of a vehicle....they are never in a hurry until they begin to drive!!  They don't fill in the potholes until they can fit an entire Volkswagon Beetle down into it.   Chicken is the universal meat   The bugs only like the "gringos."  The locals never seem to get bitten!   Oh, and they don't seem to sweat as much as us either!!   Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=a-fish-with-no-agua-in-sight http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=a-fish-with-no-agua-in-sight In response to my first blog about being a fish out of water, a pastor at my church sent the following in an email to me:     "learning a new way to breathe sounds fine until the old way is gone and you are gasping..."   When I wrote the first blog, I did not have any idea that the water was going to completely disappear...  In Mexico, it just felt like I had been "beached" but that I would soon return to the water that was so much like home and included all the comforts that "home" affords.    The Lord has not only given me a new way to breathe, but He has breathed His vision into me as well.  Add all this to the heart that He created in me, mix it with a whole lot of love and compassion, and dump it into some of the most impoverished areas in the world...do you see a picture forming yet or hear the weeping of my soul?    It began during our two day "layover" in Granada, Nicaragua before we came to Ometepe Sat, 9 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=july-update http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=july-update LOCATION UPDATE:   Greetings from Antigua, Guatemala!!  It is a beautiful city with lots of beautiful cobblestone streets.     We have been here since Tuesday for debrief with our coaches, Seth and Karen Barnes.        Three of our teams, including mine, will be heading out at 2:30 AM tonight/early morning and will end in Granada, Nicaragua, where we may be staying for a few nights before we head to Ometepe, Nicaragua.  My team will be working with an orphanage for the next 4 to 5 weeks in Ometepe, which apparently is a beautiful island!!      FINANCIAL UPDATE:   Praise the Lord for His provision!  Thank you to all my supporters and prayer warriors!!  With the actual cash in my account and the pledges, I have met my goal of $13,800!!!!  God has been so faithful in providing me the opportunity to take this jou Sun, 27 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=E2E84A182FAD44BD8C81211E590F74 http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=E2E84A182FAD44BD8C81211E590F74 Antigua, Guatamala God's beauty abounds here.  We were asked last night to seek the Lord about what He might be wanting to "shake" in us, as we are in a city known for its earthquakes. "Your view of yourself," was His reply. He led me to Song of Solomon 4, to which I disregarded. As I read things like "you are beautiful beyond words" and "you have captured my heart, my treasure, my bride," my response was basically "yeah whatever...blah, blah, blah!" This morning as I began seeking the Lord as to what I needed to lose in order to gain more of Him, He once again mentioned how I see myself.  But He was not talking about the overall picture. He was asking me to look in the mirror and begin to see beauty rather than ugliness.  As the tears began to fall and the snot began to run, I realized He was asking for something that I wasn't sure I was ready to give up yet.  Over the last several years, the Lord has talked with me often about my beauty, both Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=i-climbed-another-mountain http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=i-climbed-another-mountain During a team meeting on Thursday morning, I found myself volunteering to "preach" at the church service that evening.  I prefer to call it a "speaking engagement," but nevertheless, I had agreed to speak in front of people, which I do NOT like to do.    As usual, I approached the Lord with a plan in mind, but as usual, He had His own plan.... It always seems to work that way!   One of these days, I will realize that I just need to let Him tell me what to do rather than waste time trying to plan it myself!    During the afternoon and as I walked into town, I found myself multiple times asking "What the heck was I thinking!?  I cant do this!!"  Yet, I trudged on into town and to Iglesia Salim where I was the first to arrive.    As my fellow squad members arrived and began asking how I was doing, I mentioned that I was rather terrified at the prospect of speaking in front of people.  One girl immediately stated, You jus Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=mario http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=mario We met Mario last Monday when we doing street evangelism with our Iglesia Salim friends.  When we first walked up to the group of young guys, I wondered about their stories.  They were laughing and talking outside what looked like an abandoned house.  We invited them to come to church, and Mario came last week.   This is his story.   Mario is twenty years old.  When he came to Iglesia Salim the first night, he was drunk and possibly high on drugs.  He is highly addicted to drugs and alcohol and is a member of a gang.  The first few times he came to church, he would not come in.  He stayed outside on the curb, but we were blessed that he even came.    At first glance, Mario looks like any other twenty year old until you begin to look closer.  As you look into his eyes, you see pain and hurt that is indescribable.  Natalie, my teammate, has had multiple conversations with him this last week, and this is the rest of Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=my-team-per-sara-ellis http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=my-team-per-sara-ellis Hearts Observed This is a blog my teammate Sara just posted that is just wonderful and describes us so well!!! Posted in Mexico by Sara Ellis on 7/16/2008 "Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge." Psalm 62:8   Her heart aches for places she has never seen.  She risks it all as she steps out in the faith that He will catch her.   Her heart breaks for a boy she just met.  Her brokenness for his heart is visible on her face.  Her tears are as real as his pain.   Her heart shutters as she follows a calling she does not understand, as she steps into darkness trusting His light will come.   Her heart bleeds for a team she is still meeting.  Their pain is real to her as she listens to their stories, as she longs to be known.     These are the four women I will spend the year with.  The four women who have a Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=he-calls-her-joy-joys-story http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=he-calls-her-joy-joys-story He calls me Joy.  He says that I am His precious daughter and that He delights in me.  He says that He loves me beyond anything I could ever imagine, but I did not understand it.  I did not understand His love.  I couldnt believe that He really loved me that much because it seemed too far beyond my reach.  I wanted it with all that was in me, but I did not see how He could love me that much.   So, I just kept pushing Him away.  I tried to run from His words.  I tried to run from His embrace.  I tried to run from His delight in me.  Yet in the midst of all the running, He never left me.  He pursued me and pursued me.  I could never really run too far from Him because He was always right at my heels.    And so here I am in Palenque, Mexico.     I realized that somewhere between then and now, I stopped running.  As I was journaling two nights ago, I found myself writing the words, "Just lo Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=our-palenque-church http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=our-palenque-church This is our church, Iglesia Salim .  The name, Salim, comes from John 3.  It is the place where John the Baptist was baptizing people.   (photo by teammate Lisa)   On Monday, we did street evangelism with Pastor Noe and some other members of the church, inviting them to church and praying for any needs that they articulated.  We had at least three people come to church this week that we had spoken with on Monday!  Praise the Lord!!   I am including my fellow teammate, Natalies words to describe this church that we love so much!          "Hallelujahs" and "Glori a Dios" resonate through the back streets of Palenque. An old worn shack that doubles as a Church and home is where these praises drown out the sounds of the children that play near by. Upon approaching our first ministry site God checked me into reality.    Roads are lined with temporary shelters that are permanent homes.  A pe Sat, 12 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=a-fish-out-of-water http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=a-fish-out-of-water This is what I am!  A fish out of water!!  Otherwise known as an "Ohio-Country-Bumpkin" let loose into the world!!  Before I get back to this, here is a quick update as to what we are doing:   *********************************************************************************************   We are currently living at Shekinah Bible School, where Elieazar and his wife Marta provide theological teaching for Mexican pastors all over the area.  This is Shekinah where we are staying.  This is Agua Azul, a waterfall that our squad visited on Saturday for a little rest and relaxation!  Although when we got there, lots of us were looking a little green and/or white from the crazy Mexican driving through the mountains!!     Our squad split yesterday, with three teams going to surrounding villages to minister and three teams, including mine, staying in Palenque, Mexico to minister in local churches.  My team and another team are work Tue, 8 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-last-60-hours--top-10 http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-last-60-hours--top-10 The Last 60 Hours - Top 10   10.  Staying up all night in the Miami airport playing Skip-Bo 9.  A three hour plane ride to Mexico City 8.  Learning how to follow the leader amidst my 31 peers so as not to get lost in the Mexico City Airport 7.  Riding an outside tram to our terminal in Mexico City that reminded me of Cedar Point 6.  Arriving at the Cancun airport to find that only one of our teams had money in the team accounts  5.  Finding out that we had to leave two of our teams at the Cancun bus station because there were not enough tickets for all of us 4.  A 10 hour bus trip to the side of the road in the middle of nowhere where 3 hours later we finally taxied our way into Palenque 3.  Arriving at our destination 52 hours after we began traveling 2.  Having all of our team finally here this morning, except one who should be here by this afternoon! 1.  Beginning The World Race with this amazingly humorous adv Tue, 1 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=you-know-youre-a-soontobe-world-racer-when http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=you-know-youre-a-soontobe-world-racer-when You Know You're a Soon-To-Be World Racer When.... 12.  You often find yourself saying "Is this really happening!?" 11.  Decreasing your backpack weight is your top priority. 10.  Your favorite activity at the end of the day is to check to see if any pledges of support were added to your account. 9.  You find yourself crying for no good reason. 8.  Your to-do list includes things such as "get diarrea pills, take typhoid pill" 7.  You have given away practically everything that you don't plan on carrying with you around the world. 6.  You sleep in the backyard for "practice." 5.  The most common greeting you receive is "How many more days?" 4.  You can recite the 11 countries in 3.8 seconds.  3.  Every fifth thought you have is about one more thing you need to pack. 2.  You can often be seen doing the dishes with your backpack on. 1.  Your standa Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=he-calls-her-joy http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=he-calls-her-joy My Joy is beauty. I hesitate to use the word beautiful as it seems overused. There is a beauty about her that permeates her surroundings. It is a beauty that encourages you to come closer, to touch her, to see what is in her that you are missing. It is a beauty that is healing. Her words, her touch, her voice are soothing to the soul. It is the inner beauty that makes her so physically appealing. She is stunning, but her heart and spirit is what draws you into her. Joy is a servant. She has a servant's heart that fulfills the need, whatever it may be. If she sees someone in need, she will most likely go out of her way to do what needs to be done. It is just the way she is. Some even question her intentions, believing that she must either be crazy or have an ulterior motive. But she doesn't. She just lives to serve. Joy is passionate. When she loves, she loves deeply. When she hurts, she hurts deeply. Her emotions sometimes get the best of her, but her emotions are also one of her gif Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=stories http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=stories As I have been reading through blog upon blog, I have encountered several that were especially insightful.  So, I thought I would provide a few for you! My 5 ALIVE teammate, Sara -  This I Believe...Jesus Ruined My Life Jeff Goins, World Race Marketing/Blogging Extraordinaire - Deflecting the Love of Jesus and Calling It Humility Seth Barnes, The World Race Founder - Being Content In Every Circumstance Dre Lindquist, fellow July '08 World Racer - You and I are no longer 'dalit's Angi Francesco, October '08 World Racer - A Promise Shattered Wed, 14 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=may-update http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=may-update DEPARTURE:  We leave in 46 days!  Our plan is to congregate in Miami on June 28 and head out early morning on Sunday, June 29, 2008 to begin this race in Mexico.  SUPPORT RAISING:   I have been blessed time and again to see the money coming in!!  He is teaching me about faith and trusting Him for my provision.  Here are the facts:  I currently have $4644 in cash in my account with approximately $2200 in pledges which totals $6844!  I am almost halfway to my goal!!  By June 1, I must have $6500 cash in my account, so please continue praying for His abundant provision to fall upon my finances.  I am believing that He will provide all the money I need for the race and ALL the money I need to cover expenses at home while I am away.  The Lord has been speaking to me about the Matthew 10 passage where Jesus was sending out the disciples.  Stay tuned for more on that later! HOW AM I DOING?:  It seems as if I Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=this-i-believe-brokenness-is-a-gift-part-2 http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=this-i-believe-brokenness-is-a-gift-part-2 When I began to consider the things that I believe, the Lord reminded me of the brokenness that happened with Christina and the girls.  As I considered telling the story, I realized that I needed to be able to articulate what it was like for Christina.  So, I asked her to share her point of view.  With her permission, I have chosen to let you read her words. To be honest, I don't even think the first 6 months were all that roughbetween moving from one house to another, your work schedule, and the perception I had of you prior to your moving in (that you were nice, quiet, introvertednot one to "ruffle feathers"  J) the first bit at Mifflin was fine.  Things started getting a bit hairy, I think, when we started the cohort together.  I know that something shifted to where you felt not only like you couldn't measure up (not to who God wanted you to be but rather who you thought I was) but also that you were "wrong" (not guilt-based, but more shame-based).&nbs Wed, 7 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=this-i-believe-brokenness-is-a-gift-part-1 http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=this-i-believe-brokenness-is-a-gift-part-1 We were asked to write an essay called This I Believe  about what really matter to us, as preparation for this world missions adventure called The World Race.  This is what I believe....brokenness is a gift.  Over the course of four months in 2003, I moved in with three girls, began attending seminary, and started attending an inner healing group.  (If you haven't already noticed, God has to use MAJOR changes in my life to get my attention, apparently!!)  Each time that the Lord layed these things on my heart, I was like "are you crazy!?"  But like an other crazy person that is seeking Him, l did what He asked of me.   As I began to assimilate myself into this house of three women, I realized quickly that this was not what I had signed up for. These were really nice women, but they were in my space, in my stuff, and they talked about EvErYtHiNg!!  (Did I mention that they are all counselors!?)  Right:  Tue, 6 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=why-the-world-race http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=why-the-world-race As I prepare to embark upon the most uncomfortable, exciting journey of my life, I keep hearing the question "Why are you going on The World Race?"  So, in case you haven't heard, here is my story! I heard about The World Race through Mallorie Miller, who was a January '07 Racer.  I knew her from A-town and actually had the privilege of having her stay with me for a week a few months before she left. Throughout her year away, I lived vicariously through her blogs as I laughed and cried with the stories she painted.  As I was reading her last two blogs, When Worlds Collide I & II in late November with tears flowing freely, I just kept saying "I want to do this!"  To which my roommate exclaimed, "Why not?"  So, I gave her my list of reasons I believed that I could not do this "crazy race" as I had deemed it in my mind.  To which she replied, "Isn't God bigger than all those things?"  (FYI, I often want to throw things at her amazing Sun, 4 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=he-just-wants-my-stench http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=he-just-wants-my-stench Before I begin to tell my story, I want to share a few lyrics to the Casting Crowns song "Somewhere In The Middle." ...Somewhere between the wrong and the rightSomewhere between the darkness and the lightSomewhere between who I was and who You're making meSomewhere in the middle, You'll find me... Mark Hall from Casting Crowns wrote this song and the following is his response to the question "what is the distance between Sunday and Monday mornings?"  "When we're at the altar, everything makes sense," Hall says. "We know what we're supposed to do. We know how we're supposed to live. Everything's black and white. But somewhere between the altar and the door, when we leave and go out into our lives, it all leaks out, and everything gets gray again. The Christian life is the journey between the altar and door, trying to get the things you've got in your head, into your hands, feet, into your life. The Altar and The Door is all about the journey. The realization on t Thu, 1 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=we-are-5-alive http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=we-are-5-alive I want to introduce my family to you.  Or at least the family that will be running around the world with me this next year.  The following ladies and myself comprise the group, 5 ALIVE!  We came up with this name after much discussion about being precious, being living stones for the Lord (2 Peter 2:1-12), being alive, and well, you will see.  So, here they are: This is our beautiful, fantabulous Sara Ellis!  She hales from the windy city these days and is ecstatic to be throwing all caution to the wind and racing around the world with the rest of us!  From day two of training camp (I didn't meet her until then because she came in late!!), I knew that the Lord had connected the two of us in His random way of doing things!  I am blessed to be traveling the world with this daughter of the King!!               Natalie Montgomery is her name.  This beautiful Texan will be our coordinator and our fi Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=identity-crisis-pretraining-camp http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=identity-crisis-pretraining-camp I am actually writing this blog after training camp but feel that it is necessary to have a pre- and post-training camp blog to articulate the transformation it has made in my life.  For those of you who do not know, I was at training camp April 4-13 for The World Race. Journal Entry 3/29/08 Lord, I am weary, tired and willing.  Willing to let you catch me.  I am falling and have no other alternative.  I can't seem to wrap my brain around how much you love me.  How much you care for me.  And in the midst of this constantly changing world, I fear I have lost sight of who I am.  "Who I am is not enough" is the phrase that keeps repeating in my head.  I feel lost in this world that screams "YOU ARE DIFFERENT!"  Yet I know that Jesus was profoundly different than the people of His time.  So, here I am, once again, between the rails of abandonment and control.  I find myself being cynical and unbelieving.  Disbelief Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=my-identity-a-beautiful-woman-posttraining-camp http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=my-identity-a-beautiful-woman-posttraining-camp This is the sequel to "Identity Crisis (pre-training camp)." I am providing another journal entry here for it articulates my experience at training camp.  It is long, but I feel that it is the best way to articulate my journey from my "identity crisis" to where I am today.  This was what I wrote during our "grief journal" time. Journal entry 4/9/08 This is my attempt at this grief journal thing.  As I was looking in the concordance for grief/mourning, I came upon John 16:16-33 where Jesus is speaking of His death and how they will mourn but then experience joy.  My breath caught at the words in verse 22 "no one can rob you of that joy." I feel like I was robbed of my joy.  Not being allowed to be who I was squelched my joy.  And I long to have it back.  I need to have it back.  Father, Your word says that I will mourn and have sorrow now but that rejoicing will come.  And that no one can take it away.  Lord, I need to return to Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=brief-thoughts-from-training-camp http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=brief-thoughts-from-training-camp This is a brief glimpse of my experience at training camp. I have been broken, challenged, encouraged, wrecked and frustrated.  My Lord is teaching me that I can conquer anything with Him.  Today I conquered an obstacle course with my tentative team.  Instead of declaring that I was "all done" as I was hanging onto a rope ladder, I fought through my inadequacies and defeated the enemy by reaching the top of the tower. Yet not a half hour later, I allowed the enemy to discourage and frustrate me into a bad attitude during another team building exercise.  And I have let it sit on me the rest of the day. This is what I know about my Lord in this moment.  He loves me beyond anything I can understand with this finite mind.  His love is wrecking me.  I am tired, weary and frustrated that my flesh came roaring out right after my victory today.  But my God is bigger than my flesh.  And I will continue to press into His arms and fight this ba Mon, 7 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-world-race-promo-video http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-world-race-promo-video Please take a few moments to watch this video! Mon, 7 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=race-route http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=race-route This is the TENTATIVE race route!!!!   We are SO excited that we even have this much right now....so please be praying about the places we will possibly visit.  The regions will not change but the countries are tentative.    2008 July Race Route July - Central America - Mexico (Palenque) August - Central America - Guatemala/Nicaragua   September - South East Asia - Thailand October - South East Asia - Cambodia November - South East Asia - Vietnam     December - Southern Africa - South Africa January - Southern Africa - Swaziland/Mozambique February - Southern Africa - Swaziland/ Mozambique   March - Eastern Europe - Romania April - Eastern Europe - Moldova May - Eastern Europe - Ukraine Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=support-letter http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=support-letter For those of you who did not experience the privilege of receiving my support letter, here it is for your reading enjoyment....... Greetings!  I hope this letter finds you well.  I am excited to share with you about an opportunity that has come my way.  The Lord has been speaking to me of my desire to be doing missions NOW rather than later because it is what He created me to do.  I was accepted to go on The World Race, which is a ministry of Adventures in Missions.  I will be in 11 countries over 11 months.   As most of you know, I love adventures and doing crazy, random things, but I must say that this one tops them all!  In the last few years, my prayer has been that He would teach me His ways and show me His heart for the unwanted, the unloved, the lost and the forgotten.  This trip will provide me with the opportunity to live as simply and beautifully as Jesus did, loving people and teaching them about Him.    I need your sup Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=preparation http://melaniebarber.theworldrace.org/?filename=preparation Ok, so if you found this page, you probably know me and have heard about what I will be doing this next year!  If you do not know much about The World Race, please check out the World Race Promo Video, which I will put up as soon as I can figure out how to do it. PREPARATION.....this exemplifies my life right now!  The Lord is preparing my mind, body and spirit for this crazy journey around the world that I am about to embarq upon.  In this preparation process, I am learning about lots of things I never considered before, such as tents, backpacks, headlamps, water-proof shoes, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, sleeping bag liners, and the list continues.  By the way, did I mention that I have an aversion to tents!?  I think they stink....My version of camping is sleeping in a really nice RV, which I could never afford.  Thus, I don't camp.  But let me remind you that I am going on a trip where I will live out of a tent for weeks at a time......Pre Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT