“Where you go, I go.  What you say, I say.”

These are words that Martha Lemke has sung and prayed countless times.  It was her anthem as she packed up her life and traveled the world doing missions work for an entire year.  It was her mantra as she went to the broken, the hurting, the outcasts of the world and brought them the Hope of God.  Martha has decided that laying down her own desires are worth the Cost of Christ.  As she traveled the world this year, Martha followed the Lord as he told her to go to some of the darkest places.  She went – and as a result, countless people now know the Love of God.

And now God is telling her to go again.  In January, Martha will be going to Spain for a 6-month training school called G42.  This school specializes in equipping and empowering missionaries and then helping them get to the place on the field God has called them to.

While I traveled with Martha this year, I watched as the Lord broke Martha’s heart for the “least of these”.  Martha has one of the most tender hearts I have ever met.  She often stopped to talk and help people whom others past by.  I watched as the Lord used Martha to show his love to people who had never experienced it before. In the countless times we preached that year – Martha’s message remained the same: “God loves each of you so much.  He wants you to experience that love and grace.  You are worth it.  Nothing compares to the love of God.”  Martha was the one who first stopped and saw Melissa on the side of the road.  Many had passed by her, but Martha refused to let this injustice continue.  Melissa and her brother Patrick were dying of malnutrition and did not have adequate caretakers.  Because of Martha’s love, both Melissa and Patrick are now healthy and living with an amazing Christian family.

G42 will be a launching pad for Martha.  While at the school, the teachers will work together to help Martha achieve her Kingdom Dream.  I simply cannot wait to see what the Lord does through Martha while at G42 and after.  I write Martha’s story to share with you an opportunity for 2011.  Martha will be gone for 6 months and needs to raise support during this time.  Retouch is partnering with Martha to help her achieve her dream and be equipped to touch the nations.  We are launching a new sponsorship program for the next six months.  Below are the different sponsorship options – with each one you receive a different level of collectible photographs.  This is a great cause to donate to this holiday season, and the photographs make great gifts!!  To join the program, simply select which option you want and follow the below instructions.  Thank you for all of your continued support and encouragement!

Option 1 – $10 a month.  You will receive two collectible, signed photographs from Retouch Studios.

Option 2 – $25 a month.  You will receive one collectible, signed photograph from Retouch Studios every other month while Martha is at school.

Option 3 – $50 a month. You will receive one collectible, signed photograph from Retouch Studios every month while Martha is at school.

Option 4 - $100 a month. You will receive two collectible, signed photographs from Retouch Studios every month while Martha is at school!

How to join the program:

1.     Go to http://www.g42leadershipacademy.org/donate

2.     Under “Monthly Donation” select the desired monthly support amount.

3.     Very important! Be sure to write Martha Lemke under “Name of Staff or Intern”.

4.     Complete the Paypal information.

5.     Email Jennifer – RetouchingtheWorld@gmail.com .  I will then send you a confirmation email and you can even choose which photographs you would like to receive!

Thank you so much!  Looking forward to hearing from you!

While Chris has been gone, he has begun to experience God in a whole new way.  The premise behind Harvest School is to bring the students into a new knowledge of the love of God and then minister to others out of that waterfall of affection.  They live in a place where miracles are a daily occurrence.  Every time I hear from Chris, he is sharing a new story about someone that God healed, or an incredible salvation story.  Radical does not even begin to describe this lifestyle.  Chris says he feels like scales have fallen off his heart, and he is finally able to understand and receive the love that God has for him and for the world.  Last week, Chris wrote an incredible blog about the revival they are experiencing there, and he urges Christians everywhere to begin to seek the Lord to do the impossible in their own communities.

I wanted to write about Chris to ask for your prayers over the next few weeks.  On Saturday Chris will be leading a team of missionaries into Sud*n.   They will be ministering to the Muslim villages in southern Sud*n.  Sud*n is a country riddled with war, and peace hangs on the edge of a knife blade.  War has raged between the north and the south and an upcoming referendum threatens to push the militant Muslim leaders in the north over the edge.  The nation has been barely surviving since the devastating events in Darfur, and another war would mean the loss of hundreds of thousands of innocent lives.  It is to this dark place that Chris is stepping foot.  He and his team are bringing the light of Peace to one of the darkest nations in the world.  Their presence in Sud*n could not have come at a more appointed time.  Many people are living in hopeless angst, waiting for the inevitable attacks.  It is in this area that the Hope of Peace will shine brightest.  Please join me in praying for Chris and his team as they embark on a journey that some would label dangerous, but Chris would call a vital necessity.  Let us pray that Chris and his team radiate peace and love in the midst of devastation.  And pray that the Lord protects every step that they take as they travel to carry the Gospel into the darkness.

To read more about Chris’ journeys in Mozambique and Egypt, visit www.ChrisHadsell.com

While traveling, I met some of the most incredible people in the world.  Now that I am home, it is my joy to be able to help them.  I walked with Pastors who had mud-walled churches, filled with only dirt clods for pews.  Yet they worshiped and rejoiced over God’s provision in their lives.  I sat with the poorest of the poor who could not put food on their own table, yet welcomed us into their home and gladly shared what they had.  I listened as children cried at night because of the hunger pain in their bellies.  I watched as men and women of God rose up every day and faced this world’s adversities for the sake of the Gospel.  They never once asked for anything from me – only for me to join them in worshiping the Lord and sharing his love with those who did not now.

I have been so blessed through this year of missions, and I simply can’t let those relationships and people go.  By creating Retouch, it is my goal to unite people in America with people all over the world who are in need.  It is my dream to sell my photography and use those proceeds to help change the lives that changed me.  I am overjoyed to share this project with you, and I hope you will take a few minutes to read through the different stories of Christians all over the world.  On the website, the Projects link has a list of the people that Retouch is currently supporting.  And you can read through the Blog for updates and stories from people overseas.

Now that it is the holiday season, I have been busy getting all of the pictures printed and ready to be sold.  I am happy to share with you my new Etsy Shop which has all of my work for sale at a great price.  100% of the sales go straight back to the people Retouch sponsors.  I would be honored for you to visit the store and look through the items.  The pictures make great Christmas presents and are an awesome way to give back.

I was so blessed to have so many amazing supporters during my travels.  I cannot thank each one of your enough for your prayers and support.  It is because of you that this dream is a reality.  I am so excited to see where the Lord takes this project, and I ask you to continue to join me in prayer that he continues to open up doors for us to reach out and touch many lives all over the world.

I have deliberately avoiding this blog for a while.  I have been back for 50 days now.  When I think about the Race, it still feels like I just got home.  I still feel like I am finding my footing and getting a grasp on this reality called “Home”. The past three and a half months has flown by, and it still feels like I am waking up in Cambodia getting ready to teach English.  The reason I have been avoiding this blog is because every time I see it, I am reminded of the incredible year the Lord gave me.  The World Race was the most amazing thing I have ever done.  It wasn’t just a yearlong missions trip to me – I felt the race become me.  I felt myself mesh with each experience I had this past year, so much so that I can truly say that I left part of myself in Romania…and Turkey…and Kenya…and Thailand…and the list goes on and on.  And the Lord blessed me with the most amazing girls I have ever met with my life.  My heart is permanently fused with these incredible women of God.  So how do I even begin to go one with life, while so much of myself is scattered all over the world?  Do I try pry each piece out of every country?  Do I try to pull away from my friendships so that I can attempt to reassemble the heart that the Lord so tediously broke this year?  But the question I have been wrestling with since I got back is, Am I truly supposed to be whole?  I think I have finally come to realize that each part of me that I feel in another place is the piece that the Lord put there for a reason.

I planned and prepared for coming home as best I could.  While on the Race I took tons of time to try to process what happened the past year, and try to prepare myself for coming home.  And now, 50 days later, I feel like I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface.  It has taken me a while to come to grips with the fact that the year is over, and I now live in America, with a permanent address.  I have spent the past three months missing the Race and the amazing people that I traveled with.  And now, I think I am finally ready to try and do them justice.  I think I am at the place where I can write more about what I experienced in each country, and try to paint a picture for my readers of exactly what this year entailed.  I was talking with a friend the other week, and he mentioned that he missed the post on my blog that summed the year up.  And it’s true, I haven’t gotten there yet.  I haven’t been able to put into words exactly what happened to me this year, but I am finally ready to try.  So I thank everyone who follows this blog regularly, and for all of your prayers and support over this year.  I truly could not have gone without each one of you.  And thank you for your patience as I try to find my footing on this new land called Home.

I am home now.

I am here.

And I am ready to share it with you.

That concept was hard enough for me to wrap my mind around when we started ministry in Cambodia.

And now, 30 days later, our month of ministry is now over.

That idea is even harder for me to comprehend.

Not only has our time in Cambodia flown by, but when I think back over this race, it seriously feels like I’ve only been gone a month.

I could not imagine a better way to finish our time of ministry.  We had an excellent placement this month.  We have been in Kampong Cham, one of the biggest cities in Cambodia teaching English.  Our contact was an incredible woman named Cecil, from the Philippines.  She works with YWAM and runs a Youth Development Center here.  She, along with five other amazing women, teach English every day to the students here, many of which are Buddhist and Muslim.  I really loved our time here.  My team got to teach English classes and give the girls a break.  This is my second time teaching English in Asia, and I fell in love with it all over again.  In January of 2009 I got to teach English in South Korea for a while.  I loved it so much, and I am so honored to be back in Asia teaching again.  I love forming relationships with the students, and helping them develop their English skills.  Because the Development Center is run by missionaries, English is just an entry-way into these student’s lives.  The teachers really strive to disciple and encourage the students to a faith in Jesus.  It was amazing to hear the Gospel presented to our students, and watch them really accept the truths of Jesus Christ.

We also got a chance to tour this beautiful city and spend time with the villagers here.  One day, Martha and I took our bikes to the river and just rode around.  We came upon a sweet little village made of cardboard and tin sheets.  Instantly we were accepted in and all of the children started posing for our cameras.  I am really going to miss being able to walk up to any community and be instantly accepted.

This month has been amazing to get to pour out into the people here.  It has been filled with lots of great times with my wonderful “Phene Girls” and has given us a chance to truly begin processing the end of this race.

…And did I mention we had BIKES this whole month

And now we are leaving tomorrow morning….We have just over a week left on the race.  The next few days will be filled with lots of reminiscing, tons of laughing, filled with memories, and certainly a lot of tears.  I am really going to miss this incredible group of people that the Lord has brought into my life.  I am so thankful for the wonderful experience.  And I am still in awe of all the amazing things I saw God do around the world this year
Thank you so much to all of you who supported me throughout this journey!  Not only has it been the missions trip of a lifetime, but I truly feel like it is a launching pad into my next step of ministry.  I want each of you to know that I would not be here today if it were not through all of your prayers and encouragement.  To my amazing supporters back home:  Thank you so much!  I hope you know how many lives you have changed this year (If not, then go back and read a few of my Africa blogs, and know that you are making a HUGE impact on the world).  I can’t wait to tell you all stories in person when I get home.  I am looking forward to lots of hugs, tons of quality time, and certainly endless amounts of Starbucks Coffee.

Until then, I am going to try to soak up these next 9 days as best as I can, and continually live in the moment – the amazing little moments that God gives us every day!

Our month in Vietnam came and went faster than I had wanted.  I still can’t get my mind around the fact that I will be home in 30 days.  I didn’t really know what to expect when we arrived in Vietnam.  My whole squad was stationed right in the middle of Tourist Central, Nam style.  Our hotel was situated between countless souvenir shops, bootleg movie stores, and restaurants promising the best “Western” cuisine.  Stepping out of the hotel I could see countless travelers, all loaded down with their backpacks searching for the next big adventure.  To take one step away from the Hotel meant I was willing to risk certain death because the only thing worse than the heat and humidity in Vietnam is the motorbikes.  To say that there are thousands of crazy motorists on the streets at all times, well that would be an understatement.  Just going across the street to get some water was like playing a giant game of Frogger with my life.  Not only were the streets filled with motorists, but add in countless vendors selling their latest catch, hundreds of peddlers selling odds and ends, flashing disco lights, endless carhorns, the constant smell of fish, and a temperature that always stayed above 100 degrees and you get the idea of what it was like walking of our hotel every morning.

Despite the business and constant sensory overload, I really enjoyed our month in Vietnam.  Vietnam is technically a closed country, which means it is illegal to evangelize.  It also means that it is illegal to gather together for any sort of meeting without the government’s approval.  So while is it technically not illegal to be a Christian, it is difficult for Christians to gather together for worship and share their faith with people.  There are some government approved churches in Vietnam, but these churches have to follow strict government protocol, and don’t leave much room for freedom.  These circumstances provided us with an array of different ministries.  I got the chance to go to the countryside and visit underground churches.  Here we did discipleship with the youth, encouraged the congregations, and shared our testimonies about what the Lord is doing all over the world.  I sat as I heard one pastor’s story of beginning his church at the age of 19.  At this time the government was great opposed to Christianity, and every time the government found out he had a convert, he had to work countless hours in the tiring heat for days on end without food.  The pastor said it was grueling work, but he smiled the whole time because he knew one of his little sheep had found their way home.  The commitment and devotion of these pastors absolutely humbled me and encouraged me to pray for the Underground Church all over the world.

One of my favorite ministries was going to the many different orphanages and children’s homes in Ho Chi Minh.  I got to hold tiny precious babies who were infected with HIV, dance and sing with children with mental disabilities, and love on kids who did not have a mother or father.  I absolutely loved getting to love on all of these precious ones.  One of my favorite memories was when I was playing with two boys who had mental disabilities.  We were walking through a Buddhist Temple and suddenly I had an idea.  I reached into my bag and pulled out my two cameras.  I placed one around each of their necks and they proceeded to dance and squeal as they spent the next hour taking pictures of every single thing they could.  I loved watching a passion of mine be able to touch other people’s lives.

Our month in Vietnam flew by like a Vietnamese motorist on a mission.  I am thankful for all of the time I got to spend there, and am blessed to have gotten to meet so many incredible individuals with unwavering passion for Christ admits a country devoted to a god made by man’s hands.
And now we’re on to Cambodia.

On to 30 more days of the Race.

On to one more big adventure before I get home.
Here’s to going out with a bang – Kingdom style.

I really miss Africa, but the Thai people have made me fall in love with this part of the world all over again.  This month we were assigned to a church up north in Thailand.  We worked with a WONDERFUL pastor in his house church all month.  I think this month has for sure been my most fun yet.  Our pastor is an incredible man and he filled our days with tons of great ministry and lots of laughs.
To begin the month, we arrived on the Thai New Year.  Now, I don’t know if you’ve ever been in Thailand during the New Year, but if you have then you certainly would not have survived it dry.  For the New Year people drive around and proceed to throw water on each other for three days! It is hilarious and SO much fun.  We are already thinking up ways to bring this hilarious adventure to the US.

The first assignment our team had was to run an English camp.  We were told that the students did not know any English, so our first day was filled with teaching “Hello” and “How are you?”.  It actually turns out that the students spoke very good English and were ready for an advanced challenge.  Even though the camp was only three days, we all bonded really quickly.  I was amazed at how hard the students worked and how much they actually wanted to learn.  They were incredible, and I am really proud of th

em.  God really blessed me with the students of that camp.  We were only there three days, but I could really see the impact that we had on the students.  Even though it was only a short time.

The next day our Pastor took us to visit some of the villages up in Northern Thailand.  In these villages, many people have yet to hear the incredible news about Jesus and it was wonderful to be able to pray and share God’s love with them.  In some of my missions classes in College, we studied people groups exactly like these in Thailand.  I felt like I was living out part of my childhood dreams of going into a village and sharing God with people who had never heard it before.  I really loved working with the hill tribe people.

We also got to have many adventures this month.  I learned that “ministry” is just as much spending time with the people, as it is holding Bible studies and preaching.  Our pastor planned lots of fun stuff for us, including swimming in the river with our clothes on, exercise classes with the locals, dancing at a Buddhist monk’s acceptance ceremony, giving gifts to many people in the community, and even playing soccer with the locals.  That’s right, I played soccer…me who hates to exercise and hates to run even more…I played soccer, and you know what? I actually enjoyed it!  (Mostly because my team won and I made an assist on a corner kick.  I still don’t exactly know what that means, but I did it!)  My favorite part of the month, though, was getting to know our wonderful pastor and his amazing family.  We also had an incredible translator, Nat, who I am obsessed with.  She is a college student and an amazing Christian girl.  She has a passion for the Lord and is simply perfect.

All in all, Thailand was the perfect beginning to our 3-month Asian adventure.  We are leaving tomorrow for Vietnam, so I don’t think I will be able to blog much before June.  I bought my plan ticket home today and will officially be back in Atlanta on July 1^st!!  I cannot wait to see all my wonderful friends and family! I am so excited to share with you in person all of the amazing things that God has done this year!

I have also included a video of my Thai students doing a skit about Jesus in English.  Enjoy!

Do you ever have those people in your life who you know God made to be in your life at the perfect time?  My friend Lindsay is that for me.  About 6 months ago, our teams got changed around and Lindsay and I were put together, along with Martha and Ashley – two of my best friends in the whole world (don’t worry, I’ll be writing about them later this week).

So back to Lindsay.  This girl is the most passionate, exciting, powerful woman I have ever met.  She is such an example to me.  My whole life I have dreamed of a life that I wish was possible – a life where people stopped on every street corner to pray for the sick, spend hours talking to God, and genuinely hear His voice when He speaks.  It is a life that I always wanted for myself, but was too afraid to step out and do.  Lindsay, on the other hand, boldly lives her life each day constantly stepping out and going after the big things of God.  The best part is, she is not one of those “crazy out of this world, can’t approach them” type of people.  She is the most hilarious and genuine person that I have ever met (Enter nickname: Witty Nelson).  As I have watched her grow and mature this year, there is no doubt in my mind that this girl is going to do INCREDIBLE things in her life.  And I don’t mean just cool, out-of-the-ordinary things…I mean the type of things that books are written about and that start a revolution.  I have affectionately named Lindsay HBIT, short for Heidi Baker In Training.  If you don’t know much about Heidi Baker, please google her immediately (Let’s just say over 3,000 churches planted and over 60 people raised for the dead for short).

The past few months Lindsay and I have both felt the call to begin laying down our lives for the Lord.  Over the past few months God has called us to place many things on the altar of Abraham.  It has been the things that we hold most dear, and even things that other people might not understand.  A few weeks ago, Lindsay’s favorite shoes broke.  Now I know that may sound trivial, but if you knew what I knew about those shoes, then you might understand.  To Lindsay, these were much more than shoes.  They were the very last bit of herself that she brought on the race, all the way from California.  They were the last tangible thing that connected her to her old life back in America.  A life filled with Coffee Shops, Vintage music and thrift stores.  They were an actual representation of the life that God asked Lindsay to sacrifice and lay down.  Now, when God asks us to lay things down, it is not because he enjoys our pain.  Instead, he asks us to let go of the things we hold most dear so that he can give us the most wonderful things instead.  As I have watched Lindsay lay down her very heart before the Lord, I have seen him give it back and bless her a hundred times over.  Her life is filled with healings, power, prophecy and incredible experiences with the Lord.

I want to share Lindsay’s story with you as an encouragement and a challenge.  I believe that God is always calling us to sacrifice things for him.  Sometimes it is big things that are hard to let go of, sometimes it is our small daily desires that he wants.  I don’t know what is it in your life, but I want to encourage all of us to step up to the altar of Abraham and allow God to burn away any desire that is not of him.  God is passionate about our hearts, and he is terribly in love with us.  Today, may we come to truly understand what it means to be blessed through sacrifice.

Lindsay wrote a great blog about her shoes which you can read HERE.

Our friend Ashley also made a great video about the event.  Enjoy!

lindsay’s shoes. from ashley higgins on Vimeo.

Our African journey started back in December with our longest travel day yet.  Ashley Higgins made this hilarious video about our journey from the Middle East to Kenya.

Life in Africa can be a bit challenging at times to say the least…Team Mosaic made a video about all of the “lessons” we have had to learn since arriving here.

The Life of a World Racer from Nicole Marett on Vimeo.

While ministry in Africa at times can be difficult, more often than not they are the most rewarding experiences of our life. The video below is of a boy named Barak. He was a boy who my friend Birkleigh met on a bus and spoke with and who accepted Jesus!

jesus loves barack. from ashley higgins on Vimeo.

Ashley Higgins, videographer extraordinaire strikes again. She created this beautiful video about the lives of the precious people we have met in Africa.

brighter days. from ashley higgins on Vimeo.

After three successful months we are off to Asia!! Nicole Marett recorded our full day journey to get from Kenya to Thailand! Enjoy!

Travel Daze from Nicole Marett on Vimeo.

While I wouldn’t say that not seeing any snakes sums up my African experience…it sure does make me feel a whole lot better!  We have successfully finished our ministry in Africa and are currently in Bangkok, Thailand getting ready for three months of ministry in Southeast Asia.

So what can I say to sum up my three-month journey in Africa?  How could I even begin to sum up my incredible experiences on this wonderful continent?  I think the one word I would use would be Powerful.  I saw God power displayed in Africa like never before.

In Kenya, God broke my heart for the street kids – orphans who had no home and no hope.  Armed with a few hundred dollars that three of us girls raised (mostly donated by our wonderful Israeli mother, Tirza!) we set out to cloth and feed what we thought was going to be only about 15 children.  After a long and stressful trip to the grocery store, Martha, Ashley and I arrived at the church…along with about 50 children.  Knowing we had only purchased things for about a dozen of these precious children, we were at a loss on what to do.  So what would any good World Racer do in that situation?  Impromptu VBS!  Needless to say, God demonstrated his power and his love for the street kids as every single one of them went away with full hands.

As I reached Uganda I had no idea for the amazing month that I was in for. Uganda has been one of my favorite months on the race so far.  It was here that I became very away of the spiritual climates of places, and literally saw people operating under the worship of demons.  I watched God continually demonstrate his power as He set his children free!  One of my favorite memories was going into the schools, many of which were held outside under the trees for lack of buildings.  Here, as I presented the Gospel message, I watched as entire schools of children bowed their heads and accepted God as the Lord of their life.  Talk about powerful!

Arriving in Tanzania, I was exhausted to say the least.  We ran hard in Uganda, and saw God appear like never before.  The Lord displayed his power to me in a much different way this month.  We were blessed with wonderful contacts that provided us with a lot of time to rest and to spend time with God.  I learned what it means to truly rest in the Lord and to be quiet before him.  It was difficult for me at first to not be in 24/7 ministries, but the Lord spoke powerfully to me this month.  He spoke both to me, and through the incredible community around me.   I am so thankful that God provided me with time to rest in Him and learn to hear his voice more clearly, especially as we set out for our last leg of the Race.

God was so present and powerful in Africa.  I saw him perform many miracles and melt countless hearts with his love…hearts including my own.  I watched as things I had only read about happened right in front of my eyes…. things that I always hoped were possible, but never believed could happen in my life.  God is so powerful and so loving!!  I am now in Asia trying to shift gears and get acclimated to an entirely new culture, but I still find myself rejoicing over the wonderful things God did in Africa, and looking forward to the incredible things he will do in Asia!