World Race 2008 Stacy Alonzo - My Aletheia Life

I'm Moving

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Change is a good thing and this is a great day for change. This will also be the last time I post anything new to this blog. If you have not already heard the news, Brian and I will be squad leading the World Race August '09 K Squad. We are now officially on staff and with this new chapter in our lives comes a new blog. This blog (stacyalonzo.theworldrace.org) will still remain active, however we will now both be posting together on the same blog located at.. wait for it...

http://thealonzos.theworldrace.org

If you are a current subscriber to this blog, don't worry. You wont have to change a thing. Your current subscription will automatically be moved over to the new blog so you can still receive all of our updates in this new and exciting chapter of The World Race we are moving into. While we are very excited about this new staff position, there is still very much a financial need. As full time World Race staff we are still relying on the support raised for this ministry. We will be back on the field again in less than a month training and equipping this new group of racers, and upon return in 4 months will remain on staff with World Race as support from the States. Please keep us in your prayers as we are now seeking long term supporters to partner with us as we step into full time ministry. Thanks and God Bless!

Flashback: Guatemala (August 2008)

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Antigua, Guatemala - We had our first (and only) race to this gem of a city for our first debrief. The race and its aftermath allowed topics that had been building to surface within our small team. We began to move past the "honeymoon phase" and tackle issues such as roles, expectations, communication, and unity.

Lake Atitlan, Guatemala - We were blessed to stay in a beautiful house in Panajachel. This month was a long month of both serving alongside established contacts and pioneering new ones. We found ourselves doing a plethora of things throughout the month such as kids programs, house visitations, dramas, teachings in a coffee shop, physical labor alongside the Global Challenge Team and a lot of relationship building. The small team was particularly challenging for me this month, as we tried to figure out what community living should look like among 3 married couples who didn't necessarily have a lot in common or blend very well personality wise. I learned a lot about choosing to love and seeing people through God's eyes instead of my limited perspective. This was also a month of physically feeling under the weather quite a bit. However, the lake and it's surrounding villages and people were absolutely beautiful. And, I was even blessed with birthday money which allowed me to go paragliding and enabled Brian and I to go out on a few dates. :)

Below are a few photos of our time in Guatemala, and Brian has posted a Guatemala video as well. To see more photos, visit my Guatemala Photo Album on our personal website.

Antigua, Guatemala

Girl on the streets of Antigua

Cross on the hill - Antigua

Boy shining shoes - Antigua

Woman in traditional clothing, carrying goods - Antigua

This is a tuk-tuk - our typical means of land transportation in Guatemala.

Woman and baby in the market - Antigua

We climbed this active volcano - Mt. Pacaya.

Beautiful Lake Atitlan

Captain's helper on one of the boats we would take across the lake to the different villages for ministry.

Siblings playing after a children's program in San Pablo.

Brian and Pastor Trinidad

A little boy at the orphanage we worked at in Panajachel.

Girl on the streets of San Pedro.

A little boy trying to sell us goods on the street.

Flashback: Mexico (July 2008)

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This is the first of 12 blogs that will take you back through each month of my World Race journey to date through words, pictures, and video that Brian and I have not had a chance to share yet.

Palenque, Mexico - With excitement, we received our launch training by Jimmy, Ashley, Seth, and Karen at Shekinah,a training school for pastors, run by a couple with incredible faith, Eleazar and Marta. We also had an opportunity to see the Mayan ruins and Agua Azul in our downtime.

Trinidad (formerly Aguilar), Mexico - We worked alongside Pastor Adelina in her church doing children's programs, dramas, worship, and preaching. The value of "being" versus "doing" was reiterated over and over, as during the day when we were not at the church, we did not really have many tasks to do. Brian and I continued to learn the delicate balance of leading and following as it relates to both marriage and team dynamics. I learned just how far simply listening to and loving on people can go and the importance of building relationships with others regardless of how long (or short) of a time you have to spend with them...love's impact is enduring.

Brian made a short video of our time in Palenque and Trinidad, and below are a few photos as well. You can see many more pictures in my Mexico photo album on our personal website.

Agua Azul, waterfalls in Chiapas, Mexico

A local riding through Trinidad.

Praying for Miguel.

A few of the kids at the church in Trinidad.

More Trinidad.

More kids.

Brian relaxing at Alfredo's house.

Birthday celebrations in Palenque.

Birthday cake, Mexican style.

Special Delivery

Thu, 2 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We have done our best to send postcards and thank you notes to all of our supporters over the course of the year. However, for any of our supporters whom we were not able to send an actual postcard or handwritten note to - anonymous donors, supporters who are not Stateside, and anybody whom we do not have a physical addresses for - we wanted you to receive our thank you as well. So, please consider this a special delivery of what we wished we could have sent directly to your mailbox at home...a big, heartfelt thank you to you all! This year would not have been possible without you!!!

Get 'em while they're hot!

Thu, 2 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

You, too, can sport this trendy t-shirt and simultaneously support an amazing cause through your purchase!

Click on the image below or contact us for ordering details and more info.

Dating, World Race Style

Wed, 1 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In an effort to keep our marriage healthy while out on the race, we made the decision before the race to try to continue to have our "date nights" just as we did while in the States. Knowing that it might be difficult to have a date on a weekly basis out on the race, we determined that at the very least we would spend the last night in each country on a date. We thought it would be fun to, instead of buying souvenirs with our personal spending money each month, buy an authentic outfit from each country to wear out on our monthly dates. This is a collection of pics of our outfits/dates from throughout the year.

Mexico - We had a delicious breakfast at the Mexico City Embassy Suites, courtesy of a free voucher we had leftover from a stay in the States on our anniversary the year before.

Guatemala - We had a nice dinner at El Patio and enjoyed walking around Panajachel the rest of the evening.

Vietnam - We dined at The Black Cat

Cambodia - We had a progressive style dinner...cocktails, appetizers, main course, and dessert all at different places. Then we walked around the night market.

Thailand - We decided to buy pajamas as our outfit for Thailand and have a date night in the comfort of "home." We ordered pizza and watched a movie on our laptop.

England - We had a few days off between Christmas and New Years, so we had a couple date days and spent them touring the sites of London. Since England was an unexpected stop on the race, we had no winter clothing with us. So, we didn't buy any traditional outfits here, as we spent our personal spending money for the month on buying jackets, scarves, hats, etc. to keep warm.

Mozambique - These are actually clothes that we received as gifts from the people at the church we worked with in Mozambique...can't get more authentic than that. There wasn't a place for us to go out to on our date since we were in the Bush, so we had a delicious dinner made by our contact, Jonathan, complete with grass mats and citronella candles on the front porch of Jurie's farmhouse.

Swaziland - Unfortunately we thought we would be coming back to Swazi after being there for the Vision Trip. Plans changed and we did not have the pleasure of returning, so we never had a chance to have our date in this beautiful country.

3 Year Anniversary Date - South Africa - We were able to get away to a nice part of Johannesburg for the night, walk around Nelson Mandela Square, and have a fancy dinner out at Bull Run to celebrate our anniversary.

South Africa - We enjoyed the food so much at Bull Run that for our traditional date night in South Africa, we went back, only this time we wore our South African garb.

Romania - Our date was taking a walk down to the local magazine (store) for some ice cream, Gypsy style.

Moldova - We did not have a chance to find any traditional outfits here, nor did we have the time to go on a date.

Ukraine - We opted to spend our personal spending money for the month on a nice outfit for our end of the year banquet with our squad instead of buying traditional Ukrainian clothing. This is us at the banquet with the other two married couples who made up our small team this year.

Introducing the K Squad!!!

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

If you've read Brian's latest blog, you know that we will be going back out on the field as squad leaders for the next World Race squad that leaves in August (Team 2). I wanted to take a minute to introduce you to the amazing group of men and women that we will be serving alongside. We had the privilege of being with them during their training last month and the following pictures were taken during their commissioning service the last night of training. Enjoy!

K Squad Commissioning from Stacy Alonzo on Vimeo.

2 Weddings and a Birthday

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Being back Stateside these past few weeks has been a wonderful but crazy whirlwind for Brian and I as we've been visiting family and friends. We've had a chance to catch up with many of our loved ones and were able to make it to my dad's remarriage, my sister's wedding, and my sister-in-law's birthday, but we still have many people we'd love to see. For the next few weeks, however, we're taking some time away to just be the two of us again. As we recharge, reconnect, and reflect, we'll be posting those videos and pictures from this year that we promised to share, so stay tuned. In the meantime, here are a few pics of some of the celebrations and visits these past few weeks.

We're Back!

Sat, 6 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We are now back in the States and are currently in Charleston, SC. We are only here 10 days visiting with family and trying to see as many friends and supporters as possible in the short time that we have here. There are so many stories, pictures, and videos from the year that we want to share with you and have not had a chance to post, so over the next several weeks we will begin sharing these with you, focusing on one country each week. We want to give a HUGE thank you to all of our supporters. This year would not have been possible without your prayers and support. As the Lord continues revealing what is next for us we will keep everyone posted. In the meantime, here is a video made by Lindsay Stahl (one of our squad mates). It's a great summary of the year and some of the people we met that touched our lives.

World Race July 2008 from Lindsay Stahl on Vimeo.

Here 'Til the End!

Wed, 4 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT

THANK YOU!!!

Thanks to all of your prayers and financial support, we will NOT have to leave the WR prematurely due to lack of funds in our support account. In just one month, $5600 in pledges and donations were made. If there was ever a question as to whether or not we are still supposed to be out here, we definitely have our answer. What an amazing answer to prayer and testament to God's provision!

Our physical costs (transportation, housing etc.) up to March 1st are now fully raised, but we still need your help. While the rest of our team is heading into Malawi and Swazi for more ministry, AIM has asked us to stay put in Nelspruit just a little longer to continue to support raise until we have met the physical costs to cover the last 3 months. This amount is $3000. After already being away from ministry for a month, we are really itching to get back on the field and serve. As soon as the $3000 comes in, we can jump back into outreach. To contribute to our support account please click on the "Support Me" link on the left.

Again, we cannot thank you enough for the blessing that you have been through all of your prayers, encouragement, and monetary gifts. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Raise It Up (Video)

Mon, 9 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Raise It Up from Stacy Alonzo on Vimeo.

February Newsletter

Sun, 8 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This is our February Newsletter that we just sent out to our email supporters. If you did not receive this newsletter, we don't have your updated email and would love to add you to our list...just contact us with your email and we will be sure you receive our next update! :)

Urgent Support Needed

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hello family, friends and faithful readers,

This entire year has been a year of living on faith and we are so blessed to have so many people who have believed and supported us through prayers, encouraging words, and financial gifts. We are so appreciative and can assure you that you are making a difference in the lives of many around the world. We have come to crisis point in our support account and are now in danger of having to cut our trip short and go home. Here are the details:

Support left to raise for the year: $11,227

Amount needed by March 1st: $6,840

If we do not meet this goal, we will be headed back to the States on March 1st.

Please be praying for the rest of our support to come in and if you are able, helping us to meet this goal through a monthly or one time donation. No gift is too small. To support us, click on the Support Me link to the left of this blog.

Thank you and God Bless!

Thank You!!!

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

We just wanted to send a big THANK YOU your way for all of your love and support over the past 5 months! Those of you whose snail mail addresses we have should have already received this postcard in the mail. However, we wanted to make sure that EVERYONE who has been supporting us by reading, praying, and giving financially receives it. We hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving...eat some extra turkey and stuffing for us! :)

Love and miss you all!

p.s. If we don't have your home address and you'd like to receive occasional mailings, please let us know

November Newsletter

Thu, 6 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This is a copy of our latest update letter that we sent out via email. If you did not receive it, we do not have your current email. Please contact us with your email address and we will gladly add you to our list of supporters. Thanks! :)

Asia Bound

Mon, 1 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Just wanted to give a quick update to let you all know that we will be leaving Guatemala bright and early in the morning. We will be traveling over the next several days to Bangkok via Mexico City, L.A., and Taipei. A few days will be spent debriefing on an island near Bangkok, then the remainder of the month will be spent serving in Vietnam. Please keep us in your prayers as we travel. Much love!

If Not Me, Who?

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

It's 3:30 am and I can't sleep. Brian is lying beside me coughing his lungs up. He's been sick for two weeks now. But it's not his coughing that is keeping me awake.

I have watched my husband's growth in leadership be redefined since we've left the States and could not be more proud. He's been doing such an amazing job at leading not only our small team, but stepping up within our squad as well. I have watched him run circles around logistics, usher our squad to exactly where they need to be with the utmost sensitivity to the Spirit, and handle complex interpersonal situations with extreme love and grace. It has not been easy for him, but he has pushed through like a champ, always doing what is best for the team with an unselfish disregard for how it might affect him personally.

So why are these thoughts keeping me from my precious beauty sleep?

Brian and I have maintained the mentality coming onto the race that no matter what the need is around us, our marriage is our top ministry priority. We have done a pretty good job of keeping our marriage healthy so far out here. Well, as his sickness has lingered, I have gently encouraged him to rest and take the time he needs to get healthy. However, especially when he's responsible for other people, he will not put himself first. He is too humble (and stubborn) to admit it, but he needs to be served right now. Though I have done my best to support and encourage him in his leadership decisions and be his biggest cheerleader, it is crystal clear to me in this moment that that is not enough. I need to drop everything else and until he's 110% better, he needs to be my sole ministry. I need to take care of him so he can take care of others. I do not believe it's mere coincidence that he's been sick for so long. There is a battle going on. We are one, and I must stand in the gap for him right now.

S.O.S. Address - Slow But Steady

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I read the blogs of my squadmates and am moved by the stories unfolding around them. I feel the cries of their hearts. I watch the brokenness of my teammates, shed a few tears, and grow to love them a little more in their vulnerability. Yet, I don't experience the devastation around me that my squadmates see. I personally don't suffer the brokenness of my teammates. I am not wrecked yet. I've had glimpses - watching the ridicule endured by the drunk on the street from the church members who probably should care the most, hearing the desperation of a weeping man who just a few minutes earlier beat his wife. My heart has a sensitivity and compassion to it that I know can only be from God...I see people through His eyes, and when I do my heart breaks. But the places we've been, the things we've seen, what I've personally experienced and feel, quite honestly, is not that difficult so far. And that frustrates me.

I expected to be broken much quicker. I expected to be stretched a lot further early on. I want there to be growth, and in my experiences, growth typically come from pain. So, because it doesn't really hurt, does that mean I'm not growing? Yes, I'm learning. I'm learning to function in deeper community, I'm learning how to better follow my husband, I'm learning the balance of when to embrace the quiet, gentle spirit within and when to speak out in boldness. I'm learning all these things, but am I really growing? Am I being open enough? Introspective enough?

I keep looking at myself under the magnifying glass and truly believe that the answer to those questions is yes.

I processed through a lot the past couple of years and felt secure in my identity coming onto the race. The fact that it's not been shaken is, I think, a good thing. It means I'm still hearing truth. The learning I am doing now, though they are concepts that I already comprehended to a degree, are ones that are being refined in me. And yes, that is growth. It may not be as dramatic as what I'm seeing in those around me, it may not be painful, but it is growth nonetheless.

A wise, dear friend of mine reminded me yesterday that often times we see our growth after time has passed...that when we look back at something later on down the road, it's then that we gain perspective and actually recognize the growth. He encouraged me to keep walking this out with patience. I know that brokenness is coming. I know that when I see the sex trade industry firsthand I will break. I know that when I hold the orphans dying of AIDS I will break. I know that there will be many things I could never anticipate that will break me. But it's not time for my brokenness yet. Thank you, friend, for reminding me of that truth.

Geocaching with Team BOLD - Take One

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

For those of you who don't know what Geocaching is, according to the official cache hunt site, it is "a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online." People leave travel bugs and other little trinkets in these containers, and typically when you find one, you take something out of the container and leave something new in its place for the next person.

Two years ago, a previous WR team left a cache in Panajachel for future racers to find. So, being the adventure seekers that we are (along with the salivation that was induced at the hint that there might be Nutella waiting inside the cache), we set out on our day off to find the treasure.

Join me on a pictorial reflection of our hunt...

As we set out on our journey, we met a mangy little dog we affectionately called "Brownie" down at the boat launch. He led us along the miles of trail and even waded through the lake to make sure we didn't end up off course.

Our clues and coordinates led us to La Riviera de Atitlan Hotel.

We talked to the security and groundskeepers there about the garden where the cache was supposedly hidden. We had been told that it was, "buried 4 inches deep to the right of the cement pad by the lake near the water spigot." The above picture is the spot we honed in on based on that info. I think the hotel staff thought we were a little nuts, but they gave us the go ahead to dig. So the guys dug...

and dug, and dug some more. Brownie even waited patiently. But in the end, we found no cache...and had no Nutella. :(

However, we did make a new friend who followed us almost all the way home.

So, Talia and whoever else on your team buried the cache...from the pictures, were we even close? We were so excited to try to find it and so disappointed that weren't successful. We don't want to give up if we weren't looking in the right area, however, we were thinking that considering it is in a garden and 2 years have gone by, perhaps someone else found it while planting flowers. Any more clues for us???

To be continued...we hope.

A Tribute to Sophie

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Last week one of our puppies, Sophie, passed away. Though stubborn and strong-willed, she was a very sweet girl and an important part of our family. She will be missed greatly. A special thanks to my dad for giving her a loving home and attention when nobody else would take her in. You made her last few months wonderful, and we're so grateful for all you did. We love you!

Backblogged

Mon, 4 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Sorry that I haven't posted anything these past few weeks. I'm having a tough time trying to put all of my thoughts, feelings, and experiences into words. It seems that by the time I've processed through something enough for it make sense on paper, I'm already in the next phase of processing and what I had been thinking seems irrelevant. Anyhow, I have some picture/video blogs in the works from our time in Palenque, Trinidad, and Antigua and a few others of more depth that I will post in the next few days to catch you up on the first month. In the meantime, I wanted to fill you in on what we're up to now while I have a few moments...

We are staying in a house on beautiful Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. We arrived almost a week ago and have since spent our time meeting with contacts and learning the lay of the land (there are many villages around the lake, each with it's own unique flavor and needs).

As a team, we feel that this month should be spent cultivating relationships with several different contacts and communities on the lake and we will be venturing out to the various villages from our home base of Panajachel throughout our time here. There are so many opportunities for service in the area, and given our strengths and pioneering spirit it's our hope that we can establish new contacts here for future racers. Though we have committed to some set ministries with a coffee house and local pastor that we will be working with as a team on a weekly basis, we have intentionally left 2 days in our schedule open each week to just see where the Lord leads and allow some freedom to pursue ministry areas in which each of us are particularly passionate. For instance, I met a teacher last night who does workshops for public and private teachers on teaching techniques and assessments. She shared a lot of insight into education here, so I'm going to join her at her next workshop, do some classroom observations, and work with some of the teachers this month.

One of our contacts led us to a group from South Africa participating in a very similar program to the race called Global Challenge. We were particularly excited about this because though these two are now separate programs, the first year of The World Race was a combined team of folks from the States and South Africa...so it was a reunion of sorts, as some of the same people are still involved. We were even more excited to learn that the Global Challenge team will be done with their trip in mid-November, just in time to make it back to South Africa before we head there in December. So, we're making lots of friends and connections that we're hoping to catch up with again around Christmastime. We worked with them today on a special education wing school building project and look forward to working and hanging out with them more throughout the month.

Love and miss you! :)

S.O.S. (State of Stacy) Address - An Explanation

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I am a private person. There are a handful of people that know me, I mean really KNOW me. Though I am an expert at analyzing myself to death, there are very few individuals that I will take to that level with me. So, the mere thought of typing my innermost thoughts and feelings and struggles on a page for anyone with internet access to read makes me cringe. In fact, the first blog that I wrote probably would still not be up yet if I hadn't been "deadlined" into having it posted...thanks, Jeff. :)

See, I love to write and have always found it therapeutic to process through writing, but it takes me a while to get to the point at which my words truly convey my thoughts. And if you know me at all, I would rather say nothing than open my mouth prematurely and have my words inaccurately communicate my views. I'm not usually the first to speak up, but when I say something, I have thought it through and mean what I say...I prefer my words to have a purpose and not just fill silence.

So I thought about all of this. I could easily go through this WR experience and blog about the places we go, the people we meet, and the ministry we do on a surface level. You would get an idea of what's going on in these locations and maybe even be touched by the stories I tell about an orphan or a widow or the slums. But I don't want you to just get a brief glimpse of these things...I want you to experience them with me as much as possible. I don't know how to better draw you into the experience than to share the impact of the race on me personally.

The Greek word for truth is "Aletheia," and the literal meaning of the word is "the state of not being hidden; unconcealed." I don't want to hide behind a facade and don't want to sugar coat things for you. I've conceded that I need to take a risk and just be transparent with you, with the hopes that you will be able to relate at least on some level. As uncomfortable as it may be, it is my pledge to you to at least once a month make sure I take a break from the "this is where we've been and what we've been doing" blogs and intentionally write about things from the heart level. So, if you're up for a little soul-baring from a middle class midwest gal from the US, I invite you to join me as I scream, cry, and laugh my way through the race via my S.O.S. blogs.

Lyrics from Mexico

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

As I was processing some stuff here in Mexico, this song came out of it...

I walk down the street and they all stare
The depths of their chocolate tunneled gazes oozing despair

Why am I here?
How can I help them?
What will it take to reach them?
Then a voice says, "You can't."
It whispers, "You won't."

The tiny, filthy had grabs mine
Begging, pleading for attention, for time

Why am I here?
How can I help them?
What will it take to reach them?
Then a voice says, "You can't."
It whispers, "You won't."

I try to help them
I try to reach them
I try to love them
And nothing I do is enough

Then the voice says, "You can't."
It whispers, "You won't."
But the voice says, "I can."
It whispers, "I will."

"Be still."

Trinidad

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

We have spent the past week or so working with a pastor named Adalina at her church in Trinidad. Trinidad is somewhat primitive and has a western/cowboy feel...boots, hats, people riding horses around town, the whole shebang. We even witnessed the wrangling and slaughtering of a cow the other day (video to come soon). Our days have consisted of quite a bit of down time, which has taken some getting used to, and our nights have been spent participating in the church services through music, drama, messages, and prayer. Many in the congregation are children, so we have done a lot of playing with and loving on them.

Adalina, the pastor of the church Brian playing guitar for the kids

Praying for Miguel Some of the kids at the church

This past week we have also had a chance to really start getting to know one another as a team and are working on figuring out just how communitiy living and unity as a team works given our various personalities and needs.

Team Video

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

My teammate, Marissa, just posted a video of pics from our teams experience thus far...check it out!

Quick Update from Palenque

Mon, 7 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

After two days of travel, we finally arrived at Shekinah Bible College in Palenque, Mexico, around 5:30 am last Monday, where we've been staying for the past week (see Marissa's blog for a video of the details) . We have been receiving a lot of training from the AIM staff, as well as immersing ourselves in the culture around us and getting to know our teammates. Saturday, we took a break and had an opportunity to go to Agua Azul, a park with amazing waterfalls. In about an hour, our small team will be venturing out into a neighboring village for the next two weeks. We don't know yet what we will be doing there. I will post some pics and a few more blogs shortly. Love and miss you all! :)

He Said/She Said - An Introduction

Tue, 20 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

My husband and I have never considered divorce... murder sometimes, but never divorce.

Joyce Brothers

Yes, my friends, men and women are indisputably different in many, many ways. Take my husband Brian and I, for example. I love him dearly, but our ways of thinking and doing and interpreting and expressing are more often than not, polar opposite. Partly this is due to our temperaments. He thinks in terms of big pictures, I see details. He gets energized being around a lot of people, I am rejuvenated when I get time by myself. He likes to fly by the seat of his pants, I am an organizer and planner. You get the idea.

Partly though, these differences are because men and women are just wired differently. For instance, before we left, Brian worked on putting up a privacy fence in the backyard. Something about digging the holes and using the power tools made my him feel "manly." I can't relate. Now I'm not really what you'd consider a "girly girl," but if it were me who was building the fence, sure, I would feel a sense of pride and accomplishment afterwards, but I would also feel sweaty and yucky and want to come in and take a bubble bath when I was done (okay, so did Brian, but shhh, don't tell him I told you). I would NOT be walking around the house beating my chest and grunting, "I am woman!" (well, he didn't do exactly that, but you get what I'm saying).

Anyhow, given our differences in perception, Brian and I thought that throughout our journey we would occasionally give you a little glimpse into our experiences from a "He Said/She Said" perspective. We will take certain moments from the WR that we both experience and share them from our differing persuasions of thought.

We will also from time to time share in this series about what it's like to participate in the World Race as a married couple. Granted, we are both going to experience things and be stretched on an individual level, but there will be challenges and situations unique to us that folks who are single may not encounter. Since only two other married couples have done this before, we want to be able to share our hearts with you from this point of view and hopefully provide a little insight for other couples.

So, sit back, relax, and stay tuned for the upcoming first installment of the hot new blog series, "He Said/She Said."

Team B.O.L.D.

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Hola from Palenque! My sincerest apologies for my lack of communication the last few months. Life has been a whirlwind since the last time I wrote in April as Brian and I have been readying ourselves for our departure. It seems surreal that after almost a year of preparation, we have finally arrived at our first location.

Before I fill you in on all that we've been up to, I wanted to catch you up on some important introductions.

Readers, meet the July '08 WR Squad!

Our large squad is broken into smaller teams, and Brian and I are very excited to be a part of the first ever married couples WR team. During training, we had a chance to begin the team building process, and thus far I am so encouraged by how we are communicating, as well as the willingness to be vulnerable and learn from one another. I cannot wait to go deeper with these folks and want to take a brief moment to introduce you to the two amazing couples we will be walking alongside. Please take some time to read their bios and subscribe to their blogs (as well as Brian's if you haven't already), as they will be family this year and will give you different perspectives of what our small team is experiencing. So, without further ado, meet the other 4 members of Team B.O.L.D.

Josh and Tara Bruce

Johnny and Marissa Pratt

Team B.O.L.D.

Why The World Race?

Tue, 8 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

When I tell people about my participation in The World Race (WR), I typically get one of three responses: "Wow, I could never do something like that!" and "Wow, what a cool opportunity!" are common, but most often I hear, "You're doing WHAT?"

You see, I guess I don't fit the profile of a "typical" racer. At 30, I am one of the "older" ones, relatively speaking. I have been through college and grad school. I have the husband, the house, the car, the pets, and about ten years invested in my career. So what I'm about to do in giving up almost every aspect of stability and comfort that I've grown accustomed to is in stark contrast to what most people at my stage of life are doing. The next expected step in the "to do list of being a successful American" should be to start a family. Don't get me wrong, I want children and have actually had to come to terms myself with postponing that desire. But right now, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the WR is something I must do. So, Mom and Dad, I'm sorry, but you're just going to have to wait a little bit longer for the grandkids.

So why the WR? Why at this point in my life?

Well, when my husband and I got married two years ago, we knew that missions would be a part of our future, but we didn't know exactly how it would look. So, we prayed about it, enlisted the help of my good friend Google, and began exploring our options. The number of opportunities available was somewhat overwhelming, so we continued to pray that the doors would be opened and closed as necessary. Long story short, we now know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the WR is the next step in life's journey for us.

On a surface level, I can give you several reasons why:

The more I learn about the vision of the parent organization of the WR, Adventures in Missions (AIM), and about the vision of the WR itself, the more I grow to love what they are all about.

I highly respect the AIM leadership and staff. They do not pretend to have it all together nor claim to know all the answers. Their transparency and realness is simply refreshing. They embrace folks from varying backgrounds and spectrums of the Christian faith, encouraging finding core commonalities rather than forcing legalistic practices (yes, I have issues with organized religion which I will address in a future blog).

There is no one specific country to which I've felt a strong connection, so the opportunity to help others and share love with people form many nations and walks of life excites meI love travel and other cultures.

Living in true community with my backpack and tent as my only material possessions is an experience that I don't think I could have in many other settings.

This year will stretch and break me like nothing else ever could, and it is my hope that the opportunity to share my heart as this transformation takes place will challenge and impact others.

To experience all of this with my husband by my side is an absolute blessing, and I can only expect that the impacts of this journey on our lives will be a invaluable benefit to our children and our family's generations to come.

From a deeper, more personal heart level, the answer to the why question is that I am tired of doing and am ready to just "be." A lot of things in life have come really easy to me and I have always been encouraged to pursue my passions to the best of my ability. At an early age I began to identify myself through my accomplishments and a life of perfectionism quickly ensued (yes, a blog on this topic soon to come as well). Well, let me tell you friends, living life that way gets tiring. A few years ago I began to reframe the way I viewed myself and am finally embracing who I was created to be. There is just so much more to life than the perspective of success that is pushed in our culture. I want to be a human BEing, not a human DOer, and I cannot think of a better place to live that out than the WR.