Little Time Off the Road

Well...for the next few weeks this girl will be staying close to home. It is a nice break to the busy season over the last few months. I have enjoyed all the travels that I have had the opportunity to make. So for a few more weeks I will be able to catch up with friends and get some work done.

I am currently planning the Silent Auction for ANM. If you have nothing to do Saturday, November 21st. You should come to Trinity Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville, VA. There will be over 300 items up for sale, as well as, photo booths to get fun pictures, and international foods. Let me know if you want more information.

Have a happy day!

The team made it home from Guatemala Saturday evening. As I said in previous posts I, Trisha, co-led a trip to Hope of Life ministry in Zacapa Guatemala. The group we went with was from Calvary Baptist Church in Alexandria, LA. What a great group of people! We went to Guatemala as strangers but left as family. They were some of the hardest working people that I have served with on the field. It was amazing to see the heart each of them have to serve the Lord. I think one of my most impactful things of the trip was to watch the group and see how the Lord moved in each of their lives individually.

During our eight days in Guatemala we were all stretched by the Lord to step out of our comfort zones that we have created. Whenwe went to the dump to conduct a medical clinic and feed them a hot meal, many of the group were moved to tears to see the site people live in. Others were pushed physically as they wanted to complete the construction projects to provide a source of food and income for families.

Personally, my growing moment came on Tuesday. During the trip I was able to choose which team I would serve with because one of my purposes for going was to see the ministry and different aspects so that I could lead a team to the ministry in the future. I had served with the medical and evangelism team the day before and I desired to continue. On Tuesday I woke up knowing I was supposed to go with the construction team.Humanly I had no desire to go with the construction team. I wanted to go out to the village with the other team and meet the people. But I knew without a shadow of doubt that God was telling me to go with construction. As I got ready for the day I struggled internally what choice would I make. I was justifying why I should got with the team to the village, but I kept hearing God's voice say go with construction. So before breakfast I made the choice to listen to God's voice. I got ready to serve with the construction team. When I informed a couple people I was going to go with construction they even said, "Why?, you can do that another day." I said, "No, I need to do this." I had no moment where I was like this is why I was supposed to be with construction today. And let me tell you it was HARD work and HOT, but I had the peace that I obeyed the Lord. I also was able to really get to know some of the people I was serving alongside of.

To close God really moved during the trip. I may post some more stories because they flow. If you would like to see more picturesclick here. Thank you for your prayers and support!

First days in Guatemala

We have been in Guatemala for 3 days now. So far it has been a great trip. I came on this trip with much excitement to go to a new country and to see what God is going to do. But I also came with fear. You see the last time I was in Central America I almost died. Since I have gotten here I have had a peace. It has been cool to see the work that God is doing through the ministry we are visiting. The leader is truly a visionary and has dreams to help the people of Guatemala. I have held babies who are malnourished and were left to die. I have held a baby whose mother buried him alive but someone heard his cries and saved him. I have talked with elderly who have no family and now are being cared for. I have seen 50 orphans with joy. I could go on but will end now. Thank you for your prayers and support. Continue to pray for our team as we are doing construction, medical and meeting with the people.

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Joanne & I are getting ready to leave on our flight to begin travels to Guatemala. It is VERY early and have had little sleep. Looking forward to the adventures the day holds.
-- Tri

Next Stop...

Hey All! Well I am going to be on the road again, this time my travels take me to Guatemala. This will be my first time to Guatemala but not my first to Central America.

I am co-leading a trip of 24 people to ministry we serve in Llano Verde. The ministries name is Hope of Life. They truly are giving people hope for their lives. They serve in so many ways that it would take me forever to list all they do. The main functions are to serve the malnourished, run an orphanage, school, elderly facility, and warehouse ministry.

While we are there we will be conducting medical clinics, constructing a house and 4 greenhouses, and ministering to the people. I am so looking forward to the trip and all that God is going to do.

Please pray for us as we travel and that we all stay healthy. Our travel dates are Oct. 16-25. Also, pray that we will be used to bless those we come in contact with. I am not sure that I will have access to the Internet, but if I do I will try and blog.

I would also like to take some things to be able to hand out to the children we will be working with. I am collecting stickers, hard candy, crayons, bouncy balls, etc. If you want to send some items to bless the children let me know.

Thank you for all of your prayers and support!

Travels in Florida

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the first few days in Florida. One thing I LOVE about the south is the moss on the trees. It is so beautiful and I could look at it all day.

We were also able to ride around in a convertible for a day. It was so much fun to spend some time in the sun!

Florida is the land of gators. On this day I ate gator for the first time and thought it was pretty good. I was not sure I would like it but there is nothing to be afraid of.

This community is called the "Villages". It is an active adult community and they have little theme towns. But the hilarious thing is they all have golf cart they drive around. There are special golf cart roads. Such a Florida thing.

I have really enjoyed my time in Florida. There are most posts to come but I thought I would share a few highlights.:)

Sorry for Delay...

I was really going to try and post more often but the last few weeks have been quite packed and blogging did not happen.

I was able to go to Colorado and spend some time with my family. It was much needed. I miss them a lot. I look forward to Christmas to go and see them.

Also, last week I had an opportunity provided to me to be able to go to Guatemala in October. So I will be co-leading a trip to one of our ministries in Guatemala. We will be taking a group from a church in Lousianna.

The awesome thing is that God provided the funds. So, on Oct. 17th I will be headed to Central America. I am really excited.

Day 3: Mumbai and Church in the District

Today we were able to see some sights around Mumbai and do some shopping with Devki and Savita, who traveled with us last July. It was sooooo good to see them and be able to spend some quality time with them.

It was fun to be out on the streets with them and having a reverse role then last summer. When we went out on the streets we would bring lots of attention. When you see 4 white girls on the road in India everyone stares. So Devki and Savita spent a lot of time directing us. As you will see in the picture above w

e saw "STD's" all over the place. STD's in India are cheap calling places and not what we think of them. But it was weird to see STD on most signs.

We also saw some of the local fruit and vegetable stands. I so wanted to go purchase the fruit but knew that I did not want to be sick for the rest of the trip. Fruit was definitely my most missed food while on the trip.

Shopping was fun. We tried a few Indian dresses and the bartering that Devki and Savita did for us was appreciated. We did find a small treasure shop that had some one of a kind Indian clothes. Both Sonia and I purchased some unique dressy Indian dresses. Oli found an amazing sari but chose to not purchase it.

We also went by some American food places like KFC, which if you know me is not one of my favorite places. But thought it would be fun to take a picture with the delivery bikes. This

brought much attention but was fun.

As soon as we got back to the hotel from our shopping and city adventure our car was waiting to take us to the church service in the District. So we took our adventure across town to the District. BTC rents a church facility on Saturday evenings to have a service for women of the District. The service was very moving to see people worshipping God. I truly enjoying being services around the world and seeing how people worship God. We were able to talk to some women who work in the brothels but feel drawn to church. Continue to pray that these women will be drawn to Jesus and come out of this lifestyle. Also the children from the shelter were at the service. It was so fun to see them. Some of them even brought their balloons to church.

After the service we went to a "sizzler" restaurant with Deveraj, his family, and another family that is part of the BTC staff. Your food is literally brought out on sizzling plates. It was a fun experience and we all enjoyed the food. Then off to a natural ice cream shop where the others enjoyed some homemade ice cream. As you see from the sign to the left, "You cannot return or exchange your ice cream". So don't even try.

What a good day of seeing some of the Mumbai city, reconnecting with some of the girls Mindy and I traveled with, and worshipping with people who loved the Lord in a place that is oppressed.

Day 2: Visit to the Red Light District

On our first full day in India we woke up feeling pretty rested. We had a funny breakfast at our hotel and then we transferred back to our original hotel. Deveraj, the leader of the ministry, met us and we sat down and he oriented us a little bit about what we would be seeing today.

Then we began our adventure through the streets of Mumbai to the District. Driving in India is always an adventure. Besides the bumpy roads you have cars going everywhere, cows walking do

wn the road, people walking all over the road,

LOTS of honking, and whatever else seems to find its way to the road. They also drive on the

left side, which makes it even more fun for right side of the road drivers. The thing we found most interesting was we did not see any accidents and the cars were not all beat up. With the crazy driving you would have thought there would be accident everywhere. But it seems

the people of Mumbai have perfected the art of crazy driving. I have decided that if you learn to drive in India you can drive virtually anywhere.

On our ride over we learned a lotabout the city. Mumbai property is very expensive. Fo

r a regular flat it is about $300,000. Also they are not as concerned about the outside of the building. Many of the buildings looked run down but the insides are really nice. We saw some of the old city, some of the slums, some of the upper class, the ocean, and the new bridge around the city.

Then we entered the District. It was interesting to see the different buildings in the district. It is streets and stree

ts of buildings that are used as brothels. We saw the brothels that taxis literally line up outside to take women to hotels. We saw some of the women hanging out on the street. We saw the c

hildren who desperately need love. Going into the District you could feel the heaviness.

The ministry we were working with, Bombay Teen Challenge (BTC), has a free HIV/Aids clinic and Dental clinic in the District to be able to build relationship with the women. We visited the HIV clinic first where some of the outreach staff had been praying for 5 hours. It was awesome to talk to the staff. They have amazing patience. It is not easy pulling women out of this lifestyle. Many of them feel worthless and used. They don't think they can do anything but what they are doing. Many have debts they have to pay off from being sold. Others have a hard time trusting anyone. So the staff spends time building relationships with the women. This is the

only way to be able to gain the trust to bring the women out of the lifestyle they are currently living. The HIV clinic has been a great help to women. About 60-70% of the women have HIV . Which means there are many children affected as well.

Also, while were down there we saw a Hindu festival in the streets. They were slaughtering chickens which was real interesting.

Then we walked over to the dental clinic. This is the newest addition to the ministry and has been so helpful to women. In the last few weeks they were able to help a fourteen year old girl and were able to talk her into leaving the District. What an amazing thing to be involved in.

Then we went and visited a couple of brothels. We were able to speak to a few women but most of them were sleeping because they had to be up and getting ready for the night in the next hour. We talked to one girl whose debts are all paid and she is free, but is scared to leave. She does not know why anyone would want to help her or that she would be able to do anything if she came out. She is very close to leaving and beginning a new life. Please pray for her.

It was so heart breaking to walk the streets and know that in a few hours that the streets would be filled with women who are trapped in a lifestyle they did not choose.

Our last stop in the district was the children's shelter. BTC used to have the shelter open at only at night for a place where the children could come and not be in the rooms with their moms. But recently they made the decision to make it a 24/7 shelter. It is now more like a transitional shelter. The kids live there and they either send the kids to school or homeschool the kids. The kids are so thankful for this opportunity. BTC works with the kids and then when they a

re able they transition them to the homes outside of the city.

It was so sweet to be with these children. Many of them are down the road from their mothers but do not see them. All they want is love. We were able to do some songs, balloons and just love on them. They were so happy to see us and it was mutual on our part.

After leaving the shelter they took us on a tour of the city. Showed us the Taj hotel that had the tourist attacks. We were going to go inside but Hilary Clinton was there and she blocked off all the entrances. Her brigade also caught us in traffic a few times. We had to sit in traffic for about 2 hours because they would close the streets when she would come through. We were read for her to go home.

We had a wonderful traditional Indian dinner and then back to the hotel to get some rest. This was truly an eye opening day. It was heartbreaking to see the hurt among the women, but also rejoicing to see how a difference is being made.

Update

Hey Everyone! Sorry for not blogging more when we were in India. We only had access to Internet the first 2 days and then we were in the jungle, literally. So over the next few days I am going to try and blog a little bit about the trip. Thank you to everyone who prayed for us and supported our trip.

The trip was amazing. I am glad to be home, but was not read to come home. I could have stayed. The people we met have tremendous hearts and God is doing some mighty things. All I can say is WOW!

Adventure in Traveling

Hello All! I am writing from Mumbai India. We made it safely, but had an adventure. The team left Greensboro, NC at 4pm on Wednesday, July 15th. The flight to Atlanta was nice and short. We were in Atlanta for 2 1/2 hours. While in Atlanta there were two planes full of Army Soldiers leaving to go serve overseas. It was neat to see them in preparation to get ready to go serve the country.

We boarded a nice and full flight to India. Luckily Mindy, Rebecca and I got an exit row so we had lots of leg room. We had to sit in the plane before take off for an hour. We had nice flight attendants who danced and rapped for us. I was making friends. We had movies on demand, which was exciting. I got to watch lots of movies I had been wanting to. I had 6 movies on throughout the flight but slept through 2 of them. We had 3 full meals on flight. We flew over lots of countries and waved to people we knew.

When we got to Mumbai there was a bad rainstorm so we got to do circles over the ocean. It was like being at the race track, which was exciting for me. I liked watching our circles. So with the extra time in Atlanta and the circles we were in the plane for 17 hours. Isn't that exciting! I was never more ready to get off the plane.

We made it through customs and got our baggage smoothly. Then because we had so much luggage they let us just go through so they did not check our bags. What a praise!!! We have lots of extra goodies to pass out. So it was great they did not check them. Then we exited the airport and the humidity hit. I have been to Florida but this was HUMID!!! We were able to find our ride pretty quickly, which I was glad to get some air.

We started our journey to the hotel. The city was interesting to see at night. The ricshaws were fun to watch our driver get mad at. So we pull into our hotel and were told to stay in the car.Oliga, Sonia and I were in one car and Mindy and Rebecca in another. Our car was making up stories of why we could not get out of the car. Our stories were a lot better then the real story. There was a leak in the hotel and so they were sending us to another place.

So we finally arrived at a destination to lay our heads. We were all sooooooo exhausted. We did not sleep much on the plane so we had been for many hours.

Traveling day was good, but long:)

India in 5 Days

I am taking a break from telling the stories of the girls today. We leave in 5 days. I can't believe how time has flown and we are preparing to leave. I am excited to tell you that with your help I have raised all of the funds needed to go in this trip.

THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart. My life has been touched by each of you who got involved in this. Know that you are impacting lives around the world and not just helping me go on a missions trip.

This trip has truly been a journey for me and it has not even started yet. As of two weeks ago I was not sure that I was supposed to be going on the trip. I wanted with all my being to go, because I wanted to see the girls we traveled with and I wanted to see first hand what God is doing. I also have a huge heart for the women in the Red Light district who need restoration. But I felt some unease and went through a week or so of questioning whether I was supposed to be on this trip. I believe it was a challenge from God to make sure I was seeking His face.

I am so looking forward to getting on the plane to begin the next leg of this journey. Please keep the team in your prayers. Pray for travel, health, and that we will be open to how God wants to use us.

R's Restoring Joy

R's story was one that broke my heart because she had such a sweet spirit. She loves people so intently and it was hard for me to understand how anyone could hurt this beautiful girl.

R grew up in a very poor family. She said as a child she was very disobedient and would just roam the streets. She started drinking when she was eight and hung out with very bad crowd.

Her parents sent her to her aunt and uncle's house to try and settle her down. While there her uncle and cousins raped her. She said she was so angry and confused at how her own family could do something like that. Her uncle and cousins would tell her she was worthless and dirty now. Her sister worked the Red Light District in Mumbai, but she was unaware of her line of work. Her uncle would tell her that she was just like her sister.

She ended up going to be with her sister in Mumbai in the Red Light District. While there she came in contact with Bombay Teen Challenge (BTC). She had always wanted to go to school. She was able to join BTC. She had a lot of anger to get over and could not understand for a long time why the staff was so loving. After awhile she fell in love with God and realized she needed to have a relationship with her Heavenly Father.

R is now on leadership at BTC to help other girls who are hurting. She does correspondence schooling while learning sewing vocation. R has such a beautiful heart and spirit. She desires to help other girls and woman not have the same thing happen to them. She loves the Lord with her whole heart. It was very convicting for me to see how passionately she loved the Lord.

Only 9 more days until we leave for India. It is incredible to think all that God has done to prepare me for this trip. I am so looking forward to seeing the girls we traveled with last year, but also seeing the ministry as a whole. God has done some incredible things through BTC. This is going to be a hard trip because of the nature of what we will see, but our God is so amazing that He has restored many hearts and lives.

We definitely need your prayers. There are 5 of us going on the trip. Please pray for travel and health. Also, I still need about $800 for the trip. If you would like to be a part of this trip and these amazing stories of restoration you click here.

THANK YOU to all of those who are praying and partnering with this trip. I look forward to telling you what God did.

D's Story

This is "D", she was another one of the young ladies that I traveled with last summer. D was the youngest of all the ladies but one of the most joyful.

D's mother had been forced to work in the Red Light District from a young age. She had "D" while working. So "D" grew up within the district and has no idea who her human father is. She grew up moving around and with lots of different people because of her mother's line of work. She understood what her mom did and says she knew her mom did it to be able to provide for D.

Growing up D tried many religions. She thought if she did them all something would work. She said life was very sad and depressing. They did not have much money and rarely had food. She would make her mom pray to all the gods to hope food would come.

Her mom got very sick because of lack of food and her line of work. They did not have any money for a doctor. So D remembered that the men on the street had said they would give her money if she would dance for them. So she danced to get money to help her mom. Once she got the money she had to make a decision, food or doctor. She went to the doctor to get help. He told her that her mom was close to death. Thankfully the Lord spared her mom.

D learned about Bombay Teen Challenge (BTC) from some ladies on the street. She learned that she could go to school and have a safe living environment. She went and asked her mom if she could please join BTC. Her mom was hesitant because she thought she would never see D again, but she knew it would be best for D.

D joined BTC and shortly after gave her life to Christ. She has so much joy in the Lord. Her mom has also left the Red Light District, joined BTC and surrendered her heart to Christ. D is going to college and in the leadership training program with BTC. She desires to save other woman and children from the lifestyle she once lived. D's mom is gaining vocational training at BTC.

Seeing how God rescued D and her mom is amazing. I am looking forward to working with the women at BTC in 15 days. But I still can't do it alone. If you would like to get involved you can.

1. Please pray for us. There are 5 of us going to visit the ministry. Pray for safety traveling, physical health, and that we will know how to better advocate for the work they are doing.

2. I also need to raise $2,800 to be able to go on the trip. I still need $1700. If you would like to partner with me for this trip, click here.

Thank you for your prayers & support!

N's Restoration

This beautiful, young lady was one of the 8 ladies I traveled with last summer. As I said before, they all have stories that would break your heart and would bring you joy to hear how God has brought restoration to their lives. For now I am going to highlight this young ladies story. She was born having her mom tell her she was worthless and all she was born to do is work for the family. She was abused and treated very badly all of her childhood. She had much anger inside of her. Her mom would not even let her go to school.

She began drinking and taking drugs at the age of 8. She tried to commit suicide three different times and each time God saved her life. Her mom and her became so angry with each other that they came at each other with knives trying to kill each other. Finally the other family members took some action and sent her to an aunt's home in Mumbai, where she was exposed to the Red Light district. Luckily no long after coming to Mumbai she learned about Bombay Teen Challenge. A place where she would have a safe place to live, food every day, and an opportunity to go to school. The thing she did not know was that she would also learn about God. She told us it took her awhile because she was so angry and would fight everyone. After being told she was worthless all her life she did not know how anyone could love her. But the staff at Bombay Teen Challenge surrounded her with Christ's love and she fell into her Heavenly Father's arms. She is living at the Ashagram House where she is doing correspondence school and is making leather items to sell. She has also become a leader within the ministry. Her life is truly one where she was at the bottom but God had much greater plans for her. I am looking forward to seeing how God is continually working in her life and how He will use her for His glory.

This is just one of the beautiful lives of restoration I will be visiting while in Mumbai this summer. Would you like to get involved to see more women and children's lives transformed?

You can make a difference!

Below are ways you can be a part.

1. Please pray for us. There are 5 of us going to visit the ministry. Pray for safety traveling, physical health, and that we will know how to better advocate for the work they are doing.

2. I also need to raise $2,800 to be able to go on the trip. From those that have already gotten involved I still need $2000. If you would like to partner with me for this trip, click here.

Thank you to those that have already given. I am so excited to have you a part of this awesome opportunity!

Come & Support 2 Girls Trying to Make a Difference; Against Human Trafficking

On June 18th, from 5pm-9pm they will be at The Muse. You can come learn more about the problem of human trafficking and hear how one ministry is making a difference. Any donation you make you will receive 20% discount on your order or a free drip cup of coffee. We will be showing a video of one girl's story every hour and a half. (5:30pm, 7pm, 8:30pm) There will also be a photo booth for people to take their picture with Indian memorabilia and sampling of Indian food. For more information visit http://www.oligachitina.com/india2009 or http://trishaslifeontheroad.blogspot.com

There is a huge problem taking place around the world that we usually don't see or hear much about. The problem is Human Trafficking. Each year it is estimated that 2 million woman and children are trafficked all around the world. Last July, Oliga and Trisha had the opportunity to meet 8 ladies who have been rescued and have incredible stories of restoration. It is heartbreaking to hear what is taking place in many countries and pain these woman go through on a daily basis. This problem became heavy on Oliga & Trisha's heart. So this summer they are working with a ministry in Mumbai, India that rescues women & children from the red light district. Mumbai is the second largest city in the world and has over 100,000 women & children in the red light district. The ministry's goal is to put an end to Human Trafficking. The women and children they will be working with have incredible stories of restoration. The trips goal is to gain a larger awareness of what is taking place, see how others can get involved to put an end to human trafficking, and collect stories of restoration. It is impossible to do this by ourselves. 

Amazing

On Friday we got confirmation that our visas had been approved to travel. We were a little anxious because recently they have not been approving visas. So, this was a big step of confirmation that we are headed in the right direction. Thank you for reading these updates. 

Here are some specific prayer items:

1. On Thursday a few of us are doing an event at a local coffee shop, The Muse, to help raise awareness about Human Trafficking and to raise funds for our trip. Please prayer that it is successful and lots of people turn out. 

2. Now that we have our visas we can get our tickets. Please pray that we can find reasonable tickets. 

3. Continue praying that all the funds will come in that are needed for the five of us making the trip. 

As always if you would like to get involved, click here.

Restoring Broken Lives

Each of the girls you see in this picture has a story of restoration. They were all saved out of a life in the red light district in Mumbai India. They all have accepted Jesus as their personal Savior. They all our breaking in the pattern of following their mother's footsteps. They all are making a difference in other's lives. They all have a desire to STOP Human Trafficking. 

As I said before I traveled with these ladies and heard first hand their stories. I heard what life was like before they came to Bombay Teen Challenge. I heard how they were so broken and some ready to end their lives. I was also to hear how God used the ministry of Bombay Teen Challenge to rescue them from a life of brokenness, hurt and abandonment. This is only 8 of many stories and lives that have been touched by Bombay Teen Challenge. 

This is why I am so excited to visit the ministry this summer. I am looking forward to going to see and hear how God is working in lives. I am also going to be able to come back to the states to advocate for each of these priceless lives. Human Trafficking is a huge problem not only in Mumbai but all around the world. I am thankful for ministries like Bombay Teen Challenge that are making a difference in lives of women and children. 

Will you partner with me? It only takes one to make a difference. Below are ways you can be a part.

1. Please pray for us. There are 5 of us going to visit the ministry. Pray for safety traveling, physical health, and that we will know how to better advocate for the work they are doing.

2. I also need to raise $2,800 to be able to go on the trip. From those that have already gotten involved I still need $2600. It will take only 185 more to give $14 the trip will be paid for. If you would like to partner with me for this trip, click here.

Thank you to those that have already given. I am so excited to have you a part of this awesome opportunity!

Summer Travels

So I am preparing for an upcoming trip to India. This will be my first trip to India. Here is some background about why I am going to India and where I am going. I am going to try and blog a little bit each week to lead up to the trip. I hope you will be a part of this opportunity with me. 

This past summer I had the privilege of traveling with 8 ladies from Mumbai, India. All the ladies are from a ministry that rescues women and children from the Red Light District in Mumbai, India. It was an amazing experience to hear each of the ladies stories and see what God has done in each of their lives. And to think there are several hundred other women and children with similar stories at this ministry. The heart of this ministry is to abolish human trafficking. Mumbai is the second largest city in the world and has over 100,000 women and children that are forced to work in the red light district. You can check out the ministry at www.bombaytc.com or view the video at the end of this post.  

This summer I am going to visit this ministry in India. We will be going to see the work the ministry is doing and do some activities with the kids in the homes. I am so excited about visiting India, not only to see the ladies we traveled with last summer, but also to see what God is doing through this ministry. Lives are truly being transformed.  

Here is where I need you to get involved.  

1. Please pray for us. There are 5 of us going to visit the ministry. Pray for safety traveling, physical health, and that we will know how to better advocate for the work they are doing.

2. I also need to raise $2,800 to be able to go on the trip. If I get 200 people to give $14 the trip will be paid for. If you would like to partner with me for this trip, click here.

I am really looking forward to what God is going to do in me and through me. Thank you in advance for your prayers and support. You are blessing the Nations.

Long Time No Posts

So i know it has been forever since I have posted. Time goes by quicker then I ever imagined. The rest of the London/Turkey trip was amazing. I have been a few other places since then. Upcoming I will be going to India in July and some travels this summer. So I am going to try and put some posts up as I go. 

Well, I decided to break it up a bit. Here are a few pics from our a mazing day in London. I loved London! I am pretty sure I could live there.

We took the train from where we were staying into the city. This was quite an experience because we began to see the fashion difference. Tracey & Mindy were quite shocked. 

We made it into the city and did a bus tour that allowed us to hop on and hop off where we wanted to. So we got to see tons of stuff. There is still so much I would like to see but was able to see a fair amount of stuff. 

The Queen was at Buckingham Palace when we were there. Someone important was dropped off by horse and buggy. It was pretty cool. The changing of the guards only happens every other day in the winter. So, what I would like to know do they stand out there for 2 days then in the winter. That would be insane. 

Mindy has been to London a few times and gave Tracey and I the option of doing the whole London Eye experience. We both were like lets wait and see. So we did a cruise down the Thames which was part of our package. It was very cool and cold. But tons of fun. 

Then we took a taxi and decided to go see if we could by chance get cheap tickets to see Wicked. THe taxi ride was tons of fun and later found out we did something illegal getting into the first taxi. Oooooppppps. 

Well, we arrived at the Victoria Theater and they rolled out the red carpet. Oh wait not hey didn't. But we went inside and met our new friend Mars. She was great she got us seats in the stalls (aka the floor) for super good deal. We were all jumping and being silly. Mars even joined in our fun.

Before the show we decided we would get fish & chips. For anyone who knows me well, know I do not like fish, but I really enjoyed fish & chips. Mars pointed us in the direction of a great restaurant. It had great atmosphere and super food. Then the excited threesome sang their way back to the theater. We took our seats with anticipation. This was Tracey and I's first time seeing a show in either New York or London. I had seen some of the traveling shows but nothing like this. I think the pic says it all! 

Wicked was AMAZING!!!!!!!!! The girl who played Elphaba was incredible. So, I am hooked. It was such a great way to end the day in London. We took the train back and got our things together to leave for Turkey bright and early in the morning. Meaning we only got a few hours of sleep. 

London is a city i will be coming back to soon. I truly loved the culture and atmosphere. Hopefully the next trip to London will be very soon. 

Ok, well I am taking the time for a second blog. I know you are excited. I will write about the rest of our time in London. 

Once we arrived in London we had to wait at the airport for the person picking us up. So, we enjoyed some coffee and people watching. Once our ride was there he took us to the Elam ministry that we are visiting and working alongside the next 2 weeks. The ministry headquarters is outside of London in the traditional UK country I was told. It was beautiful!

The home is a couple years old and it houses their offices on the second floor and dorms on the third floor. I am positing some outside pictures of the home. All of us forgot to take pictures inside. I know that is a shock for those who know me. But I was pretty jet lagged most of the time I was there. 

Once we arrived they gave us a little rest time which was welcomed because none of us had much sleep on the plane. Then we had a beautiful persian meal. It was amazing and time meeting the people who work at the ministry. This ministry works with Iranians all over the world. It was like being at home. 

We then got told some bad news. Our original plans included conducting a conference for teachers. But some plans had to be changed for people's safety. So we had to work out through some logistics. 

So it was a late night to dinner with some of our hosts. We ate at a super cute English Pub. So fun! Then it was off to bed because we were totally exhausted and the next day we were off to be tourist in London. I wanted to have all the rest I needed to experience London. 

Trip to London & Turkey

Hey All! This is my first attempt at a blog. So, we will see how well I do with this. 

Anyways, I am on a trip to London and Turkey to visit a ministry that I work with through my job. So far it has been an amazing experience. 

I am going to try and share some of the stories that have happened thus far and keep you up to date on what is going on. 

So, on Sunday we left from Washington DC to Heathrow in London. Our flight was overnight in hopes that we would sleep and be ready to go the next day so that our jet lag would not be to bad. 

Well, they first brought us a meal, and I had requested a special non-dairy meal. They passed out all the meals and I asked about it. Well it turns out that they mixed up the seats and gave it to the lady behind me. No worries though they fixed it. But it was kind of funny. 

Well, I finally was asleep and all of the sudden I feel a tap. I open my eyes and there are earplugs being thrusted at me. It was quite startling. There was a flight attendant standing over me trying to hand me earplugs. So, Tracey who was sitting next to me took them. I was still a little dazed from being woken up. But the guy was still saying something. I couldn't understand what he was saying. So I took the earplugs from Tracey. We all looked back in confusion when all of the sudden another flight attendant came took them from me and handed them to the person in front of us. Apparently the lady in front of us asked for earplugs and he thought I had asked for earplugs. I am sure my face was quite a musing because I was half asleep when he woke me up. 

So the flight was quite amusing.  But we made it to London safely and all was good. I did enjoy the flight but wished we were in the section that had fans between each seat and reclining seats. MMMM...one day I dream of sitting there.

I am going to close my first blog. Hopefully I will write more about London soon because now I am in Turkey.