It's a funny thing when you get home, and nothing has changed. Everything is still waiting for you, just the way you left it. Waiting for you to sort through it. Waiting for you to dig through the junk and toss what you don't need anymore.

As we pulled into the garage coming back from the airport I noticed a few boxes from my old apartment sitting in the exact same spot I left them, just collecting dust. I didn't think much of it, but as the days passed I couldn't help but notice those boxes every time I went to get in the car. They were in my way - still are in my way - and I have to make an effort to get passed them every time I want to go somewhere. They are just sitting there, almost mocking me. It's almost as if they are saying "we're still here... what, you thought because you left the country we'd just magically disappear??" Nope. They remained exactly as I left them - now a tad more stale and dusty - but still there, untouched. Still there, waiting to be dealt with. Still there, waiting for me to figure out where to put them and what to do with the contents inside. STILL THERE.

As I've been home and thinking over the past few days the reality of it has sunk in. One day, sooner or later, I'm gonna have to sit down and go through those boxes. I'm going to have to take time out of my day to dig through the dusty junk that has been sitting there for months and months and sort through it. I'm going to have to get rid of things I don't need anymore, and I'm going to have to let go of the memories that go along with those "things".

So... Incase you haven't figured it out... it's a funny thing how a box of junk can be so metaphoric. Now that I'm home and settled in a few days, I find it no coincidence that I'm here at the exact time that I am. Yes, I've just been through a lot - a whole crap load of "a lot" - and I've learned a lot through it... but the cycle of learning life's lessons is never ending. And it looks as though there are some things that are still waiting for me to "sort through" them. Silly me. And I thought I'd be in Europe, far far away from having to sort through any dusty thoughts or memories I had left back at home. Silly, silly me. And clever, clever God, him with his perfect timing and everything. I'm really not being facetious when I say that - I am truly amazed at how he sets things up and how perfect his timing is. He sure got me on this one. But he sure knows what he is doing. And I sure know that in the past I'd stuff those boxes even further under a cupboard to deal with later - maybe I would just deal with them when I was healthier. I mean I have an excuse. I was sick with malaria. I need to recover. Maybe I would just deal with them when I had more time. When I wasn't so busy trying to get better to go back on the race. When I wasn't so busy laying around watching LOST all day. When I wasn't so busy keeping my mind numb enough not to think about the reality of all that has happened, and all that is about to happen in the next few weeks.

Well, not this time. I said I was ready for whatever God had for me next, and so I'm ready to get into those dusty boxes and toss the stuff I don't need. I'm ready to face letting go.

"If God is for us, who can be against us?" Nothing. No one. Things might be difficult, but nothing is too big for God. And with him to lean on, what have we to fear? Absolutely nothing.

I know where my strength lies.

Hello all! I guess it's about time for an update.

As most of you know I got sick in Nigeria and had to be sent home. Here's how the story unfolds...

What I remember:

We were staying in a little village called Iwo, Nigeria. I don't have much to say about the place except the power went out about every 15 minutes and it was h-o-t HOT there. My roommate and friend Courtney had just come down with typhoid, and I had been taking care of her for about 2 days. I was beginning to feel very tired and drained, and emotionally it was really difficult to see my good friend so sick. My other teammates rotated off with me and I moved into the other room so they could help take care of her for a while, and I could get some sleep. I noticed that I was starting to have this weird feeling - the feeling I get when I'm about to get a fever - and we were laughing/crying in a ball of pent up emotion because it just seemed that I had stressed myself out to the point of being sick about it. I really figured I was just sick because of stress and our lack of good nutrition for that month...

I remember sleeping for about 2 days, just not feeling like I could get out of bed.  Then I began to really start feeling sick - my fever spiked and we decided to have the doctor come visit me. They took some tests, hooked me up to an IV drip, and came back an hour later to tell me I had tested positive for malaria. Great, is all I could think. Now half our team is sick!! After that is all a blur - that night my fever spiked again insanely high and I remember having delusions and nightmares about Gilmore Girls all night - haha. Who has delusions about that!!? Only me. Not so sure I can ever watch that show again...  anyways, I just closed my eyes and tried to drown out all the noise in my head...

... when I opened my eyes I had no idea where I was. As my vision focused I saw Bill's smiling face and all I could say was "Where am I?" and he brightly replied: "You have malaria and you are at the hospital".  I was on a cot in the middle of a big room, and there was a fan blowing on me and an IV drip going into my hand. I'll never forget the taste or the smell... I had the taste of the meds in my mouth, and the medicine was just sweating out of my pours. I hope I never have to smell and taste those things again. From that point on it was a blurry series of memories - being poked with several needles, being sponged down, finding out my squad-mates donated blood so I could have a transfusion, waking up at random hours of the night feeling as if I hadn't drank water in months, and best of all, waking up to find I was never ever alone at any point. My brothers and sisters were by my side 24-7, and although I didn't have the strength to voice it at the time, it was the most comforting feeling to wake up in that cold, creepy place and see that I wasn't alone. Not even at 4 in the morning.

I ended up being life flighted to Paris where I received more treatment and 2 more blood transfusions, and the next thing I know I was on a plane with my father headed back to Ohio. I had an appointment here at the Cleveland Clinic and it wasn't until I reviewed my charts and everything that had happened that I even realized how serious the illness was and what I had gone through. I had a strain of malaria called "Falciparum malaria" which turns out to be the most severe form of it. My kidneys had failed, my blood count was scarily low, and all these other things happened to me that I really had no idea were going on at the time. But the blessing in disguise is that even though it's the worst strain of the virus, it's also the only one that doesn't stay in your system. Once it's out, it's out, so you never have to worry about a relapse. Praise God for that!

As we touched down in Detroit I was overwhelmed with emotion: This is the end for me, and I didn't even get to say goodbye, was all I could think. The tears started flowing and didn't stop for quite some time. Then it hit me... What am I thinking? Who says this is the end? Who says I can't recover and go back for the last month?? So I have a goal: I am going to Ireland for SURE for the Awakening conference, but I'm gonna shoot for even sooner then that. I'm aiming for the month of August for the last month of ministry with my team - ultimately it's up to God and to the Dr.'s - and my family might want to have a little say in it too ;) - but God has proven to be so insanely faithful and I have learned so much the past few weeks that I know whatever the outcome is - I will be exactly where He wants me. And I'm ok with that, whatever it may look like.

And this may sound morbid, but I learned more through being sick then ever before. God hears our prayers. God listens, and He answers. It seems so simple, so infantile, but it has never been more real and true to me. And He is always, always with us. People had always given me words about how God has a big plan for my life... I believed it, but sort of shrugged it off. Now I know. I have no doubt that He kept me around for a reason - and I am so ready to take on whatever it is that is coming my way.

RAWR!!!

When we signed up for the World Race, our squad knew that God was calling us to be a part of big things in proclaiming Christ to the Nations, but we had no idea of the work that He was going to do in our own hearts and in the relationships that we have made with each other. We have become a family and although we have seen God move in huge ways these past seven months, we believe even bigger things have yet to come in the next four. Many of the members of our squad need additional financial support to make the next four months a reality; however, we are confident that the Lord will continue to provide as He has been for the past seven months.

As a squad we have challenged ourselves to see to it that our sister, Christina Coleman, is fully funded by the end of the month. Christina is a huge blessing to everyone on this squad and to all of the people we have come in contact with. She is passionate, fun, and has a huge heart. She still needs $7,206 before she is fully funded, and if it doesn't come in soon, she will have to take a break from the ministry until the money comes in. We don't want to see that happen! Each member of our squad has agreed to find 7 people who will donate $25 towards Christina's World Race fund. We simply ask that you would pray for our squad as we entreat the Lord to bring the money in, and that you would pray about being one of the people who will give $25 towards Christina's Race. Thank you for your prayers and support.

"I have LOVED having Christina on my team. That girl is a powerful woman of God and He has some amazing things planned for her. God has and is using this race to get her ready for those plans. Over the past seven months I have been able to see how God is transforming her into who she truly is in Him, and it has been an incredible process to watch. I've learned so much from her, her leadership skills are impeccable in how she nurtures and has patience for our team, always with so much joy! It challenges me. Christina HAS to stay so she can continue in this process of transformation and continue to challenge our team and bring her joy! She is a part of us, we need her." --Amy Davidson

"Having Christina as my team leader has been amazing. She has so many leadership qualities, and over the last seven months God has been pulling them out of her. Its been awesome seeing the changes God is making in her. God has huge plans for her life, and I think those plans are going to start being revealed to her over the next few months." ?Tyson Payne

To support Christina Coleman, click here!

Today was a big day. A good day... but a big one.

Over the past month or so, I had been feeling like there was a shift coming. I could sense that things were going to be stirred up - but I couldn't quite put my finger on what that exactly meant. I was just cruisin' along, waiting for the next step... knowing there had to be a next step, because it seemed our team as well as the rest of the squad had reached somewhat of a plateau. Sure enough, it was announced today that our teams would be significantly changing. Though there were many tears shed at the thought of saying goodbye to one another, it's also been a mutual agreement between all of us that this is exactly what our squad needs to get to that next step... whatever it may be. So... First I want to say to Increase how much I love you guys - I wouldn't have done the first 7 months any other way. I can't lie, I'm gonna miss you all very much! As for the next 4 months, I will be finishing the last leg of the race with four new amazing people: Bill Bush, Celeste Johnson, Courtney Styres, and Jordan Snellenberger. I have no doubt that they hold the keys to unlock the next phase of growth in my life, a phase that can't happen unless they are a part of it. Plus, it doesn't hurt that they're all just totally awesome. So look out World!! Our squad is about to unleash something huge... :)

Now, all that said, this all got me thinking about life in general.

I think there comes a point in everyone's life when they begin to feel complacent. It's so easy to fall into a daily routine and coast along without even realizing it - until one day you find yourself questioning: "Now what?? Where do I go from here? Is this really IT?". I was at that point in my life when I signed up for this trip. I never would have imagined, however, that being on the World Race would become routine, everyday life... But that is exactly what it has become. Travel for 26 hours, move into a hostel or your tent for a few weeks, meet some amazing people, then before you know it you're saying goodbye and starting the cycle all over again. We've done it 8 times now... Yes, we are living an amazing life, and I wouldn't trade it for anything - but to me, it has started to feel like normal, everday life. And, of course, with that comes the feeling of that lovely word we all hate: routine. I can't speak for anyone else, but for myself, the minute something becomes routine and mundane is the minute I start to feel comfortable and begin to coast along... And the minute I start to coast is the minute I stop striving for more. And ceasing to strive for more, in a sense, is settling... a word I despise even more then routine.

I don't know what the rest of my life looks life, but I know I will be faced with these feelings again at some point or another... and something deep in my soul has been triggered against that. I don't ever want to settle. I don't ever want to fall into a complacent, coasting, non-chalant, apathetic lifestyle. Not in my faith, not in my friendships, not in my line of work, and not in my marriage. I obviously don't know what the future looks like, but I am almost positive that whatever God has lined up for me will not look like the typical American dream: you know, a white picket fence, a husband, 2.5 children and a dog. Don't get me wrong, I want a husband one day, and some kids would be nice. I am totally what you'd call a "hopeless romantic" at heart... And sure, it would be nice to have a place to call "home". But even so, what defines a "home"? To me it seems like much more then 4 walls and a roof over your head tossed in with some furnature from Ikea... Maybe "home" is the feeling you get when you are with your loved one/ones - then it doesn't matter where you are in the world, you are still "home" when you are with them. I guess I don't quite know yet... but one thing I know for sure is I have a longing in my heart for the nations and for seeing the world, and it's something that I want to and will continue to pursue after this trip is over. I have no idea what that looks like - if I'll be alone or if I'll have a companion in all of it, if I'll be scrounging for money or if I'll be abundantly financed, if I'll know where I'm going to lay my head or just set up camp somewhere when I need to sleep... But I have laid down all my expectations and am just going to go where God leads me... And that is something I want to continue to do throughout my life. I want to press in when things seem "routine" and boring, and put myself out of my "comfort zone" when I seem to be just floating along... Basically I will do everything I can to stay away from settling in any sort of way.