I just moved to Gainesville, GA to recruit for The World Race and Real Life trips for Adventures in Missions.
What is The World Race?
The World Race is the mission trip that took me to 11 countries in 11 months. We lived out of a backpack, survivedon a limited budget, and found ourselves in situations where faith is all we had. We partnered with existing missionaries and ministries to see people and communities transformed all over the world.
What is Real Life?
Real Life trips are shorter mission trips (length of a semester or summer) that send college-aged individuals all over the world to assist local churches, ministries, and missionaries as they share their faith in exciting ways. I have been on two Real Life trips to Swaziland, one as a participant and one as a leader.
What's the Vision?
The vision is three-fold. (1) To have orphans held, widows comforted, sex-slaves rescued, and the spiritually blind see. (2) To have World Racers/Real Lifers experience God's heartbreak and be transformed into individuals whose lives are committed to the Kingdom. (3) To awaken the American church to what God is doing in the world through blogs.
Why I Am Needed:
Adventures in Missions has never recruited for these trips; almost all advertising has been done by word of mouth and through their website. There is much Kingdom work to be done, and it is my job to go find the ones called to do it!
My Heart:
I love these trips; I am a different person because of them. Adventures in Missions has opened my eyes to the power of God, how much He truly loves me, and how alive His word is. I understand much better who I am in the Kingdom, what my giftings are, and what my role is to play; I also understand much better my weaknesses and how much I need Him. My desire is to see other young people experience this so they can spend their lives empowered to build the Kingdom like they were made to.
My Need:
A total of $10,000 to do this for the next 6 months; $1500/month + $1,000 for supplies.
-If 20 people give $10/month
-If 20 people give $25/month
-If 20 people give $50/month
I will surpass my goal!
***I currently need $1,700 by Aug 20th!***
You can give online by clicking on "Support Me" in the left-hand column.
Or mail a check made out to Adventures in Missions with my name in the memo line to:
Adventures in Missions
PO Box 534470
Atlanta, GA 30353-4470
Thank you! If you're on my mailing list, you will get a newsletter soon; if you're not yet on my mailing list let me know and I'll add you!
When I was little I wished I had lived in the Old Testament. I can't believe I used to wish that! Without dishonoring the church I grew up in or the great spiritual upbringing I received, I desired to live in the Old Testament because there was something integral missing in my spiritual life, and I felt it.
When I say I desired to live in the Old Testament, it was because to me that was the time of signs and wonders and where God most clearly revealed Himself and spoke most powerfully. I desired to see, hear, and do the things I read about, and for some reason assumed those things had ended.
Boy, was I wrong. I am so glad I don't live in the Old Testament under the Old Covenant of law. I am so glad I live in the New Testament under the New Covenant of extravagant grace. How did I ever assume God would have revealed Himself in more exciting and powerful ways before Jesus came? How does most of the church still assume God revealed Himself in more exciting and powerful ways before The Bible was done?
I don't know. But here's what I do know: I was wrong about a lot of things. This is the most exciting time to be alive. This is the time of His most marvelous signs and wonders. This is the time when He is speaking most powerfully and revealing to us the most about Himself. I've begun to look to the New Testament to see what my life should look like now. And by His Spirit it does - thank God!!!
Are you living the abundant life Jesus talks about in John 10:10? Its time to see and experience life in the Kingdom the way God designed it!
Here is a recent article from Newsweek, "The Lengths We Go For Beauty", by Tara Lewis.
Its amazing what people all over the world will do to look better, to be more accepted, and to feel more desirable. The United States is no exception; the idea of a tanning salon sounds absolutely outrageous to most of the world. There is something about the way people torture themselves in the name of "beauty" that is sickening; being willing to undergo intense pain, discomfort, and sickness to look different than the natural, original you.... Satan takes such delight in convincing people of their unworthiness and ugliness. People don't know who they are and aren't okay with who they are because they don't know the One whose image they're made in. Once you really see Him for who He is there is a settledness and contentedness that comes over you that is more beautiful than any physical characteristic; I imagine that Jesus was very attractive in this way.
Here is my solution to this crisis:
Look at Him, and see how He looks at you; that's how you know who you are.
Look at Him, and see how He looks at them; that's how you know who they are.
Everything is about looking at Him and seeing through His eyes...I promise this will change you. I promise you will begin to recognize the depth of beauty that is already there, that you will begin to see reality more clearly: YOU ARE DESIRED, YOU ARE LONGED FOR, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.
And your renown went forth among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through the splendor that I had bestowed on you, declares the Lord GOD.
-Ezekiel 16:14
He gives a kind of beauty that doesn't change from culture to culture; every nation will recognize it as beautiful because it is in fact, true beauty.
Here's the article:
They say beauty's only skin deep, but it's also a human obsession, one
that spans cultures and centuries. From Iran, where the perfect nose is
considered the ideal form, to parts of West Africa, where fat is
fabulous, one country's beauty can be another's ugly, or at least
bizarre. Americans may obsess over the skinny, plastic ideal, but we
aren't always the norm. A look at beauty trends and rituals from around
the world.
Iran:
Both Iranian men and women embrace rhinoplasty as an unabashed route to
beauty and a display of status, which has made Iran the nose-job
capital of the world. The surgery was once a trend associated largely
with image-conscious Beverly Hills, but more than 30,000 Tehranians
received rhinoplasties in 2006 alone. The Guardian reports that "vanity" and "boredom" are the likely culprits behind this modern beauty obsession.
Asia:
Spray tans may be the norm for the cast of Jersey Shore, but for young
people in much of Southeast Asia, pale is considered the ideal and is
associated with wealth, beauty, and social class. Over the past decade
the white skin often seen in American beauty magazines has been
aggressively marketed across Asia, to the point that in Thailand, for
example, it's hard to find skin cosmetics that don't contain a
whitening agent. Despite horror stories of permanent skin damage--and
government attempts to control a growing black market--one market
research survey estimates that 4 in every 10 women in Hong Kong,
Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, and Taiwan use a whitening
cream.
In parts of western Africa still beholden to traditional beauty ideals,
women are considered most attractive when they're overweight and
sporting stretch marks. In Mauritania, many parents send their
daughters, who are often married at a young age, to camps where they are fed up to 16,000 calories a day.
Brazil:
Brazil--known for some of the most beautiful people in the world--used
to revere its women for their "guitar shape," a sign of health and
wealth. But in the face of an influx of Western media, Brazilian women
have begun trying to reduce their hips and backsides to match the
svelte and often unhealthy Western ideal. Historian Mary del Priore told The New York Times, "By
'upgrading' to international standards of beauty," Brazilians are
giving up on the belief that "plumpness is a sign of beauty."
Korea:
Eyelid surgery may not sound like a major procedure, but it's worth a
lot to many Korean women, who believe the surgery, which makes their
eyes wider and rounder, also makes them more beautiful. Plastic surgery in general has skyrocketed in Asia over the past few years,
but in Korea in particular, researchers estimate that 1 in 10 adults
has been nipped and tucked, and even children are getting their eyelids
done. The surgery, essentially an eye lift, creates a fold in the
eyelid and gives the look of bigger, more Western eyes.
France:
In parts of Europe, including France, it's the natural look that's
considered most beautiful--even if it takes a bit of "natural"-looking
makeup to acheive it. "It really astonishes me the way American women
wear so much makeup," Laura Mercier, the French creator of the
cosmetics line told The New York Times. By contrast, Mercier continued, "French women are not flashy."
New Zealand:
In New Zealand, where the indigenous Maori culture has enjoyed
resurgence in the last 20 years, men and women adorn themselves with
swirling face tattoos called moko--a sacred beauty ritual
that spans centuries. Though originally worn by these Polynesian
descendents as a sign of status, Maori men and women now wear moko as
an honorary throwback to their cultural history. One of the more
distinctive forms of moko is the pattern women wear on their lips and
chins, shown here.
China:
Heidi Montag may be among the more extreme Western victims of plastic
surgery, but in parts of China, men and women are turning to a painful
leg-lengthening procedure that stretches their bones to make them
taller. In this part of the world, height is a sign of status--and, say
many leg-lengthening patients, a prerequisite for success. So instead
of polishing their resumes, many Chinese, hoping to gain a few precious inches, are having surgeons insert metal bars into their legs that break their bones and stretch their legs apart.
Burma:
Known as "long necks" or, more crudely, "giraffe women," the Kayan
women, a Tibeto-Burman ethnic minority of Burma, wrap brass coils
around their necks when young and add more as they age: the women's
shoulders are weighed down by the weight of the rings giving the
illusion that their necks are growing--a centuries-old ritual that, in
the wake of conflict in Burma, which forced many Kayans to flee to
neighboring Thailand, has become one of Thailand's biggest, and most controversial, tourist attractions.
One of them was Anthony Hargrove of the New Orleans Saints, who had just won the Superbowl only days before. Talk about a crazy cultural shift - from crowds who can't get enough of you, to masses of kids who are afraid of you! The first glimpse I got of these guys made me burst out in laughter; they were just so gigantic standing next to my Swazi babies! Each NFL player I met was so down-to-earth, and willing to humble himself by fumbling through the Swazi cultural songs and dances. One of my favorite memories in Swazi was doing the hokie-pokie and the harlem shake with the players and the kids. So much fun!
A video was recently posted on the NFL website about their trip to Swaziland. I love it! And yes, I did drive a van just like the one you see at the beginning of the video! The first building you see is Pastor Walter's church - the church I've gone to both times I've been to Swazi, and is right down the road from where I lived. The man briefing them is Dennis, the American co-pastor of that church and one of the missionaries we worked with. Check out his Swazi-English! The little girl whose face the camera centers on at the end is Ellie, who was abandoned as a premie at the local hospital but was adopted by Julie, a missionary who has taught the gogos (grandmas) to make purses.
Posted in 13 Swaziland by Elizabeth Adcock on 4/3/2010
"Beware of strangers."
This is a common phrase taught to children. When taught in America, parents usually teach this phrase aware of what could happen. In Africa, parents teach this phrase aware of what is happening.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup will occur in South Africa between June 11 and July 11. This will be the first time the tournament has been hosted by an African nation. Because the government of South Africa recognizes that prostitution will skyrocket during the World Cup, and the government makes a profit off of prostitution, they have legalized prostitution during the time it will take place.
A higher demand for prostitution means increased human trafficking and slavery. Parents in Swaziland are being urged to keep a close eye on their children, as some have already been taken and other attempts have been foiled. I can't help but think of all the children I see wandering the dirt roads - even babies - just wandering by themselves. They are utterly vulnerable and helpless, and if taken, some may not be missed until days later.
I hope this strikes a chord of righteous anger in you like it does in me. Pray for heavenly protection. Pray for justice. Ask God what you can do to help.
Posted in 13 Swaziland by Elizabeth Adcock on 3/30/2010
I had been received with open arms, given all the attention and affection I could ever hope for, and offered a safe and loving place to grow spiritually as well as emotionally. Everything seemed ideal. But precisely at that time, I fell apart – as if I needed a safe place to hit bottom.
- Henri Nouwen
Team FUSE in Ukraine
I have been thinking a lot about community lately – what it is, what it isn't, how I have and haven't entered into it well, and what I want my life in community to be like in the future.
I have been in a lot of Christian communities, and most of them have been lacking. This is not to say I didn't receive from them; I've received wonderful things from every community I've been in; but there was always a part of me that knew there was more. To be honest, I've still only glimpsed the kind of community I want to live in, but it's been enough to give me vision and hope; enough to show me how to pursue it.
I have come to realize that the enemy of community is pride, the right to be right, protection of self, and concern for self. Most people are far too concerned with themselves. I have been far too concerned with myself. Until we are broken of these things, we cannot enter community well. We must be willing to be vulnerable with each other: to admit our own faults, to lovingly point out the faults of others, and to celebrate each of our individual glories with humility. And, we can never be intimate with each other without being intimate with God. It is in His confidence and rest that we gain the courage to allow ourselves to be broken and vulnerable.
Christian community can look like lots of things it shouldn't. The kind of Christian community I have spent most of my time in is community that pressures me to conform to certain standards, that makes me feel like I need to "earn" or "do" something to be okay, that makes me feel guilty (which is from Satan) instead of convicted (which is from God). I have been encouraged to apply biblical principles to my life that show me how to try harder and do better – but in the end, I still failed.
My second team on The World Race (FUSE), was the first place I began to feel safe. And my feeling safe didn't come easily. My team had to push in, to fight for it, to love me in word and deed far beyond what I deserved or "earned". Let me be clear – it wasn't perfect. I didn't always feel loved. In many ways I had to choose to trust despite this or that, but overall I became convinced that their intentions were for my good and they loved me just as I was. And then, just as Henri Nouwen's quote suggests, I fell apart. Falling apart hurt, but it was a hurt that had really been there all along, I just became willing to acknowledge and recognize it. As I began to face things in the safety of my team, I moved forward into hope of restoration and healing.
And this is what I believe true Christian community is as Christ intended it – a safe place to fall apart. A safe place where people are accepted just as they are, and able to walk in their brokenness and poverty. We can only do this in and because of Christ's love, and that is what makes it so distinctly Christian.
Posted in 13 Swaziland by Elizabeth Adcock on 3/15/2010
Lungile and Calie
"I want to go home."
My new friend Lungile kept saying this over and over again. I spent all day with her on the first day of March. It was my first day of knowing her, but I had been hearing about her for weeks from Billy and Calie on my team. Every Monday and Friday we go to the Hope House and they would head straight for her room, and spend the entire time there; finally I was getting to spend time with her too.
"I want to go home."
We told her we didn't want her to go home because then we wouldn't be able to see her when we came to visit. So we picked her up, dressed her, and put her in her wheel chair to take her to the church service we were putting on that afternoon.
"I want to go home."
But she didn't have anyone to take her home. All of her immediate relatives had already died, and her extended family had abandoned her and refused to come get her. What she asked for seemed hopeless. And then I began to hear God. He was saying He wanted to take her Home, and suddenly I knew she didn't understand the depth of her request.
"I want to go home."
I began praying that God would take her Home – yes, that she would die of the horrible disease of AIDS that had been wrecking her body for too long now. He wanted to take her. It was time. God said, "Tell her about Home".
So I told her I knew she wanted to go to her Swazi home, but that there was a Home even greater that I long for. A place where she gets to see Jesus face-to-face, where she gets to have a beautiful singing voice, and gets to dance again like when she was young. A place of peace, of rest, and of joy restored; a place where she is loved.
She listened intently. She had been afraid of dying, but now God showed me that He was releasing her to want to go to her real Home. I didn't know what would happen, but I prayed He'd take her soon. I didn't want to see her suffer any longer, and I knew He was wanting to wrap her up in His arms.
We left the Hope House, and found out a few days later that Lungile was doing much worse and had been taken to the hospital. We were trying to figure out how to find her at the hospital, but before we could try it was Monday and we were again at the Hope House.
One week had passed since God told me He wanted to take her. While I was still in the van, Calie frantically ran up to my window and told me Lungile was back and that someone told her she was probably in her last hours of life. When I walked in her room, I saw a much different woman than I saw only a week before. She was too weak to move, and could barely speak. My spirit whispered, "Oh Jesus, take her quickly."
Almost half of the team gathered in the room with Lungile that day. Calie held her hand, and Billy was close beside. The rest of us formed a semi-circle around them as we worshipped and prayed for two hours. I prayed that worship would never cease over her from that moment on, that she would literally leave the worship of the saints and angels on earth to be ushered into the worship of the saints and angels in heaven. I believe it happened. I saw it happening. God prompted me to read Revelation 4 to her about the Throne Room as He simultaneously prompted Ryan (who was leading worship) to have us sing "Revelation Song" over her. She was going to see the things I was reading so quickly.
Eventually we left her to go in peace. About an hour after we left her, and right before we were going to leave the Hope House, we were told she had passed. Passed from death to life. I have never been with someone who got to be so close to Jesus so soon after I was with them. I felt privileged and honored, unsure of why I was allowed to be there for her transformation.
I saw lots of hard things that day. I still don't understand why death had to be as painful for Lungile as it was, or why God let her suffer so long, but I trust God and I trust His timing.
But I also saw marvelous things – things I can only begin to understand the gravity of. I saw a woman who had been longing to be loved most of her life finally be loved, really and truly. She knew she was loved by Billy and Calie especially, and "I love you" was the only thing I understood her say that day, to which Calie tearfully replied "I love you, too". I saw a woman who nobody wanted be missed by a group of people from half-way across the world, and woman whose physical family abandoned her be embraced by her family in God.
She did not die alone that day. Lungile's prayers for love and for home were finally answered. That day was beautiful because of where she was going. Praise God that death is not the end! Praise Him that pain and suffering cease with the hope in His name! Praise Him that there is a place for Lungile to go that is far better! I am confident she's using her beautiful singing voice; oh, and how I wish I could see her DANCE!
Posted in 13 Swaziland by Elizabeth Adcock on 3/10/2010
Calie, one of the girls on my team, wrote this. I love it. It'll certainly give you a picture of what everyday life is like for us, and I HOPE it makes you laugh as hard as it makes me!!!! God can teach us through anything....
This week I decided to post a more lighthearted blog. Reader's
discretion is advised for those who may be eating now or plan to do so
soon.
***
Jumbo is not a noun that we are familiar with in
America but here in Africa it refers to our toilets, (if they qualify
as "toilets".) Truth be told, we are not quite sure what they are.
Definitely not a restroom, bathroom, porta-pottie, or even rest stop for
that matter. Yet, they are the place that we do our "business" and
unfortunately, spend a considerable amount of time often due to our new
African diets.
We have three Jumbos. The first one is green. This
one is rarely used due to a complete lack of air flow. The second one
is a tin shack with "Jumbo" written on the door, (hence the name.) And
the third is just like the second minus the door factor.
In these three vessels I have found that many biblical
truths are represented and often overlooked so I thought that I might
bring five of them to the light. Enjoy!
1) God is the Ultimate Reliever of Burdens
Psalms 55:22 Cast your burdens on the Lord and he will sustain you.
I will be honest; pooping here is a big deal for our team. Between
half of us going too often and the other half not going at all we often
know the status of one another's latest bowel movements. For those that
have been struggling to go, there is nothing like hearing their
excitement upon achieving "Jumbo Success."
Just as the Jumbo is the place where we can be relieved of our
digestive burdens, God is the ultimate reliever of our life's burdens.
2) Humility
Matthew 23:12 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Having a Jumbo without a door, surprise visitors while doing your
business are common. Getting walked in on by a teammate is not such a
big thing. The fun surprises come from the road which happens to have a
lovely view of our open-air Jumbo.
Between truck beds full of people, kids walking to and from school, and the occasional passer-by, a serious amount of humility is needed to
avoid painful embarrassment.
3) Living by Faith
Romans 1:17b The righteous will live by faith.
Despite what one would assume, Jumbo is not exactly the sturdiest
structure. When you place your rump upon the "seat" the entire inside
shelf sinks in. Sometimes it is hard to relax when the only thing
holding you from falling into a pile of poop is bending, creaking, and
all around being sketchy. It takes faith in that Jumbo to 1.relax
2.execute 3.escape.
God is not sketchy, but there are times in my faith when the wind
seems to blow extra hard and shakes where I think I stand. It's
important to realize that God deserves every ounce of our faith and He
never fails.
4) Run in a Way to Achieve the Prize
1 Corinthians 9:24-25 Do you not know that in a race all the
runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get
the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict
training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to
get a crown that will last forever.
It is probably safe to say that everyone on the team has made at
least one "Jumbo-run." I mean where we literally run to Jumbo because
if we aren't there soon something else will be in our pants.
That is one particular race that people always run to win. Just as
we run for Jumbo, we need to run in our faith with the intensity to win
the prize.
5) Being a Light
Matthew 5: 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven.
The Jumbos aren't exactly equipped with lights that can be flipped
on upon entrance. All light must be brought with you upon entry in
the night. Headlamps are the most common form of light, especially in
the Jumbo where a hands-free device is required. The only problem is
that the light which is strapped to your forehead is irresistibly
attractive to all flying creatures of the earth. You are trying to do
your business in peace but flies, moths, and worse are pelting you in
the face trying to get your light.
Our light for Jesus should be like this and should be so intense
that it has this affect on the world. Our lights should shine in a way
that people flock to it to see what it's all about.
Posted in 13 Swaziland by Elizabeth Adcock on 3/6/2010
Here's a glimpse of what seemed to be a rehearsed comedy Neil and I starred in last week.
Scene 1:
Waiter: "You would like a hamburger. So ham for you (points at Neil), cheese for you (points at me)."
Us: "No, a hamburger. With beef in the middle, cheese, tomato, and lettuce on the top, and bread on both sides." (Hamburgers are on the menu).
Waiter: "Oh yes." And he walks away confidently.
Scene 2:
The waiter comes back with ketchup and vinegar in a silver serving bowl on a silver platter, and two ham and cheese sandwiches with tomato and lettuce sprigs toothpicked on top.
We both really wanted hamburgers.
Waiter: "Is this okay?"
Neil: "No this is not okay. Can we talk to the cook?"
The cook comes out and we explain to her that we wanted a hamburger.
Cook: "Oh yes, a hamburger. Of course."
Awkward silence.
Neil: "We would like a hamburger." Finally the cook takes back the ham and cheese sandwiches. The customer is not always right in Africa!
Liz: "We would like TWO hamburgers. One for me, one for him."
Cook: Okay.
Scene 3:
The waiter comes back with ONE hamburger. We laugh. What else can we do?
Neil: "We would like another hamburger."
Waiter: "Okay".
And that's where the story finally ends happily. It took awhile, but we both got hamburgers! Whew. Stories like this always amaze me because it gives me a little more of a glimpse into how different Africans think, and how little they understand America. Few Swazis know what a hamburger is, and most live on pap and beans everyday. They try so hard to give us what they think is American (silver platter & bowl), that is over-the-top nice, not understanding that in America we actually eat ketchup out of small, flimsy paper bowls.
Communicating with Swazis requires much grace from us and from them. I am sure we do many things they think are absolutely crazy. They think peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are a disgusting idea and don't understand how we can eat them. And they probably got a pretty good kick out of watching our entire team chase one rooster around our homestead so that our gogo (grandma) could cook him for dinner. It took 16 Americans but only takes one Swazi! And as you can see from the hamburger story, Africans will normally agree with you even if they don't understand or even don't agree. That makes for interesting communication. I usually think they understand much more of what I am saying than they actually do.
People (women espcially) are strong here and I always feel very weak compared to them. How do women walk down the street with a full cooler on their head and a baby on their back? I'm sure if I did that the cooler would fall off my head and kill the baby. But they are confident and I've never seen them drop anything. More than anything I wish I could bend over the way the women do - their backs simply bend in a different way than any Americans' back I have seen. Instead of curving, it lies flat, and they can work all day in that position.
These are just a few of the cultural things I think about!
"Beware of strangers." 
Jumbo is not a noun that we are familiar with in
America but here in Africa it refers to our toilets, (if they qualify
as "toilets".) Truth be told, we are not quite sure what they are.
Definitely not a restroom, bathroom, porta-pottie, or even rest stop for
that matter. Yet, they are the place that we do our "business" and
unfortunately, spend a considerable amount of time often due to our new
African diets.
