http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org World Race Krystle Esch - en-us Mon, 13 Oct 2008 21:32:55 GMT 30 http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=remembering-a-year-video http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=remembering-a-year-video Today is officially the last day of the World Race! I can't believe it! Tonight we'll be flying into Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind, lots of things to process. This video is a brief summary of things our team experienced in the last 11 months. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=hospital http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=hospital This is from a few weeks ago, while I was in Guatemala, but I never got around to blogging about it... My experience there was great, different from anything else we've done on the race. A group of girls and I stayed in Antigua, Guatemala for about 10 days, and volunteered at a hospital/ orphanage for handicapped people. Their mental and physical disabilities ranged in severity, but unfortunately, many of their symptoms were worsened by lack of stimulation and attention. It was challenging and a little awkward at first, but by the end I had fallen in love with several of the people there, and was sad to leave.   My favorite person to visit in the children's ward was a ten year-old boy named Diego. The children are put to bed in their cribs around 1:00pm, and aren't taken out again until 8:00am the next morning. Even when they're out, they spend most of the day lined up in their wheelchairs unless a visitor or volunteer is there to play with them.   On one afternoo Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=F69BB63A83A3460BA5DC07F9758457 http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=F69BB63A83A3460BA5DC07F9758457 Today we visited a city dump in Managua, and I was completely humbled. Not only because of the conditions that the people live and work in, but because of the greeting I received.   You can smell the dump long before you actually enter it, a mixture of burning trash and things rotting. There are flies swarming everywhere, so I was thankful for the light rain because it seemed to keep them off us a little. As we were walking in, I just kept praying "Jesus, help me have Your heart here today."    We had no agenda, so Aaron, Jeanette, and I were walking around, praying and seeking whatever the Lord had for us there. I was just saying to them how it's sometimes awkward to be in those situations, because I don't want people to think that we came there just to take some pictures and say we came. Right then, a woman working yelled and waved at us. We waved back, and after a short exchange with Aaron, she suddenly dropped her tools, ran over to us, and greeted us Tue, 8 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=428019CBF25D4BC5AB8A5F656D9842 http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=428019CBF25D4BC5AB8A5F656D9842 A lot has happened since I last blogged... We traveled for four days by bus from Panama up to Guatemala, where we stayed for about 10 days before getting back on a bus to come to Nicaragua, our last country! I can't believe it! I'll try to catch up on my blogging, there's a lot to tell... But for now, here's some pictures of us at a volcano we visited in Guatemala. We were even able to roast marshmallows over the lava! It was one of the coolest things I have even seen or done. Seeing the power and beauty of God's creation in a whole new way was incredible!                 Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=kuna-yala http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=kuna-yala We came back from the islands yesterday morning. The 10 days we spent there were some of best days of the race for me! The island that we stayed on was small, you can walk from one side to the other in about a minute. It's packed with many small houses made of reeds. We slept in hammocks in the church building, which was fun once I mastered sleeping on my side in one. There wasn't much privacy, since there was no door, and 3 sides of the building have blocks with holes in them. At first I felt a little like we were living in a fish bowl, but it didn't take long to get used to it. When we weren't playing with kids, or hanging with the locals, we did a variety of things... led a youth Bible study, did several children's program's, gave testimonies, picked up trash, prepped the Pastor's boat for re-painting, and helped re-build some church walls on another island. "You don't build your houses like this in the States?" a guy asked me as I watched how to attach the reeds with tw Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=headed-out-to-the-village http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=headed-out-to-the-village After another 16 hour bus ride, we're back in Panama! We've been staying in Panama City this past week, tutoring at an international school, and doing various other ministries. Tomorrow morning our team is leaving for 10 days to go to Kuna Yala, a group of Islands North of here inhabited by indigenous people called the Kuna people. We're not exactly sure what we'll be doing during our stay there, but the local missionary we'll be working with has said that there is a need for encouragement, teaching, and prayer for the local pastors and churches. We'll probably be out of touch until we get back to the city, so I'll update you again then!    The Panama Canal Thu, 29 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=update-from-panama http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=update-from-panama Sorry I haven't updated my blog in a while... Here's what I've been up to- Aaron, Christie, Jackie and I came down to Panama last week to do some setup for the rest of the squad. We'll go back to Costa Rica this weekend for debrief, and then we'll all be coming back here around the 25th. There's a lot of urban ministries here in Panama City that we are really excited to get involved in. We found a cheap hostel to stay at in Casco Viejo, which is an older part of the city. It's in a great central location, and they've given us an amazing deal, so we were rejoicing about that yesterday! With the exception of Aaron, I've been away from the rest of my team now for over a week now. It's been strange, and has caused me to think a lot about what it's going to be like in a couple of months when we'll be going home... It will be so hard to leave them! Please pray that things will continue to fall into place for us here. We have a couple more contacts to get in touch with before we leave. As the Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=learning-to-be http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=learning-to-be Several weeks ago, when our team was praying about what to do during our last few weeks in Africa, we felt the Lord was telling us to fast and spend time in solitude with Him before we went anywhere else. So we fasted together and prayed for three days. I have to say, it was kind of difficult for me. Not the fasting, or the praying, but the "not doing" part of it. Time in Africa was running short, and I was anxious to go. To help the poor, feed the hungry, love the unloved... But over and over again God kept saying to me "intimacy first." I was talking about it with Aaron, how it was difficult to not feel like we were wasting precious time, and I said something to him like "Three days seems like a long time now, but when you look at the big picture, three days of your life isn't much if it teaches you how to be intimate with God." Afterward I started thinking more about what I had said, and realized how true it really is. A couple weeks later, as we were prepari Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=snapshots-of-madrid http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=snapshots-of-madrid Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=were-back-in-the-western-hemisphere http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=were-back-in-the-western-hemisphere More than eighty hours after leaving Badplaas, South Africa, with stops in Madrid and Bogota, we arrived in San Jose, Costa Rica! It's strange to now be back in the same timezone as my home! We've spent the last several days recovering from jet lag and searching out ministry opportunities for this next month.I think that my team will be leaving tomorrow for a smaller town about 3 hours East of here.It's exciting to be in a new country and learn about another new culture. Maybe I can finally learn some Espanol!Catching some sleep in the Bogota, Columbia airport... that's me under the red blanket, with Traci beside me Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=africa-slideshow http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=africa-slideshow Ignite Africa Slideshow from Traci on Vimeo Sun, 27 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=mozambique http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=mozambique We came back to South Africa from Mozambique yesterday, we had an amazing time there! In only about 10 days we were able to accomplish a lot. We stayed with a missionary named Don Foster, who works with Iris Ministries. About two months ago he took over the "Benjamin Project," for young men who grew up in Iris orphanages, and are now finishing their education and being equipped for life on their own. There are about 11 guys between the ages of 22-25 who live at the base. Don with two guys in the program Before we left, our team spent 3 days fasting and praying about what God wanted us to do in our remaining time in Africa. When we heard about Don and his ministry, we all knew that it was where we needed to go. Reflecting now on the last week and a half, I can see even more clearly that we were exactly where God wanted us. Don is working on his own, and when we came he told us that he was "at the end of his rope," in desperate need of help Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=were-off-to-mozambique http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=were-off-to-mozambique This is just a quick note to let you know what's happening... We're in South Africa right now, this afternoon half of our team, including me, will be leaving for Mozambique. The rest of the team will join us there in a few days. We'll be helping a missionary there who teaches life skills to orphans, and does evangelism ministry. We probably won't have internet there, so I'll catch up with blogging again in a couple of weeks when we come back here for debrief. In less than three weeks we'll be headed to Central America! Thanks for all you prayers and support! Sat, 5 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=happy-easter http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=happy-easter This Easter has to be the most memorable one I've ever had. Our whole squad went back down to Nsoko for the dedication of the church there, and Pastor Gift's ordaining. It rained all night Saturday night, and when we got to the sight it was a muddy mess. My flip flops weighed about 10 pounds each within minutes of stepping off the bus, so I went barefoot the rest of the day along with many others. I finally got around to trying to wash the mud out of my skirt yesterday. It was such a priviledge to be a part of the church planting. G-42 has a huge vision for a community center, marketplace, and orphan homes there. I'm excited to see what happens in Nsoko over the next few years! Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=roadtrip http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=roadtrip Traci, Megan, and I found ourselves with some free days a few weekends ago, so we decided to rent a car and take a little roadtrip to Nelspruit, South Africa. We had so much fun! We got in contact with some local South African missionaries, and they blessed us by letting us stay with their son and his wife. The house felt like a five star resort to me: nice beds, fluffy towels, a pool, and wireless internet! It was great! Having our own vehicle was a luxury too, we enjoyed being able to go wherever we wanted, whenever we wanted. And thankfully, Traci had no trouble driving on the "wrong" side of the road! We asked our host if there was anything we could do to help out with her ministry, so one day she sent us to organize a room at their base. It was full of boxes and suitcases of donated items, so we sorted through everything and bagged it up. We couldn't resist trying on some of the very interesting clothes we found while we worked. We laughed and had fun the entire time! &nbs Sat, 29 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=philippines-revisited http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=philippines-revisited This is a flashback to a couple of months ago... Traci was able to finish this slideshow from our time in the Philippines. Looking back, I'm amazed at everything we experienced there! Enjoy! Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=being-the-church http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=being-the-church Last Sunday I attended one of the most beautiful "church services" I've ever been to. There were about 25 people in a scattered circle of couches and chairs. One man welcomed everyone, and then led us into worship with a guitar and singing. For the rest of the night there was no agenda. People shared scriptures, prayed aloud, sang, whistled, laughed, sat, stood, walked around, shared things the Lord was putting on their heart... no agenda. We ministered to the Lord and to one another. It was beautiful. And the presence of the Holy Spirit was strong. As I was sitting there, I thought to myself "Why do we do it, why do we like to confine God to a program in a bulletin? What are we so afraid of?" We'll scare people off. It will be unorganized... messy... chaos maybe. We won't know how to fill the alloted time slot... or worse, we'll go over the alloted time slot. Maybe we're afraid that if we take away our nicely prepared order of service, we'll be faced with the reality tha Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=lessons-on-loss http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=lessons-on-loss We buried Mcolisi yesterday. The past three days have been some of the most exhausting, most emotionally difficult, and most incredible days of my life. It started on Monday when Traci and I went early in the morning to take Mcolisi (also known as Moses) to the hospital in Manzini. His persistent cough wasn't getting better, and we wanted the nutritional specialist to advise us about treating his malnutrition. After some lab tests, x-rays, and many long, hot hours, the doctor confirmed that he had pneumonia and said we needed to admit him. Traci had to be somewhere after lunch, so I spent the rest of the day in the children's ward with Moses. There aren't enough nurses to provide care for all the patients, so we had to have someone else stay at his bedside 24 hours a day. We had only begun to worry about how we were going to work that out. It was a long rest of the day for me. I didn't have much with me since I hadn't been expecting to stay long. I sat on a wooden bench in front of Mos Thu, 6 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=peace-child http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=peace-child There's been a recent addition to our family. His name is Mcolisi (pronounced with a click), which means "peacemaker" in Siswati, and he's a beautiful, 5 week-old baby. His four older siblings attend one of the care points that our team works at. His father abandoned the family, and his mother, Pelile, is sick with AIDS, unable to care for him. His 7 year-old sister was in the process of learning to be a mother when we learned of their situation. Pelile agreed to let us care for him, so long as we bring him to the care point each time we go so that she can see him. When Traci took him from his home last week he was severely dehydrated and malnourished, weighing less than 5 pounds. Since then his health has been improving, and it's been a relief to hear him crying more these last few days as he gains strength. We've been giving him antibiotics for a respiratory infection, and some special nutrients and electrolytes in addition to his regular formula. His "crib" is a wash basin that Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=ngunya http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=ngunya This month my team is helping at different care points in Nsoko, Swaziland. Every month, food for local underprivileged children is delivered to the care points, and the "gogo's," or grandmothers, are responsible for cooking and feeding the children who come each day. The children also receive free teaching for several hours each morning. The care point that I'm working at is called Ngunya. There are about 12 children between the ages of 2-5 who come regularly. Alexis and I have been helping teach the kids, and we're working on making some new charts and teaching aids for the teacher. We're also having a workshop later this week for the teachers from all the different care points, since most of them are uneducated and eager to learn new strategies and ideas. Please pray that our preparations for that will go smoothly, and that it will be a blessing and help to the teachers. Also, we are priviledged to be camping at a safari lodge, where we wake up to the sound of roa Sat, 16 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-shadow-of-his-wings http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-shadow-of-his-wings My time here in Swaziland has been filled with teachings and debriefings with AIM staff and other pastors. Last week I had a one-on-one with Gary Black. We started out talking about the race and how it was going for me. He questioned me about some other things, and we talked about what in my life was holding me back spiritually. He also told me about different spiritual gifts that he saw in me, and ways that God could use me. At the end he helped lead me through a prayer to release the burdens and fear that were holding me back, and to accept the spiritual gifts God has given me. Afterward he told me that he was going to help hold me accountable to walking in those gifts and not letting fear hold me back. It was a very freeing experience for me, and I left with a feeling of excitement at what God is doing in my life. The next day I had another one-on-one, this time with Mike, and I told him what had happened with Gary the day before. We talked about moving to the next level Wed, 6 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=im-in-africa-and-i-love-it http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=im-in-africa-and-i-love-it After over 4 months in Asia, we've moved on to Africa and I'm so pumped to finally be here! It's my first time on this continent, and like everywhere I go... I love it!! My team laughs at me because wherever we happen to be at the moment, I usually say that it's my "favorite" place. I was starting to wonder about that as we left Asia. I want to travel across the entire world. How will there be enough room for each of these "favorite" places in my heart? And how will I know where God wants me if I love everywhere? Then I remembered something that Molly had written to me in a note. We had passed out folded pieces of paper with the names of each squad member on them. Without looking at the name, we asked God to give us words for that person, and we wrote them down. Then at the end we opened the paper and gave the note to that person. Her note to me contained a lot of truth that I needed to hear, but the truth for that moment was something like this "Relax into loving people with God's lov Fri, 1 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-least-of-these http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-least-of-these There are certain people from every country we've been to who have touched my heart in a such a way that I will never forget them. Last month, that person was a homeless Tibetan man. The first day I saw him I was just wondering around, taking pictures of the area. I briefly noticed the heap of blankets near the prayer wheels as I walked by, but didn't realize that there was a person under them until I turned around and was startled by the rather wild man staring back at me. I smiled at him and continued on, but later he kept coming back to my mind.Megan and I decided to buy some bread and an orange to take back to him. His face was hidden under the blankets as we walked up, and I was a little uncertain how to approach him. After a moment he popped out and we handed him the food. He set it down beside him and pulled the blankets over his head again, so we kind of shrugged and went on our way. Later I walked back and smiled as I saw the orange peel lying nearby him. In the days that fo Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=quick-update http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=quick-update Hi everyone, I have a lot to catch you up on from the past several weeks, but not enough time right now... Our team is leaving for a closed Asian country, so for safety reasons we will not have any internet/ phone use for the next several weeks. Please keep us in your prayers! Here are some requests: We have a 50 hour train ride ahead of us, so pray that we will use that time wisely and will be able to minister to those we meet. Pray that we will be sensitive to the Lord's voice, and bold in following His direction. Pray for continued unity on our team. We've been told there's a spirit of criticism in this country, so pray that we will come against that with encouragement! Pray for strongholds to be broken and the Kingdom of God to advance! I'll write more when we return, thank you for your support! PS- I'm super excited that we get a break from the warm weather for these next few weeks! Seeing my breath this morning was amazing! Thu, 3 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-best-amazing-greatest-day-ever1 http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-best-amazing-greatest-day-ever1 From a couple weeks ago...When I first imported my pictures from today to my computer, I labeled the folder "best day ever pictures," but Megan and I agreed that more adjectives were needed to adequately describe the day. So it's now the "best amazing greatest day ever." Jeanette, Megan, Seth and I left after lunch to visit Pastor Robert Nunez and his wife, Virgie, again. We had about an hour after we arrived before they planned to start worship, so I set off with a small following of children to walk around the neighborhood. As we went, more and more children joined us, laughing at my attempts to remember (and pronounce) all of their names. They eagerly guided me through alleyways, around mud puddles, and across bamboo bridges. Holding their hands and laughing, I was already thinking what a great day it was turning out to be. Before we started worship, we were able to present Pastor Robert with a new guitar. "Glory to God!" he shouted, raising it high, and immediately he began to pl Fri, 14 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=into-the-arms-of-the-father http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=into-the-arms-of-the-father This morning I went back to check on Marvin. All night long his family had taken turns manually pumping his Ambu bag. His father was tired, and seemed distracted as he did it now, so I offered to take over. I watched his tiny chest rise and fall with each pump, and stared into his unblinking eyes. Now and then a tear would slip down his cheek. I wondered where his mind was, knowing it was far from his deteriorating body. His doctor came by to see him and she estimated that he had no more than 72 hours to live, regardless of any treatment he received. This afternoon we learned that his family decided to remove his breathing tube and take him home so that he could comfortably pass away. He died before they could. The past few days have been emotionally exhausting. I don't really know why God brought me into Marvin's life so near to it's end. Maybe for his family. Maybe because I've been praying for brokenness. In any case, I'm still thankful for the chance to be part of this story. I cou Fri, 7 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=into-the-arms-of-the-father-i http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=into-the-arms-of-the-father-i As we approached Marvin's hospital bed, I saw that he had been intubated. His cousin was erratically hand pumping oxygen to his lungs, his eyes red with tears. I gently reminded him to keep a steady rhythm. Marvin's father was leaning against the wall, the same anguished look in his eyes as before. Occasionally he would gently pick up his sons' hand and let it fall back to the pillow, as if willing him to regain life. His mother wiped the sweat from his forehead with a dirty rag. I learned then that Marvin had bacterial meningitis. The medicine he needed, Phenytoin, was to keep him from having seizures. We took the prescription to the pharmacy across the street, and returned with $50 worth of medications and IV fluids. After praying with the family I returned to the base, fell down on the nearest bed, and sobbed. A few hours later I returned to the hospital to check on Marvin. The medication had still not been given. A doctor was there now, and she said that the first dose Thu, 6 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=into-the-arms-of-the-father-ii http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=into-the-arms-of-the-father-ii Today an eight year old boy named Marvin died. I never actually talked to him, I don't really know much about him, but I don't think I'll ever forget him. When I first saw Marvin four days ago, he was lying limp and half naked in a hospital bed that smelled like a mixture of sweat and urine. His mother sat by his side, holding his tongue down with a padded depressor while his body shook with fever. We visited him with his pastor, having been told he had a UTI, but I knew that it must be more complicated than that. I saw the anguished look in his father's eyes as he fought back tears, and I was moved to tears as well. We didn't stay long, but even later as we drove home I could barely think about Marvin without wanting to cry. We've heard a lot of sad stories, met a lot of hurting and needy people, but for some reason this boy got to me in a way that no one else had. The next evening we heard that Marvin's condition had worsened, and he was transferred to a hospital here i Wed, 5 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=our-ministry-this-month http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=our-ministry-this-month I wanted to give you a quick idea of where we are and what our ministry looks like this month: We're in Bacolod City, on Negros Island, working with an organization called International Care Ministries. ICM has different outreach programs such as medical missions, feeding programs, film showings, and children's ministries. Our main purpose this month is to visit local pastors on the island to encourage them, help with building projects, make church member visitations, and do outreach programs. Here are some of the the pastors we've visited so far:Pastor Sunny Gicalde has a church in a slum that was relocated from the city to the countryside. Right now they have no church building, so they are meeting in someone's house. They've purchased a small lot of land for a parsonage, and are hoping to start building soon. The plot was originally supposed to be for the church as well, but they've realized it's not large enough, and are hoping that they can buy the surrounding lots as well in the Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=thanksgiving-my-birthday http://krystleesch.theworldrace.org/?filename=thanksgiving-my-birthday I turned 23 on Thanksgiving Day, and it was a great birthday! We have the luxury of a large supermarket nearby, so our team was excited that we would be able to buy food for Thanksgiving dinner. We were even more excited when we found a real Butterball turkey! We did not, however, in our excitement, check out the kitchen before making our purchases. None of us had seen it at that point since we'd only arrived the night before. We returned home to find that there was no oven. Visions of a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, with toast to eat, momentarily ran through my head. Unwilling to give up on our turkey though, we finally found a way to cook it. Our hosts brought us a small clay pot with coals, and we placed the turkey in a frying pan and set it over the pot. The rest of the dishes we were able to make on the stove-top with slight modifications. I did end up making a large plateful toast, but only to make into stuffing :) After dinner my team surprised me with a carrot cake, my favorite! Sat, 24 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT