In 4 hours we'll be heading down to Atlanta to fly to Puerto Rico. We'll be in Puerto Rico until July 13th when we'll return to Atlanta for a time of debriefing the trip.
Some of you have asked if you can pray specifically for all of the people on my team.
Here we are, all 28 of us! The 5 men of God on our team: Ian, Peter, David, Tom, and Adriel
The 20 beautiful young women: Kaitlin, Amber, Ashlie, Sarah K, Sarah C, Laquinta, Keyley, Elizabeth, Bethany, Amanda, Chelsea, Rebecca, Jennifer, Kylie, Meagan, Annie, Audrey, Brooke, Sydney, Charis. The 3 fearless leaders: Seth, Melissa, and myself.
Please pray:
-for all of us to experience God in new and powerful ways
-for the ministries we'll be involved in and the people we'll encounter
-for us to learn what it means to minister out of His love, not our ability
-for team unity & healthy community
-for health and protection against sickness
-for safe travel
-for wisdom and discernment for us as the team leaders
-for peace in the midst of what can look like organized chaos
-for us to live in the moment and enjoy the Lord!!
Thank you so much for covering us in prayer as we journey out to love people, experience God and be changed by what He's doing in Puerto Rico.
Training camp is going great! We've actually just finished our 2nd and final day here and the students are already sleeping and dreaming of an exciting travel day tomorrow. In just 4 short hours we'll be boarding the bus and making our way to Atlanta to fly to Puerto Rico!
Training camp has gone so well! We as the team leaders are so impressed with this team. They've quickly become family over the past 2 days and we can't wait to see what God has in store for us in Puerto Rico. The weather has been great for us here, I believe it's the first training camp in a long time that it hasn't rained on us or been extremely hot! Today was full of more seminars where we learned about listening prayer, children's ministry, and relational evangelism. These teaching times were followed by times to discuss as a team and dive in with practical experience. Later in the day we perfected the drama we learned yesterday then took on the obstacle course for our team building time. God is moving in our midst already in powerful ways and we're enjoying learning more about His love and our identity as the Beloved. We ended the day with a sweet worship time and a time of commissioning. We're excited, equipped and empowered to go to Puerto Rico to be God's hands and feet and to encounter Him in a new way! Thanks for your continued prayers.
(For more pictures, check out the link to the left called "My Pictures.")
Yesterday I got the opportunity to meet 25 teenagers who will change my life these next few weeks. God has called me to lead this team on a mission trip to Puerto Rico! What an exciting mandate! 5 of the 25 students are students that went with me to Swaziland last summer, and I cannot wait to hear about all God has done in their lives this past year. The remaining 20 students I've never met before, but somehow I already feel connected to all of them. I have this love for them, a love I can't explain other than it's a love that God has obviously put in my heart for these world changers.
God has gone before us to plan out this whole experience, and we get the privilege of experiencing Him as He moves and works in our midst. An incredible thing is happening as we speak...let me paint you a picture. Yesterday 28 of us gathered here in Gainesville, GA to begin training camp. Just in case you missed that, I did say a team of 28 -it's a bit on the huge side! We're all strangers and you could feel the nervousness about what's about to happen...it's a beautiful combination of anxiousness and excitement. During the next 2 weeks as we journey together to the incredible island of Puerto Rico we're going to become family! We're going to live together, eat together, play together, worship God together, brush our teeth together, love on people together, and encounter our living God together!! Two weeks may not seem like long enough to bond and become family, but you'll be amazed at how quickly we mesh. It's already happening. It's been less than 24 hours since everyone converged here at the training center and our team is already engaging and sharing their hearts with each other. It's so fun to watch what is happening.
I'm amazed at how alive they are in their faith at such a young age, ages 14-18. These courageous teenagers have answered God's call, stepping outside of their comfort zone and into an experience that will forever change their lives. God has brought us all individually together to do something corporately to advance His Kingdom...and we're diving in!!
Who is God to allow me the opportunity to experience Him work in and through these youth? What an honor it is! I love these guys! They're hungry, they're passionate, they're FUN, and I get the honor of spending the next 336 hours with them!
I'll do my best to post more blogs and pictures soon. Thank you guys for covering us in prayer during these next 2 weeks. You are such a vital part of what God is doing here and your love and support is greatly appreciated!
Posted in Reflections by Kayla Phillips on 6/30/2009
I've been given a beautiful gift. The gift's name is margin. Within margin comes the gift of rest...a sense of stepping back for a season to rest physically and emotionally. To refill my cup, mend my net, and prepare for the next season. For the past 2 months I have been given the grace and space to step away from the role I'd been filling. I was still involved with AIM, but I had the opportunity to do something different, to travel with new teams, to gain perspective, to dream, to spend time filling up. This gift could not have come at a better time. I never knew how much it was needed. Margin is a beautiful thing!
One of my favorite authors, Mark Batterson, writes this on margin: One of the quantum challenges leaders face is this: as the organizations they lead start experiencing organizational growth they stop experiencing personal growth. Why? Because of the demands of the organizational growth. They start leading the organization and stop leading themselves. And that is when the blessing turns into a curse. Growth will grind to a halt. In fact, it will probably implode. You lose spiritual margin. You lose intellectual margin. You lose creative margin. And you stop growing. No Margin = No Growth.
The key to continued organizational and personal growth boils down to this: margin. You need margin to think. You need margin to play. You need margin to laugh. You need margin to dream. You need margin to have impromptu conversations. You need margin to seize unanticipated opportunities. You need margin.
I've discovered over these past 4 years that it's easy, especially in ministry, to get so engulfed in what you're doing, in the tasks at hand, that you lose perspective. So as you can imagine, it was wonderful to step off the moving sidewalk just for a bit.
During this season, I re-discovered things that bring me life. My perspective changed. My mind was transformed and creativity and spontaneity returned. I've never been one to not enjoy life, but during this time, God opened up a whole new level of enjoying life! I found myself trying new things and making time for things I enjoy. Simple things like sitting in a hammock reading a novel, kayaking on the lake, gardening, learning to row, having extended uninterrupted time to pray and listen to God's voice, and learning about and engaging in beekeeping (fascinating!!). This season of rest has renewed my mind and the new Kayla is all about trying new things. A phrase that rings in my ears is this: "When's the last time you did something for the first time?" I'm trying new things; I'm having a blast and simply enjoying life.
I'm thankful for where God has me and the people he's surrounded me with. What a blessing it is to work in a place where my leaders values my heart more than my job. They saw what I needed and made it happen, in such a loving and supportive way. I'm so thankful. I'm now re-engaging and stepping back into the happenings at the AIM office. I'm entering into a new role which I'll fill you in on soon. I'm returning more refreshed than I knew was possible. I have more excitement for what I put my hands to. It's a new day and I couldn't be more excited!!
Posted in Reflections by Kayla Phillips on 6/2/2009
My last day in Basov, Romania, I went for a short walk and to my surprise I encountered Jesus in the most unexpected way. I was by myself and had an hour to kill before we had our next meeting. I took off in the direction of an open-air produce market I had discovered our first day here in Brasov. I wove myself through some side streets mentally retracing my steps and hoping I'd eventually find the market. I kept meeting people carrying large plastic bags overflowing with carrots, onions, greens, lettuce, fruits and tons of fresh flowers so I knew I was going the right direction. Within a few more minutes I found the market. It was packed, I guess because it's Sunday. Hundreds of people were casually mingling through the market. I came upon this huge stand of freshly baked bread in huge loaves the size of watermelons. For no apparent reason at all, I decided I needed one of these loaves of bread. Not at all certain what I would do with it, I paid the lady 3 Lei, about $1. My bread in tote, I continued meandering through the market. I came upon a nice gentleman selling fresh cherries who insisted I sample some. He filled my hand with delicious cherries and I stood there for a few minutes enjoying them, affirming him at how tasty they were. I turned the corner to find another bread table full of all kinds of interesting croissants and pastry like creations. Again, I found myself purchasing some more bread, not sure why. I pointed to some mini croissant things and gave the lady 2 Lei, about 60 cents. With that she filled a small sack with about 10 croissants. I was pleased with this purchase and continued on my way...weaving through the crowds of Sunday shoppers.
After awhile I'd had my feel of the market and decided to head back towards our meeting place. I left the market area, dodging a few cars in the parking lot. At the edge of the parking area, this old woman caught my eye. She was sitting on the ground wearing a large coat and a long skirt. She had a scarf over her head and it was pulled down almost covering the dark glasses she had on. One hand was covered with a wool glove and held a beat up plastic cup that held a few coins. The other hand was on her lap, swollen and covered in sores and scabs. It didn't appear that she had much use of this left hand. She sat hunched over staring at the ground. It was obvious she didn't have any teeth as she sat there chewing her gums.
What happened over the next half hour I still can't fully explain to myself, but somehow I encountered God in such a real and powerful way. Immediately upon seeing this woman, I became aware of all this bread I was carrying, and I heard God say, "go sit with her and share this meal with her." Before my mind could even argue or come up with an excuse not to, I was squatting down to join her on the warm concrete. Her head, still glued to the ground, shifted over to acknowledge my presence. I took a few of the croissants out of the bag and placed them in her hand. She nodded as if to say thank you, then she waited. I pulled out one for myself and when she saw me partaking, she quickly followed suit. So there we were...sitting on the ground eating some really tasty croissants. Again, I heard God assure me "just sit with her." So I sat. Lots of people were passing by, each one giving us a strange look.
My heart broke for this woman. Who is she? What's her name? What's her story? I began praying for her, then speaking truth over her. You are the beloved. You are loved by God. He cherishes your heart. I knew she couldn't understand a word I spoke, but I felt like I was just supposed to affirm who God says she is. I don't know how this works, but perhaps her heart could understand despite the language barrier. I continued to pray...that God would be her provider..that He would heal her body...that He would send people to love her and cherish her heart like He does. A few times she would turn towards me, with her head down, and say in a hushed tone "no English." I affirmed that it was ok and just continued to sit with this sweet woman.
Within 10 minutes or so a little girl around the age of 9 approached us and said something in Romanian. I didn't understand her words, but I knew she was asking for either food or money. Her clothes were torn and dirty. Her sandals were barely held together. I motioned for her to have a seat as I handed her the remainder of the croissants in the bag. She joined us for a few minutes while she ate them, then she was on her way.
As I continued to pray and speak words of life over this lady, she kept saying, "no English." So I decided to just sit with her and silently pray for her to ease any angst she had about not being about to communicate with me. Then God said something crazy. He said "worship Me by singing as you sit here with her." What?! I thought, surely not. But random worship songs would just come to mind and I began to sing them in hushed tones as we sat there together. As you may know, this is so not-characteristic of me! Don't get me wrong, I love to worship. But I don't do solos...and plus, I'm sitting on the street in Romania with some random stranger that I can't communicate with. But for some reason none of that mattered in that moment. I was just sitting there worshipping the Lord in the presence of this sweet little old lady. At one point she reached over with her swollen injured hand and placed it on my forearm. I looked over to see her rocking back and forth, chewing her gums and now smiling for the first time.
Soon it was time for me to go. I opened the bag with the watermelon sized bread in it and placed it on her lap. I put my hand on her shoulder and told her that there's a real God who cares for her and loves her so much. Her eyes and mine finally met. Her eyes filled with tears and she began to weep. Her frail body shook as she cried. People passing by were giving us some strange looks by this time. I sat back down next to her and just rubbed her back as I prayed that God would watch over her, provide for her, and comfort her. I left her with the few remaining bills in my pocket and tears in my eyes. As I walked away I couldn't fight it any longer and tears streamed down my face. It was the most incredible feeling. I felt like I'd just spent a half hour with Jesus as I sat with this old lady. She has no clue how much she blessed me. She allowed me to stop, sit down, and hear God's heartbeat for a moment. It wasn't about some feeling of satisfaction because I gave away some bread and a few bucks. It was the gift of time that was spent just sitting together. I believe this is a glimpse of the Kingdom. In our hearts, in a way I can't begin to understand, there was an exchange that occurred - I believe we each saw Jesus in each other. I thank God for allowing me to spend time with him and this little old lady. He's full of surprises, and He's just waiting for me to take more time to sit and enjoy Him.
My final stop on this Eastern Europe journey was Brasov, Romania. Brasov is a beautiful little city nestled in the Carpathian mountains of central Romania. It's springtime in Brasov which meant the weather was perfect and brilliant flowers pouring out of hanging baskets were around every corner.
This old town is full of stunning gothic, baroque and renaissance architecture, old churches, and hundreds of sidewalk cafés. I loved the culture of Brasov! The people were friendly and the pace of life was very relaxed, where people take time to just enjoy life together. One of my favorite slogans was posted on café umbrellas all around. It reads "Brasov – Probably the best city in the world."
Even greater than this incredible location was the people I got to spend time with here in Brasov. It was a blessing to spend 4 days with the October World Race squad. This group of 48 young adults have become family to each other over the past 8 months. They are being stretched as they learn who God is and who they are. My heart was encouraged as I heard stories upon stories of how they have experienced God in the nations. They're encountering God in brand new ways. They have walked boldly into impossible situations where they'd all be fools unless God showed up. God, of course, showed up time after time, bringing supernatural healing and transformation. They literally experienced God returning sight to people who were blind and healing cancer right before their eyes. One of the racers said, "Out here, I've met a God I never knew back home in the confines of my safe and comfortable world." Their eyes are being opened to see God in new and fresh ways. The very ground they walk on is being changed because they carry with them the presence of God. God continues to go before them as they fearlessly blaze the trail seeking to see His Kingdom here on earth.
Please pray for this squad as they head into their last 3 months of ministry. If you want to follow them and hear more incredible stories of God working in and through them, visit their blog site: http://www.theworldrace.org/?tab=teams&group=groupg
I just spent 5 days in Ukraine with 32 World Racers who were completing their trek around the world. They've abandoned all for the past 11 months to serve God and His people in 11 different countries on 4 continents. We met up with the squad and all stayed at a retreat center located 45 minutes outside of Kiev. The teams met in small groups to discuss with their coaches how these last few months have gone and to evaluate this year's experience on the World Race. In the evenings we'd meet for corporate worship and some teaching here and there. It was a great time to celebrate all God has done this year!
During the afternoons we would journey into the city, which was quite the experience itself. Supposedly Kiev is known for being one of the most difficult cities in the world to navigate. I'd like to take a moment and confirm this. Even after 4 separate treks into the city, using the same bus and the same metro line – we never completed the journey without getting lost at least once.
Some of my favorite times with these Racers was spent relaxing together in the evenings or at the coffee shop in downtown Kiev. I enjoyed getting to hear their hearts as they shared how God has transformed them and broken their hearts for the people of the world. Their stories of their own personal growth and freedom are inspiring. They are walking away from this year with new eyes, new ears, new minds, and new hearts. Their identity continues to be shaped, their worlds have been wrecked. They've met a God out here in the nations that they didn't know before.
I was also blessed to spend time with Michael & Kathy Hindes, Andrew & Mo Shearman, and Seth & Karen Barnes. Michael is spear-heading the World Race, Seth is the head honcho of AIM, and Andrew is running the G42 school in Spain I wrote about earlier, he's also a father of AIM who's been involved for several years. All of these incredible people are living out the dreams the Lord planted in them years ago. They have sons & daughters in the Lord and they're receiving the inheritance they've been promised. What an honor to spend time with them...to glean from their wisdom and experience, to be stirred to ask myself deep questions, to process with them and discover more of where I'm at on this incredible journey. I've been learning a ton about the Kingdom, about Covenant, Spiritual Gifts, and Faith. It's been incredible to be poured into & empowered, and to see their hearts for my generation.
Next stop....Romania. Here we'll be catching up with the October World Race squad. They've finished 8 months and will be debriefing their past few months before continuing on here in Eastern Europe. I look forward to meeting them and spending time hearing of all God's doing. Tune in again soon for a Romanian update! Thanks for all of your encouragement and prayers.
Spain is beautiful! I'm here in Mijas which is located on the southeast coast. The G42 Leadership Academy (http://www.g42global.org/leadershipacademy/) is located here in Mijas. You may be asking, "what the heck is G42?!" I asked the same thing. From what I've learned so far, it's an academy for Christians who have been called to establish the Kingdom of God around the world. There are currently 6 American students and another small group of international students from various countries including Spain and Nigeria in the school. The students go through 6 months of apostolic teaching, coupled with practical ministry insights and mentoring by some incredible men of God. The course includes topics such as: Character & Discipline, Covenant & Community, Tabernacle of David, Media, Management & Leadership, Church Planting, Pastoral Care & Equipping, and Practicum Ministries. The goal is to equip men and women to plant churches, build ministries, and be effective business leaders.
A few of the students here did the World Race last year so I met them at Training Camp in GA. It's been great to reconnect with them and get to know them here. I've been able to sit in on their classes and have enjoyed soaking in some incredible stuff. We've also had some great quality time visiting about what God is doing in our lives, worshipping and praying together, sharing meals, playing games, and exploring the pueblo of Mijas. My time here has been most refreshing. I've been experiencing glimpses of the Kingdom here! I really had no idea what to expect of this time, but my heart is encouraged. Encouraged by what I see God doing in the lives here, encouraged by what God is doing in my own heart, and expectant of more to come! God is so faithful and meets our needs even when we don't know what to ask for.
I fly back to London tomorrow afternoon...will spend the night in the airport then fly out early Friday morning to Kiev, Ukraine. In Kiev we'll meet up with one of the World Race teams and their coaches. They'll be taking part in their final debrief as their 11 month trip is coming to an end. I know several of these participants and I can't wait to see all that God has done this past year.
So I'm off for now. Thanks for your prayers and encouragement! Love you guys!
Monday morning, 7am, I stepped off the plane in London - not having slept at all on the 9 hour flight. I took a stroll around London Gatwick airport and quickly decided not to spend my layover sitting around watching stressful travelers chase down their next plane. I jumped on a train to Victoria, the heart of London, and there I strolled around and asked a few questions about what to see and do. The suggestions I got were great, some even humorous: 1)take a tour of the city via bus, 2)visit a local pub and drink warm beer (yuck!), 3)eat good fish and chips from a street vendor, 4)move to London because you'll never be able to see the city in a few hours. I decided to start with #1, skip #2 and #4, and try to squeeze in #3. I met a nice man from Senegal who directed me to board the correct doubledecker bus and off I went with all the other tourists. For the next 4 hours we zipped through the city seeing all the major attractions. It was a whirlwind experience, but I'm glad I did it.
Here's a snippet of what I saw:
- Big Ben
- Buckingham Palace
- Westminster Abbey
- tons of red double decker buses and old fashion black taxis
- the Thames River
- Tower Bridge
- London Bridge - which is not falling down
- more cultures represented than I've ever seen in any one place
- political demonstrations protesting the situation in Sri Lanka - much more peaceful than any political demonstrations I've seen in Africa!
- London Eye
- Tower Bridge
- St. Paul's Cathedral
- the Kenya embassy - randomly ran across this
- tons & tons of statues
My day in London flew by, it was a great way to spend my layover. I met some very interesting people, laughed a lot, made some fun memories, and I did get the chance to grab some fish & chips before I ran onto my train to return to the airport.
Next stop...Mijas, Spain. Tune in again soon to hear of my Spain adventures.
I just wanted to let you guys know that I'll be traveling out of the country for the next few weeks. I depart Sunday, May 10th and will return to GA on May 26th. I've been given the opportunity to travel to various places in Europe with a couple of the World Race staff. The first stop is Mijas, Spain. Mijas is a mountain village located on the southern Mediterrean coast of Spain. We will be spending 5 days here with several World Race Alumni who are now involved in the G42 Leadership Academy.
Next, we're off to Kiev, Ukraine where we'll be meeting up with the July 2008 World Race squad. They're finishing their 11 month trip and will have an end of trip debrief in Kiev for 5 days before they depart for home. From Kiev, we'll travel to Bucharest, Romania where we'll be meeting up with the October 2008 squad. They'll also be gathering here for a time of debrief before they continue on with their trip. These debriefs are a great time to hear and experience what God has been doing in and through these world racers. It's a time to celebrate, process, and pour into them as they've been pouring out all that God has given them. I'm excited for this opportunity and can't wait to see how God shows up.
I'm including below my specific itineary. Thank you for covering me in prayer during this time.
May 10 depart from Atlanta
May 11-15 Spain
May 15-20 Kiev
May 20-25 Bucharest
May 26 back home to Gainesville, GA
ining camp in a long time that it hasn't rained on us or been extremely hot! Today was full of more seminars where we learned about listening prayer, children's ministry, and relational evangelism. These teaching times were followed by times to discuss as a team and dive in with practical experience. 
Later in the day we perfected the drama we learned yesterday then took on the obstacle course for our team building time. God is moving in our midst already in powerful ways and we're enjoying learning more about His love and our identity as the Beloved. We ended the day with a sweet worship time and a time of commissioning. We're excited, equipped and empowered to go to Puerto Rico to be God's hands and feet and to encounter Him in a new way! Thanks for your continued prayers.
I'm amazed at how alive they are in their faith at such a young age, ages 14-18. These courageous teenagers have answered God's call, stepping outside of their comfort zone and into an experience that will forever change their lives. God has brought us all individually together to do something corporately to advance His Kingdom...and we're diving in!!
produce market I had discovered our first day here in Brasov. I wove myself through some side streets mentally retracing my steps and hoping I'd eventually find the market. I kept meeting people carrying large plastic bags overflowing with carrots, onions, greens, lettuce, fruits and tons of fresh flowers so I knew I was going the right direction. Within a few more minutes I found the market. It was packed, I guess because it's Sunday. Hundreds of people were casually mingling through the market. I came upon this huge stand of freshly baked bread in huge loaves the size of watermelons. For no apparent reason at all, I decided I needed one of these loaves of bread. Not at all certain what I would do with it, I paid the lady 3 Lei, about $1. My bread in tote, I continued meandering through the market. I came upon a nice gentleman selling fresh cherries who insisted I sample some. He filled my hand with delicious cherries 
and I stood there for a few minutes enjoying them, affirming him at how tasty they were. I turned the corner to find another bread table full of all kinds of interesting croissants and pastry like creations. Again, I found myself purchasing some more bread, not sure why. I pointed to some mini croissant things and gave the lady 2 Lei, about 60 cents. With that she filled a small sack with about 10 croissants. I was pleased with this purchase and continued on my way...weaving through the crowds of Sunday shoppers. 
was on her lap, swollen and covered in sores and scabs. It didn't appear that she had much use of this left hand. She sat hunched over staring at the ground. It was obvious she didn't have any teeth as she sat there chewing her gums.
Brasov is a beautiful little city nestled in the Carpathian mountains of central Romania. It's springtime in Brasov which meant the weather was perfect and brilliant flowers pouring out of hanging baskets were around every corner. 
This group of 48 young adults have become family to each other over the past 8 months. They are being stretched as they learn who God is and who they are. My heart was encouraged as I heard stories upon stories of how they have experienced God in the nations. They're encountering God in brand new ways. They have walked boldly into impossible situations where they'd all be fools unless God showed up. God, of course, showed up time after time, bringing supernatural healing and transformation. They literally experienced God returning sight to people who were blind and healing cancer right before their eyes. One of the racers said, "Out here, I've met a God I never knew back home in the confines of my safe and comfortable world." Their eyes are being opened to see God in new and fresh ways. T
he very ground they walk on is being changed because they carry with them the presence of God. God continues to go before them as they fearlessly blaze the trail seeking to see His Kingdom here on earth. 
who were completing their trek around the world. They've abandoned all for the past 11 months to serve God and His people in 11 different countries on 4 continents. We met up with the squad and all stayed at a retreat center located 45 minutes outside of Kiev. The teams met in small groups to discuss with their coaches how these last few months have gone and to evaluate this year's experience on the World Race. In the evenings we'd meet for corporate worship and some teaching here and there. It was a great time to celebrate all God has done this year!
Some of my favorite times with these Racers was spent relaxing together in the evenings or at the coffee shop in downtown Kiev. I enjoyed getting to hear their hearts as they shared how God has transformed them and broken their hearts for the people of the world. Their stories of their own personal growth and freedom are inspiring. They are walking away from this year with new eyes, new ears, new minds, and new hearts. Their identity continues to be shaped, their worlds have been wrecked. They've met a God out here in the nations that they didn't know before. 
earlier, he's also a father of AIM who's been involved for several years. All of these incredible people are living out the dreams the Lord planted in them years ago. They have sons & daughters in the Lord and they're receiving the inheritance they've been promised. What an honor to spend time with them...to glean from their wisdom and experience, to be stirred to ask myself deep questions, to process with them and discover more of where I'm at on this incredible journey. I've been learning a ton about the Kingdom, about Covenant, Spiritual Gifts, and Faith. It's been incredible to be poured into & empowered, and to see their hearts for my generation.
what the heck is G42?!" I asked the same thing. From what I've learned so far, it's an academy for Christians who have been called to establish the Kingdom of God around the world. There are currently 6 American students and another small group of international students from various countries including Spain and Nigeria in the school. The students go through 6 months of apostolic teaching, coupled with practical ministry insights and mentoring by some incredible men of God. The course includes topics such as: Character & Discipline, Covenant & Community, Tabernacle of David, Media, Management & Leadership, Church Planting, Pastoral Care & Equipping, and Practicum Ministries. The goal is to equip men and women to plant churches, build ministries, and be effective business leaders. 
I've been able to sit in on their classes and have enjoyed soaking in some incredible stuff. We've also had some great quality time visiting about what God is doing in our lives, worshipping and praying together, sharing meals, playing games, and exploring the pueblo of Mijas. My time here has been most refreshing. I've been experiencing glimpses of the Kingdom here! I really had no idea what to expect of this time, but my heart is encouraged. Encouraged by what I see God doing in the lives here, encouraged by what God is doing in my own heart, and expectant of more to come! God is so faithful and meets our needs even when we don't know what to ask for. 
around London Gatwick airport and quickly decided not to spend my layover sitting around watching stressful travelers chase down their next plane. I jumped on a train to Victoria, the heart of London, and there I strolled around and asked a few questions about what to see and do. The suggestions I got were great, some even humorous: 1)take a tour of the city via bus, 2)visit a local pub and drink warm beer (yuck!), 3)eat good fish and chips from a street vendor, 4)move to London because you'll never be able to see the city in a few hours. I decided to start with #1, skip #2 and #4, and try to squeeze in #3. I met a nice man from Senegal who directed me to board the correct doubledecker bus and off I went with all the other tourists. For the next 4 hours we zipped through the city seeing all the major attractions. It was a whirlwind 
experience, but I'm glad I did it.
I've ever seen in any one place
arious places in Europe with a couple of the World Race staff. The first stop is Mijas, Spain. Mijas is a mountain village located on the southern Mediterrean coast of Spain. We will be spending 5 days here with several World Race Alumni who are now involved in the G42 Leadership Academy. 
these world racers. It's a time to celebrate, process, and pour into them as they've been pouring out all that God has given them. I'm excited for this opportunity and can't wait to see how God shows up. 