In my last blog (before the video) I talked about my passion for horses and how I feel God calling me to use that passion to glorify Him. I mentioned that I hoped to find somewhere to gain experience in becoming a horse riding instructor. Well, God has answered prayer! I've already started a new position as a wrangler/horse riding instructor at a Christian camp near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I had been searching for places to get experience and certification as a riding instructor, and God opened the door for this place. His timing is so perfect! It turns out the camp needed some extra help with the horses, and they offered me a position that began two weeks ago.

Camp Hebron is a beautiful place surrounded by hills and trees. Although the weather is colder here than Oklahoma, the hospitality has been warm. I've met many great people who work at the camp or volunteer here. Dean and Susan Berger are the directors of the horsemanship program. They are both a joy to work alongside. I know I will learn a lot about being a riding instructor from Susan. It's also great to be in a Christian community where everyone working here is a believer who seeks to serve Christ.

I am very excited for this opportunity God has provided. I've always loved horses and sharing Christ with others, but I'll be honest in admitting that I've rarely put the two together. It's exciting to be able to do that and to learn from others who do that on a regular basis. Fortunately, I've already seen this in action while being here in my first two weeks. We have had a few groups of kids labeled "at-risk" come to the barn. We were able to teach them about horses and take them for a trail ride. In one session, Susan told them that they often want to pick the horse they ride based on what the horse looks like on the outside, but she would pick their horses based on their personalities. It's a small lesson, but one that is so important, especially for kids and teenagers who are so caught up on image and outward appearances. What matters is on the inside.

I'm looking forward to sharing about Christ with guests and campers this spring and summer while also working with horses! It's such a perfect combination for me! Please keep me in your prayers as I begin this new ministry and continue to seek God for what the future holds. Please pray that God will guide my words and actions as I am a witness to all who participate in the horsemanship program here at Camp Hebron.

This past year has been an amazing journey. I've been thinking a lot lately about how grateful I am and how God has blessed me so abundantly. I'm grateful to be from the United States where I have a home, clothes, food and family. I'm blessed that my family also follows and loves Christ. I'm grateful for the opportunity I've had to travel around the world this past year. I'm thankful for how God has protected me and my squad. With all the travel and places we've been it's just amazing how He's provided and guided us. I'm grateful to all my supporters. I appreciate all of you who have provided financially and kept me in your prayers throughout this year. I know I'll never be able to express my gratitude for all of you and your faithfulness.

I'm grateful for all I've been able to do and see this year. I know my perspective on the world will forever be changed. One thing that remains the same is God is always good. He is with us wherever we go, and He loves us so much.

So, what's next?

Since I was a little girl, I've had a passion for horses. Thankfully, God has blessed me with many horses throughout my life. My dad always thought I'd grow out of my horse-crazy phase, but it still hasn't happened! In college, I was blessed to be on the Oklahoma State women's equestrian team. Then after college, I was blessed to work at the American Quarter Horse Association.

I haven't had the chance to ride or do much with horses this year, other than riding in Australia, but God has continued to show me how much I love these beautiful creatures He's created. Sometimes the more you're away from something, the more you realize how much you love it.

I feel God has confirmed my passion for horses this year, but He's also revealed to me that I need to use this passion to serve Him. We all have different gifts and passions, but it's up to us whether we use those to serve and glorify Christ or ourselves. I want to glorify Christ.

So, that's what I hope to do. I'm not exactly sure what that will look like yet, but I'm hoping to work toward becoming a horse riding instructor. I want to share my passion with others and allow them to experience the joy of these amazing animals God has created. I'd also like to work with therapeutic riding and help people with disabilities gain more freedom. To begin, I'm looking for places where I can gain more experience and work toward these goals. I know God will provide if this is truly what He's calling me to.

I still love traveling and missions, and I hope to always keep those as an important part of my life.

God has taught me many things this year on the race, but one thing that has stood out the most in many situations is the gifts God has given each of us. One of the first blogs I wrote following training camp was about spiritual gifts and why God gives some certain gifts but not others. This has been a continual question throughout the year as I've seen other squadmates with different gifts that I don't have. I constantly struggle with comparison and jealousy. I get caught up comparing myself to others and losing sight of all God has given me.

So, this is what I've learned this year that has been affirmed in many situations and ways. First of all God gives all of us different gifts. We don't all have the same gifts and if we don't have a certain gift like prophecy or speaking in tongues, that's okay. It doesn't mean we are any less spiritual or gifted from God. I don't speak in tongues. I'm not a prophet. I don't have astounding wisdom. But God has still gifted me with gifts in administration, service and encouragement. He's also given me a supernatural joy in life.

It says in 1 Corinthians 12 that God created one body but many parts. We are all gifted in different ways. If we were all the same, we would not be an effective body. I've seen that this year in my teammates and squadmates. We all are growing in the different gifts God has given us. Through that we are able to encourage and challenge each other. It's a beautiful thing when God's body works in this way.

When I was having a particularly difficult time of feeling inadequate when compared to others, my team leader Rachael encouraged me with this verse:

“But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.”

1 Corinthians 12:18

God made me exactly how He wanted me to be! Sure I'm not the most doctrinally intelligent or spiritually minded, but I can encourage others with my smile and joy or serve them with kindess that only comes from God.

The most amazing thing God showed me this year regarding gifts was that it all comes down to LOVE. Immediately after Paul writes about spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12, he writes about LOVE in chapter 13. He says you can have these amazing gifts of speaking in tongues or prophesying, but if you don't use them in LOVE, they are useless.

I was pondering these things as I went on a six-hour silent prayer hike led by our contact Brett in Hungary. We went up and down a mountain then back around. It was beautiful in the national forest, especially with the fall leaves on the trees. Brett had has meditate on different things during the hike. The first part was recognizing our sin and confessing it to God. Then we asked for the fruits of the Spirit and to be filled with the Holy Spirit. As I was thinking about gifts from the Spirit, the only phrase that kept going over in my head was “It's all about love.” It's so true. I'm beginning to realize that when I struggle with comparision, I need to focus on loving God and putting nothing else before him, not even a spiritual gift.

Desire God, not His gifts.

I feel like I made a full circle. My struggles with spiritual gifts began at training camp more than a year ago when we went on a hike alone carying a log with things we wanted to surrender to God. God then affirmed these truths while going on a hike in Hungary. It's amazing how long it takes us to learn some lessons. I know I'll still struggle with this one, but I pray God will cotinue to have patience with me and help me love and serve Him in the ways He's gifted me.

We've been busy traveling the last week or so - by bus, train, car, metro and foot. Our team first traveled by bus from Pecsvarad, Hungary, to Budapest. We spent a full day there exploring the beautiful city. We also met with another team for the International Night of Prayer. We went to a church and spent the night in prayer for the nations.

The next morning we traveled by train from Budapest to Odessa, Ukraine, about 28 hours with a few breaks and train changes in between. Our first contact for Odessa fell through so we met up with another contact who has had World Race teams before. He picked us up from the train station, but we still didn't have a place to stay since it was so last minute. God provided though and we got a hostel near their missionary training center, as well as only a 5-minute walk from the Black Sea! We didn't have heating, but we had beds and hot water to shower. We had the chance to do some site-seeing around Odessa, another nice city. I was even able to go jogging a few mornings along the Black Sea coast - so awesome!

Last Tuesday we helped teach English and Bible at a university with our contact, Mark. That was really fun! The next day we handed out flyers on the street for an English club they have on Saturdays. We really enjoyed Mark and working with him, but he made plans for us to go to another city and help some other missionaries who are working on planting a church. So, back on the train we go. We had another overnight ride, but only 16 hours this time.

We are now in Krasnoarmisk, which means Red Army in Russian. This city is near the larger city of Donetsk, which is close to Russia. While here, we are working with some young missionaries (Marina and Vika) by teaching English and leading Bible studies. We're only here a little over a week, then we head to Kiev Monday for our final debrief. I can't believe the World Race is almost over. It's been an amazing ride! Thanks for your continued prayers. I'll try to get another blog up before I head back to the States on November 20.

This month is our ATL month where we Asked The Lord where we should go and what we should do. We had the choice between six eastern European countries. After many prayers and some closed doors, we eventually decided on Hungary. We are in the town of Pecsvarad, near the larger city of Pecs (pronounced Pashe), staying and working at a Christian retreat center. Our contacts are an American couple (Brett and Sina), originally from Chicago, who have been here in Hungary for three years now.

We are working at the center doing yard work - believe it or not I'm loving the manual labor! This week I've helped chop firewood, cleaned out a shed full of old boards and logs that we cut into firewood, pulled nails out of boards, dug holes and put in posts for a grapevine, as well as many other things. It's been great! God has blessed us with beautiful weather, so we've been taking advantage of the nice days. In addition to the work around the center, we've also helped a neighbor teach English to children, and we will work with some local churches or do evangelism at tea houses while here.

This is a wonderful place. We are a short walk from a picturesque lake and a national forest with mountains. It's awesome! The city we are near, Pecs, was also named a European capital of culture for 2010. We were able to experience some of that Wednesday when Brett and Sina took us around the city to see an old castle wall, a cathedral and some museums. It's a beautiful city.

Brett and Sina have been a huge blessing. We can connect as fellow Americans and have really enjoyed spending time together. I think this is going to be a great month, and I definitely feel this is where God wants our team to be.

Oh Romania, it's been a wonderful month. So much has happened that I feel the best way to wrap up the month is with pictures.

Gypsy Villages

We went to several gypsy villages to put on programs. I really enjoyed playing with the children. They have such beautiful eyes and warm spirits.

Youth from the City

Through street evangelism and programs in the city of Targu Mures, we met several people. I had a chance to hang out with some young people at different times. One night Jed and I went to play pool with Arnold, Bea and other friends. It was great getting to know them. I also enjoyed having lunch with Annika and Benita. I just wish we had more time to spend with everyone and share more about God with them, but we plan to stay in touch via Facebook!

Village Youth

We also spent time with the youth from the village where we stayed. Bogi served as the point person and translator. She was so sweet and a great Christian friend. She also loves horses like me! I know God will use Bogi and all these youths in mighty ways.

80s Dance Party

We like to be silly sometimes too! One Friday evening we had an 80s dance party at our house. We invited the village youth, and team Powerhouse even traveled to participate in the festivities. We had fun picking up outfits at local thrift stores and dancing 80s style!

Castle and Fort

One free day we traveled to Brasov to see Bran Castle and Rasnov Fortress. It was so beautiful in the mountains. Even though it was cold, we had a great time exploring these historical places and seeing more of God's beautiful creation.

Jeff, Jenny and Jack

We met some other American missionaries who are in Targu Mures for two years working with orphans and running summer camps. Jeff, Jenny and their sweet son Jack just warmed our hearts. They invited us all over to their house one evening for dessert. We loved swapping missionary stories and playing with Jack. Charity and I even went to church with them last Sunday to a Baptist church. Even though it was all in Romanian, it felt familiar!

Horse-drawn Wagon Ride

My teammate John planned a surprise for all of us girls on our last day. He got a local man from the village to take us on a horse-drawn wagon ride. It was such a fun surprise!

P Squad

Two teams from P squad came a couple of days before we left. We were able to welcome them (80s style), share about living and ministry here, and encourage each other. They are on month four, and we only have two months left. It's always interesting to see racers in the different stages of the race. We spent one afternoon together doing ministry in a gypsy village, and we also had a night of worship together. It was so great to meet them and be mutually encouraged.

Team Double D

We had a great month with team Establish Dominance. Since my team's name is Dynami (or better known as Dinosaur), we called our dual teams Double D. It was a great dynamic to work together and build on each others' strengths. We will definitely miss them next month!

Life on the World Race is far from ordinary. Below is just a short list of some interesting things I've learned while traveling around the world. Most of these are things we take for granted at home in the U.S., but when traveling in so many different places, they take on a whole new meaning. 

You know you're a World Racer when...

You have your passport number memorized.

You have more than one type of currency in your wallet.

You know what it's like to be packed in a van or bus with all your stuff.

You're excited to use your tent because you can have your own space.

You get excited when you get to use a toilet that flushes, and you've learned to always carry toilet paper with you.

You have a Chaco/Teva/Flip Flop tan on your feet, and your feet can be so dirty no amount of washing gets them clean.

You can wear the same outfit for days at a time and no one cares.

Taking a shower becomes an as-really-needed basis.

You can find the best American food and WiFi place in any city.

You have Facebook friends from around the world.

You spend a good amount of time in prayer when traveling in Africa or Asia, and you've almost forgotten what side of the road we drive on in America.

Alone time means listening to your Ipod and pretending to be alone.

You've discovered the head lamp is one of the best inventions ever.

You spend way too much money on Cokes because they are cold.

You've embraced peanut butter or Nutella as the most economical and essential food, and you learn that peanut butter is a little different in every country.

Hearing roosters crow at all hours of the night and day is normal.

You never really know what's going on, and you've perfected the act of hurry up and wait.

You've become used to carrying all your stuff in one heavy and over-sized backpack.

You see and do things you never before thought possible.

When you stop and think about it, you say “Is this really my life because this is so amazing?!”

We were standing outside in the afternoon sunlight behind a small home in a nearby Romanian village. In front of us was a casket holding a 55-year-old gypsy woman, who Pastor Zsombor baptized just two years ago. Around us were her family members and friends, most of whom did now know Christ as their savior. Next to me was a beautiful young gypsy girl named Paula. We first exchanged smiles before she came up next to me and put her arms around my waist. We couldn't speak the same language, but I enjoyed squeezing her hand while the service continued. Our team sang a few songs in English and shared some testimonies. Pastor Zsombor gave the main message, including the gospel. He believed this was a divine opportunity to witness to the family. There were enthusiastic “Amens” from one man near the casket who I learned later was a fellow Christian friend of the woman.

After the service, four men loaded the casket on the back of a wagon pulled by a white horse. I walked behind along the rock road with Paula and other children grasping my hands. The horse and cart stopped near a path up a steep grass hill. The men unloaded the casket and carried it up the treacherous incline while the rest of us filed behind. They buried her on the hill overlooking the village. After praying, we walked back down, me still holding the hand of my new friend Paula.

I'll admit, I first thought it was odd that Pastor Zsombor was taking us to a funeral, but in the end it was a blessing. If nothing else I enjoyed the company of my new friend. She definitely captured my heart. I know God is using the story of this woman who died to reach her family and friends who still don't know Jesus. It's another reminder of how important this life is, and how quickly it can be taken away. I pray the words of truth spoken that afternoon will reverberate in the ears of all who heard, and that my friend Paula will come to know the truth of Jesus in her life since she is a precious child of God.