I love to look at maps and find places in the world. I used to read atlases on trips to make the time go by and to see where we were going. It used to be that books and travel maps were the only sources for map enthusiasts, but now with the internet, the options are limitless....so obviously, I love google earth and all the geography search sites plus wikipedia and more to research places! I even like trip advisor to read up on reviews of interesting places to go. I used to be a high school geography teacher for a few years, and I made my students color, label, and memorize maps of the world....much to their chagrin. I'm sure I liked it more than they did, but oh well. I actually tried to motivate them by telling them that their generation will travel more and see more places on the globe than previously....that because of the ease of travel and better access to the world through the internet and technology, they will be able to see some of the places I only read about and looked at pictures of....but I didn't realize just how true my words would become especially for one of my favorite students (I know I'm not supposed to have any) named Emily Tuttle! She pretended not to be interested in class at the age of 14, but when she started to travel some internationally with my husband who leads a global ministry, she was bitten by the bug and developed a passion for travel and desire to be involved in what God is doing around the world. Hence, this fascination has culminated in the World Race.
Currently, she is blossoming in the Dominican Republic. She is located in San Juan de la Maguana which is a small western town near the Haitian border. Yes, I've studied the maps and researched it. She and her team, Kaleo, are working as an advance team for a group of church planters. They travel to nearby villages to meet people and pray with them in an attempt to determine if there are any Christians there. They are also looking for people with strong spiritual interest and curiosity about God and the Bible. Already, in less than a week in some of the villages, they have had some amazing experiences and encounters with God. The power of prayer is the key theme of their journey so far....God's spirit, prompted by many prayers from supporters all over the world, has gone ahead of them and literally set up divine appointments! I just read Emily's newest blog about this very situation, and I got chills. What a thrill for her team to partner with God in reaching a village woman named Edith who had the courage and persistence to chase down the meaning of a dream! Read this amazing story "A Dream Come True" at emilytuttle.theworldrace.org. It gives meaning to the team's name, Kaleo which is Greek for "called". They received confirmation right away that God truly has called them this year to lead many to Him. It is so great that He sent them this message through a humble woman who believes what the power of God can do in her village. Even though there are some dangers in the area due to witchcraft and spiritism, there's no doubt that the challenges are not too hard for God, and His love for the people in this dark corner of the world is greater than the obstacles which stand in the way. It's hard not to be excited to see what's next!
She has skyped twice in the last week which has been a huge blessing! Thank you Lord for skype. Free calls and the ability to see her beautiful face....what's not to like about that! We know we've been spoiled so far and there will be many days ahead when we are cut off from her, so we're enjoying it while we can. It's better not to let your expectations get too high for regular communication; that way you are pleasantly surprised when those occasional calls come. Each day we check our email for possible updates and read blogs from other racers. It's so encouraging and interesting to hear stories from all the other teams around the world, and it makes it easier to wait on Emily's blogs! I have to admit, I'm hooked on the World Race!
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