.I will not be silent. - Kara Frate

.The DNA of Jesus.

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The Lord has been speaking to me lately about what it looks like to be His follower......

I could try to go into depth and explain everything that He has been speaking to me... But, I haven't fully processed it and if I started typing now, you would be scrolling down the page for awhile.

I will just leave you with this question.....

Besides seeing a need for Jesus in your life and in this World, and besides knowing that there is a bigger purpose to your life....... As a believer, "What makes you different from unbelievers?"

Is it your actions?

Is it what you choose to do with your free time?

Is it how you treat people?

Do you think that once we "know" these things we can stop searching?

"Knowing" that there is a promised land doesn't get us there, "Doing" what you know is what gets you there....

We aren't called to be a "good" person, there are plenty of "good" people out there.... We are called to live a life worthy of Him who called us.... Jesus sets a pretty high standard. Are you being good stewards of your life?

We can love Jesus all we want; But, when are we going to start being the Jesus that we have inside of us? - WE ARE HIS DNA.

.Let the Lord wreck you.

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Not sure what to do with the next year of your life? Do you have a longing for something more? Experience the Lord in a new and powerful way....and experience the World in a new and eye opening way, at the same time....... DISCOVER WHO YOU ARE.....

-- All you have to do, is sign up......

.Kingdom Video.

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Working for The World Race is exciting because I get to invest in a ministry and in people that are truly "being" The Kingdom, I get to encourage people in finding their destiny and I come alive when I start telling people about the power of God...... I love what I do.

I know what goes on in the world; because I have seen it. I know that there are very dark places out there and I could spend all day expressing to you the importance of bringing The Kingdom to those places. I even have a heart for those people and places. But, I admit that it is easy to sit behind a desk and let those images that you've seen, fade from your mind......

I love to go through old World Race videos because it always puts the images back in my head and it continues to remind me of why I do what I do.....

I summed up my year in a video for my church in December, I came across that video again today and I just wanted to share it with you.... This ladies and gents, is why I have devoted my life to help bring God's Kingdom to the earth....

.Dominican Picture Blog.

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

This is a little overdue- but I wanted to share some pictures from the trip I led to The Dominican Republic with you! I cannot take credit for them.. Morgan Dahlgren took most of these ; ) Enjoy!

Whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me...... Matt 18:5

.POWERFUL STUFF.

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

This is by one of our racers, Michael Perez. He will be launching in September. Powerful, powerful stuff. Just listen to this and let the words penetrate....

.Training Camp.

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

This Saturday starts our training camp for our September and October World Race squads. There will be approximately 152 racers at camp and we are really excited to see what God does! Please be praying for The World Race staff as we prepare for camp, but also be praying for open hearts and minds from the participants. I am confident God will show up in His power and these racers will go home changed. I will update you asap.

Check out the latest World Race report, below......

.EXPECTING GOD.

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

As you all should know, I just returned home from leading a 2 week trip to The Dominican Republic. Our team consisted of 5 girls, plus myself and David Matthew, my co-leader.

This was my first trip to ever lead and so going into it, I really had no idea what it was going to look like. I went through all of the procedures that have been drilled into me about laying down my expectations and I was giving room for God to move.

But, then I remembered the promises that God made to me when I said "yes" to Him to lead this group of girls......

- He told me to expect my leadership attributes to come forth...
- He told me to expect my passions to rise up in new way....
- He told me to expect to be changed....
- He told me to expect the be faced with challenges....
- He told me to expect Him to speak to me in a bigger way....
- He told me to expect to build new life long relationships ordained by Him....

Basically, He told me to expect Him to show up and to prove faithful. The only thing that I have to say about this trip is that once again, He did prove faithful.. He did not make one promise He did not fulfill and I walked away from this trip with another glimpse of my destiny.

It is good for us to lay down our own expectations that we place on things.. But, in all honesty, we need to have expectations. Expectations on God... If God promises you something, then EXPECT IT. If God promises you something, don't just lay it down and "hope" that maybe He will come through....

Instead, walk around looking for those expectations to be met and just waiting in expectation to give God the glory.

WHEN GOD GIVES YOU EXPECTATIONS.... IT'S OK TO EXPECT THEM

-- I WILL BE POSTING MORE BLOGS IN DETAIL ABOUT MY TRIP TO THE DR AND ABOUT MY MINISTRY WITH THE WORLD RACE THIS WEEK : )

.Day one Ambassador training.

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We completed our first full day of training camp today! We have been doing team builders outside and having indoor sessions with the Ambassador staff all day. The Georgia sun is VERY hot, but we still had fun outdoors today ; ) We are applying sunblock and staying very hydrated.

David Matthew and I absolutely love our team of 5 girls and we are absolutely excited about what God is going to do through and in us in The Dominican Republic. I have a really great feeling about this trip! Our team seems to be getting along great and we are all ready to minister together. We are to attend breakfast every morning at 7 am and we do not stop until 10 pm every night.... Obviously, good things take long hours.

We just wanted to update the blog with a little bit of information just to keep all of our blog readers informed. The girls say Hello and they love you, to all of their friends and family!

I am personally overwhelmed that God love's me so much to trust me with 5 of His amazing daughters. So rest assured that your girls are being taken care of : )

With all of that said; Georgia is great... But, we are all SO ready to be in The Dominican Republic already..Where the sun is even hotter...

Keep a look out for more blogs. We will be updating you on our week and our ministry when it begins! Thanks!

.writing history.

Tue, 1 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I will be traveling to Texas this Friday and I will be there until June 12th. I start my Ambassador training on June 13th and I will be leading a trip to The Dominican Republic until July 11th. By the time I get back to Georgia, my apprenticeship will almost be over and I will be making the decision to go on staff.

All of this change has got me thinking.. You would think that it would only be overwhelming and to be honest, it is. Its overwhelming to think that God may be calling me into a "support raised" life. Support raising is not my favorite topic. Lets be honest, it gets in the way of our pride, our fear of rejection, our independence, and everything else that human nature comes along with....

But.... that's where I have to learn to get past my human nature... and tap into my DNA.

Because, this lifestyle is also overwhelming in a good way... Its overwhelming that God has chosen me to take part in something bigger than myself, something bigger than human nature... Its overwhelming that God has transformed my life in the past 3 years and I had no control over it... He is inviting me and you... to take part in The KINGDOM.

The truth is; God does't need us... He WANTS us and He has given us an invitation to take part in writing history...

I don't like asking for money.. But, that comes along with the role I play in The Kingdom.. and because God totally transformed my life when I had no control over it; what makes me think He can't take control of my support raising? I just have to be obedient.

With that said; I know that all of our roles look different. So I am posting this knowing that some of you reading this play the role of supporting missionaries like me..... If that is you, then I ask you to consider commiting a certain amount of money to me each month by clicking the "support me" link on the lefthand side of this page (it will walk you through the steps).... No amount is too small. Please seek the Lord on this.

If that is not you; then I ask you to please pray for me through this process because we all play that role... Thank you so much in advance for all of your continued support! If you want to meet with me personally when I am in Texas, please contact me at 254-640-5043 or Karafrate@theworldrace.org. I would LOVE to sit and talk to you about what God is doing through this ministry.

Matt and I, during the underground church simulation at training camp.

..Dancing before the Thrown..

Tue, 25 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

This week we have a World Race training camp going on and last night was probably the best worship service I have ever experienced. The Holy Spirit showed up and it was amazing. Bondages were broken and people were set free. I cannot put into words how thick His presence was in that room, but my feet do hurt from dancing....

As my supporters.. This is what you are sowing into...

Here is a blog post by my amazing brother in Christ, Matt Snyder..

Posted in Worship by Matthew Snyder on 5/25/2010

"You are an endless ocean; a bottomless sea."
-- Jonathan David Helser

We all have eternity beating on the inside of us. Whether we acknowledge it or not, it's what keeps us moving. We think it's our brain telling our heart to pump blood through our system, our lungs to breathe in oxygen and provide the necessary flow of things into our body.

But really - it's eternity.

Last night was one of the most powerful nights of worship that I've ever experienced. I'm at the World Race training camp for the June and July 2010 squads. Jonathan David Helser and his band came in the last few days and led us in lifting our voices to the King of Kings.

I wish that I could put it into words... but it's hard to. I just know that I danced my chains off, so much so that my legs are sore today. I know that I sang with such ferocity that I have no voice left. My ears are still buzzing with the deafening cry of a generation of sons and daughters who had an encounter with the resurrected Savior.

Powerful.

You might be asking: what does that look like, Matthew? It looks like this:

..Church VS Real life..

Wed, 12 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

.Church VS Real life.

After talking with several people whom I love, about my support raising I have received numerous statements including "you need to figure out how to separate church from real life."

This is not some long profound blog. I just thought I would leave you with this to chew on.

"Church" and "Real life" should not even be put into two different categories.

God didn't design us to live life like this.... He designed us to live a "KINGDOM LIFE" or a "KINGDOM LIFE." He did not create an in between; we as humans created the in between or "mediocre" life if you will.

It is about Jesus. PERIOD. He should be the common denominator in every aspect of our life and I promise if you let Him play the main role in every part of your life, It will never look like the "normal" life that the world has put on us to live.

So.. I leave you with this...

"He did not create us to live a "real life" and to go to "church" on the side....

"He created us, "the church" to live a "real KINGDOM life."

My kingdom is not of this world

John 18:36

Remember-If you would like to financially support me in this season of my life please click on the "support me" link on the left hand side of the screen. Thank you for your continued financial and prayer support! Love you all : )

I'm going again

Fri, 7 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

So I have been in Georgia for over 2 months now and I LOVE IT. I realize I have not been very good at keeping you updated lately. I have been very busy and tend to use that as an excuse; I have every intention on changing that. You as my supporters deserve to know whats going on in my life.

The group at a murder mystery party

My apprenticeship with AIM is going great, I have the opportunity to get people excited about the destiny that God has for them everyday and that makes me very happy. The biggest desire of my heart is for God's children to truly realize that He planned a special life for each one of us and we have a role to play. I believe God wants all of us to walk into the destiny and inheritance that He has for us, and I get to play a role in helping people get there. With that being said; with each new day I am trying to put together the puzzle pieces of my own life to figure out what my destiny looks like. I am surrounded by a community that challenges and encourages me to walk in the fulness that God has for me and at the same time I get to minister to World Race participants everyday. In my opinion, I am in the right place to find more of my puzzle pieces.

Also, June 13-July 11, I will be leading a trip of 14-18 year olds on a missions trip to The Dominican Republic. I am very excited about this opportunity because I cannot wait to pour into these young people and get them excited about the destiny that God has for them. I also believe that this trip is going to be another huge growing process in my personal walk with the Lord and He is going to confirm a lot of things about my giftings and the call He has on my life. My team will have a team blog that myself along with the other leader, my brother, David matthew will be updating while we are in The Dominican. The blog address is http://10dr0616amb3.myadventures.org. Please visit that blog and follow my team and I as we spread the love of Jesus.

My question for you in all of this is... Would you be willing to commit a certain amount of money to my ministry per month? As I have said before, my apprenticeship is support raised and on top of that I need to raise money for my missions trip in June. If 30 people would commit $50 per month to my ministry I would be completely supported. Even if you cannot do $50, any amount would be amazing. All donations can be made my clicking the "support me link" on the left hand side of this screen.

I understand that this job I am asking money for is an office job with the occasional international trip. But, the Lord is transforming so many lives through the ministry of The World Race and someone has to do the office work to get them on the field. I am honored to play a part in this and I am asking you to invest in the Kingdom through me and Adventures in Missions even if that means giving up Starbucks for a week. The Lord will honor your sacrifice and bless you more than you can imagine if you are just obedient. David Matthew and I

Thank you so much for your continued support!

Jose and I - The Dominican Republic, Jan 09'

.AWAKENING 2010.

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Mark your calendars.
August 30 - September 2, 2010

We'll give you three hints and only ONE guess as to where we are headed...

Hint #1 - you might see rainbows with pots of gold.
Hint #2 - there will be little green men - or at least we're told.
Hint #3 - it's the birthplace of Guinness - the beer of old!

IRELAND.
Yes. Believe it.

And... if you come, you might just be able to worship to the musical stylings of...
JONATHAN DAVID HELSER.

The Awakening is a Prophetic Worship Experience & World Race Alumni reunion.

We're planning for over 500 in attendance at this year's event - current World Race squads, World Race Alumni, and friends & family of Alumni are all invited!

Check out www.theworldrace.org/awakening for more information and to begin planning!
More details to come. Stay tuned and spread the word!

.FOR THE KINGDOM.

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Four months ago the Lord told me that He wanted me to move to Gainesville,GA to work for Adventures in Missions. I was never sure why He wanted me in Georgia, the only thing I knew was that it was the word of the Lord. So out of obedience to my father, 2 weeks ago I moved to Georgia.

For the first week of my time here I really struggled with the "why" questions.....

"Why do you want me in GA?"

"Why can't I just stay in TX and work in an office?"

Thursday night World Race staff had a meeting with the director of The World Race, Michael Hindes. He is a phenominal man of God in whom I have very high respect for. He spoke on a lot of different topics, the spirit of God showed up, and in that meeting the Lord revealed to me why I am here.

I am not here to "work in an office," that comes along with the process but that is not what this is all about. Its about equipping the saints so that we can bring the Kingdom to the Nations. Its about being around other people that are encouraging you in finding the destiny God made for you and helping others find theirs. Its about living a life completely sold out to Him and walking into your inheritance.

Here are some lyrics to a song by Jake Hamilton called "The Anthem"

I am royalty/I have destiny/I have been set free/I'm gonna shake history

This song is truly sings to my heart and I feel the presence of the lord fall as soon as it comes on... My heart as a believer is that everyone would come to realize there is a higher calling, there is more to life then just going through the motions.... We were all created for a purpose. We are ALL ROYALTY. We ALL have DESTINY. I DO WANT TO SHAKE HISTORY!

Because God has made me so passionate about this I believe this is why I am in Gainesville.... I know of something more and it is my job to do whatever I can to help people find the destiny that He has for them while finding mine as well. So many people live their lives just going through the motions and they never walk into all of the things that God had planned for them.

The good news is......

WE CAN CHANGE HISTORY. I believe our generation is being called to rise up and take back what the enemy has stolen. Think about it, God chose for you to be born in this age... For such a time as this... What will we do with it? Will we let the enemy have it? Or will we fight for it?

It's worth fighting for.... So lets fight people!

- As you know in order for me to continue the part of the "battle" that involves me being in Georgia, I have to raise support. Right now I am at about $ 2700 and I need a total of $9000, as you see I still need a good amount. I know that "If it is God's will, its His bill," and I am confident He will bring the support in . Please continue to pray about supporting me financially, and please please please continue to pray for me as transitions are never easy even when we know they are right. Again, if you would like to support me financially pleaes click on the "support me" link located on the lefthand side of the screen. Thank you so much for all of your continued support!

Life.Georgia.whirl winds

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

As you all know I left home on Sunday morning and drove to Birmingham, AL. I stayed the night in Birmingham with my friend Kristen and drove to GA yesterday morning. Darci and I are currently dogsitting for an employee of AIM that is out of the country until the 20th. So as of right now we are staying in his house, we do not know where we will be staying after the 20th but I will keep you updated.

Also, I wanted to explain a little better what my life in Georgia looks like. I am working in the offices of Adventures in Missions. Right now I am currently in the office but I can't officially start "working" or get paid until I have $3000 in my support account. Right now I am only at $2054 so although I may be in the office sometimes, right now my number one job is support raising.

Please continue to pray for me in this big transition. As always it is hard. I am already missing my friends and family and in the midst of that I have no income. There are so many emotions going through me it can sometimes be a little overwhelming. I believe the Lord has me here for a reason and I believe He will reveal that to me in His timing, and I also believe that if it is His "will" its His "bill." It can just be really hard when your not seeing the "bill" covered. Thank you for all of the support and encouragement in all of these crazy transitions.

If you would like to make a tax deductible donation, you can do so by clicking the "support me" link on the left side of this page.

If you would like to make a donation directly to me you can mail it to the address below and my mother will be able to deposit it directly into my bank account.
103 Mooney Ave

Oglesby,TX 76561

Please pray continue to pray! Much love to all : )

.Heart Surgery.

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I have been ready for bed since 10 PM, yet I find myself lying in bed wide awake at 3:45 AM.

Why can't I sleep? Maybe its because my nerves are going crazy...

My bedroom is packed up and as a result I find myself sleeping in my little brothers room. Only they aren't here because they are at their dads for the weekend. As I sit in their room without them, I can't help but remember how much I missed them while I was on the race. In fact, the same tears that I cried then are beginning to stream down my face. As soon as my baby brothers found out that I was leaving again they weren't happy. My 9 yr old brother continues to say to me "It's like your not even part of our family anymore." Even though I know he doesn't mean to hurt me, those words cut through me because I know that I am hurting him. I just want to be the "perfect" big sister. Just like I want to be the perfect little sister, friend, daughter, aunt, grandaughter, cousin, etc... I want to be there at important moments in my loved ones lives.

Sure, I could choose to ignore the call that God has on my life. I could choose to just live a normal christian life and I would probably even be happy doing it. But something in me yearns for more.... something in me knows that there is more.... to be honest i'm not even sure what the "more" looks like.. I just know that something deep within me tells me to keep striving...

I don't know what the rest of my life is going to look like, for all I know by this time next year I could be married and settled in the place we are going to live for the rest of our lives. I just know that right now He is asking me to once more to take a HUGE leap, and as scary as that leap may look.. I know that I am one step closer to my inheritance.

I wrote this blog to be real with everyone and to let you know that I am not claiming that this stuff is all peaches and cream , and I am not claiming that there will not be tears. In about 24 hours I will drive the long stretch on i20 between Texas and Georgia and I promise I will weep at least half of the way there, I will probably even argue with the Lord... But guess what, that is just the Lord performing surgery... Time will heal.. Then He will be at it again. THE SURGERY IS WORTH IT!!!

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Romans 5:3-4

COMPELLED BY LOVE

Mon, 1 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

As I get ready to transition, the thought of leaving people I love at home again gets pretty overwhelming sometimes. I've even had people ask me "why do you think it is so overwhelming?" The truth is, I don't have some profound answer for that. All that I can say is I LOVE these people.

At the same time there are people in and around Georgia that I love so much and I cannot wait to be around them. It had me asking God, "Why do I love people so deeply?" "Why does love have to be in the equation, it just complicates things?"

This verse immediately came to mind .......

We love because He first loved us.
1 John 4:19

When that verse came to my head it came with a picture of my best friend, Anessa. To make a long story short. In a time when she was hurt beyond words and needing healing in her own life. She chose to love me in a way that I had never experienced. I was on a road to destruction and I didn't care to change. I am still to this day blown away that I listened to her when she spoke truth to me, and I am convinced it was supernatural. She walked alongside me and chose to love me even when I was hard to love. She loved me because He first loved her and I would not be in the place I am at right now if it wasn't for LOVE.

We were created to "love", and we should consider it a priviledge that we can feel love, because it shows us that He first loved us.

If it wasn't for my friends obedience I wouldn't be on the journey I am on now. But instead, 3 years later I stepped onto the mission field. It would be selfish for me not to want to spread this love that I now know. I am excited to go wherever He calls!!

Freely you have received, freely give
Matt 10:8

Thank you Anessa for your willingness to never let me settle and showing me what it looks like to truly love Jesus and love people. You showed me that there was more and I am so thankful for you and your little family : ) I love you so much!

To my family and friends thank you for encouraging me and standing with me through my present and future choices in following Him. I love you all!

end of blog----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- support update, I am at about $2021, which means I really need supporters.. Please continue to pray about supporting me on this next journey of making His love known! You can donate monthly or just as a one time gift. Donations made by clicking the link on the lefthand side of this screen. Thank you all so much for your continued support!

A LIFE WITH PURPOSE

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I sometimes struggle with how to explain to someone how good God really is. I can tell them about His love for them and I can tell them everything He has done in my life and how I know that He really is good, but I often feel like people think I am crazy. The truth is you will never know how something makes you feel until you have tried it. I feel like people are always wanting answers but they are too scared to go searching for them. But my question is, why? Why do people run? Are they afraid of what they will find? Are they afraid that once they experience it for themselves there will be no excuses?

I love to tell people how good God is and I will continue to do so for the rest of my life. I even believe that is a role I am given as a believer. But I am so ready for people to start seeking answers for themselves instead of just asking others, because the truth is.. God can show you how good He is a whole lot better than I can.

People are always wanting "more" of everything, they are never satisfied.

EVERYONE of us have a purpose and destiny on our lives that the Lord planned for each one of us individually. It's no wonder so many people are unsatisfied, because so many people are settling for "less" and we were made for "MORE."

Although I don't always know how to fully explain how good God is, I do promise you one thing.... If you dig deep and seek Him for yourself, YOU WILL FIND ANSWERS... and if your scared you will have no excuses to turn around... YOU ARE RIGHT! You will have no excuses to ever go back to the same person you were before... But once you see the truth for yourself and you taste a little bit of what God has for you, it will no longer be excuses you want... There will only be a hunger to get more of Him.

It is no coincidence that you are alive in 2010 and not 1880.. You have a purpose for the here and now and it is your job to figure out what that is.... Don't settle. You can live a good Christian life and still settle. I don't know about you, but I don't want to live the good "Christian" life... I want to live a "Kingdom" life. It will be uncomfortable sometimes, but the reward is great.

Salvation costs you nothing. The Kingdom will cost you everything.

- As you all know God has revealed to me the next step in the process of finding "my purpose" and I will be leaving for Georgia on March 7th. I am so excited to be a part of what is going on with Adventures in Missions, they are all awesome people seeking The Kingdom. If you would like to be a part of what they are doing through me I ask you to please continue to pray about supporting me financially, as this next step requires that I raise support. Please pray about pledging a certain amount per month or making a one time donation. I am honored to have all of you alongside me in this journey of my life and I am excited to keep you updated through the process.

Donations can be made by clicking the "support me" link located on the left hand side of this screen. Right now I am at $2021 and I need $3000 by March, $9000 total. Thank you so much!

WORLD RACE VIDEO

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I just made another video from this past year for a church service I am speaking at on Monday night and I wanted to share it with all of you... Remember you made everything in this video possible! Please watch : )

To continue supporting me financially for the next season of my life please continue to donate through this blog site by clicking the "support me" link on the left hand side of this page... Thank you so much and I look forward to sharing my future experiences with you!

WHERE I'M AT

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I just thought I would post an update to let everyone know where I am at in my transition....

About 2 weeks ago I finally allowed myself to grieve this past year, which is something I didn't realize I needed until I just started crying all the time and couldn't explain it. I have shed a lot of tears and there are pages full of information in my journal, all of this had to happen so that I could let go of one season in order to be ready for the next. Although last year was amazing and can never be replaced, it is a season that has come to pass and I am ready to embrace what God has for me next. I know this next season involves moving to Georgia and doing the AIM apprenticeship, but I still don't know the big picture and I am so excited to find out what all God has in store for me this year. I cannot even begin to explain to you how excited I am about my move to Georgia and the people I will be doing life with.

As most of you know this next season that God has called me to is support raised just like The World Race. I will need to raise $3000 before I can even step into the next season that He has for me, as of right now I am at about $1800. My hopes are to be in Georgia by the beginning of March and I am confident that God is going to provide because He always does. I believe He already knows who He wants to use in supporting me financially. So I am asking you to seek Him on my behalf and if you feel like He is choosing you to partner with us please do so.

Last year YOU stepped foot in over 20 different countries bringing God's kingdom to all them. You did this through supporting me and I am asking you to once again consider being a part of what God is doing.

Donations can be made by clicking the "support me" link on the left hand side of this screen... Remember, no amount is too small... Your donations can be $1 if that is what you can do. But please join me in the next chapter : )

You are the ones that make it possible, it is your journey just as much as it is mine!!

SEASON OF CHANGE

Fri, 5 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

            The day I arrived home from The World Race was very confusing for me because I expected to be nothing but excited when I stepped off the plane in Dallas. I was excited to see my loved ones but at the same time I immediately felt a void that I had never experienced before. I prayed about it and even tried to fill the void but it is still there. The void is "community."

     This past week I had the opportunity to spend a few days with my World Race teammates and for a few short days the void left... But as the "goodbyes" came, the void slowly came back. When the final goodbye came at the airport I literally found myself in tears until sometime after the plane took off, and they have made a couple of appearances since. I do not like to admit that I am a needy person, but I am telling you that I NEED community. I need to be around people that are after the same things as me and understand me in a way that others can't. I believe that God has made a special community for everyone of us, it is just our job to find it and I have found mine.

I will be moving to Georgia sometime in the beginning of March to do a 6 month apprenticeship with Adventures in Missions, which is the organization that sends out The World Race. I will be working with people that are getting ready to go on The World Race, encouraging them and telling them about my life changing experience this past year. I will be surrounded by a community that loves me, people that have the same desires as me, and people that will be pouring into me in the way that God intended it. I am so excited that God has opened this door because I am excited to further my walk with Him, encourage others in their walk with Him and continue to learn what it means to really bring God's Kingdom to Earth. It is all about a journey with Him and completing the destiny that He has made for us, He just so graciously gives us other people to walk alongside us.

My apprenticeship with AIM is support raised, which means I have to raise $9,000 before the end of the 6 months. I am currently at about $1600 and must have $3000 before I can even make the move to Georgia. So again I ask you to please pray about supporting me financially for the next season of my life that God is calling me into. This past year was the most amazing year of my life, He has transformed me into a totally different person and I am wrecked for His Kingdom. It was only possible because you were obedient to His voice when He asked you to support me. Thank you!

If you feel like He is leading you to support me for the AIM apprenticeship, you can continue to follow me through my World Race blog http://karafrate.theworldrace.org and on the left hand side of the screen there is a link that says "support me." Once you have clicked on that link you will see the options to support me, and all donations made there will go directly into my account.
As always prayers are accepted, Please pray for me as transition is never easy.

Thank you again for your continued support!
Kara Frate

HAITI VIDEO

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Check out this awesome video my friend Liz made from Haiti...

A HEART FOR GODS PEOPLE

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

As I watch the news broadcasts from Haiti and hear the people of America respond I continually hear these comments among many others crossing the lips of the people I am surrounded by....

"Why would God allow this?"

"Turn the channel it is too much for me"

"Maybe God is punishing them"

"What can we do to help?"

"How will Haiti ever come out of this?"

To all of these questions I do not have an answer, but I do know this...

Exactly 11 months ago I was entering into my 2^nd month on The World Race in the country of Haiti. My team was staying in an orphanage called Canaan, not too far out of Port Au Prince. Although my team and I were blessed beyond measure if you were to ask me what my least favorite country was on the race, "Haiti" would be at the top of my list. From being surrounded by great people and being treated like a queen, there was really no explanation for the feelings I had towards this country and quite frankly it wasn't fair. I found myself asking God "Why do I feel this way?" but I never felt like I got an answer until now....

The moment I heard there had been an earthquake in Haiti my mind immediately started flooding with memories from my time spent there, and the memories have not stopped. I have memories of precious children that I loved dearly, I have memories of walking into a low funded smelly hospital and basically having to walk around puddles of blood so that I could pray over some sick person who was covered in flies, the first thing I noticed upon arrival were the trucks covered in witchcraft symbols, I remember watching out my window at the people with their candles lit selling goods amidst the night life and chaos of Port Au Prince and being so happy I was not in the back of the truck.

As I reminisce the reasons for my feelings become so obvious to me. As Americans we have good health systems, safety, money, churches on every corner and much more. As Haitians, they do not have any of the above.... Talk about being uncomfortable... I was stepping into a sea of uncomfortableness and I did not know how to handle it so I shut down. Now 11 months later as I look at a country I never wanted to enter into again, My heart breaks for them and I can't help but want to be there. People the reality is that God did not call us to be comfortable. As a matter of fact everything He ask me to do is very uncomfortable, but that is what you are called to by being a follower of Christ! It is time for the church to rise up and claim their inheritance.. If you shut down, the enemy wins!. People are going to be hard to love, but LOVE THEM ANYWAY! He may call you to a foreign land where the spiritual climate is wack, suck it up... You may live in the Bible belt, but that's not the rest of the world. THIS WORLD NEEDS JESUS, BOTTOM LINE!! So lets get off our butts and go do something about it instead of judging and instead of being scared of the unknown. God set YOU apart before you were born for a specific purpose.... What would the world look like if we all found our purpose?

I am not God and I do not claim to have all of the answers but did anyone ever stop to think that maybe, just maybe stuff like this happens to wake up the church? Not Haiti.....

Can we help the people of Haiti?

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

THE ANSWER IS "YES", WE CAN HELP!

THIS IS A BLOG MY TEAMMATE LIZ FROBA POSTED TODAY REGARDING THE TRAGEDY IN HAITI.. AS YOU ALL KNWO WE WERE THERE IN FEB, SO THIS IS HARD FOR US... PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR THIS COUNTRY...

If you have followed my blog you know i have a heart Haiti and have spent a significant amount of time there. What you may have not known is I am planning to return in 6 weeks and now hope to return sooner. Despite the tragedies that have occurred in the last 24 hours I have every intention of still going at the end of February and if I can come up with the money to get there and put a team together I will go sooner. Here is an email you will probably be receiving if I have your email, but just in case I knew this blog would hit a lot of people. Please pray about helping. Please pray for this country and these people. Please pray for God to move in a mighty way in the midst of this tragedy and for people to turn to Him. God is in control, I believe that...and He will be glorified in this mess. Contact me with any questions via the email me link on the left. Read how you can help below.

Hi Friends & Family,
If you are in my address book, you are receiving this email. If you would like to help, I will give you a few ways you can as well as update you on my current situation. I am sure by now you have heard of the tragedy that took place yesterday in Haiti. The capital Port-au-Prince where approximately 2,000,000 people live has been destroyed. It is truly heartbreaking, whether you have spent time in the country or not. Some of you received an email a couple weeks sharing about an upcoming trip I am taking to Haiti in February. This trip is still scheduled and if I can get there earlier to help then I will do so. As long as a plane will land I have every intent of going. I am currently unemployed and in in transit so whatever I can do to help this country and people I love, I will. Unfortunately, being unemployed limits my ability to help financially so that is where I need you to help. I am sending this email to 700 people. If everyone gave $10, that would be $7000 towards relief efforts. Let's be honest..$10 is one meal at Panera, I'm broke and I can afford that. I think the pictures all over the web and facebook will give you the motivation to do so. (Click here to see the one on my facebook: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3835952&l=8ea943f420&id=502501431) There are two ways you can go about helping. Keep reading.

You can send the funds to me at: Liz Froba 2066 Weddington Lakes Dr Weddington, NC 28104. You can make the checks out to me or if you want a tax receipt to Canaan Orphanage. Canaan is a 501(c)3 organization run by my friend Chris Hlavacek. You can also give through the Canaan Orphanage webiste: http://www.canaanorphanage.org - this is set up through paypal. The money will be funneled to where it is needed and use it to get help down there along with food and medical supplies.

I will continue to send updates via my world race blog, my new blog: lizfroba.blogspot.org, and facebook...I still don't understand Twitter yet.

The reports from Canaan are good. They are safe. There were 3 kids that I know of who were in Port that they have been unable to get in contact with. All cells in Haiti are down. Pastor Henry has also had no contact with his family, who all lives in Port. This morning Pastor Henry and Elsie went in to Port to try to find them. Please pray for Pascal, Stepenson and Yolnide...as well as many former Canaanites and their families who live in PAP. I have also received updates from Dony St. Germain and the orphanage connected with Christ Covenant. They are pretty far from Port and reports are good. Some damage, but not devestating.

This country needs are help. Even $5 makes a difference. Thank you for reading this. God is in control and He will help His people.

Peace-Liz

PS - If you live in the Charlotte area, please keep reading: Two needs: Going to try and collect extra supplies to take down in Feb. If you have medical supplies or clothes you would like to donate, please contact me via email. I will be back in Charlotte on Feb 2nd. Also, this is a request outside of Haiti. I am really in need of a truck or suburban to move stuff to NJ. The rental trucks are outrageously priced for my current financial situation. If you can help or know someone that can, please let me know. Looking to move stuff in Feb or early March. Can give a honda accord in exchange for a truck. THANKS!

AN ADVENTUROUS GOD

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

11 months ago I found myself searching to find who God was. I wanted to know Him and I told Him

I would do "anything" to get there. That "anything" word is a very bold word to pray....

I soon found myself boarding a plane for The Dominican Republic scared out of my mind but with the mindset of

"Missions, what a great way to find Him. Its bound to happen." The truth is it didn't take me long to find Him. God doesnt hide from us but
we can't see Him until we truly want to see Him. I didn't find God because I was doing a "good christian" thing, I found God because I finally
came to a place where I had a longing to find God and I knew that I needed Him.

He can be found in many forms...

It was in my lowest of lows this year that I found Him in the peace and the comfort that washed over me.
It was in my 5 amazing sisters who lavished His love on me.
It was in the childrens faces of many nations.
It was in His word.
It was in the beauty of His creation.
It was in the way He provided for us and the faithfulness He proved.
It was in His protection over our all girls team.
It was in the unity and love in our team that could only be formed by Him.
It was even in the way He worked in our families at home.
It was in the moments that I felt His presence and love so thick that I couldn't stand.
It was in the tears of joy and the tears of stretching.

These are just a few to begin with... I could never explain to you the many ways that I experienced and found God this year.. Honestly, I don't even know how to explain to you what all happened in the physical and in the spiritual this year. The only thing I know to tell you is that when I left in Jan I left to find Him and that is exactly what happened, and in the process I found myself. I learned what it truly looks like to be a follower of Jesus and what it looks like to totally devote your life to Him. I was forced to seek answers in His word and in that I builta foundation on Him. Although I am still the same person, with the same weird quirks and personality.. I am forever changed and I have a whole new outlook on who God is. I got Him out of His box and noticed that He is really big. I am more alive than I have ever been in my life. I am walking in His freedom and love and it is the most amazing thing I have ever experienced.

The truth is God has already found everyone of us, he is waiting for you to respond. When you finally decide you want to find Him, there is no telling the adventure that lies ahead in the revealing process. For me it started with The World Race. For some people it may be in some way not as obvious,but everyones "God Adventure" is unique because He designed it just for you. Who knows what He has in mind for you. Dare to take the chance and pray the word "anything."

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL OF MY SUPPORTERS FOR EVEN MAKING MY "GOD ADVENTURE" POSSIBLE. HE WILL HONOR YOUR OBEDIENCE.

End of Blog.. but please read below...

Like I said, My journey "began" with The World Race. The next step I plan on taking is in Gainesville, GA doing a 6 month apprenticeship with Adventures in Missions working with The World Race department. I will be doing a few different things with one of them being getting people excited about The World Race by telling them how it impacted my life and in the process still figuring out where I fit. This does mean I am back in the support raising world and will need to raise $9000. I will need to raise $3000 before I leave for Georgia so that determines how soon I will start with the earliest being Jan 1st, 2010. My support account stands at $1356 which is awesome but I still do not have enough to start the apprenticeship.

Please pray about supporting me financially for the next step of my journey.... I can continue to be supported through my World Race blog by just clicking the "support me" link on the left hand side of the screen.

Month 11 Video

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As most of you should know my last month of the race looked different. There were only 4 members of team BLING together this month including Blair, Liz, Shannon and Myself. Kristen and Ashley were in Berlin, Germany working with the "burn" ministry which is a worship ministry. The 4 of us traveled to Poland, Germany, and The Czech Republic. Although we were a part all 6 of us had an amazing month. Once again my teammate Shannon made a video from our month.. There is a little bit of Kristen and Ashley's ministry in the video but I will try to post their own personal video asap. Please enjoy : )

I arrive back in The States on Monday and I cannot wait to reunite with all of you that I love so much. With that said I need you to know that things may look a little different than you are expecting. Remember, I am leaving a family that I have spent 11 months along side and I am sad. I have been broken to the core this year and the people that I went through it with will not be around. This will be a tough issue for me. There may be moments when I break down in tears for no apparent reason.. I may not be able to express to you what happened this year because I don't know what happened this year.. I am going to need time to process. Just know that I LOVE ALL OF YOU and I have missed you so much.. I can't wait to be able to share everything with you, just as soon as I figure it out. See you soon!

Fighting the good fight

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As I reflect back over the past 11 months I see a girl fighting not to come on this trip. I see a team and a squad fighting for me to stay on this trip. Through out the year I have found myself fighting to believe and fighting for my faith to be strengthened. There have been times where I've found myself at the lowest of lows fighting to see the littlest glimpse of His face. There have also been times that I have found myself on my knees fighting for my team, my squad and people at home, for their faith and for their hearts. As I have watched my team and I this year I have seen all of us fight through the stretching with tears and with laughter. Now as we prepare to go home I see people fight to stay engaged for the last leg of our trip, I see other people fighting for them. I see myself fighting through the tears and heartache that comes with "transition." I am fighting to receive all of the closure I need from this year, so that I will be able to begin the next season of my life. Through all of the fight I have never had to fight alone. This year I have learned a lot of things and among those things I have learned that it's always a fight, or at least it should be. You are either fighting to be closer to Him or you are fighting for someone else. The biggest quirk about being in the family of God is that you never have to fight alone. The Lord knows it's a battle, but He doesn't leave you hanging. He gives you people to fight "with" you, and He gives you people to fight "for." Through all of the fight this year I have watched Him stretch me into the woman He called me to be. He gets the glory. He is the fight initiator and the over comer. Just like a physical fight, it hurts sometimes. But being in the fight with God is the greatest thing you could ever partake in. It's full of ups and downs, tears and laughter and lots of stretching and with each battle you can rejoice because we already know who over comes and with each fight you get one step closer to Him.

H-Squad the first week of the race...

What's Next?

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Well... Here it is.. The month I never thought would come, Month 11...

Of course the questions have started being asked with the main one being "What's next?" So many people have asked me this question, so I thought I would write a blog to answer the entire audience at once.

First let me just start with " I ask myself & God this question more then you will ever know." As of right now I only know that my next step is to go home and to love on my family and friends for a while. The thing that scares me is that I don't know how long that "while" will be. I know that God has big plans for me and is going to require more of me, and I know that with every transition comes heartache and stretching. So when I look at that side of it I find myself asking "Can I do this again?"

The truth is.. I can't do this alone. As a matter of fact I can't even do this with a little bit of me. It has to be all Him. But in order for

Him to be able to bring me into a new season I have to be willing to get out of the way. Of course hard things come with transition, but there is a positive side as well and the positive side are the blessings that God bestows on us our of our obedience. It's finding heaven on earth, while bringing heaven to earth. So here is my answer for every new season from here on out.. As scary as it may be...

" I am letting go of the reins and letting God take contol, He will bring me into the "next" step whether it hurts or not I will choose to look at the Kingdom side of things and rejoice when I am uncomfortable because I will know I am one step closer to being fit for the service.

"No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the Kingdom of God."

Luke 9:62

BLING @ the beginning of this year..... MONTH 1...

Halloween 2009

Mon, 2 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Journal Entry from 10/31/2009

While you were dodging Ghouls and Goblins this is what I was doing...

I woke up at 8am, stumbled into the kitchen and Blair told me to go back to bed because I am sick and she wanted me to rest. It didn't take much convincing me (surprise surprise) I turned right back around and slept until 11:15. After a quick shower and a chocolate sandwich for lunch we left for the Polish airport around 12:15. Once we arrived at the airport I checked my luggage, bought some Haribo gummy bears and boarded a hot pink airplane 1 hour later. In what seemed like 15 minutes the pilot said "prepare for landing", I am still convinced it was only a 15 min flight but anyway... As soon as we entered Germany The Lord was showing off outside the airplane windows with His gorgeous snow capped mountains. I was in Awe. We landed in Memmingen, Germany and got in a taxi with Mrs. Jeff Gordon to the train station and from there took a train to Munich. We arrived in Munich and immediately began to search for our hostel, we walked in a circle around the city and after coughing up a lung we ended up taking the tram in front of the "train station", which took us straight to our hostel. My roommates include Liz, Blair, Shannon, a German lady that does not speak english and a German man that does not speak english. The language barrier doesn't seem to be a problem though because the girl was still able to communicate to Shannon "Get your light out of my face" and the man only wakes up when he needs a swig of his beer. I just had cheeto puffs and chocolate for dinner, now with my knife and Bible at my bedside I think I will go to sleep and pray I don't get bed bugs...

--- We did stay in a Hostel our first night in Munich, but we have been in houses with very nice people since.. We will be in Munich through Wednesday and we will head to a little town called LAM on Thursday... I will keep you posted on stuff that actually matters in the near future... Thanks for keeping up with me.. : )

Last Leg

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As I said before this last month is going to look different for many reasons. The first reason being that there was an amazing opportunity for prophetic worship with an organization in Berlin, Germany. This caused H-SQUAD to form a 9th team, which included 2 of my teammates Kristen and Ashley. They are both very gifted in worship and bringing light to the darkness, my selfishness misses them so much but I am very excited for their opportunity this month. The 4 members of Team BLING that are still together prayed about where we felt God leading us this last month and we felt like we were supposed to travel to many countries telling people about our year and The World Race, and building possible world race contacts for future racers. Our travel will look like this... Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria (for final debrief). We are currently in Poland, it has been an awesome 4 days. I LOVE this place, the food, the people and everything else. We have met some really amazing people that are bringing Gods Kingdom to Poland and we will fly to Germany tomorrow. I am very excited about sharing my experience from this month with you through my blogs, so I will be posting some in the near future. Thank you for following my journey this year.

Please continue to pray for my team and I, including my two teammates in Berlin as we close up our last month of The Race.

.I will not be silent. - Kara Frate

.The DNA of Jesus.

.Let the Lord wreck you.

.Kingdom Video.

.Dominican Picture Blog.

.POWERFUL STUFF.

.Training Camp.

.EXPECTING GOD.

.Day one Ambassador training.

.writing history.

..Dancing before the Thrown..

..Church VS Real life..

*I'm going again*

*.AWAKENING 2010.*

.*FOR THE KINGDOM*.

*Life.Georgia.whirl winds*

.Heart Surgery.

*COMPELLED BY LOVE*

*A LIFE WITH PURPOSE*

*WORLD RACE VIDEO*

*WHERE I'M AT*

*SEASON OF CHANGE*

*HAITI VIDEO*

*A HEART FOR GODS PEOPLE*

*Can we help the people of Haiti?*

*AN ADVENTUROUS GOD*

*Month 11 Video*

*Fighting the good fight*