Fixing my eyes on the unseen... - Kara Frate

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.

UKRAINE VIDEO

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Team BLING had a good month of ministry in Ukraine. We were involved in working with a center for street kids and we took part in an English club. We start debrief with our squad today and on Monday we head to our last ministry locations for the year, I can't believe it is already month 11. My teammates Kristen and Ashley will be going to Berlin, Germany to take part in prophetic worship. The rest of my team and I are going to be in Poland for 1 week, Germany for 1 week, and the Czech Republic for 1 week. We are going to several different countries to share about The World Race and what the Lord has done this year. This last month will look different as our team is separated and some of us will be traveling a lot more then usual. Please keep my team and my squad in your prayers as we close up this 11 month journey. See you soon!

and of course... My teammate Shannon made an amazing video for our month of ministry in Ukraine.. Please enjoy!

FamilyTransitionsLife

Thu, 8 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Tuesday night during English club I was asked this question " What has been the scariest thing for you on the race?"

This year I have been to over 11 different countries, I've been on transportation with drivers who shouldn't have a license in vehicles that would never pass inspection in The States, I've eaten crazy food, been around crazy people and experienced some really crazy stuff. But yet I found myself answering the question with "Leaving my family was the scariest thing I've done this year."

When I left home I left people who knew me, people who were used to my stupid quirks, and people I was comfortable with. I didn't have to explain myself, they just knew.

Now I find myself 10 months later living in a small room with the same 5 girls I have been living alongside for the past 9 1/2 months. This year we have shared clothes, beds, tears, laughter, heartaches, love for people and so much more. We have been the shoulder to cry on, the sister to "vent" too, the big sister, the baby sister, the protector, the loving word, the rebuking word and the accountability partner. I love to cook with The "Trio" (Kris, Blair and I) and afterwards enjoy the best conversations and fun over a meal with Bling. We have seen each others ups and downs and have watching the Lord transform us into different people since January. through the heartaches and the joy the Lord brought us from a "Team" to a "Family."

Now it is this family that knows all of my stupid quirks, shares all of my inside jokes, they know I picked up a new "addiction" in Malaysia, they know that I get sick on bus rides, and they can even translate my "Texas" language into "American" when needed. This is my family and they "get me."

I now find myself realizing that the end is not going to be any easier than the beginning because once again I will be leaving a family I am comfortable with and love so much.

Transition is never a fun thing and it doesn't always seem right but we can't think about it too much, we must leap first and give God the chance to come in and blow us out of the water with the next season of our lives.

The Will of God is really like a roller coaster... There are ups and downs, curves, unexpected hoops, joy and even nausea sometimes. It's and adventure and it's worth the ride.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF

Sat, 3 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This is a journal entry of mine from 9-30-2009----

Last night we boarded a train that looks just like the Polar Express and is destined for Moscow, Russia. For us it is a 17 hour train ride because we will be getting off in Kiev, Ukrane. It's called a sleeper train and apparently thats all you can do on it, is sleep because you only have a bed that you can't even sit up in. The only friendly person I've met was the border patrol guy that stamped my passport at 6am this morning while I was lying in bed. At the train stops there are people selling beer & fish, wish seems to be normal because the majority of the train had crawfish & beer for breakfast. I got up this morning to go brush my teeth and use the restroom only to get smashed between the smokers in the hall way and to find a metal squatty potty that I had to balance above and at the same time build my leg muscles. The only people sharing a room with me are 4 guys and 1 girl I don't know. Some things we have done this year haven't felt real and this is one of them. As the border patrol shook me awake last night saying "passporte" I felt like a refugee trying to cross an illegal border. To top it all off we we finally arrive in Kiev we still do not know what we are doing besides meeting a guy who will "hopefully" be handing us a letter from our squad leaders telling us what our next "move" should be. This is life on The World Race, a life I will never be able to explain. You never know whats next and you never know what to expect. It's a life full of adventure with moments both good & bad that I would never give back and it has ruined me for normal life at home. Month 1 I would have looked at this stuff and seen all of the negative. Month 10 I look at it and I see "Life at it's best" and I LOVE IT!

Update on ME

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A little long.. Sorry, but God transformed me this week... I will post pics when i have the chance. : )

Just in case you are not aware, at the end of every month my squad has a "Debrief." It is a time of relaxation and ministry to us as individuals. This month was a little different because the organization we are with held a conference in Brasov, Romania. Every squad on the field (4 squads, about 200 people) , alumni and AIM staff would all be attending the conference.. This debrief did not sound relaxing at all, In fact I was not looking foward to it and did not have any desire for our squad to have to mingle with 3 other squads.

We arrived at the conference location on Monday night, set up our tents and woke up on Tuesday for the first session. As soon as I woke up that morning I felt a weight on me that was not there before, I did not know what was wrong with me. It felt like I was about to go into a depression or something and I had no clue why. I even started to give into the lies of the enemy and doubt my relationship with God. All I knew to do was pray, I wanted more of Him and more of His spirit. I was so sick of feeling a heaviness on me and I knew I needed to pray through it and seek His face. So I started praying, asking God to fill me again with His Holy Spirit and to just reveal Himself to me in a way that I had never experienced.

Thursday morning my teammate Kristen and some of my squad members were leading the worship service, so I took a front row seat and began to worship with all of my heart. In this time the Lords presence became so thick and He began to speak to me saying " It's time to get serious for good, Kara." In this moment some of my weight was lifted, but I still did not feel whole. I left the worship service and later that day my team had a meeting with our coaches and squad leaders for a time of prayer and prophecy. IT WAS AMAZING... and some of the weight was also lifted there... But it was still not gone...

That night after our 2nd worship service they had a time of prayer for people that wanted a new filling of the Holy Spirit.. I immediately stood up and had my squad leader Ashley Musick pray over me. The words she spoke were words of truth and I believe straight from the mouth of God and my spirit was in agreement. I can't really explain what happened next because it was to amazing for words. All I know is that I have never felt Gods love and goodness more than I did in that moment. I was shaking, praising Him, and crying all at the same time." I even got up and declared His goodness to everyone... I am now better than ever, on fire and ready to finish this race strong and full of His Spirit.

The one thing I could not stop saying on Thursday night is that "HE IS GOOD" and I dont know how I let myself forget that. HE IS ALWAYS GOOD!! In the desert and out of the desert... He had me in the desert to teach me things.. I doubted and look, HE STILL BROUGHT ME OUT! In His timing... All it takes itsrealizing you need more of Him and pressing IN. HE IS FAITHFUL and There is freedom in Jesus!

WHERE THE SPIRT OF THE LORD IS THERE IS FREEDOM

2 COR 3:17

Romania Video

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

BLINGS MONTH OF MINISTRY IN ROMANIA WAS A BLAST... WE ARE AT DEBRIEF/THE CONFERENCE.. WE ARE NOT SURE WHICH COUNTRY WE WILL BE GOING TO NEXT BUT I WILL KEEP YOU POSTED ASAP..

CHECK OUT THE VIDEO MY TEAMMATE SHANNON MADE FOR THE MONTH OF ROMANIA....

Romania Update

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Horse drawn carriages, grapes picked right off the vine, apple picking, plums whenever you want them, GORGEOUS people and GORGEOUS scenery..... What more could you ask for?

This is pretty much our life in Romania...

This month our entire squad is living in the same village (this hasn't happened all year) and to top it off we have a whole other squad right along side us in the same village... There are 75 Racers in the area we are living in... Its crazy...but good.. The Lord obviously wanted to bring people into this village because squads do not cross on a regular basis... and our entire squad has never been together... So the Lord is really being glorified in the community of Ville Tecci this month. We will be heading to Debrief/Conference on Sunday and there will be 4 squads + Alumni attending.... That too is going to be crazy...

Prayer request- I love my team, I love my squad, and I LOVE Romania...but I also LOVE my family and friends at home so a little bit of homesickness has been creeping in. I realize being homesick is normal, but I want to give the last 3 countries the same Kara that I gave the first country. So please just continue to pray for myself, my team, and my squad as a whole. Just pray that we continue to press on toward the goal and have no regrets in the end... Plane tickets are bought and we know when we will be home, so it makes it an even bigger challenge not to check out... But I do believe that we all want to finish strong and we want to live in the present. I am personally excited about what God has in store for us our last couple of months.

Thank you so much for your prayers and all of your support. As soon as I can I will post a full blog. XOXO

Johannesburg Ministry Video

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Team BLING was involved in a variety of different ministries this month in Johannesburg, we enjoyed every bit of it and on a personal level it was one of my favorite months. We will be beginning our final debrief of the continent of Africa tomorrow.. We have not seen our squad in 2 months and it is going to be AWESOME... We will be flying to Eastern Europe on Sept 3 to begin our last leg of our journey.

Here is a great video of our month in Johannesburg, South Africa.... I do not take any credit for this, I stole it from my teammate Shannon who is very talented at making videos : )

Who Am I

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The day I started my journey on The World Race the Lord began to ask me this one question, Do you know who you are?

Of course the answer that immediately came to my head was "yes" I am Kara Frate, I am from McGregor, Tx and I am the daughter of Louis and Julie. But all year long that has been the one question that He continues to ask me and as I have been walking along side Him, allowing Him to stretch me and teach me things I have realized I had no clue who I was before this trip. Yes, I know what my name is, where I am from, and who my parents are but that is just a small part of who I am.

Now going into the last 3 months of the Race, I think about how much the Lord has changed me and changed my views on things this year I realize that If I didn't know myself, then people I love at home were just as clueless as I was. So that is why I am writing this blog, to let you know 3 months in advance a little bit about the person who will be coming home to you in November. It doesn't take a long explanation and honestly I can't sum up everything that has gone on in my heart this year. But in the grand scheme of things it all comes down to one thing..... So now I ask myself, Who am I?

I am Kara Frate, a daughter of the Most High King. My life does not belong to me and I have no desire to live like it does. I realize a need for Jesus in my life more than ever before, this world has nothing for me. Worldly desires have began to fade away and I have a new passion to see the Kingdom in everything I do. Before, I claimed to be a Christian but every time I turned around I was giving into temptation and letting the things of this world pull me down. I am here to tell you that person is gone. I am done justifying my sin with the fact that the temptation was too strong and He will forgive me. The Truth is He does forgive us when we sin, but you can't keep going around the same mountain. It is not ok to commit the same sin over and over again and to continue to claim that I am a follower of Jesus. He gave me The Bible as a manual on how to overcome all of the things of the world and how to live life to the fullest.. I have seen both sides.. Living life to the fullest with Christ as the leader, and living life to the fullest with The World as the leader... and I have learned that Christ is ALWAYS the better leader... I am not saying that Christ is the easy way, because its not.. It's the narrow way (Matt 7:13) but it leads to life.. And not just eternal life, but life now... I am experiencing more freedom and happiness than I have in my entire life. I have a whole new idea of what my life as a Christian is supposed to look like. I know it comes with consequences, it comes with letting go of all control, it comes with a lot of things that aren't always going to seem right or feel good... But I know now without a doubt that He sees the big picture even when I don't have a clue whats going on, all I have to do is TRUST and He is always faithful.

I am choosing the narrow road which leads to life....

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Matt 7:14

.Scars from the past.

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The first day I walked through the gates of Children Of Fire my eyes immediately spotted the person who was destined to to steal my heart. His precious smile & sweet spirit was all it took to reel me in.

Thapelo is one of many children living at this organization. When Thapelo was 2 yrs old he became a victim to an exploding stove, leaving him with a burned stomach, arms and the right side of his face. He is 3 rs old now and is as precious as ever.

After spending 3 days with Thapelo I have let him fall asleep in my arms, read him Dr.Seuss, fed him and loved on him. I don't know where his mother is, but she is not around. I want to bring him home to play with my nephew. I want him to experience a normal life and the love of a family that he deserves, but in reality I can't do anything, and the things that have happened to him in the 3 yrs he has been alive have put him in a home and left him with the scars to haunt him.

I found myself asking God, why? Their just children and people stare at them like they are circus animals.

When meeting these children I was a little intimidated at first. When I really starting thinking about it I realized that everyone has scars from their past. Some are scarier than others, some aren't as obvious. Most are internal, but for these children they are external.

The difference between these children and myself is the fact that although their scars are more obvious they have still learned to accept it, as for me I still find myself dwelling on the scars of my past, and letting that effect who I am today.

The Lords taught me a lot about identity through these children. Our past does not make who we are, and our outward appearance does not make who we are. We are all children of the Most High King and our identity is found in Him.

End of Blog-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Children Of Fire is an organization that houses children who have become victims of fire. They provide schooling and seet out medical treatmen that the children need. My team and I have had the opportunity to spend time with these children this month. They are awesome beautiful kids and i've really enjoyed getting to know them. If you would like to learn more about the kids and the organization please check out the website... www.firechildren.org

In the eyes of the children

Tue, 4 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As we started our month in Botswana I wasn't really sure why we were here because it was taking us so long to get to our ministry location. I let myself get irritated and to be honest I was ready to go home.

When we finally arrived at our contacts house in the bush (Moralane Village) we set up our tents and Pastor Kumbu took us on a walk through the village. This is when he told us alcoholism had the biggest hold on the Moralane people. As I greeted drunk women with babies on their backs I looked them in their eyes and I saw so much pain. My heart broke and I felt more sorrow for this group of people than I have felt at all this year. Pastor Kumbu told us that their parents began to put sugar in beer so their 2 yr old children will acquire a taste for it. Sexual immorality and witchcraft are the other 2 strongholds on the Moralane people. Young girls start selling themselves for money to survive and before you know it she has HIV just like the rest of the village.

After spending the week praying over sick people, witch doctors, and people just filled with so much pain. After being able to preach The Gospel to these people everyday and teach the teenagers about purity and a life with Jesus. It was after looking orphans in the eyes and seeing my brothers. It was after all of this that I knew why I was here.

Everyday we did childrens ministry in the mornings which included bible stories, volleyball and just loving on them. In the evenings we preached in the village to whoever showed up. By the end of the week the same women we preached to and prayed over were still drunk. But it was also at the end of the week that we would lay down in our tents at night to hear the children in the village singing the song of praise to Jesus we taught them called "Making Melodies" amongst the loud partying that we heard everynight.

Even though the adults really didn't absorb what we had to say, all I can do is pray some seeds were planted in them. I believe God has a new plan with the generation of young people in Moralane Village. I believe he is going to rise them up to be might warriors of the Kingdom. I believe they will be the ones to stop the alcoholism, witchcraft and sexual immorality. Pastor Kumbu and Sandra have an awesome childrens ministry going on and I fully believe God had us there to help plant more seeds into this generation of young people, and to continue to pray for them.

I have a lot of Faith God is going to use these precious children to bring light into the darkness. Which is why it is so amazing to hear them "Making melodies to the King of Kings" in the middle of chaos. What better way to bring light into darkness.

It was in the eyes of these children that God revealed to me why I was in this village and it was also in the eyes of these children that God revealed to me once again that it is not all about me. There are people out there that need to hear what we have to say, and who cares if God wants to take His time getting us to a certain location.. We are HIS followers.. He is not ours...

End of the blog

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-Bling had a great month of building relationships with 2 amazing missionary families and being able to share Gods love.

-Our "bush" experience was nothing I expected. We were in tents in the pastors fenced in yard, we had warm showers, soap operas at night, but we were still cooking over a fire : )

-As you all know I love riding horses and I am proud to say when challenged to a horse race by a villager he was shocked when I BEAT HIM... : )

What more could I ask for... Jesus, babies, and horses..... It's a good life....

We also rode donkeys as a team...

Team Bling will be serving in Johannasburg, South Africa for the month of August. I will keep you updated.. Month 8 here we come!! Sorry the font is so small, my blog will not let me change it...

.BLING Mozambique Video.

Tue, 7 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Shannon made a great video to document our time in Mozambique. Enjoy!

Travel day through the eyes of Blair

Sun, 5 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

My teammate Blair has a talent for writing poems and this is by far one of my favorite.. It describes Team Bling and Team Gentle Warriors travel day from Mozambique to South Africa. Enjoy Enjoy! IF you would like to read more check out her blog blairbrendle.theworldrace.org..

Posted in AFRICA by Blair Brendle on 7/4/2009

Waiting on our ride, it's half past ten
Fifteen more minutes and we'll try his cell again
Over an hour late, but we know that is the norm
And just when doubt sets in, that's when we hear the horn
Excited for some travel we grab our bags and head outside
To find no luggage rack or trailer in which our bags should reside
This is a minor problem, you see our bags are quite big
The driver says, "More money, you're taking half the seats up in my rig"
Oh communication barriers are something we do love
So after friendly negotiation we receive some grace from up above
We're headed to the border or Mozambique and Zimbabwe
To meet the gentle warriors and to debrief make our way
The first leg of our journey is not so bad at all
Stamped out of Mozambique, man they're really on the ball
Just across the border our squad mates wave with such delight
Even though we can see them, it's still an hour til we truly unite
As we must purchase our visas and allow them to check our bags
No one gets in a hurry as time continues to drag
Then there's a quick and nasty run in with the Staff Gents toilet
And most of the girls say forget it, they'd rather just hold it
Finally across, all 14 girls share a quick embrace
As we see the "Prince of Peace" a smile sweeps across our face
The "Prince of Peace" is the name of the maroon van on which we all must fit
And to say it has seen better days is quite the understatement
But it's all laughs and smiles when you travel with this crew
Besides it's the World Race what else can you do
Travel's going amazing, the roads are actually paved
We're all so proud of ourselves and the money in which we've saved
That is until we stop and the inevitable is asked
Only to be informed that we ran right out of gas
So Silas our dear driver hits the road with empty gas can
And soon a car pulls over to lend him a helping hand
He's off to the nearest station, for that we thank the Lord
The stars and moon shine with such beauty this stop feels like a reward
It's actually much warmer with no wind seeping through the cracks
Still the night is cold so we grab our sleeping bags from our packs
All cuddled up together drifting in and out of sleep
Two and half hours later is seems we've finally got this beat
Silas' journey was successful, the van cranks on the second try
So we hit the road again, only one more border to cross by
We arrive right at midnight and had heard this border is no game
We're on the road again about 3 a.m. from the details I'll spare you the pain
Of course we fill up with gas and grab ourselves a little snack
Then we hit the ground a running, the rest of this journey's ours to attack
Yet all to soon the sun is up and we find ourselves again at a stop
And Silas wants to know "Where can this group be dropped?"
We look around uncertain, this can't be the right place
We see a sign with Naboomspruit written on its face
While Naboomspruit may be similar, Nelspruit is specifically what we said
And our driver looks unpleased as he begins to scratch his head
We call our beloved contact and find we are still far away
While our driver's only response is "More money or here you'll stay"
After another friendly negotiation we're seemed to work out a plan
Yet another two hours later and we're having to use the gas can
But by the skin of our teeth we pull into the station
Now we're just ready to get there, so we throw some money into the equation
Of course we head the wrong way and bust a U-turn in the middle
A sign to Nelspruit, a few more hours, by now that's just a little
So we sputter up the hills, doors and windows all off track
Our eyes are fixed ahead, there's no more looking back
The kilometers tick away and finally we do arrive
With praises to our Heavenly Father who kept us smiling and alive
It may have taken over 27 hours, we know that much is true
But when you just need to get from Point A to Point B the "Prince of Peace" is sure to pull through

.Month 7. Botswana Bound.

Sat, 4 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Just wanted to post a quick update to let you know what is going on...

I have been in S.Africa for the past week for debrief with the Squad. We were in the Mountains for a few days and we are now back @ the Betor house in Nelspruit, S.Africa. My team along with Team Spectacle will be going to Botswana for the Month of July. We will be camping in our tents but that is about all of the information that I know about next month. So now you know just as much as I do.. The World Race is all about adventure and Faith : ). I will continue to keep you updated as much as possible. I will be posting a picture blog if I get the chance before we leave on Monday. Please continue to keep up with my journey and I will continue to update you when possible. You are all missed and I love you all !!!

My first African experience.

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

With knots in my stomach I walked through the trails lined with grass huts to preach The Word of God in a church that wouldn't even measure up to the carport on my church at home.

As Ashley, Sabastian, Pastor Amos, 20 kids and Myself gathered on the dirt floors of the small church pastor explained they would pack the floors with water to keep dust from stirring when the "dancing" started. I thought to myself "but pastor, what dancing? There is no one here".

Pastor began to sing & play his accordion and the 4 of us and the 20 children began to worship the Lord. Within the next 15 minutes the presence of God showed up and so did the rest of the church members. I now found myself thinking "so this is what the water was for".

The church was packed, the people were dancing like crazy, and between my outfit and my skin I was the brightest and whitest person in the room, but I still couldn't seem to keep the precious kids off of me. I was loving every minute of it.

By the time the "1^st session" of worship was over, The Holy Spirit & body odor had filled the room and I took a deep breath as it was time for me to preach.

As my translator, my translators translator and myself took the floor I stared into the crowd at all of these wonderful people thinking "Why me, This small town girl from Texas, preaching in Africa?" Suddenly I was no longer nervous, only excited and ready to make the best of this opportunity.

I referenced to Matt 4 and preached on how just because you say no to a temptation the first time, that does not mean that the enemy will not continue to try within the next minute. The key to overcoming the temptation is found in James 4:7 which says Submit yourselves to God, Resist the devil and he will flee from you. As Christians we tend to think this is a verse we should only have to live out once, but even Jesus in Matt 4 had to do this 3 times in one setting before the word says the enemy finally left Him.

At the end of the service my prayers were that the word I had to bring them would penetrate through their hearts and give them a little bit of peace knowing that if they just submit to God, He will provide a way out.

We then went back to the house with Pastor Amos to indulge in an awesome lunch, only to find out that the "meat" we were eating was the goat Ashley and I had made friends with the night before. It was actually very tasty : ). Later that afternoon Ashley, Sabastian and Myself got in the back of a short bed truck (public transportation) along with 15 other people, with the topic of converstation being "What color is Jesus"? This was a very awesome and interesting weekend. We are now back in town and ready for what God has for our team the rest of this week.

End of Blog...

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This one particular Sunday Team Bling was separated into 3 different sets of 3 because Kristen, Shannon, and Myself were preaching at different churches. Next weekend all of the Bling girls will be going back with Pastor Amos to take part in a Women's Conference. So we are praying God will use us however He wants. Sorry there are no pictures with this blog, We cannot upload stuff on this internet. I will post them as soon as we get to debrief on the 29^th or 30^th.

Fixing my eyes on the unseen... - Kara Frate

*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*