Posted in Thailand by Amanda Nallie on 4/13/2012
Welcome to Thailand. There is a 7 ELEVEN on every corner! Hurray!
Sweet baby from our home. Photo by Stephanie Bernotas
Steph and me on the streets of Thailand.
Back in Mozambique ( month 7- January) God revealed to me that I was trying to control my life, rather than letting the Holy Spirit control me. I thought I had it down... but I realized I could let go some more, and give Him my future. He sweetly whispered, "Let Go..."
It was scary... and I cried.
What if God didn't show up when I needed Him?
What if He wouldn't be there?
But God is faithful to His Word...
"Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it" (Luke 17:33).
So I let go, and God showed up. Reminding me that He is good. Consciously I have to remember not to control my life and to give it over to the Lord daily. To trust that He has great plans for me, " For I know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future" (Jer. 29:11)
For 2 months now, I have had the chance to surrender my own will daily. Since then, and especially month 9 in Thailand, God has been blowing my mind. Through His love, faithfulness, deliverance, kindness and patience- He has blown me away. I will continue to trust Him and let go.
Are you holding onto anything? Trust that He has your future and plans in His hands.. He's got it all planned out. Trust Him and He'll take you places you've never dreamed of. Jump off the cliff. God will catch you like wings on a bird and take you places you could never go without Him... and "you will soar on wings like eagles" (Isaiah 40:31).
Please take a moment to pray for Asia. Nearly 40% of the population practices Buddhism and they desperately need to hear the Word of God through Jesus Christ. Thank you.
Photo by Stephanie Bernotas
| |
|
Posted in Swaziland by Amanda Nallie on 2/29/2012
So here we are in month 8 already! It's crazy how time flies lately. Swaziland is absolutely beautiful and I can tell God REALLY loves this place. I mean look at this view!
The hills are so green and full of life, and the stars at night are amazing. I actually saw a satellite moving across the sky the other night while we had team time under the stars. It looked like a moving star.. anyway... SO COOL! lol
This is our little humble home...
We have a room full of 12 bunk beds- just enough for our team and 5 others girls from another team! It's quite cozy.
Ministry here is a little bit of everything. Three days a week our team meets about 40 kids at AIM's care point about a mile up the road. Kids flock there after school to have a meal that may be their only meal for many of them for the day. They eat, we play...
My friends and I were looking at one of the kids school books and you wouldn't believe what some of their spelling words were:
RAPE
ABUSE
FRIGHT
And then it went on to tell the story about what to do if you are abused. In an English book!
40% of Swaziland population has HIV/AIDS and by the year 2050 this country will "die out".
Some other ministries we have is visiting the hospitals for children.. it's sad but bringing life and joy to them makes me so happy.
God had me thinking the other night, just how big He really is... We were sitting in our cozy little room, on our bunk bed and we decided to put on some worship music. As we were singing and praying I began to look around the room and realized how cool it is to be a child of God. All 14 of us, from different parts of the U.S. and we all meet as stranger but at the same time are all brothers and sisters in Christ. Not in a weird cult like way, but as heirs and sons and daughters of Christ. We all may have different things going on at home, some are thinking of the future, some excited about what God has planned, some are honestly trying to figure things out, but we are all in different places in our lives. Still we can all come together at the end of the day, look up to God and praise Him. We all are looking to Him at the end of the day!!
| |
|
Posted in Mozambique by Amanda Nallie on 1/30/2012
I am learning so much here in Mozambique, more than I thought I would... However, I don't want to stay here...
Before the World Race I was working and 9-5 job and was going to school full time. That was my life, and I was happy with it. It wasn't until God intervened in my life, that I ever dreamed out side of my little box. I never dreamed of going outside of my little home in my little town- of my little country!
Until one day, when I got a little vision from God...
It was of about 8 young kids sitting under a shelter made of sticks and palm tree branches, protecting them from the heat of the sun, there little legs drawn up to their chests, and they sat there... Watching me with their brown eyes... and I came close and closer towards them.
I knew what this vision meant... It meant I would see this exact vision in the future.. somewhere, sometime.
Mozambique is full of women in long wrapped skirts, usually carrying a child on their backs snuggled inside a blanket, even potentially carrying 40 pound water jugs on their heads! Sometimes these women in the village have to walk miles for clean water.
The kids here run around with barely any clothes on, without shoes and are as happy as can be... Especially when we sing with them, dancing in the rain and stomping in the mud puddles, yelling at the top of our lungs. The kids need something that is inside of us... they see the Jesus and want it. They want our LOVE.
After several months on the Race, I began to wonder and ask God, "Hey God... do you remember that vision you showed me before the Race? You know, they one with the kids sitting under the shelter, staring at me as I walk toward them? Am I ever going to see that?"
Well... I got it. I saw the vision. Walking down a dirt road in Mozambique on the way home from ministry, there it was: "It was of about 8 young kids sitting under a shelter made of sticks and palm tree branches, protecting them from the heat of the sun, there little legs drawn up to their chests, and they sat there... Watching me with their brown eyes come closer towards them."
In that moment I felt protection, just like the kids felt as the roof of the shelter kept them from the heat of the sun. God is guiding me in His perfect plan and will for my life.
However, as good as it is here... I really honestly, Don't Want To Stay!
I Don't Want To Stay Here... in this place.
I Don't Want To Be Comfortable.
I want to experience the Unimaginable
...the Unbelievable
Because I know that's what God has for me! And for you! He wants to propel us forward into the future with dreams, hope and a destiny. He's going to guide me all the way there. I am ready.. are YOU? Take the risks, step out of your comfort zone. Be uncomfortable for God and see what He can do!
Praise the Lord for His Provision in My Life!
| |
|
Posted in Romania by Amanda Nallie on 12/1/2011
Oh Oradea, Romania, How I love Thee!
My team and 2 other teams live on a farm, in open land with miles and miles of feilds. And lots of COWS!... 
We live in a large "Hotel" that looks like a really big house. We had Thanksgiving dinner at this conveniently large table for 3 teams! (20 people)
Say Cheese!
Aweosme Thanksgiving dinner, prepared by some amazing team and sqaud members! THANKS!
We wake up every morning at 8 to dig trenches and/or move dirt for new homes to be built inside the neighborhood. It's funner than it sounds!
The neighborhood and organization is called Caminul Felix. It's a bunch of nice houses and each home is a family who raises orphans. The orphans come into these homes (max is 15-20) and they belong as a child to a mother and father with plenty of brothers and sisters! They go to school, college and work just as any other child who is born into a healthy family. These kids are so beautiful and blessed.
We went to one of the homes called "Celebration House" and met the kids, mother and grandmother. Being so at ease around elderly women, I immediately hug the sweet grandmother right when I see her. I sit down beside her and friendly put my arm around her. There is something about grandmothers that is so comforting!
The kids are hilarious. The first one we notice when we walk in is a 16 year old girl named Dora "the explorer" (as she called herself). After she insisted we sing her name (like we were the choir and she was the director) she eagerly showed us the home as well as introduced us to her brothers and sisters.
The youngest is Hannah. At 2 years old, she shyly runs away when I try to come near to her. She scurries into a room, and shuts the door. I knock on the door but there was no answer. One minute later, I hear her open the door again. Hannah comes out with pink fingernail polish in her hand and hands it to me. She's so cute!
We can't wait to visit their family again, maybe play "Phase 10", or paint fingernails, or just talk. It's so amazing how God can orchestrate something so wonderful for orphans to have not only a home, but a family. So technically they are not orphans at all. I Love Camilnul Felix!
But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who long for your saving help always say, "The LORD is great!" Psalm 40:16
| |
|
Posted in Romania by Amanda Nallie on 11/20/2011
Little Big things I've learned So far on The World Race...
WORDS- What I say matters. Whether it is to build someone up or tell them they are awesome, I can speak life into a person! I can change a girl's view about herself when I tell her she is beautiful even if her face is covered with scars. Just the same, I can care for a child's heart by telling him or her that they are loved by our Father in Heaven when they may not have a father. I can speak life and love. Calling someone into greatness can be that one thing that steers them towards hope.
LOVE- I never knew what love meant. I mean, sure. I love my mom and dad and my family.... But what does that mean? All the verses in the Bible about "love one another deeply..." "Love your neighbor as yourself" I wasn't sure how and I surely didn't trust them enough to pour myself out onto them. I didn't give them the benefit of the doubt that they wouldn't take me and spit me out like a cold fire.
TRUST- There are 2 objects of trust in this action verb:
- Is to trust God.
- Is to trust others and what they say is true.
Not sure why, but I used to think people lied to me. How could I accuse someone of lying? Because it wasn't about what they said.... It was about me not believing what they said.
Have you ever thought these thoughts?
Person: "You are beautiful"
Me: "They are just saying that"
Person: "We love you"
Me: "They don't mean that"
Or,
Person: "We want to help you"
Me: "They don't really..."
I have a conscious decision everyday to believe others say when they tell me the truth. And I am!
WORTH- This is something I'm still trying to grasp. My [amazing] squad leader Billy Swan came to visit our teams. We had a good one-on-one discussion over lunch one day and he asked me some thought-provoking questions.
Billy: "Let me ask you a question... Do you think you are worth it?"
Worth what? I thought.
I said the first thing that came to my mind.
"No..."
Billy looked at me for a long time nodding his head slowly.
Then I began to feel the pain, and tears began to well up inside of me.
(It's one thing to know something and to never say it. It's different when you say it out loud.)
After a while Billy told me:
"I think you are".
I recognized this as one of those moments when I have the choice:
whether to believe it or not.
"Thanks Billy" I said...
I'm slowly beginning to realize that too...I am worth it.
To my outstanding initial Squad Leaders:
None of this could have been possible without you continually and constantly lifting me up and seeing greatness in me and our team even from the very beginning. You continued to press into me and still tell us the truth. Thank You and much Honor to what you have sacrificed for W squad. Our lives are changed because of you!
Billy: I can't explain how our friendship grew tremendously within a few weeks but I'm so glad it did...Thank you for your belief in me. I'm going to miss you.
Katie: You have such a sweet heart and love for everyone you meet. You have helped me grow so much. Thank you for being there!
Cristie: You are an amazing friend. You speak life into me, you believe and fight for me... I appreciate you. Thank you for pouring out your heart onto our squad and our team. You don't know how much you have done for us!
It's hard to say goodbye, and I'm going to miss you a ton. Thank you for everything.
I love you guys!
Thank you everyone for your amazing support and prayer for me. They are working. If you feel lead... I still need about $4,500 by January 1st to continue on to South Africa. God is doing amazing things in me and through me and I don't want to go home! Please email me if you want to help me.
 (My team and I Watching Shooting Stars in Romania in about 30 degree night weather)
| |
|
Posted in Albania by Amanda Nallie on 11/5/2011
Welp.
I've wasted enough time not writing blogs so I'm going to start right now!
As you know, we got new teams (if you have been following my blogs)
Cherished Flame is 6 other amazing girls who love the Lord and want nothing more than to show His love to the world and everyone in it.
So this month...
Let me start off by saying our time here hasn't all been sunshine and roses (although I really wish I could say that... on the other hand, this is much more interesting)
And I think it's safe to say that this month has been a time of testing, trials, and lessons learned.
It all started when we put on a play... yes a play!!! (It was so wonderful and pretty much my life's dream)
BUT, if you have NEVER seen the "Everything" skit, You. Must. See. It. Now...
YouTube: Everything Skit (it will be worth your time)
In the play as you can see... we have the good side (Jesus) and the bad side (Satan). That is where things began to get strange.
It's just a play, what harm can come from a play? Well apparently a lot when the person playing the devil puts her heart and soul (not literally) into the character to give a better performance.
She started feeling down, a little depressed and just plain weird!
Not only did she feel down, but we all started feeling it as well...
Was it something in the air? In Vlora, Albania? Is it Satan trying to bring us down?
It was hard because we were all feeling in different ways (the devil is good at hitting us at our weakest points)
Some of us were having nightmares, others were feeling depressed, others physically tired...
It (whatever it was) was hitting me hard... I was feeling it emotionally, in my head, consumed by desperation, fear and depression, oppression- wanting to quit, give up, get out, hide, and run away...
the only problem was, I didn't have anywhere to go.
Pop Question: Where do you go when all there is, is a brick wall in front of you?
................................................................................................
Give up?
DON'T!
...................................................................................................
Let me help you... You can either:
a) Go back the other way... (not a bad answer)
or
b). Fall to your knees
I suppose I did both.
First I fell to my knees. "God, where are you??"
No answer.
"You said those who call to you will answer and not drive them away. But where ARE you?!"
I guess I could try going back the other way... and that way was towards my team.
"They won't listen to you"
"They won't understand"
"They don't care"
"They can't help you"
-Satan, the Father of lies (John 8:44).
"I won't go there. I can't!!"
My team was frustrated with me, and were expressing it to me:
"Amanda, we want to help you but you have to let us in"
"What's wrong? Tell us what you are feeling."
"Trust us."
So I hid. It's what I knew best! I turned my back on them and tried (hard) to do it alone.
and it wasn't working...
Finally, in all desperation and at the end of my rope, I heard my team leader like I had heard her for the first time (whether it was the 1st time or 100th time I do not know) I was tearing my team apart & people were angry with me.
(You know it's critical when you aren't only hurting yourself, but you are hurting an entire team) ...
So I uncertainly, quietly and calmly went to my team...
and they received me with open arms.
From that day forward I committed to my team and to myself that I wouldn't go back there. I wouldn't turn my back to others to do it on my own, and I wouldn't hide. I had a team that loved me.
Since then, God has been opening up my heart to others. I am now giving myself fully to relationships resulting in loving others deeply and from the heart, just as Christ did. And the love is growing!
"No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us" (1 John 4:12).
The oppression we had all been feeling has been lifted. People are sleeping all throughout the night. We are happy. And most importantly, there is unity in our team. And that, by the strong bond of loving one another.
| |
|
Posted in Albania by Amanda Nallie on 10/20/2011
RIGHT NOW
I'm sitting in an Albanian college dormitory with several other women students who speak in a language I do not know. Half of my team is in here too, either journaling or on the computer. It is getting close to bedtime and I am tired!
 The campus we are staying in.
THE MORNING AFTER
I am reading a book called "SOLD". It has taken me 3 months to find a book that actually keeps my attention! I am addicted...lol The 250 page yellow book is about a 13 year old girl from Nepal- sold by her family into the sex industry. Her story is breath-taking...
At 8am I walk to breakfast across the street order a boiled egg, a roll and jam. Church is at 9 and Maggie (a girl who lives in the dormitory) walks us there. We stay after church for a meeting with the director for Campus Crusades for Christ- Our ministry for this month! (Every month I am little hesitant wondering what our ministry & contacts will be like. Every month I am blown away at how God provides for us.)
Tomorrow we are selling magazines to the students here on campus; hopefully we can talk to them, make some friends, and share our testimonies. At night, we will play volleyball with some students and have some fun!
DAY 1
8am- We are picked up by one of the leaders for this Campus Crusade for Christ from a hotel we stayed in the night before because we couldn't find the campus!
NEW TEAMS
It happened!!
 Team Cherished Flame is made up of not just females, not just World Racers, and not even just Christian missionaries. Team Cherished Flame is made up of seven chosen and cherished daughters of the most High King, the Creator of the Universe. We are dearly loved, called beautiful, strong and victorious warriors. We are captivated by out Creator, and He has planted a flame in our hearts.
This is a flame of love and passion to see out Father's will be done and see kingdom here on earth. It is a flame to grow to better understand our Daddy's love, and to fall madly in love with Creator God, our Lover. This flame is to be cherished with the same care and passion with which the Lord cherishes us.
As we grow to know Him, each other, and the nations and we refuse to let Satan blow out this flame. Any attempt by Him to do so, will only provide the wind to fan out flame into a more passionate fire, as we want to shine the Light of the Lord to the Nations.
As Cherished daughter, beloved by our Maker, the Lord of Lords, we will bring this light to all that come in our path, and a cit on a hill cannot be hidden. All that this light touches will see what it means to be cherished by the Lord as we cherish them.
We will not be shaken. Our Flame will not be snuffed out. We will be victorious because we are loved. We are team Cherished Flame. -Written by Stephanie Bernotas
Here in Velara, Albania we live next to a beach. My vision last night was Jesus walking on a beach. It went something like this:
HERE
Spinning, laughing, dancing
Holding hands in the middle
Your gown is white; your spirit is shining
With the boy so small, so little
Where are we now?
We are walking on a beach of sand
The sun is slowly going down,
the little boy still holding your hand
The night is now bright
But the sun is no more
You both close your eyes
And fall asleep on the shore
You gently get up to leave
But do not make a sound
You walk out onto the water
Towards where the sun was going down
The poem just reminds me that Jesus is here even when we don't see Him.
Thank you everyone who are praying for me back home, they are working! God is so good! $4,500 left to go!
| |
|
Posted in Bolivia by Amanda Nallie on 9/30/2011
BOLIVIA-
The view is so beautiful and the people hold true to their traditions and culture. It's cool seeing their styles and how differently they live each day.
Little girl in a parade.
.jpg)
View from the bus! Gorgeous?
Our ministry here is simply caring for people. Half of our week is spent taking care of orphans at a boys' orphanage although there are a few girls. There ages rage from 0-6.
Little man Alejandro at the orphanage. - My heart pounds.
In the afternoon, a few of my teammates and I are painting children's' classrooms at the local school. I love it.
We also do "kid-washing" one day a week. The kids and their parents line up and the kids take a turn bathing in warm buckets of water, then getting their hair brushed out as well as getting their nails painted.
We live on the grounds of a hospital called Hospital of Hope. It's a private Christian organization who serves around the world. We are so blessed to have a nice place to stay.
I have received enough money to go on for 3 more months! The Lord is faithful.
| |
|
Posted in Peru by Amanda Nallie on 9/13/2011
We made it through month 2 in wonderful Pucallpa Peru. We met so many amazing people who I'm going to miss so much...
God has been teaching me some lessons for sure... Meeting up with my squad mates after a month apart (There are 58 of us) is pretty hard for me. It's scary to get personal with so many people and sometimes I shy away from most of them. It makes me frustrated because they are all really nice people and it's hard for me to open up about myself. Not quite sure why yet!
HOWEVER... I do have some really truly amazingly AWESOME teammates and they are such a great example of what love is. They are constantly telling me that no matter what I am going through"God is going to use this time to challenge me to grow and ultimately be a better witness for His abundant power and grace" and they are always willing to pray for me and they tell me they will be there for me whenever I need someone. I pray God gives them blessings beyond measure for what they have done for me!
I've also been feeling a little separate from the Holy Spirit lately... I don't know if I'm not spending enough time in the Word or not praying enough or if God has put up this wall on purpose. Whatever it is I hope it doesn't last too much longer. I want to know what God is doing... and I feel out of the loop right now! My Squad mate Ginny told me "Life is like a parade and we can only see the portion of the parade that is passing us by. But the birds of the air can see the whole huge parade, and it's far bigger than what we can see" So I guess that means we can only see what's happening right now in front of us, but God can see the whole big picture. Ginny also reminded me that "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6) .
I'm looking forward to our next month in Bolivia... We will be working alongside another team- Team Battlecry at "Hospital of Hope" It's a large children's hospital with different sections for different types of sicknesses. I can't wait to just love on these children and show them the love of God has for them. Can't wait to keep you all updated on what the Lord is doing. I will conuintue to praise him for all He is doing!
Thank you so much for your continued support prayerfully and financially. At the end of month 3 is a support deadline for me to stay on the Race...
If you feel lead to give click here
I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the LORD Most High. (Psalm 7:17).
| |
|
Posted in Peru by Amanda Nallie on 9/3/2011
Baptisms in Peru!!
Hola Everyone!! We are really enjoying our time here in Peru! The family we live with houses another their 18 years old nephew named Gustavo. We all rode about 30 minutes out of town to a BEAUTIFUL river. Gustavo and 7 others got baptized!
Some of the people's feet who were getting baptised!
Gustavo before
Gustavo after!
I felt like a proud parent watching! It was so precious...
There are so many kids wherever we go and I just can't help but take 20 photos of each one... Here is a little girl that stood in front of me at the baptisism. I love that hat!
This little boy, Luis, loves smiling for pictures!
Evangelization
Every afternoon at about 4:00pm, my team and about 6 people from the church walk to the "plaza" to share the gospel with others... I felt a little weird a few times because 1) the lady who I was with was doing most of the talking and I wasn't saying anything... and 2) it's hard to understand exactly what they are talking about!
However, after about 1 hour... we approach a single old man sitting on the park bench. Rosa quietly sits next to him. He struggles, but manages to turn his whole body toward her, facing her so he can hear. They talk for a while... finally, she leads a prayer of salvation. When we are finished, we stand up and begin to say goodbye. But before we walk away, I tell myself "I want to pray for healing over this man." I ask him if he has problems with his neck. He says yes, rubs on it and proceeds to explain to us his pain...
Rosa asks him if we could pray for him. He agrees. We gather around him and I place my hand on the back of his neck, where I figure he is having pain. I begin to pray earnestly for God to heal his body and then I thank Him that He gives His people the ability to do miracles in Jesus' name. By the end of the prayer my eyes are full of tears. I had really felt the power of God move through this man and I realized God was going to heal him if I only believed.
I continue praying hard for him as we walk away, "Nothing can thwart the plans of God" I pray. We begin talking with another gentleman, and I glance over to see how the man is doing. I see him moving his head side to side, back and forth... moving all around and stretching his back and arms! Oh how I pray healing over his entire body!!
This is our "mom" and "Pop" in Pulcallpa (Our family we are living with)
And this is their 13 year-old daughter Emily! Precious!
"In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt 5:16).
| |
|
Next 10 Articles >>
|
|
|
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
