Posted in Thailand by Melanie Wilkerson on 1/13/2012
Here is a little insight into the CRAZY life of a World Racer. This is the travel itinerary of B Squad from January 4th
until January 7th, traveling from Nicaragua to Thailand.
Wednesday January 4
3:30 am
Wake up at the beach in Nicaragua, pack up tent and backpack, prepare for departure from the island.
4:45 am
Leave the island in Nicaragua.
note: in order to leave the island the entire squad, all 50ish of us, had to load our backpacks onto a horse and buggy, walk half a mile to the boat, load bags from horse buggy to boat, get on the very small boat to cross the water, get off the boat, unload the backpacks from the boat. This had to be done a few times in order to get the entire squad off the island.
7:15 am
Load the (school) bus to Managua.
10:00 am
Arrive at the airport in Managua.
1:30 pm
Board airplane to leave Managua at 2:00 pm.
3:45 pm
Get off the plane, still in Managua, and wait until broken pipe on plane is fixed.
5:00 pm
Get back on the plane.
5:30 pm
Lift off from Nicaragua! Finally headed to Atlanta.
10:30 pm
Arrive in Atlanta. Hola United States! Slight time change, we move an hour forward, therefore it is actually 11:30 pm.
Thursday January 5
12:30 am
Arrive safely at the hotel, eat chick-fil-a, open Christmas presents from family, repack backpack. (no sleeping included.)
note: an AMAZING person donated money so we were able to have hotel rooms and chick-fil-a for this night, I would just like to re-say this person is AMAZING and I pray the Lord blesses them as much as they have blessed B Squad.
4:00 am
Leave hotel and head to the airport.
7:00 am
Board flight for Los Angeles.
7:30 am
Leave Atlanta and head for Los Angeles.
12:00 pm
Arrive at LAX, where it is actually only 9:00 am.
12 hour layover.
10:20 pm
Board plane to South Korea.
10:45 pm
Goodbye America!
And here is where things get tricky...
Friday January 6
1:00 pm
(California time) We arrive in South Korea, only to find out we have time traveled to the future and it is actually January 7th at 4:00 am.
Saturday January 7
4:00 am
Arrive in South Korea, reschedule our brains for the time change. Prepare for the third, yes THIRD 12 hour layover.
4:55 pm
Board our last plane to Thailand. Woohoo!
10:00 pm
Get off the plane in Thailand, only slightly exhausted. (There was, I think, a 2 hour time change somewhere between South Korea and Thailand.)
11:30 pm
Arrive at the YWAM headquarters.
11:31 pm
Thank the Lord for bringing us safely through 4 flights, 3 layovers, and a whole bunch of sleepless nights.
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Posted in Thailand by Melanie Wilkerson on 1/8/2012
It is a new year, we have new leadership, we are on a new continent, and now we also have new teams. Let me start by saying that I am so excited about this new team and this new chapter of the race. It is going to be so good and God's hand is totally in all of this. I was put on an all girls team and at first this made me a little nervous because I put a lot of trust in the men on my team and physically feel safer when they are around. Also, who is supposed to carry my big pack for me now? I spent some time in prayer and just asked for a glimpse of God's vision for our team and for peace and comfort to fill my heart.
Our team name is Talitha Koum which means "Little girl, arise!"
In Mark 5:35-43, Jesus wakes a little girl from the dead by saying, "Talitha koum!" Instantly the little girl rose and started walking. We picked this to be our name because as a group of women, now unable to rely on the men, it is time for us to rise up and be the women that God has created us to be.
Without Further Ado, meet team Talitha Koum:
Kenra is our fearless leader who I love dearly. She is from Arizona and is one of the girls who I drove across the country with this last summer. Her walk with God and her faith and strength is so encouraging. She has a servant's heart and is such a blessing to me. I am so excited to be under her leadership and trust that she seeks God in each decision that needs to be made.
Caitlyn is from North Carolina and is very southern. She has an amazing sense of humor and keeps our team laughing throughout the day. She had warned us that she is not very adventurous but during our first outing in Thailand she tried some spicy and fishy Thai dish and then ate TWO grasshoppers. I'm going to love being on a team with this girl!
Erica is from South Carolina and is also very southern. She is super sweet and thoughtful and I love just sitting next to her and hearing her heart. Oh and she is incredible...She prepared and cooked Thanksgiving dinner for about 75 people and made it so special and personal for each and every person. She goes out of her waay to make sure everyone feels loved and cared for and I'm so thankful for her spirit and love for others.
Heather has taken on the responsibility of taking care of the finances for our team and does an amazing job. I know a ton of work and time goes into that every week. She grew up moving around a lot because her father is in the army and while I haven't yet heard her full testimony, the pieces that I've heard are so powerful and interesting. She is very down to earth and a huge encouragment to me to walk in my faith everyday.
Leanna is my souvenir from Team Freedom and the friendship that we have already built is now getting stronger and stronger everyday. We have had so many crazy adventures and experiences together in Central America and already in Thailand and I am so glad we get to remain on a team together. She has a radical faith in God that shines through everything she does and she has such a passion for life and for God's people and I can see that everyday in her.
I love you, Team Talitha Koum!!!
<3
M
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Posted in Nicaragua by Melanie Wilkerson on 12/31/2011
Well we just wrapped up our final month in Central America and are offically Asia bound! During this last month we were working with Vision Nicaragua and, well, I'm not really sure what they do exactly. I know they work with nearby villages such as Bethel and sponsor kids to attend the private Christian school there and they work on building relationships with people in those communities through soccor, church services, and by simply being present in the people's lives and neighborhoods. Here's what this looks like:
Our major job though was putting a roof on one house, and building another house from the ground up. We didn't completely finish but we worked hard and got a lot done. My average day consisted of mixing cement, retrieving water from the well, carrying bricks, sifting sand, and getting ridiculously dirty. Here are some pictures from the worksite:
 So we are now moving on to Thailand and have quite the travel schedule. We are camping on the beach for a few nights to have a mini debrief session with our whole squad, then we are flying from Nicaragua to Atlanta, Atlanta to LAX, LAX to South Korea, and then South Korea to Thailand. I will not be updating again until we are in Thailand and find some more internet and that could be anywhere from one week to one month so just remember that no news is good news. With that said, please pray for safe travels and for a smooth transition into a completely new and foreign culture. Happy New Year everyone!
<3 M
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Posted in Nicaragua by Melanie Wilkerson on 12/30/2011
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Posted in Nicaragua by Melanie Wilkerson on 12/24/2011
It's Christmas Eve in Nicaragua and its warm, buggy, and full of Jesus. Earlier this evening I was laying in a hammock underneath a palm tree looking up at the stars and trying to visualize what it would be like to be home right now. Maybe I would be on my way home from ZooLights or church and then would probably snuggle up on the couch with my family to watch The Christmas Story. But Christmas is about more than that. It's about being with people you love, and celebrating the birth of our Savior.
While I finished up a skype call a few minutes ago, I heard my teammates singing Silent Night and so much peace and comfort flooded my heart. How could I be sad that I'm not home? I get to see and experience Jesus in the most pure and real way. I don't have to talk about Him like He's not in the room. I get to look right at Him and sing right to Him.
Silent night, holy night!
All is calm, all is bright.
Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child.
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia,
Christ the Savior is born!
Christ the Savior is born.
Silent night, holy night!
Son of God love's pure light.
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth.
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
Merry Christmas everyone. I wish you all peace and miracles as we celebrate Jesus' birthday. Remember the reason for the season and make it your goal to make someone's day better than it otherwise would be. I love you all and from my team to you, HAPPY HOLIDAYS! :)
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Posted in Nicaragua by Melanie Wilkerson on 12/16/2011
Once upon a time, a group of World Racers were sitting down at the dinner table when their squad leader made an announcement.
"Girls, after dinner go find a stick," she said.
So after dinner the girls ran outside to find a stick of their very own. Except for Melanie because she forgot to find one and had to borrow someone elses. ^_^
Once everyone had gathered back together, Stacey (the squad leader) asked them to take a few moments and think of any soul-tie that they may still be holding on to. A soul-tie is any unhealthy connection or relationship that you have or have had with another person. Soul-ties had already been discussed while at Training Camp the summer before but Stacey felt that it needed to be brought up again. If they were not holding onto a soul-tie then they were to think of all the negative thoughts that they have each day about themselves. Then everyone wrote down on a piece of paper how they feel about that soul-tie or about those thoughts.
Individually the girls went off and sat by themselves to ask God whether they were ready to let these things go. When they felt ready to move on, they reassembled.
Then Stacey asked the girls to write on a second piece of paper what God says about them. That they are daughters of God. They are enough. They are beautiful. They are enough. They are whole. They are His. And on and on they went.
This is where the sticks come in. The first piece of paper, that was full of pain and lies, was stuck on the end of the sticks and lit on fire. Once the papers burned, all that was left was the truth that was written on that second piece of paper.
Finally, they ended the night worshipping and singing praises to their King.
Oh! And then Melanie said, "Please consider supporting me because the next deadline is in 2.5 weeks and I need help! Eeek!" So to support her please scroll up to the top of this page and under her picture, click "support me"
And they all lived happily ever after :)
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Posted in Nicaragua by Melanie Wilkerson on 12/16/2011
You know you're a World Racer in Central America when...
- It's perfectly normal for guys and girls to use the same bathroom
- Rice and beans are a part of everyday (often every meal as well)
- The horn is used every 8 seconds while driving
- Internet is so rare that you have to try really hard to remember how to use it
- You see people with guns and machetes everywhere you go
- Cold showers are perferred
- You have a small child sitting on your lap or holding your hand at all times
- Perfume is replaced by Febreeze and bugspray
- Your clean clothes do not smell good
- You can't go anywhere or do anything without having an adventure
- It's normal and acceptable to cram 20 people into a small vehicle
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Posted in Honduras by Melanie Wilkerson on 12/14/2011
Hey everyone! I am so sorry I disappeared off the grid last month (that's what going "ninja" means). I only had internet once! It was crazy but also so good. Without the distraction of the internet I was able to focus on God and really listen to what He had to say. It also provided the opportunity to dig deeper into relatonships with my teammates and squadmates. We played a lot of cards and Dutch Blitz, threw around a frisbee often, played soccor, and even made up some games such as "This is so much fun!" ...But I'm not going to explain this game because I already know that we need therapy.
Our Thanksgiving was amazing and way better than I ever expected it would be. Okay so picture this: There are about 75 people all sitting together enjoying this amazing meal. We had turned the lights off and all placed our headlamps in a line down the table and pretended to eat in candle light. We had chicken, potatoes, corn, cranberries, bread rolls, devilled eggs, stuffing, and MAC N' CHEESE! I almost cried when I saw I saw the mac n' cheese. It was a very happy moment for me. Oh yeah, and we had pumpkin pie and ice cream for dessert. Then we finished the evening strong by building a campfire and singing Christmas carols.
During our month in Honduras our squad was able to witness some insane things. At a nursing home a blind man was given his sight back, and a man who could barely walk was walking around holding his walker up in the air. That same day an old lady who had worn out the cartilage in her shoulders and knees and was in pain from her bones grinding together was healed from that pain and the cartilage actually grew back. Also, at a hospital, God took away cancer from an entire group of women. Oh and for another woman, God turned stomach cancer into a bacterial infection. Crazy. I believe that we are just getting started though and God has more crazy awesome things to show us this year.
We worked alongside a church this month and while it sometimes felt like we weren't doing enough or we weren't making a difference, we became part of that family. They included us in their daily lives and we were able to build strong relationships with Pastor Nicolas, his wife Sarah, daughter Angie, and a group of teens who spent a considerable amount of time at the church during the week. We taught english lessons and it surprised me how eager they were to learn. A few of them would show up with a notebook and take notes everyday. We also played soccor. I am not good at soccor and to be honest, it really freaks me out when inanimate objects fly at me. However I will admit that it turned out to be a good ministry tool and everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves.
One more ministry that we were apart of this month was called Don't Miss the Opportunity. The cool thing about this ministry was that it went on 24/7 right where we were living. Our host, Tony, and his wife, Nidia, take in street kids and allow them to live with them in their home. They give these kids hope and the chance at a better future. While there are 3 boys currently living at the property, there usually are a bunch of other kids running around as well. So this whole month we were able to love on the kids and pour life into them because for so long, lies have been told to them and about them. Our last night in Honduras our whole squad took a few hours and one child at a time we prayed for them, prophesied over them, and told them about the love God has for each of them.
Three things that Honduras has taught me:
1.) Be present. Don't worry about the future or about someone or something else that is not something you can control. Just don't miss the opportunity right here in front of you.
2.) My whole life I was shy. It's not that I didn't want to meet new people or make new friends but I would wait for them to pursue me. I would wait for them to start the conversation and to ask the questions. This month God has taught me how to seek others out. I am learning the urgency in pursuing the people around me because I don't want to miss the opportunity.
3.) The last thing that I learned is to listen for God's voice. I mean, I already knew that was important but I didn't always do it. I like to wait for Him to scream at me. I need to pursue Him!
See how they are all linked together? Funny how that works...
Okay and lastly, I am in kind of a crunch. I have 3 weeks to make my next deadline or I will be sent home. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated so far, but I have a ways to go to being fully funded. So with that being said I am in need of your prayers. If you find it in your hearts to help me then thank you! If all you can do is pray then thank you! Anything and every little bit does help and means so much to me! I have about $5,000 to go to be fully funded... So if you can, if you have 5 free minutes in the day, could you forwar this in an email to some people? Have it be a chain mail! You send it to 20 people, and they have to send it to 20 people and so on! Come on, it'll be fun! Former racers, if you can repost this in one of your blogs and send it to your supporters who supported you on your race!? Tweet it, post it in random columns or groups online. Talk to your friends, neighbors, co-workers, and family and tell them a little about me and what I'm doing and ask if they could donate. Word of mouth means everything! Could you talk to your church about maybe having a second offering one Sunday? That would be legit and could even fully fund me. Posting this blog on your Facebook news feed everyday till my deadline is reached would be incredibe! I know who you Facebook addicts are! Can you take 2 seconds a day and repost this for me? Guys, God is huge and so good and I know this is posible! Will you partner with me?
To donate please scroll up and under my picture click on "Support Me"
Gracias! (I am in Central America, ya know?) ^_^
I love you all and I will post in the next few days about our time so far in Nicaragua!
Peace, love, blessings
M
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Posted in Honduras by Melanie Wilkerson on 11/19/2011
Team Freedom is working this month in Los Pinos, Honduras. Los Pinos is a very poor and broken city. We are working with a local church, going door to door, teaching english classes, playing with the street kids, and organizing the church's sunday school for the kids.
This month our whole squad is living together in tents on the grounds of an old bar. This place used to be called "The Cotton Club" and it was notorious for it's darkness. It was the #1 bar and night club in Honduras for decades. Its awesome because now all of us crazy Jesus lovers get to bring light into this place.
The old bar
Our little community of tents
This is where we wash dishes, clothing, and often ourselves
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Posted in Guatemala by Melanie Wilkerson on 11/19/2011
While we are full time missionaries, we fully believe that it's okay to have fun and be a little crazy at times. During our month in Guatemala we got to witness healings, cast out demons, mend some broken hearts, and love on orphans BUT we also got to witness God in some incredible new ways and enjoy a few days off.
We went to the most beautiful lake I have ever seen
We hiked a volcano
Roasted marshmallows over the volcano
Went to a carnival and rode the craziest farris wheel. It easily went 5X faster than any farris wheel you'd find in the states.
Explored the cities of San Lucas, Antigua, and Pana
Splashed around in the Pacific Ocean
Rode on some boats
Had a ton of team time
Rode on the chicken bus over and over again
Stay tuned for Honduras :)
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