Posted in General Posts by Sarah Schrack on 7/27/2010
Ok. So it's month 7. We're all a little tired. We're all missing home. And I am no exception. I want Zaxby's and Wawa hoagies, not rice and beans. I want my cute sundresses, not one of my well worn 4 outifts. I want my hair to be in its ringlets, not frizzy, crunchy and under a bandana. I want real coffee, not instant, and showers that don't come out of buckets. I want silence!
That's where I'm at. Enter Tanzania Safari Awesomeness.
We got quite a deal for a one day safari because we booked with family friends of the owner of the place. That, along with some birthday money (thanks Dad and Lizzy!) allowed me to join along on this crazy adventure. We still weren't really sure what we were in for, though, until we arrived at our lodge.
It. Was. Unbelievable.
First of all the food. Watermelon, cinnamonon buns, french press, quiche, broccolli! Broccolli! I haven't seen that in months! Our dinner was served in a dried up riverbed with candlelights and peach cobbler for dessert! We ate with a church group from Minnesota so there was no language barrier.
Then there was the room. Caley and I got to stay in the honeymoon suite because it was the only available room. Gorgeous. Hammock and couches, which ps apparently no one else in the world uses couches except Westerners. A real toilet, not a squatty potty and a hot shower completed the unrealness of the place. I almost cried when I saw the shower. Plus, I used two fluffy white towels!!! Two!
Before dinner, we went on the actual safari. We ended up going on 2 safaris, one when we first arrived and another early the next morning before sunrise. Tons of beautiful giraffes, zebras and antelopes. We saw warthogs, jackals and yes, lions. Lots of lions! Even adorable cubs! It was incredible, as we sat on a rock drinking our afternoon tea and watching the sunset. Unreal.
My favorite part of the excursion was the next morning, though. The night before a worker at the place had asked me what time I wanted to be woken up. My initial reaction was "Sir, I'm an adult. I can wake myself up, thank you." Or so I told him until I realized that they woke you up with a cup of coffee. Immediately, I changed my tune. At 5:20 am, I woke up and was handed a delicious cup of coffee made exactly the way I like. I sat on our little couch under the stars and just sang worship songs and reveled in the silence. Silence. The Race is never silent, but that morning was gloriously quiet.
When we left, I could truthfully say it was the most luxorious 24 hours of my entire life, not just the past 7 months. But it was exactly what I needed. I feel rejuvenated and excited and ready for the next 4 months! Here we come Uganda!
Posted in General Posts by Sarah Schrack on 7/14/2010
"Sacrifice and offerings You did not desire, but my ears You have pierced, burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not require. Then I said, 'Here I am, I have come- it is written about me in the scroll. I desire to do Your will, O my God; Your law is written on my heart.'" - Psalm 40:6-8
In Old Testament times, a sin offering was an offering for someone who unintentionally sinned. A burnt offering was a sacrifice that expressed devotion and complete surrender. Pretty good stuff. And yet...God doesn't want those. He wants us to desire to do His will. He wants our obedience.
Dang. That's tough for me. It's so much easier for me to say, "Yeah but God, look at what I'm willing to give up for You. Look at what I'm putting You before!" And that's characterized a lot of my relationship with Christ and a lot of my time this year on the Race. The past week or so God's been doing a major turnaround inside of me, showing me that obedience is always better than sacrifice. In fact, He woke me up and wouldn't let me go back to sleep at 2 am last week. Why did He wake me up? Just to tell me He wanted all of me. Well, huh...thanks?
It seems obvious too. Like of course God wants all of me. When I gave my life to Christ, I told Him He could have it all. But now, He's like 'no seriously, Sarah. I want all of you.' Eek! That means all of me, like ALL. That means my dignity, my future, my dreams, my personality. That means things in my life I don't even know about yet. So surrendering wasn't exactly a priority for me, to say the least.
Until I was stuck in the bed of a truck driving through Tanzania bush country. There I was, squashed in with 5 other people that 8 months ago I didn't know but have somehow become my family, hanging on for dear life as we traverse the potholes and dust clouds, as we go to visit village churches and tribes that have been waiting to see white people for over 10 hours. As we drove the final 3 hours home in the nippy cold, snuggled together for warmth, I finally got it. We each were worshipping the Lord, some with iPods in, some just sitting and reveling in His awesomeness. There were more stars than I've ever seen in my entire life above- more than I thought there could be or there even should be. They looked almost fake, like I could grab hold of them and stick some in my pocket.
And there it was. The God that created all that couldn't be bad, couldn't want bad for me. So I surrendered. I gave in. And the crazy part was that there was joy in that! I don't know what that looks like. I still don't know what God has planned for me post-Race, but I'm not afraid to seek Him in it anymore. Because whether that means I'm moving to Sudan to be a revolutionary or if that means I'm a wife and mom in rural SC all the rest of my days, I'm ok with it. Because it's God's plan for me. It's God's best for me.
Posted in General Posts by Sarah Schrack on 7/13/2010
If you knew Caley Sue- then you'd know why I'd feel blue without Caley- my Caley Sue.
It's about that point in the Race when financial deadlines start fast approaching. People start getting tired of talking about support raising and are running out of ideas on how to go about getting that last 3,000. Phrases like "Trust the Lord" and "If it's His will, it's His bill" start getting passed around more frequently. My finances aren't stellar, but I'm not in jeopardy of going home. Thank you for your continued prayers and financial support, though!
My teammate Caley, however, is having a little bit more difficulty in raising that last bit. Although she's only been on my team 2 months, she has shown herself to be an incredible and indispensable part of our team, our squad, and my life.
On my team, she's known as the Kid Person. She has this supernatural ability to find and befriend the kids in an area no matter where we are. I don't know how many times I've thought "where the heck is Caley?" only to find her holding a baby on her hip and talking to another kid beside her. She also has an incredible knack to befriend the Mama of every church we go to. Her dinners are always eaten sitting next to our pastor of the month's wife.
Caley is also our practical and logical team member. This is an incredibly important asset as their leader (me) is not so logical/practical inclined. She definitely keeps me grounded and realistic when sometimes I don't want to be.
My last, but most definitey not least, reason for wanting her around is that Caley is my friend. And I don't want my friend to go home. Duh. So I'm asking for some of you reading this to consider sending a few bucks her way. She's been an awesome part of this Race and done some incredible things for the Lord. But hey, don't take my word for it. Check out her blog here.
Love you all. I'm missing home and all of you this month something fierce...
Posted in General Posts by Sarah Schrack on 7/7/2010
The past month I have many experiences with African buses. A 7 hour ride from Kitale to Nairobi, Kenya. An 18 hour ride from Nairobi to Dar es Salam in Tanzania (which ps was supposed to be 10) and then another 8 hours on the way to Iringa. I think I can officially count myself an expert in the cramped, loud, smelly glory that is an African Bus Ride. So here it is. My top 5 lessons learned.
1. If the bus driver says he's going to leave in 20 minutes, be there in 20 minutes. African time is a funny thing. Usually, when given a time by an African, you can estimate he or she really means at least 30 minutes after. This is not the case with a bus. True, sometimes it won't leave on time, but sometimes it will. It's best not to chance it, as I witnessed one mzungu racing after the bus.
2. When the bus stops, go pee. You never know when the next time will be so go. I have heard more than one story from fellow Racers of having to pee in soda bottles and Pringle cans. This may mean you have to pee behind a bush on the side of the road in Tanzania. Do it.
3. Look out the window. This is Africa. It is beautiful. So go ahead and look before you doze off. I've seen a herd of zebras, 2 herds of camels, 2 groups of giraffes and several elephants, all just chillaxing on the side of the road.
4. Have something to cover your face with. Here's the thing about African roads...they aren't really roads so much as dirt with holes every few feet. This makes for dusty traveling. So have some kind of bandana or shirt you don't mind getting dirty to cover your nose and/or mouth and/or eyes and/or entire face with.
5. Buy groceries and snacks the day before. Sometimes you will stop at a legit eating establishment. Sometimes you won't. Sometimes you will but you'll only have 5 minutes. Regardless, it's easiest to just buy something you know you'll enjoy before you actually get on the bus. Otherwise, it will be peanuts and cookies for 12 hours. This will also give you more time to go pee (see lesson #2).
Posted in General Posts by Sarah Schrack on 6/15/2010
This week officially marked the Race's halfway mark. Crazy, I know! So here's a brief look back on what God has taught me thus far...
New Zealand- My biggest lesson was that as badly as I want people to know Christ, God wants them even more. My heart broke for one of our YMCA friends, but that's when God reminded me of something. I'd only knowN this guy for a month; God had known him for eternity. God loved him so much more than I did. And that's true for everyone in my life.
Australia- What didn't I learn in Australia! I heard God clearer than I ever have before. I grew in my boldness and for the first time sensed the urgency caused by Christ's second coming and the need for evangelism. God used this time to redeem past relationships that were not of Him, as I was truly broken over past sin. Christ refreshed me in Australia and reminded me that I am clean and I am His princess! New gifts also came that month, as I started receiving dreams from God, riddled with words for myself and others. At first, this was a little overwhelming but I soon embraced it and now I even miss my God dreams if I go a few days without one!
Philippines- The gift of discernment grew in me this month. I could sense the feelings and spiritual atmosphere around me, which totally scared me. I could feel the fear in the air and it took me all month to get a grasp on what that meant and how to deal. My dreams continued, and unfortunately, that meant some nightmares too. It seems that the more I opened myself up to the spiritual stuff in my sleep the more I got attacked in my sleep too. This is also the month that God began breaking my heart for my teammates and squadmates.
Malaysia- Oh Malaysia! My team was changed, and I had to give back my initial teammates to Christ, as He reminded me they were never really mine to begin with. God showed me to only depend on Him through that experience, and to worship Him regardless of how I was feeling. Because no matter what He is God. I got over my fear of listening to Him, which had started the previous months when He was speaking things I did not want to hear.
Thailand- I learned what God asks of women, as He prepared my heart and mind to lead a new team. All about how women are life givers and the strength that comes from that beauty (ps future blog coming). I became more confident and believing in my wisdom and that God gave me that gift. I learned how to deal with my sleeping attacks, telling the enemy that he was pretty stupid because God is inside of me so every time he attacks me, causing me to pray, the Holy Spirit inside me just gets stronger.
Kenya- Who knows? It's been an adventure thus far. Already, God is continuing some of the lessons of what love really looks like and breaking down my pride bit by bit. Just in these past few weeks, as we've gone door to door and hut to hut, He's reminded me how much I really do love evangelism. And every time, I enter a house, He gives me a word or comment or a prayer to pray for them, reminding me that I do hear Him so to lean in and listen.
These are just a few of the many many many many lessons God has taught me on this trip! It's exciting to see how quickly He moves when we let him. We have just over 5 months to go, and I'm super excited to see everything else Christ has in store for me and my team. You can help me on this crazy journey by choosing to click on the Support Me tab on the lefthand side of the screen. I am about 1400 away from my total goal! Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who has partnered with me! I LOVE YOU!!!
Here we come Tanzania, Uganda and Eastern Europe! Whoo whoo!!!!
Posted in General Posts by Sarah Schrack on 6/2/2010
"And so we came to Rome." -Acts 28:14b
To me, that short verse is the culmination and the whole point of the Book of Acts. Paul has just spent roughly the last 15 chapters having everything in his life go wrong. He starts off his Christian walk with a bang, when Christ appears and causes Paul to go blind. His luck doesn't really pick up, as he almost gets stoned shortly after in Chapter 14. (The crazy thing is once Paul gets stoned, he gets up and goes back into the city where he was just stoned! WHAT!?!)
He goes on to disagree with his best friend, Barnabas, and then winds up in prison several times. His life pretty much sucks the big one. But he keeps going. Why? Because God told him he was going to Rome. God promises him Rome.
In Chapter 27, Paul finally sets sail for this elusive city. As a reader, you get excited for him, thinking, "It's about time!" But then things get really crazy. He sails through a storm, his ship sinks, he gets bitten by a poisonous snake, and gets accused of being a murderer. But after 3 months, he gets on another ship headed for his promised land.
And so he came to Rome.
A year ago, God promised me I would go to Africa. I didn't know why or where or when; I just knew He had promised. I thought this meant I should move there as soon as possible, so I tried many many different organizations and programs where I would live and work in the Dark Continent. But none of them panned out; everything kept falling through at the last possible moment, often in weird ways. By late September, I was at the end of my rope. I was frustrated and was ultimately like, "Fine, God. Whatever. You told me I was going to Africa. Fine. I'll go however You want me to go, but I'm over trying. It's Your responsibility to get me there." I'm sure God smiled at me in this moment when I finally surrendered to His plans for me.
Almost 8 months later, I touched down in Nairobi, Kenya. I can't even begin to explain to you what I felt. By the time I had physically walked outside the airport, I had already wept, sung, danced, hyperventilated, and thought I was going to vomit. No lie.
So clearly, I'm excited to see what God has in store for me here. Even more so because this month I was called to step up as a new Team Leader. Now, I don't know what God will actually do here. Maybe nothing. Maybe He brought me here just to show me that He is oh-so-faithful. Or to remind me that all things really are possible through Him. I don't know. I just know that God fulfilled His promise to me. I just know that God is incredible. I just know that I love Him even more for giving me this gift.
Posted in General Posts by Sarah Schrack on 5/22/2010
For the past 24 hours, I've been in Pattaya, Thailand. Pattaya is a beach town known for its sextourism industry. It's a city where people from all over the world come to have sex. That's it. Sex of all kinds, including sex with children. Obviously, being there was incredibly difficult.
It was difficult to know that some women were outright slaves, taken from their homes. It was difficult to speak to women who clearly didn't want to be prostitutes but felt it was their best financial option. It was difficult to see a man with a wedding band on playing footsies with a woman who was clearly not his wife. It was difficult to see men prancing around looking more feminine than me. It was difficult to see young children carried away for God only knows what. And it was difficult to see Americans and Australians and Brits and Thai alike buy human beings with numbers pinned on them, like cattle.
No. I'm sorry. Difficult doesn't explain it. I don't think there is a word in the English language that describes how hard any of that was to witness.
But I was prepared to see all that. As gross as that sounds, we had been forewarned that all that was the norm. What really got to me, what really broke my heart was what I hadn't prepared for.
Yes, there are men who come to Pattaya and pay to have sex with a woman (or a lady boy) for an evening. But there are also many others that buy a woman for the month. These "couples" (I use that term loosely) spend all their nights and all their days together. I saw them siteseeing together, riding motorcycles together, and sitting in awkward silence at restaurants together.
While in line at the grocery store, I was standing behind one such couple. They were clearly getting ready for a BBQ. They'd bought the meat, the citranela candles, the solo cups and the BBQ sauce. The couple behind me in line was an old man with a much younger Thai woman. They were buying ping pong paddles and badminton birdies and racquets. That's when it hit me...these men just want someone to love and care for them. Many of them are not looking for a prostitute; they're looking for a companion. The more I saw, the more it became clearer, and the sadder I got for them. They just want a woman to laugh at their jokes, to hold their hands, to kiss on the forehead, to play badminton with!
And then I started getting angry at the girls. I know, I know, that sounds ridiculous and is certainly not politically correct. Plus, the girls are the victims, right? Absolutely, but they're not the only ones God cries out for, and they weren't the only ones I was crying for. I am NOT saying that these women are to blame, please don't read that. It is entirely true that if all these men went away, the industry would die and there would be no financial reasoning for this occupation. I AM saying that Thai culture, and the global 21st century in general, is causing generations of women to turn their backs on everything God has called us as women to be. So many women don't know Who loves them, and they, therefore, can't show anyone real love.
Going back to Eve, woman was created to showcase God's beauty. But beauty isn't just a physical thing; a major part of that is showing just how loving and relational God was and is. With this in mind, one of our primary jobs is to protect relationships and give life in all forms. That means encouraging, nurturing, and truly seeing a person through God's eyes. That means inviting people into relationships modeled off of God the Trinity.
Now Eve gets a bad rep, but her initial role is so imperative to explaining who God is and who God wants women to be.
So my question is where are all the Eves??? Thailand is desperate for her. We need Eves to stand up and say no, 'I am special.' We need Eves to demand real men to stop being so passive. We need Eves to illustrate that beauty is first and foremost internal.
This is a nation that is oversexed to the point of no return. A nation where I walked down the street and saw a grown man pull a little boy's pants down just to laugh at him. There is no sexual innocence in this country. Young girls are taught by their mothers and in school to marry a foreigner. Prostitutes are placed on a pedastal because they have all the money. And the nation is sinking as a result. The men that come here, desperate for love, are sinking as a result.
As I saw all these hundreds upon hundreds of men, I couldn't help but cry. They looked like my dad and my stepdad and my cousins and my uncles and my 3rd grade teacher. They weren't my loved ones, but they were someone's dad, and someone's stepdad and someone's cousin, and uncle and possibly someone's 3rd grade teacher. It's appalling that places like this exist, but what's even more appalling is that our world has allowed this desperation for love to occur. Because that desperation is everywhere, not just Pattaya, Thailand. But love was never intended to be difficult to find...if you know where to look.
I'll give you a hint...it's not in line at a Pattaya grocery store.
Posted in General Posts by Sarah Schrack on 5/21/2010
Here we are almost halfway done our epic adventure! Sadly, one of my sisters, Susie Virzi, is at risk of being sent home for financial reasons. By June 1, she needs to raise over $4000, BUT we serve a God of the impossible!!! He can do it, but He wants you to help his daughter!
Susie Q, as I affectionately call her, is one of the biggest role models for me on this trip. She has been faithfully following our Savior for over 20 years. As a newer Christian, I am learning so much from her. Her wisdom is imperative to my journey (so yeah, I am being a little selfish when I ask you to help her out). She is one of those rare people who you can be completely silly with, having spontaneous dance parties and taking goofy photos, but the next minute having some serious prayer intercession with.
Here's just a few more reasons why we love and need her...
Posted in General Posts by Sarah Schrack on 5/14/2010
This month we are in an itty bitty village in middle of nowhere central Thailand. It honestly hasn't been as hard as I would've expected, but we have had to get creative in coming up with ways to entertain ourselves...
1. Build a wall. What's 11 able-bodied young women to do? Manual labor of course! This month we are building a cement wall around the YWAM Chaiyaphun. I was kicked off the masonry job, but I am quite a good mixer.
2. Play hand games with the local kids. They're following you around anyway, why not have some fun? This is also a perfect opportunity to help them practice the English you taught them earlier in the day at English Camp! (How arrree yo-uu? I am....goo-ood.) They usually don't remember much, but they do remember how to high five and pound it (which is clearly the most important skill).
3. Talk to the locals. As I walk along, someone will inevitably come try to speak to me. The thing is they don't seem to realize that I don't speak Thai. As much as I try to tell that to them, they just keep going. I love it.
4. Try to be clean. Yeah....you try that.
5. Talk to Pa. Pa is the father of our contact, Ram. Well into his 60's, he is still extremely active and can often be seen climbing onto the roof and using his machete. You might not understand him at all but he will certainly make you laugh.
6. Buy a bubble tea or a popscicle. In the afternoon, I often go for a walk around the tiny village. Inevitably I get too hot and am forced to buy something cool. Cantelope bubble tea has become my favorite, but durian popscicles are growing on me. Be careful, though. Depending on the time you go for a walk, the shopkeepers may very well be asleep on the shop's floor!
7. Drive two hours in the back of a truck for a/c and Starbucks. Bonus: wi-fi! Oooooh, fancy.
8. Bananagrams. Best game ever. 'Nuff said.
9. Go to the Big C. The Big C is basically a Thai Walmart. But it's truly an event for us all to pile into the truck and get to go.
10. Get to know your sisters real well. This month our all girls team is joined by 4 women from Team Se7en. Having so much estrogen around is both a challenge and a blessing. We've had a fight or two, but I am learning a ton about women and who we are in God's eyes.
