The World Race - Michael Sanders

Life in Ghana

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I sent this email to my prayer team, but thought I would post it here also. It describes a little about life here in Ghana.

Hello faithful prayer warriors!

I am at an internet cafe in Cape Coast, Africa! My time so far in Ghana has been very blessed. We are working with the same ministry I worked with last March, Campus Crusade for Christ. I am acting as the "point man" for both my team and team Newsong. It is challenging leading and making decisions for 14 people, but it is also a blessing to be in a leadership position. We are staying at the Great Commission Movement of Ghana's (Campus Crusade for Christ International) office headquarters. We buy food from the market and cook our own meals. We usually have toast, eggs, and pinaepple for breakfast, and chicken and avocado sandwiches for lunch. We have dinner at a restaraunt. The dinner options are usually chicken or fish with rice, or foo foo or bankou.

View from our house

We are ministering at the University of Cape Coast. UCC has an amazing campus, and the students are awesome! We go to campus and talk with students about their relationship with Christ. Most students are well-versed, but simply need some discipleship. The first few nights we attended a Crusade that took place. It was hosted by a unified committee of different ministries from all over southern Ghana. Prestigious choirs sang, and famous pastors preached. The worship was absolutely amazing! God moved in such powerful ways. The music was so awesome, and the pastors brought impactful messages. Some songs inspire large groups of students to go to the front and dance, and it was great to join them! We witnessed large numbers of Africans surrender their lives to Christ, commit themselves to missions, and become empowered by God. There is a movement to reclaim the campus, the nation, and the continent for Christ, and we experienced powerful prayer sessions for all these things.

Next month we have an ATL (Ask the Lord) month, where we pray as a team for where God is sending us. Today we prayed and God made it clear that we are to stay here in Ghana next month, working with the same ministry. I am very excited for this! We get to build stronger relationships, and really commit to this ministry for the next couple months. I love it here, and am blessed to stay here an extra month!

Prayer Requests:

Pray for strength, patience, discernment, and rest as I am now in a leadership position. Pray that I am able to delegate well, so that I do not burn out.

Please continue to partner with me in prayer for my financial situation. I am faithful that God will continue to provide everything I need.

Please pray for our ministry on campus. Pray that we are able to spark revival in students hearts, and help build a community of surrendered, delivered, and empowered Africans.

Please pray that I have time to journal and blog. It is very difficult to find time.

Thanks for your prayers!

Also, we are staying at our ministries house/office, and currently are using a mini fridge for all 14 of us. As you can imagine, since we are cooking often there, it is very difficult. They have a large fridge at the house, but it needs to be repaired. I would like to get the fridge fixed, to bless our teams these next couple months, and also bless our contacts for future use. Please pray to see if God would have you support this cause. I am not sure yet how much it will cost to get fixed, but I will get back to you.

Finally, please send your prayer requests. I would love to partner with you in prayer, and hear about how God is working in your life!

Nyame Nkyiraw! (God bless you!)

Support Melina!

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Check out this video and please pray about supporting Melina on her World Race! She still has about $6000 to raise and she would love your support. Thanks! Donate at www.melinaorengo.theworldrace.org.

Ps: Melina is amazing!

Accra to Cape Coast

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We arrived in Accra, the Capital city of Ghana a few days ago. We were greeted by a swarm of pastors and Christians at the airport. There were more people greeting us than there are on our squad! It was so amazing. Ghanaians are so welcoming and so joyful, it is very refreshing to be here!

Upon arriving at our hotel, I quickly made friends with two women, who I later found out would be cooking for us for the two days in Accra. As you can imagine, this definitely worked to my advantage. We had a couple days to rest, but I took the time to hang out with them in the kitchen, help out here and there, and especially help taste all the food. One of the women sang at church the night we were there, and I later found out here testimony, which is nothing short of amazing. I will have a blog coming soon.

We are now in Cape Coast, Ghana! It is so amazing to be back. I was here last March, almost to the day. Our contacts and ministry are amazing, I am truly blessed. Since they are my contacts, I am acting as the "point man" for both teams. It is definitely been a blessing to be in a leadership position. It has its challenges, but the rewards are greater.

More to come....

Vietnam

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The month in Vietnam was full of blessings. We experienced so much, all over the country. My team traveled to many different cities, sharing our testimonies and encouraging people everywhere we went. We had many opportunities to pray for healing, and also saw 6 people come to Christ - possibly more :) . We found ourselves traveling in some not so pleasant circumstances (8 hours in a 16-passenger van filled with 20+ people with our luggage on our laps, and a 24 hour ride on an overbooked train with hardwood bench seats), but on the other side of those rough travel experiences were amazing blessings. We were met by people who were anxious to serve God and also serve us. People who gave from nothing, and always put our needs before theirs. Throughout the month we heard and experienced stories, some shocking, all inspiring. Everywhere we went we were monitored by the government. Anywhere our "amigos" (ministry contacts) went they were monitored. We were even pulled over by the police driving back from a weekend of ministry, and our contact was questioned for half an hour as we sat praying in the van for her safe return. It was wild to think that one minute we could be driving with her, and the next possibly never see her again. The end result was our driver receiving a fine from the government officials. He had broken no laws, but that didn't matter, the police still fined him for driving us. It was interesting to openly evangelize in a country where evangelism is illegal. It is legal to be a Christian but illegal to evangelize. Still, the church of Vietnam is working around the government oppression. The gospel continues to move forward in the country, through the efforts of courageous men and women who care more about Christ then their own safety and comfort. People who say "Yes" to Jesus, even if it could mean losing their life. People who say "Yes" even when facing imprisonment. People who say, "Here I am, Lord, send me!", even if it means living a life under constant supervision.

I haven't been able to write about Vietnam until now, and so I am kind of spilling out random thoughts that have been bouncing around my mind.

travel days

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

World Race travel days can sometimes be... quite interesting :)

the promise land

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

During our debrief in Hua Hin, Thailand, before our month in Vietnam, our former Squad Leader Sean Smith proposed to us that we are "already in the promise land". As Christians, we are all in the promise land, we just don't always see it. Here are my thoughts from that day:

"What am I seeing?

If we are all in the promise land, why am I not seeing it? It's because I've built up walls around myself. On the walls are crooked mirrors that lie to me about who I am. There are paintings hung that flaunt past mistakes and sins. I have been camped out in the promise land, but unwilling to explore beyond the shack that I have built.

... I am tired of living in this place.

The whisper of the greatness all around me has now turned into a SHOUT. I refuse to ignore it any longer.

I pick up a sledge hammer, ready to demolish the walls surrounding me, but suddenly am halted by God. "Don't waste your time. Simply step outside, and start exploring."

I step outside and suddenly taste something in the air that I have not tasted for awhile...

freedom

love

hope

faith

The promise land has a great and never-ending abundance of these things and more. I am going to keep exploring."

Often times we get stuck. Through some sin in our life, we allow the enemy a foothold. Then the enemy lies to us, telling us we need to live in guilt and condemnation. We start to think that we have to fight to break down walls, and fight to get back to God. The truth is, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. The truth is, we don't need to fight to break free, for we are already free. We are children of God, and are welcome to meet with our Father anytime! We don't need to work our way back to God, we just need to humble ourselves before Him, and in faith, go to meet Him. When we take that step of faith, we find that Jesus has been there waiting for us the entire time, with open arms.

Since that time, I have been truly walking in the promise land. I have been drawing closer and closer to God, and have been experiencing love and faith and hope in new ways. This past month in Vietnam has been amazing. I am back to simply being me. I am back to thriving in ministry. And it is AWESOME!

I encourage you to examine the world you are living in. What are you seeing? Can you see the promise land, or is there something blinding you from it. Don't waste a moment fighting to break down walls. Getting back to God is simple. Confess your sins, and then thank Jesus for forgiveness. Now, step outside into the promise land and start exploring. God has the most amazing wonderful plan for you, and its time you start walking in it again.

Sharing His Plan (Video)

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Sooooooo this is like 5 months old now, but I stumbled across it today and realized I never posted it to my blog. Kelsi edited this video.

I filmed this amazing opening shot.... in case you were wondering.... who filmed such a wonderful shot..... now you know it was me.

(from Kelsi's blog)

One of the minis/tries we worked with this month was Sharing His Plan. They are a construction ministry that builds homes for people in Antigua and the surrounding areas. Here is a short video of our time with them.

Dabodia (video)

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Dabodia (Daily Cambodia)

Video edited by Kelsi Dawe

Enjoy!

Hey hey hey

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Hey everybody!

I am safely in V.ietnam! Last month I did not have access to internet, but it is looking like I will have internet this month! (although things can change in the blink of an eye on the world race ;) ). That being said, I hope to write more often, and also catch you up a bit. For the next month, I ask that you not leave any comments on my blog. If you would like to comment on a blog, or communicate with me, please send the following email to mikeyphresh19@gmail.com , and I will send an email back explaining more:

Hey Mike! I liked the blog. It is great to hear about your trip! I would love to know more. Sincerely, _________.

So again, if you would like to comment on my blog, or get in touch with me, email that message to me at mikeyphresh19@gmail.com .

Thanks!

love mike.

follow me as I follow Chr/ist

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

follow me as I follow Chr/ist ....

Last month we worked with a man who could say that without any hesitation. The thing is, he doesn't need to say it, because he lives it. Our con.tact in Cambodia was Yew-Ee(UE). UE simply walks with G/od (G), and as he walks people follow him, wanting to know more about the G he is walking with.

(one of the classes we taught at. this one was in the middle of a corn field! UE purchased the property, and built the class, and a space for kids to stay. Many kids have to travel many many many miles by bicycle to get to school, so this property provides kids the opportunity to stay overnight, and saves them the trouble of traveling many hours through dusty roads)

UE is 29 years old. He became a Chrstian about five years ago. A few years ago he moved back to his village to live with his parents. He talked to his family and shared about Jes/us, and they became Chrstians. Now he continues to mini/ster in his village. They built a chur/ch on their property, and also a few different classrooms to teach English. Kids from local villages can go and receive free English lessons. Through these English classes, UE and the other teachers are able to share with the kids about Jes/us. Outside the chur/ch there is also a badminton court, and other spaces that provide kids a safe place to have fun with friends. UE's mini/stry in the village is growing, and he also has vision beyond the village.

(UE with one of his students)

UE knows where chur/ches in Cambodia are, and where there are not any chur/ches. Cambodia is a small country, primarily bu/dhist. He envisions planting chur/ches where there are none, and building up the current chur/ches. He has students in another city that need a chur/ch. He has been pra/ying for two years about going out and starting a new chur/ch. As of yet he has not heard from G about whether to move forward, but more and more he is feeling like the time is now. We pra/yed for UE throughout our time in Cambodia, that G would give him clear direction on how and when to move forward. I believe UE has what it takes to go from place to place, planting chur/ches, raising up leaders, and moving on to the next chu/rch, to encourage and build. UE has a great love and passion for all of Cambodia. Everyday he pra/ys for his country, and pra/ys for his leaders. He wants to see the entire country come to know Jes/us.

(The classroom I taught in for the month!)

Please join me in pra/yer for UE and his mini/stry in Cambodia.

Pra/y that G would continue to strengthen and provide for his current mini/stry in the village.

" that G would speak clearly to UE on how and when to move forward.

" that as the gos/pel spreads through Cambodia, that more and more people would turn away from id/ol wor/ship.

" that UE continues to walk with G, and that people continue to follow him as he follows Chr/ist.

Thanks for joining me in pra/yer for this man and this mini/stry. Your pra/yers are powerful and effective!

love mike

____

remember, if you would like to comment on this blog, or email me, send the following email to mikeyphresh19@gmail.com

Hey Mike! I liked the blog. It is great to hear about your trip! I would love to know more. Sincerely, _________.

____

a history of suffering

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Going into last month, we were told that pretty much anyone over the age of 15 has lived through some terrible things. Early on, UE (our contact from Cambodia) talked with us a little bit about Cambodia's history. He talked about the killing fields and everything the prisoners went through. Later in the month, I talked with UE's father (through a translator). Here are my notes from that conversation:

Friday January 22nd, 2010

UE's father, Krong

has lived through three regimes, french colonization, Pol Pot, and Prime Minister Hun Sen (current).

He is maybe 55 years old, and when asked how many of those years have been lived in peace, he said, "maybe 10"

During Pol Pot people were forced to work very hard, and the government controlled how much food they would get (less than a handful of rice). They were often tortured, handcuffed behind the back and beaten, or killed. There was an abundance of food at this time, because Pol Pot was forcing people to work so hard, but they were not allowed to reap the harvest. People would sometimes sneak a potatoe or a chicken and eat it, but if they got caught they would be killed. The Khmer Rouge was hell bent on killing off all the intellectuals, and starting the country from scratch.

I asked him how his life has changed since knowing Chri/st. He said, "It's changed a lot. Before I was very mean. I had unfor/giveness in my heart. With Chri/st, I have for/giveness and I have for/given others. Now, if someone does something against me or something that bothers me, it is ok. I for/give them." He said his entire lifestyle has changed, which tends to happen when you start following Chri/st.

Krong was a farmer. He also did some medical work, although he was never licensed. When he was young he dreamt of becoming educated, but that opportunity vanished when Pol Pot came to power. Today he does a little bit of farming, and also carpentry work around the house and chu/rch. He is battling some health problems, so please pr/ay for complete hea/ling.

It is very difficult to imagine all the suffering Krong has lived through. I can not imagine living 80% of my life under suffering and oppression.

____

remember, if you would like to comment on this blog, or email me, send the following email to mikeyphresh19@gmail.com

Hey Mike! I liked the blog. It is great to hear about your trip! I would love to know more. Sincerely, _________.

____

Manistry in Thailand

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

One of the other guys on the squad made a video from our 'manistry' in Northern Thailand. It really gives an intimate look into the lifestyle for that month. Hope you enjoy!

out of the village

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

hello family, friends, supporters, and random blog readers!

I am out of the Cambodian Village, which means I have internet again. Our squad is in Hua Hin, Thailand. We are here for five days (through friday) for "Debrief", a time to rest, relax, have fun, and also talk with our squad leaders and our coaches, to reflect on the past couple months. This time was really needed, as I was sick for the last week of ministry. Last Saturday I felt very ill (much like I felt back in Guatemala City) and ended up getting a high fever, and having other not so fun symptoms. Sunday I knew I needed an IV, but we were in the middle of a village, in the Cambodian Jungle, three hours from any major city. I thought I was going to have to drive by moto bike to Pnem Phen, the capital city three hours away. This drive is not pleasant, and I was not looking forward to it. By some miracle, our contact made a call, and a doctor drove to the church we were staying at and delivered an IV. We strung it up using my laundry cord, hanging it down from the i-beam in the ceiling. It was such a blessing, and helped me recover a bit. My fever left, but the other symptoms continued for about a week. The first day of debrief, this recent sunday, was the first day I felt healthy again, so that was a blessing that my health recovered in time for these days of relaxation. Please continue to pray for me, that I would fully recover, and that any sickness remaining in my body would leave.

Our time in Cambodia was blessed. We lived a very simple life. We slept in the church, and everything we did was on this property. We ate at our contacts house which was also on the property, and we also taught in the make shift school rooms. We would wake up and take breakfast every morning at 7am. Then we would spend alone time with God, and then gather as a team to worship late morning, and have our team time. Lunch at noon, and then throughout the afternoon and evening we taught English classes. We taught a wide age range of students, different class sizes with different dynamics. Although I have never taught English before, it came pretty naturally to me. I especially liked teaching about pronunciation. I took a linguistics class in college and we briefly studied how we vocalize different sounds. We studied where the sounds came from (mouth, back of the throat, ect.) and how they were articulated. This knowledge really helped me teach, and I was able to help the Cambodian students articulate and annunciate well. We also taught using the gospel, using bible stories, and also taught the kids some different songs.

I also would ride by moto to a share group (bible study) every wednesday and saturday night. Faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see. Faith is also riding on the back of a tiny moto-bike at night in the middle of a dust storm with headlights that are less than bright. (During the dry season in Cambodia the roads are bad because of all the dust and bumps and divets in the road. During the rainy season, the roads are near flooded and people crash all the time, sliding all over the road. So there is really no good time to drive in Cambodia!) So I would go to share group, and be the only white person in a circle of Cambodians, and they would play music singing in Khmer, and then read the bible in Khmer, and I would sit there and smile. No, I used that time to pray and listen to God as to what He wanted me to share each night. He led me to different verses every night I went, and I was able to share personal testimonies and how the verses applied. Each time I shared God spoke through me in a unique way, and the time was very blessed. Hopefully everything translated well!

It was interesting to sit in a circle of people, and not know really if they were Christian, or if they fully understood the messages I brought to them. I found out a couple days before leaving Cambodia, that one of the men in my share group, had just recently started going. He had climbed a mountain seeking out the God they serve in their village. He was up there for two years. He nearly starved and went a little crazy. He climbed to the mountain edge, and was going to kill himself by jumping off. He was being tormented by the enemy. Some villagers grabbed him and taxied him down the mountain. His son became a Christian by going to Yew-Ee's (our contact) church to learn English. So his son invited him to bible study. In my study, he would read the bible, and seemed impacted by everything I said. I didn't witness this, because I was extremely sick that day, but apparently he was at church the last sunday, and after one of my teammates shared a testimony he broke down a little and started to cry. I pray that God continues to speak to him and who knows, maybe he is a Christian by now?

Well, that is enough for now. More stories to come from Cambodia! Hope you enjoyed.

-Mike

Me and my $5 IV

Hanging out with the drivers kids upon arriving in Cambodia

We canoed to an island, and on the way back sunk the canoe. I guess it just wasn't built for 6 gringos and a Cambodian

On the island. (I promise you we weren't posing)

Couple days of rain brought some refreshing cold weather. I'm sure everyone back home is craving warm weather, but I am missing the snow and the freezing cold!

Everyone gathered around to watch a movie.

Just you know... doin a little farming... in Cambodia....

This ferry took us across the mighty Mekong river, it was quite a site!

ministry in motion

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

ministry in motion

.... actually, stop-motion

After making that first stop-motion film at the Quinta, Kelsi and I decided to make another. Making the films provided a great opportunity to connect with the teens. They all had a BLAST making this one, as did we. It was cool to stretch their imaginations and challenge them to help in the "brainstorm" process, when it came to creative ideas for the film. I really consider this film an amazing blessing. I know that everyone at the Quinta was blessed by it, and I am blessed to have it as a great memory from my time in Nicaragua.

So, here's the film, I hope you enjoy!

100 Days of World Race (video)

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Here is a video I made with a bunch of random footage from the first 100 days of the race. I will have a blog up summarizing each ministry from each country, as soon as I get internet next. Enjoy!

Answers

Fri, 8 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

What is something new God is teaching you?

Patti Paschall

This is not a new concept or new idea that God has shown me, but recently God has been revealing to me more and more the importance of relationships, and what a treasure they are. He has been revealing what a blessing every relationship is, and that I need to be a better steward of relationships. It is easy to lose touch with people, even people you have known your whole life and been great friends with. I really want to take time to pray over some of the relationships in my life, that I have let slip away, and start communicating with people I have lost touch with. It would be real easy to have no communication with people for a whole year, and that would make things difficult upon getting home. Also, I want to be better about blogging, to make sure I am including as many people as possible on this journey.

Something else (again not new) that God has reminded me of, is to pray for more love in my life. I pray that God would give me more love for God, and more love for people. This will ignite my prayer life, and spring forth amazing relationships with God and others. If I am loving God more, I want to spend more time with Him, communicating through prayer and reading His word. I also will have a greater desire to serve His people. And if I have more love for others, it will make finding time to pray for them a blessing, and a priority. It will also make serving others easier. So I have been praying for more love!

How do you typically share the gospel with others? What are the language barriers?

Andrea Jones

First I will say that a lot of our ministry thus far, I have found, has really been simply serving our contacts. We minister to them in prayer, and service. We help them with physical labor. We serve the people they serve. The greater a blessing we can be to our ministry contacts, the greater a blessing they will in turn be to the people God has placed in their ministry.

That being said, in Central America, we were lucky because each team had a Spanish speaker. We have Melina on our team, and she speaks fluently. Kelsi also speaks very well, and the rest of us had a pretty good base knowledge of Spanish. So we would speak through Melina or Kelsi, and if they weren't around, through our contacts. Sometimes we would share the best we could with the spanish we knew. We also had contacts who speak spanish, so they would translate in churches when we would preach. Thailand was more difficult, because none of us speak Thai. We spoke in churches still, and spoke through translators. We speak simply and to the point to our translators, and they are able to elaborate on what we say.

Also, we have gotten really really good at non-verbal communication!!!

I am curious if you have thoughts about what coming back to the states is going to be like and how it is going to be different from before your trip?

Jesse Lancour (Sunny D)

I know I will be different getting back to the states. I think I am changing in a lot of ways that I may not even be noticing right now, but I think once I get back to the states I will start to notice the ways I have changed. It is difficult to tell right now, because everyday is such an experience, that everyday you change. I know that I have a greater appreciation for education, and hope to go back to UW-Milwaukee upon getting back and graduate. I know that in America, there are tons and tons of resources. You have everything you need. There are tons of ways that you can minister back home, that you really can't overseas. It is easier to communicate, and organize gatherings.

I think that my ministry will be more focused on building relationships and meeting peoples physical needs. When you take time to simply serve someone, it is a great representation of Christ. A lot of what we are doing through with the World Race, is building relationships and meeting physical needs.

Also, I will be so excited that I won't have to work past a language barrier. It will be awesome to communicate so easily!

Finally, after living in some pretty humble situations, I will have a great appreciation for simple things, like running water and electricity :)

Final finally, I have such appreciation for things that can be easily overlooked back home. When you are away from home for a time, you realize a lot about the life you were living. I appreciate so much my family, my friends in milwaukee and elsewhere, Epikos (and the amazing worship band!), Cornerstone's movement, Milwaukee, and even the cold weather! I am excited to return.

I am sure that once the race is over, I will miss so much about it as well. I really appreciate this opportunity that I have, and want to make the most of these remaining 8 months.

Next stop, Cambodia!!!

perspectives

Thu, 7 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The other day I was talking to my parents on Skype. I was casually mentioning some of the things we did in Northern Thailand during manistry'. Their reaction to what I said gave me some perspective. As we chatted, I mentioned that we were clearing some land and laying some building foundations on the future site of our contacts home for children refugee's who are escaping a conflict with a bordering country, and children who are also fleeing the sex trade industry and human trafficking. Then I mentioned that we were also praying over the land to reclaim it for Christ as previous generations were animists and used the land for witchcraft. This is everyday life on the world race. My parents reaction reminded me that those kinds of things aren't necessarily everyday life back home.

two years and counting

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Yesterday was a special day for me; it was my two-year anniversary since promising God "not another drop of alcohol". Alcohol took control of my life during college, and brought me to many low points. Drunkenness took me far from God. It damaged my relationships, college career and finances. God rescued me from a life in sin, by giving me an opportunity to start living for Him again. God brought me to a point where I needed to decide between His will and mine - ultimately between life and death. That night was December 30^th, 2007, when God gave me the words "not another drop". They were tough to promise, but they brought me freedom. Since that night, by the grace of God, I haven't had a drop of alcohol.

Know that I don't judge people who drink. The bible doesn't say not to ever have a drop of alcohol, that is simply what was needed to free me from something that had taken over my life. The bible does state very clearly that drunkenness is a sin.

After I quit drinking there were still a few months before I really started living for God. What was missing in my life was Christian fellowship. Fellowship provided me with a firm foundation in Christ. It spurred me on to live a better life, and live that life completely souled out to Christ.

I want to give a Shout-Out to all the Campus Crusaders back at UW-Milwaukee who came alongside me and had a great impact on my life. Thanks for everything, I miss you all and can't wait to hang out again in Milwaukee!

I also want to thank everyone who has prayerfully and financially supported me on this World Race mission. I have been learning a lot, and am being challenged every day. I am incredibly blessed by you!

questions

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hey y'all!

It is sometimes overwhelming to try to write a blog. There is SOOO much that goes into a day on the World Race, so when you try to summarize a whole month it becomes difficult. That being said, I am hoping you can help me in the process. I would like for you to send in a question that you have about the race. This will help me to focus and also help me to talk about things I might otherwise not consider writing about.

Any questions will do. You could ask about the ministries, or the Squad, or my team, or challenges I've had, or awesome experiences....whateva!

So, any questions you have, write them as a comment on this blog, or email me at bethekingdom@yahoo.com

questions

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hey y'all!

Any questions will do. You could ask about the ministries, or the Squad, or my team, or challenges I've had, or awesome experiences....whateva!

So, any questions you have, write them as a comment on this blog, or email me at bethekingdom@yahoo.com

lot to catch up, little time

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hey y'all!

Hope you had a very merry Christmas! My Christmas was spent in Bangkok, Thailand with the entire squad. We had dinner at a mall that is bigger than my hometown. It took my team about an hour to finally find the restaraunt!

The second half of our month in Thailand we are spending once again with all the guys for our "manistry". We are in northern Thailand doing sports ministry and visiting schools. Its interesting that in a country thats about 1% Christian, we are free to speak and worship and do dramas in schools, yet in the United States, which is supposedly Christian in majority, its very rare to have any or that stuff allowed. We even got to pray for the kids. It was a great experience. We played games with the kids, all 150 of them! We did a drama, sang worship songs, and one of the guys spoke a little. Our contact, Vi, is amazing. He has an amazing heart and has a great vision from God. He has a very pure heart, and does everything he can to see his vision develop. He is currently renting a house near one of the schools he does ministry at, and also has brought in three kids to live with him so that they can go to school. He also wants to use the land he has to provide kids with a Christian hang out, and also wants to create a music room, where kids can learn to play music and worship. Its exciting to get to come alongside him and help out in any way. He can really use your prayers. Pray that God provides the support he needs to see his vision become reality. He has been networking for three years, and has also been making connections with government officials and teachers in order to hold Christian sports camps. Pray that God not only provides financially, but also that God would send someone to work with his ministry full-time. He really needs someone to partner with him, as his vision grows and grows. Thanks for your prayers!

I haven't blogged in awhile and apologize for that. It was a crazy month last month. I really fell in love with the ministry in Nicaragua. We were working at "The Quinta", which is a home for teens/young adults who come from abandonment or abuse, or families that are not able to support them. All the teens/young adults at The Quinta receive food and a home and also discipleship. They also run the childrens ministry, and do an amazing job! They all know a ton of dramas and dances, and are all ready to preach and tell testimonies. It was awesome to come along side them in the childrens ministry, and also minister to them. God gave me a vision while I was there, of how God is working there, and how I was a perfect fit for the ministry. Then God gave me some pretty awesome dreams for Jinotepe, Nicaragua, and how He could use me in the ministry. I was very excited, and felt led that God was calling me to leave the race, and partner with the ministry. I prayed about it a couple weeks, and continued to feel led. I talked with my team leader about it, and then my squad leader. My squad leader thought it was awesome that I heard from God, and that He gave me such great dreams for The Quinta. He said though, that "timing" was really important, and he also talked about 'the covenant' that I had made with my team.

Even after talking with my Squad leader, I still felt like I was supposed to stay. I made the decision to stay in Nicaragua, and while I had some support from my team up to that point, once it was final they were against it. I think they wanted to support me either way, but once I decided, they felt I was making a mistake. I had a lot of opposition, but thought that God was challenging me to rely on Him alone. What I was missing was "timing". So I actually went through the process of leaving the team, squad and world race. That nite while the squad was saying goodbyes to me, one girl on our squad came to me with a word she had gotten from God earlier, that was for me. She asked me to forgive her, because she didn't bring it sooner. She had heard it a couple days before it was announced that I was leaving. The word from God was this, "I really want to wreck (as in, break me down, so God can build me up into something greater) Michael Sanders in Thailand." This meant that God wanted me in Thailand, which meant He wanted me to continue the race and not stay in Nicaragua. It was really hard to hear. It was clearer than anything I had heard from God. I had heard from God about dreams and visions for The Quinta, but there wasn't anything that clear. It was the "timing" that I was wrong about, just as my squad leader warned. That nite I also talked with my parents, and they were upset and thought I was making a mistake.

The next morning I was so overwhelmed. It was clear that I had mistaken what God wanted for me, but after leaving everything and preparing for ministry in Nicaragua, I thought it was too late to turn back. I talked with my squad leader and told him about the word from God that was given to me, and how it was clear I was mistaken about the timing, of when God wanted me to minister at The Quinta. He told me that it was always his desire for me to finish the race, and that I was welcome back. So just as I fought my way out, I had to fight my way back with my team, and the squad.

Most of these events took place the day before leaving, and so it was very crazy. The day I was welcomed back to the squad was the day after I left, and the next morning at 3am we left for Thailand. It was last minute that God changed my direction.

I got to go to the Quinta before leaving and say goodbye to everyone, which was very difficult. It was reallly really hard to leave Nicaragua, and I was really broken hearted. I knew that God wanted me to finish the race, but it was still really hard to leave The Quinta. It took a few days, really, to recover from the whole ordeal. God has blessed me here in Thailand though. I know that I am in the right place, and in God's perfect will.

I continue to pray about the dreams God gave me for the Quinta, and God continues to develop them. I am not sure what He has in store exactly, but I know that God has a good and perfect and pleasing will for my life.

(I didn't have much time to write this, so I hope you were able to follow. There was a lot that went in to the whole process, and I am not sure I captured it all.)

So please be praying for me, that God continues to bless me and teach me throughout this mission, and that He continues to develop the dreams He gave me for Nicaragua, and prepare the way for any ministry He has for me. Thanks for your prayers, and thanks SO much for your support!

I am blessed by you, and hope you have a wonderful New Year!

love

Mike

hey from thailand!

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hey everyone!

I am safely in Thailand! It is pretty wild being here! It is sooo different from central america, and so different than anything Ive ever experienced. There are about ten thousand things I want to blog about, but I don't have the time right now. I won't have internet for the next ten days or so, as we will be in northern Thailand in the mountains. I will write some in my journal, and post it online as soon as I get the opportunity. If I don't talk to you before the 25th, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

love,

michael

stop-motion film, from the Quinta!

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This is a stop-motion film my teammate Kelsi and I created at The Quinta, the place we are doing ministry. It is made completely with photos. Hopefully, more to come! Enjoy!

a month redeemed

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Most of the early part of the month was spent fighting spiritual battles. By continuing to press in to God, despite everything I felt, I was able to experience a breakthrough, a victory over defeat. Since then, I have been continuing to fight to redeem the good things that God has given me. They were there all along, but I lost sight of them and lost the ability to receive God's gifts, by losing sight of God. I was so focused on my circumstance, that I lost focus on God. I once again am in a place to receive from God, and its wonderful.

Today was such an amazing day! We started the day by going to a home for men who are going through rehab. We actually met them at a soccer field, and played a huge game of soccer with them. It was an amazing time. After, I borrowed my baseball gloves and baseball to two of the kids. I ended up leaving them with the kids, because they didn't own one. I knew at some point that God would have me give them away, so I was ready to part with them. Plus, my pack will now be lighter! ;)

After that, I was actually very dehydrated. I felt a lot like I did the days I spent in the hospital. I had to skip lunch cause I lost my appetite, but after a Gatorade and lots of water my body recovered. I was better in time to leave for "The Quinta", the home for teens and kids that we are ministering at. We put on a service of sorts for the teens. We played games, sung worship music, shared testimonies, and then showed a video we had made the day before. The video is a stop-motion animation film that Kelsi Dawe (my teammate) and I created. The kids loved it. (I will post it on my blog soon!!!) Then the kids taught us some games. After every game, the teens talked to us about how the game represented a lesson from God. It was really awesome to see them take any possible opportunity to share about God! I shared a couple games I learned from an improv class I took in Milwaukee, and the teens loved them.

The first month I didn't really grow close to anyone, so it wasn't difficult to leave. After tonite, it will be really difficult to leave. We have built great relationships with the teens, and are really enjoying spending time and serving God with them.

I am thankful to God that He has brought me out of the fiery trials I was facing, and that He has redeemed this month for me. And I am so thankful to all you supporters for sending me on this race. While it is challenging at times, the challenges are making me stronger and taking me to a higher level with God. This mission is also possibly the most amazing things a person can experience. It is an amazing blessing! So thank you once again. I hope you are blessed by hearing what God is doing here in Jinotepe, Nicaragua!

Mike

trials in transition

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Howdy from Nicaragua! I apologize for not blogging sooner, there has been a lot going on. The first part of the month was very challenging for me; I was in a pretty weak state. I was physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually drained.

Our last days in Antigua, Guatemala were blessed. We made breakfast for our contacts, and enjoyed spending one last day with them. We had safe travels to Guatemala City, where we met up with the entire squad. (For those of you who don't know, I am part of a squad of 46, and a team of 6. So far, each month we have been paired up with another team for ministry. So right now, my team and another are in Jinotepe, Nicaragua.) So all the teams met up in Guatemala City, and were to travel the next morning through El Salvador, and travel the following day through Honduras to get to Nicaragua. That was Friday November 6^th. That night, I talked with my team leader about my financial situation back home. I told him that it was challenging at times, to be fully present in the ministry, when my debts back home made me feel like I should be home working. I asked if I should share that with the entire team, and he thought that would be a good idea.

After our conversation, I started to feel very ill. I fell asleep very quickly. The next thing I knew, I woke up to find myself throwing up in my bed. I think I might have experienced some shock, because I couldn't move at first, and then my body just started shivering. My bunk mates helped me out, got me like 8 layers of clothes, and set up another bed for me. I lied down, but only for a couple minutes. I ended up throwing up all night. We were hesitant to go to the hospital, because we were traveling the next morning, and because I didn't have a fever. So I endured it all night, and it was pretty awful. I couldn't hold any water, and was having trouble breathing the whole night; my body became extremely weak. Finally early morning came, and it was still going on so we decided to go to the hospital.

I was told the taxi ride was about 15 minutes, to me I only remember it being like two. I was pretty out of it. We got to the hospital and they got me on an IV. I was extremely dehydrated, and my white blood count was at 21,000. It shouldn't be higher than 10,000. I continued to throw up in the hospital. They brought me to a room, and pumped some antibiotics through my IV. I think they also gave me some anti-anxiety meds to help with my breathing. I slept a lot. That afternoon I ended up getting a high fever, and a throat infection. They got me some more antibiotics, and I continued on the IV for two days. They tested my blood to make sure I didn't have malaria or Dengue fever or salmonella, thank God I tested negative for all that stuff! I was blessed to have a great doctor, and awesome nurses, and they got me back to health.

My teammates Josh and Melina stayed with me at the hospital, while the rest of the squad traveled. We were a couple days behind, and so we left right from the hospital... like I got released and then was on a bus for El Salvador. We traveled two days and through three countries. It was challenging to travel, as my body was still pretty weak. Thank God I was able to get my prescriptions filled in El Salvador, otherwise the trip would have been miserable. When we arrived to Nicaragua the second day, I was pretty wiped. We got out of the car, and I realized that only one of my bags made it to our new hotel. When we got to Nicaragua, we switched vans halfway through our journey, and some random guys moved our bags. I was not happy. I went to my room and just wanted to be by myself.

Later that night, we had family time' - we get together almost every night with our team to talk about the day, offer any constructive criticism or encouragements to each other. I was so spent at this point. My financial situation was on my mind again, and I allowed it to become a burden. As we were talking, the other team came in all excited, and they told my that they found my bag. None of us know how it came back, but it did. It is simply a miracle, cause that bag was lost. I was relieved that my bag was found, but at this point it didn't do much to lift my spirits. I told my team about my financial situation, and how it was weighing on me. I told them that I felt like I needed to be home working. I asked them not to offer any feedback, until I spent time seeking God out on what I should do.

The days that followed were a battle. I was going through spiritual warfare, I just didn't realize it. In my weak state, I allowed faith to go on the wayside and started to view things strictly from a place of logic. Nevertheless, I was still seeking God, and despite everything I was feeling, I wanted to be sure to follow His will and not mine. I read proverbs, and it talks a lot about how the wise person seeks counsel, so I decided to do that. I stayed back the next day to rest, and talk with some people about my situation. I talked with my parents, and wrote a few close friends.

I continued to think out my standpoint in a logical way, and started to reason out the situation in my mind. Honestly, when I looked at it that way the whole situation seemed upside down and backwards. I was baffled at how I could allow myself to pursue the race, while having so many outstanding debts. The truth is, God's ways are not our ways. His ways often seem upside down and backwards, and God's ways baffle people. The Kingdom of God doesn't operate the way this world operates; in fact they are in opposition to one another. The world would say, take care of your debts and then think about pursuing the World Race. Realistically, that makes sense. BUT, God had other plans. All the while God was saying, I have called you to such a time as this, just be faithful regardless of your circumstances.

Everyone I spoke with encouraged me to press on, and be faithful that God will take care of my financial situation. I also listened to a sermon by Graham Cooke about spiritual warriors, and it really spoke to me. Here are some of my notes from the sermon that impacted me:

Despite external realities that are adverse and chaotic, and often troublesome and annoying, spiritual warriors live in a state of untroubled calm. They live in rest...

Spiritual warriors joyfully and humbly count on God to come through, no matter what the situation is that they find themselves in. They have an assurance of God's heart towards them. They are absolutely positive that the Lord is willing to help them. They are utterly convinced that He is incapable of letting them down. Therefore in times of warfare and adversity, they have a boldness and the courage to stand firm in God. This confidence enables a spiritual warrior to hold their nerve and be fearless in the face of enemy attack

Not every fight is going to be over quickly, some fights are about learning patience. We can beat the enemy by being patient. The enemy has no patience, it belongs to God, it's a fruit of the spirit. So often all we want is a quick and easy victory. But God has things that He needs to develop in each one of us. At some point your going to have to reconcile yourself to the fact that God will have to teach you patience, He will have to teach you perseverance, He will have to teach to you how to endure. But the wonderful thing is, you can do all of those things with a smile on your face, because joy is always a part of the occasion. Joy is a part of every circumstance for us, since God is eternally joyful.

Often the battle itself is against our faith and our confidence. Most people just want to survive the warfare, they do the minimun to get through. There are many Christians who just want rescue, and not breakthrough. Spiritual warriors are different to that, they want to thrive on the pressure, if their going to go through hell they want to prosper in the process. They want to make the enemy pay for attacking them. That's a great attitude. And it's the attitude of the kingdom.

God wanted to use the trials to give me breakthrough, and take me to a higher level. All I wanted to do was escape the Sculptor's hand. I wanted rescue, and God wanted breakthrough. Thankfully, God brought breakthrough. I have decided to remain faithful, regardless of my circumstances. I have decided to listen to my dad, and trust and relax'. I have decided to endure through the trials, and instead of praying for rescue I will pray for breakthrough. I will recognize that the trials that come are to break me down, so to build me up stronger than before.

I want to thank everyone who is praying for me and my team. Your prayers are what sustain me, especially in times of trial.

These past few days have been great. God has blessed me with joy, and shown me how important it is to remain joyful. We had a day off Tuesday, and had an amazing time at the beach. Some of us went surfing, and I actually got up on the board and surfed a couple times. The entire time we were getting shocked by jellyfish tentacles, which was painful, but makes for a good story. By the way, if you ever get shocked by jellyfish, rub wet sand over the area! It works! We also were swimming and a stingray came after us, so it was quite an adventure.

Thanks for taking the time to read this long-winded blog. Please continue to lift me up in prayer. I have a few specific requests:

-That I am able to find a copier to copy and email my hospital bill to my insurance company, and all that gets worked out

-that I remain faithful about my financial situation, and that God shows me the steps to take

-that I recognize when I am coming under spiritual attack, and that I remain confident in God at all times

-that I stay healthy and strong

-that God continues to bless our ministry, and our ministry contacts

Thanks for your prayers! In my next blog I will talk a little bit about our ministry in Jinotepe, Nicaragua thus far!

shaboomafoom

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Shaboomafoom.

Definition: Learning that intercession is just as important as physical work.

Shaboomafoom.

This month we have been doing as much intercessory prayer as we have been meeting peoples physical needs. As I speak, a group of world racers are praying for our ministry contacts. Our contacts are in a tough place financially. They are in danger of losing their hotel, which backs up all the ministry work they do. They take the revenue from the hotel to provide for their orphanage, and take care of the kids God has placed in their stewardship. We have been praying over their situation, and interceding to God on their behalf. Even though they are in a tough spot, God has given them a greater vision for their ministry, and they are pursuing it. God has blessed them with the opportunity to purchase a lot that would be absolutely perfect for the ministry they have been given. It would be a home to kids who otherwise would not have one. It would be a place for kids to eat and grow and learn. They would be taught there. They would play baseball and basketball and soccer there. They would draw near to God there. The vision they have from God is quite amazing, and even though logically and financially, the timing seems upside down and backwards, I have been learning that God has the tendency to baffle us with the way He works. He likes to set the stage for something impossible, and then come in and show Himself faithful and strong. I am excited to see how God comes through for our contacts, and how He provides for their ministry.

We have been ministering at "The Quinta", which is the home for the kids they take care of. We have been helping with kids bible schools, and helping orchestrate church services. Josh and I also helped clear the roof of crushed tile and cement and brick yesterday here at the hotel we are staying at. We filled buckets and lowered them from the roof down and emptied them into a truck. I kind of felt at home in that department. I am used to cleaning up construction sites after working with my dad most summers. So we have been doing all sorts of random ministry, including simply walking through the barrios and praying for people.

The church services are interesting, cause they are all in spanish. Yesterday, they were playing a Hillsong United song, Fire Fall Down. In spanish, they were singing fuego de dios, but I thought they were singing sueno dios. So while they were singing Fire of God, Fire of God, I was singing, Sleepy God, Sleepy God. Haha. But God knows my heart so its ok.

We will be having a debrief at the end of the month with the entire squad. It will be here at the hotel, Casa Mateo, so we will be bringing our contacts some extra business to support their ministry. We will be talking about the past couple months in Central America, and gearing up for the next three months in southeast Asia. It will be a really interesting transition. I can't really imagine everything that God has in store for us. It seems everyday He brings a wild adventure our way.

Hope you enjoyed hearing a little about our ministry.

Shout Out

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Dear David Cookle, you da man....

Our Contacts, Carol and Forrest

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We have been soooooo blessed by our contacts here in Antigua, Guatemala. They are simply amazing. Their ministry is amazing, and they have also blessed us personally, through opening up their home, cooking for us, and taking care of us when we are sick. The other day, after building water filters and sifting sand, it began to down pour. We have been all piling in a pick up truck to get to work, and so a few of us always ride in the back. It was absolutely pouring rain, and Brad, Josh and I got to ride in the back. It was quite an experience. We got absolutely soaked. We got back to Forrest and Carol's house, and I was so soaked that I didn't want to go in. I was just going to walk back to our hostel. Instead, Carol welcomed us all in, gave us towels, had coffee and hot chocalate ready, along with some warm chocalate cake! That is just one example! Tonite, they are having us over for chilli, which is pretty exciting because we don't have meat that often! haha

As I said before, they are amazing people, and have an amazing ministry. They meet peoples physical needs and bring them the gospel. Dirty water is a huge problem here in Guatemala, and is responsible for many unnecessary deaths and sicknesses. This ministry builds concrete water filters for people in villages, that last a lifetime. They don't just drop off the filter and call it a day. They build relationships, and share the gospel. They revisit the homes, and check in to make sure the water filters are working and being used properly. They teach kids about the importance of having clean hands, through washing them, and having clean hearts, washing them through the blood of Jesus. They also build wood burning stoves for people. Most houses have open fires inside, which blackens the walls and snuffs our clean air. Without these stoves, most people are in danger of having respitory problems, and possibly even burning down their house.

We have been aiding this ministry by helping to build the filters, sifting sand, and helping out in other random projects. One day, we talked with people outside a dental clinic that Forrest and Carol partner with. We played with kids, and made them bracelets with five different colors explaining the gospel. Everyday is an adventure, and we never really know what is in store for us, but we are always blessed!

We have been so blessed by our contacts!

We also painted Juanita's casa!

Making Gospel Bracelets for Kids

Playing Freeze Tag

Making Tortillas

I used to play xylophone during study hours in high school, I got to show off my amazing skills here!

Random soccer game that happened.

Resting in His Hand

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The other day I was working at Casa Jackson, the hospital for malnurished babies. I was holding Camille, and she was crying and fighting to escape my hand. I put her down in the crib, and she started crying louder. I picked her up again, and she continued to cry and wrestle away. I knew what she needed and wanted, to be held and loved, and planned to meet those needs and wants. But all she wanted to do was escape. God spoke to me through this.

God knows what I need, and He knows what I want. So often, however, all I want to do is escape His hand. It's not always comfortable following God, and resting in His hand. Sometimes, He carries us through the refiners fire. It is painful, and in the midst of it, its hard to understand why we have to endure the trial. For me, there has been some trials recently, and all I wanted to do was escape. The safest place to be, however, is in God's hand. God is chipping away at me, sculpting me into something greater. I need to learn to rest secure in the Sculptors hand, and trust that the outcome will be worth the trial.

God is teaching me how to love according to HIS definition. He is showing me love that is patient and kind, love that does not envy nor boast, love that is not proud. He is teaching me love that is not rude nor self-seeking, and love that is not easily angered. Love that keeps no record of wrongs. Love that rejoices with the truth. Love that always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. This is quite a process. These words have become weapons to me, whenever I find myself not loving in this way.

Another lesson learned from Casa Jackson, was that I need to be always relying on God for strength. Last time I worked there was extremely difficult. I was tired going into it, which proved to make things very difficult. When I am tired, patience is hard to come by. The babies were fussy and fighting and crying and sick and nothing seemed to stop them from crying. I was at the end of myself. Finally, I prayed. Even on mission, sometimes we forget that prayer needs to come first. Too often I wait to pray until I am at the end of myself. Anyways, I prayed for help. I prayed for the babies, that God would heal them and give them rest. Right after I prayed, one of the babies stopped crying.

God likes to remind us to rely on Him completely, and sometimes it takes brokenness to get our attention.

Choosing Love

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

One thing God has definitely shown me thus far, is that everyday we need to choose faith, we need to choose hope, and we need to choose love. We can walk in discouragement, and fear, and anger, or we can walk by faith, being hopeful and loving.

It is definitely challenging for me to be in such a small tight community. Every night we have "family time" where we talk about the day, offer encouragment and any constructive criticism to our teammates. This is new to me. In my family, we all kinda do our own thing, and don't always communicate that much. It is challenging, but also a blessing. We should not let the sun go down on our anger, so this makes sure we don't allow anything to go unsaid. A lot of times, people (myself included, fasho!) allow the small things to build up, and create friction in relationships. Our conversations allow us to be real with each other, and not allow the enemy to get between our relationships.

Another thing God showed me during our Launch, is how important it is to speak truth. I was hitting a wall in worship, I just felt distant and like I couldn't get close to God, and even though I didn't necessarily feel like it, I just starting to speak truth. As I spoke truth, the wall came down, and soon I was free to worship.

I got some much needed rest this weekend. It helped me to have a fresh perspective on everything going on here. Honestly, we are so blessed by our contacts, our ministry, our team, and our location. We have everything we need, and although things aren't always comfortable, we are making the most out of what we have. Not being comfortable is a great thing. It keeps me relying completely on God. I think I got a little burned out this past week, and it is cause I was relying too much on my own strength. I need to continually go to God in prayer, for HIS strength to back up everything we are doing.

Whats so awesome about what we are doing here in Antigua, Guatemala, is that we have the gospel coupled with met needs. We are meeting people's physical needs, and also letting the love of Christ shine through us.

Anyways, my blogs won't always be as organized as I like, more like random thoughts, because I am usually short on time.

I miss you all and love you very much!

michael

This is the diffuser for the water filter! The nails through the concrete will make air holes for the filter.

Greasing the molds, preparing them for the concrete.

Riding in the back of a truck, the ride there was a LOT more crowded, because it was filled with the molds and equipment.

Hanging off the back of a truck, hitchhiking down the volcano.