Ginger Cupit - The World Race 2007

New Website

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Hey guys... I have a new blogsite. I will be blogging there now, and yes... I will actually be blogging this time. So you all should check it out because I will be having a whole new set of adventures starting tomorrow when my friend and I head to Paris and the rest of Europe for a couple of weeks.

the new blogsite is:

http://gingercupit.blogspot.com/

Home, Part Two!!!!!

Wed, 7 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Okay, that was a bunch of small talk before.... now let's go for the jugular, the meat, the core, the real deal, the whole enchilada of these past couple of months.

Being home has been, uh, interesting.... yes, yes, that is a good word to describe life. It's been good in a lot of ways. I have loved seeing all my friends and family. I have loved not living out of my backpack.... I have a car for that now. I have personal space. I don't have to wash my clothes by hand. I can take a warm shower when I want, minus a couple minutes after my roommates jump out. No more debriefs or team meetings woo hoo! Also, I no longer stick out like a soar thumb with my pasty white body and blonde curly hair. Also, have I mentioned rock climbing and biking and Guitar Hero and green chile chicken enchiladas??? Awe, yes... great things too! On the other hand, life has been pretty hard as well.

I don't know if I can truly describe the depth of what it has been like since my arrival home. All I can do is write about what I know to the best of my abilities, and hope that you all can relate in some way. Now not all my experiences are going to be the same for all WRer's. Please understand that. I can't speak for them, but I know some may relate.

Now when the Race ended, I was excited. I was ready to come home. I wasn't ready to leave my community and the adventure of it all, but I was ready to be done! I didn't know what to expect or anything. I just figured I would wing it when the time came. Um not the wisest decision I ever made, but it sounded good at the time ;)!

So when I got home, life was awesome for the first couple of days/weeks. I got lots of good food, lots of attention, lots of sleep, lots of nothing, and lots of hugs and love. It was like being a newborn baby all over again!!! It was grand. However, it was shortly lived, and I figured that would happen. This isn't my first song and dance returning home from the mission field.

What started happening, is that I started missing my teammates. I missed them a lot. As much as my friends and family tried here, there was no way for them to replace what my teammates brought. I had all these inside jokes and phrases from the Race that no one here at home got, and that's not their fault. And as much as we all, the racers, wanted to remain in close contact, it was hard to do so. Our lives here at home are vastly different from our lives on the race. None of us know each others families, friends and lives in this realm, so it was hard to keep that close connection.

Also, as the weeks progressed, I was finding a lot of things that I used to enjoy before the race becoming mundane. Nothing I was doing was satisfying my thirst for life, which wasn't surprising. A typical day on the Race might have been fighting forest fires in Africa, or hiking the Great Wall, or holding orphans; whereas now, something really crazy and adventurous like that might happen once in a blue moon.

Another problem about returning home was wondering whatever happened to the people and the relationships we left behind. I know it's not in our hands, and it shouldn't be something we should worry about, but we do anyways. I know for a fact there wasn't always follow up with the people we met and cared about. So whatever happened to the woman in Africa that was dying helpless on the ground or the poor widow in Guatemala? The list goes on and on. We had a year of thousands of relationships. How are those people?

Lastly and probably the main reason to why life has been difficult, is where do I fit in now? A lot of things changed while being on the Race. Who I was before the Race and who I am now is somewhat different. I'm still the same goofy, adventurous Ginger, but parts have indeed changed. Parts of my character changed. My spirituality changed. My desires and wants changed. These parts that have changed don't allow me to just easily fall back into place like I would like them to. For times sake, I'm just going to talk about the spiritual aspect, because that is the biggest and hardest place for me, and this is where my experience is definitely going to differ from the other WRer's.

Before the Race, I used to be this solid vibrant Christian. I had the whole thing down to a T. I never thought my faith would be shaken. However, while on the Race, I had my eyes opened a lot. My desire for the Race was to pursue after truth and love, and as I went about those things, I saw a lot of things that made me question Christianity a lot, and I'm talking about the religion of Christianity and not Jesus Himself make sense? What made me start to question things was by seeing a lot of churches and Christians only being consumed about numbers and about POWER and about cool stories that would bring glory to them and not to God and about money and about a bunch of other nonsense! That didn't seem like truth to me.

At first I could separate this from the God I knew, but somewhere a long the way it got blurry and I started to get bitter towards God for all that I saw and I started questioning salvation as well. I saw so many people this year suffer such a great deal from pain and hardships, and a lot of these people weren't saved and probably won't be because a lot of them were on their death beds. Also, I saw a lot of good people that weren't Christians that have a bigger heart than most people I know. I just can't imagine God making them suffer even more.

Now if you are Christian and reading this, know that I am absolutely terrified of how you are going to respond. People that I have told in the past have looked down on me and have tried to save me like I didn't know who God was. Please don't do that. It really hurts a lot. The only reason I am sharing any of this is because this is part of my story and to show why it has been hard to fit in, because even within the Christian community it has been hard to fit back in. I just don't fit the mold anymore. I still go to church and enjoy it. I have an awesome pastor and a few good friends that are understanding, but I'm still on the pursuit of what is truth.

I didn't ask for this well maybe I did with wanting to pursue after truth. However, this is not what I wanted to happen, but this IS what has happened and is happening in my life.

So where do I fit in? I don't know, but I'm going with the flow and I'll see where I end up.

So there you all go. I know this was intense and very controversial. Sorry! I know there has to be other's out there that feel the same way. This is for you!

A long time coming! Part 1

Tue, 6 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Okay, this is going to be a two part blog! I know, look out! I've had several requests to write an update, so here I am. Sorry to have kept you all waiting.

Anyway, greetings people I don't know, loved one's, WR website parent stalkers, and fellow WRer's. It's been a while. It has officially been 5 months and 18 days since the end of the Race for us Jan 07 racers.

Before I jump into my story, I would like to make a special shout out to my Jan 07 teammates... I miss you guys! Life is not the same without ya'll. I miss the dance parties, the laughs, the random/genuine conversations, the awkward moments, the jokes about squad B :) (oh squad B I love you guys), and the adventures that life continuously brought us.

The Gang!

I know this blog is way overdue. For months I have wanted to write a new one, but have continuously failed to do so. Writing about the Race and about being home has seemed like a very difficult thing to do, but I think today I finally feel capable of writing a new one. So I will take advantage of that feeling and abuse it with great delight!

So to start here's a quick update before I go for the jugular and the heart of all that has happened.... I am currently living in Flagstaff, AZ working at a local thrift store. I've been here since January... well kind of. Mostly my stuff is here, but I'm gone quite a bit on excursions traveling around. I don't why, but for some odd reason I can't stay in one place longer than a few weeks before I get the itch to travel. Huh... I wonder why that is ;)???? However, I am only here for a few more weeks before I start leading trips to Mexico again to build homes. After that it's Europe for a few weeks, and then it's uh.... I have no idea. Anyone know of any great jobs????

End of part one!

An additional tip

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

I have more tip.

6. I know that I said to love them and such a lot, but be aware that for the first week or so, they might just need some time alone to sit and to ponder what the heck just happened to them. So love them still, but also give them space and plenty of it!

THX!

How to Welcome a World Racer Home?

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Hello folks! This message is for all you out there that are soon to be receiving a WRer home.
What most of you don't realize is that WRer's need certain love and care when they arrive home. All of us have just been through one of the most ridiculous years of our lives, and so we need special care. So here are some friendly tips on how to meet our special needs:

1. When receiving a WRer from the airport or at home please celebrate and make signs, because they just might not recognize you! It has been a year!

2. WRer's have been starved from American/homemade food for a loooooong long time, and so please feel free to take them out or cook for them. They need nutrition for which they have been lacking for a year. Also in doing this, you may be treated to some pretty amazing entertainment with all their wild tales!

3.WRer's are about to be departed from their teammates,and so they are going to be missing that beautiful community and love where they received lots of love emotionally, physically, and mentally this year. So please spend time and love on your WRer a lot, and I mean A LOT!

4.Please do not set yourselves on high expectations that we are coming home super holy or perfect. I'm sorry to break this to all of you, but we are not. We probably are all better people and a lot of us are different and have learned a lot, but we still have many weaknesses and flaws. So just beware of that.

5. WRer's need time to adjust to being home. Being able to buy several things at one store is abnormal for them. So they might be a bit overwhelmed at times. So please give them time and grace.

Okay, well I hope that helps. Those are just some basics to help you get started.

SEE YOU ALL SOON!!!!!

THANKS!

Miscommunication

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Hey folks... I want to let you all know that come Sunday I will be unreachable for the month. I will not be able to have any communication while in China. So possibly the next time you hear from me, it will be back in the States! Crazy, eh!

Have a great month everyone!

No Surgery

Mon, 8 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Here's a quick update from "Bottom Complications."

So as you all know, I flew into Bangkok two weeks ago to go have surgery on my little "complication." The morning I woke up to go to the hospital, my hemorroid shrank to 3/4ths its size. So I went to the doctor anyways to see what I should do, and he told me that I could have surgery, but he said I should try to wait it out, and to see if it goes away. So yep that is all that happened. He just gave me some supplements and stuff, but that was it! Yay!!!! Praise God for that one! Now I still have the hemorroid. It hasn't gone away yet, but hopefully it will at some point!

Anyways, for all those out there that were praying for me, thanks! Your prayers were definitely heard! Also, thanks for all the great comments folks! They gave me a good chuckle or two!

China Info

Mon, 8 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

On the 11th of this month, my squad and I are flying into Hong Kong for our last and final country. Yep, it's almost over. In fact we only have 41 days left. Who knew it would go by so quickly??? Anyways, I don't know much about where we are going or anything in China, and I probably won't be able to inform you all either when I get there. Sorry about that.

China is a closed country. So none of us will be able to blog because of it , which is okay for me because I don't blog much anyways, but still, I will not be able to access my World Race website because it relates to Christianity. Now you can still email me, but please do not mention God or anything related to Him. So no talk about prayer or anything else to that matter. If you want to, just talk in code. Instead of "God" and "praying", use "dad" and "talking" or something to that sort etc. etc, etc. Okay, hopefully you get my point. If you have any questions, please feel free to email. Thanks!

Bottom Complications!

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

WARNING: May not be suitable for children or for the intolerant of gross stories

Well, well, well, folks... I had quite the evening last night! It really is amazing how quickly your day can change! Last night all I had planned was to go out with some of my teammates to go celebrate 9 months in to the race. Unfortunately, that didn't quite happen.

My evening began with the normal routine such as going out and finding my other teammates in the apartment building here in Cambodia to go play and to distract myself for awhile. Afterwards, I went for a brisk run and workout on the ever so wonderful gym located upstairs of the building. After getting all sweated out... I came back downstairs to eat Talia's delicious prepared meal for us YETI's. Then after I good exercise of my tongue and stomach I went to go take a shower. So far everything is normal and typical of my day. Nothing is out of whack or anything. Now grant it, my stomach had been a little weird the past couple of days, but nothing strange considering living the way we had been for the year. So I don't think much of it.

Alright on with the story.... So I hopped in the shower and I was going about my normal cleaning routine and everything was great, I felt fresh, BUT all of a sudden that freshness good feeling quickly evaporated. As I was washing my uh... "bottom," I noticed something. Something not okay! What I felt is what no person traveling abroad ever wants to feel. I felt a massive growth on the inside of my "bottom (sorry for being graphic, but I want you all to get the whole feel of this story)" Um... that is not okay! That is not a pleasurable thing to find! So I immediately jumped out of the shower and called for my teammate Kari, because she has had quite a bit of medical experience. I started asking her what it is. She wasn't quite for sure and so she asked to see it. Oh joyful feeling for getting to bond with my teammate! So after a bend and a spread, and well a lot of chuckling too, her and I both narrow down our ideas of what it could be. We decided that it was either a massive hemorrhoid or a hernia.

So by this point, the only thing left that we could do was to head off to a clinic for more info. So Kari and I jumped on a tuk tuk and cruised over to the clinic after many of my wonderful teammates prayed over me! Her and I finally arrived there around 8:30ish pm
and went in.

My doctor was a little Cambodian man who spoke decent English, prays God for that. Otherwise, how in the world do you explain massive growth on "bottom"??? He gave me a gown and insisted me to the bathroom to change. After starring in the mirror of the bathroom for a while trying to build up confidence and to get over any anxious feeling of "I'm about to show my crack to a tiny Cambodian man... oh goody ;)," I headed back out to my little corner and propped myself up on the bed face down. Immediately he went to work, and immediately he stopped after another lovely spread... and said "Whoa, this is a "blah blah" hemorroid and it is HUGE. You need surgery right away." Oh joy, right?!

So afterwards, I went and got dressed and paid the man his money due.
So Kari and I left and started calling folks to inform them that I needed to get to Bangkok to go have surgery because they won't do that here in Cambodia. So then all my plans changed for the evening and for the rest of my time here.

So as of today, I am flying back to Bangkok with Becca and Clinton and getting surgery done there. I don't know much info about it or anything. All I do know is that I have to get it done, because it is starting to make complications for the rest of my body because it is quite large and does take up a lot of room. So please folks be praying for that! I appreciate it a lot!

Swazi, fires, & 61= One REALLY Great Month

Sat, 28 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

For the past 2 months, I have been in the wonderful land of Swaziland, and no, it's not a mystical land like Never, Never Land! Swaziland truly exists. You can find it on any map of Africa!

Anyways, moving on! My first month was spentoh I don't remember. It wasn't that grand. Nothing much really happened. If I can recall correctly, we had debrief and we had to train the new WRer's. Yeah, that was basically it. I must say, though, that it was really relaxing and chill. So that was good.

Then July started and I decided to tag up with the 61 girls to go do ministry together. My team, YETI, was all do individual things, so I said goodbye to them for the month and travelled with one awesome rag tag team of girls, TEAM 61!!!!

Our ministry for the month was working for this amazing program called Teen Challenge; it is an international program. So we were working out at one of the program's sites called Hwane Farms. This farm was remarkable. It seriously has to be one of the best programs I have ever been apart of. They take in abandoned kids and give them a place to live and to start anew. They take care of them physically, spiritually, and emotionally. They also teach them life skills like cooking and farming. They do all these things and more while still having the kids embrace in their Swazi culture.

Hwane Farms

So the girls and I spent our time there doing lots and lots of really cool things. In fact, during one of my first days being out there, a wild fire broke out and was starting to engulf several acres very near to the farm. So the girls and I grabbed some bushy branches and headed out with the farms workers to go help extinguish the blazing fire. It was insane! Grant it, it was very devastating, but also thrill rush ;)!

Other than fighting fires, during the day while the kids were at school, we would either sort clothes or do a painting project for the farm. Then when the kids would get home, we would play with them or tutor them in their studies, which were almost always math, which I utterly love! So that was really good! Then at nights, the girls and I would cook up some food, and then have a little dance party afterwards while cleaning. You can't top having random dance parties in the kitchen.

Also, I should mention, that where we were was ridiculously cold! It really was. It definitely would get below freezing at nights, and that poor orange jacket of mine was pretty much paper thin. So that definitely wasn't keeping me too warm. Luckily, though, the farm had lots of warm give away clothes. So the team and I stocked up and kept warm.

Anyways, one of the really great things about being out at this place was the fact that I could communicate with the kids. They all knew English. So I could actually get to hear their stories and to really be able to build a relationship with them. It was very refreshing. Hearing these kid's stories was mind blowing. Most of them have gone through more life difficulties and challenges than most people could ever imagine. Most of their stories were very haunting and mind blowing. You hear stories of these kids getting burned and buried alive. You hear of an absurd amount of physical and sexual abuse. Many of them also have AIDS. Yet, you hear all these things, but if you met any of these kids today, you would have never been able to guess so. You look at each one of them and they are so joyful and healthy. Oh and they are so fun too!

All I know is that those kids at Hwane are champions and extraordinary in every way! I will always treasure my time with them.

Thanks Hwane, Kevin, all of Teen Challenge including Bulumbu, and Team 61 for giving me the best month on the race!

Pics of Swazi

Sat, 28 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Here are some pics that I have coveted from the other girls websites.

The wild fire!

Above is a pic of the Teen Challenge in Bulumbu. The teen challange there is like a bible school. We stayed with them for a couple of days. They were awesome!

A pic of us with this incredible missionary family from the States! Karen and Randy, you are the best!

Top 10 Things I Never Thought I Would Become Accustomed to!

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Top 10

Eating fruit, bread, and other food that has fallen to the dirt ground or floor ground in foreign countries.

Eating unknown food and meat that still looks like shape of the animal, including hair and feathers, and eating all of it.

After showering, grabbing an unknown individual's towel that has probably been used repeatedly by the owner to dry off.

Sleeping in a sleeping bag for over 200 days straight.

Taking cold showers in cold weather.

Praising God when you see a real toilet and shower!

Being excited when you have a bowel movement!

Being excited when you don't have a B.M. after eating unknown foods!

Forgetting what privacy is and feels like!

Thanking God for making Starbucks international!

Death to My Pants

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Yesterday was a tragic day. I woke up, rolled out of bed, and grabbed the closest pair of pants I could find. These pants that I grabbed were my only real pair of nice pants that I own on this trip and they were the same pair that I had been wearing for almost 2 weeks straight. Don't worry they still smelled remotely decent! Anyways, I walked out of our room and went to church. Afterwards Emilie, Morgan, Jimmy, and I were playing volleyball, and it was a pretty intense game of bump ball. Oh yeah! During the course of this crazy intense game, Morgan hammered a spike ball at me. So I swooped down to dig it and as I did so, my pants tore right down the seam beginning at the crouch of the pants and it ended near my kneecap. It was quite devastating, but at least now I have great ventilation!

5 Countries. 0 Blogs!

Sat, 16 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Yep in the past 2 months I have been to 5 different countries and haven't blogged at all. Sorry about that.

Since leaving Peru, I have traveled to Argentina, London, South Africa, Mozambique, and now Swaziland. In most of those places, I was not there for more than a couple of days or so. We were basically just passing through or looking for contacts. However, we were in Mozambique for a couple of weeks.

Here's a pic of us crammed up for 13 hours traveling to Mozambique.

In Mozambique, we were sent there to go do hurricane relief ha ha or so we thought. When we arrived there our first day, the locals told us that most of the relief work had been done already. So that meant that we had to change our plans and come up with something else to do for the month in Mozambique. So my team decided to go into the Bush, which meant traveling to small villages out in the middle of no where. So for the next couple of weeks we traveled in and out of the Bush. We spent our time in the Bush preaching, teaching, praying, watching our food get slaughtered, visiting the sick, peeling peanuts, reading, learning African dance moves, and discipling.

Also during our time in Mozambique, I had to say goodbye to one of my teammates/good friends. She was a cool girl and will/is deeply be missed. Amanda Millington, if you are reading this, you are missed and loved sister!

After that, we cruised to Swaziland where we have been for over 2 weeks helping train the new World Racers. All of us are staying in the same house. It is definitely chaotic at times, but for the most part it feels like summer camp or something being around this many peers attending seminars, fighting over the bathroom, playing ultimate Frisbee and having late night dance parties in the kitchen.

So that's been my life for the past 2 months. It has been crazy, but it has been so much fun, except for the days that the side effects from my malaria pills kick in and cause me to hate everyone and everything. Boy those were interesting days ;)!

Bush experience #1

Sat, 16 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Here's a more detailed experience of what had happened in Mozambique.

During our first trip out to the Bush, all that was there was a couple of cut down trees holding up a tarp and about 20 africans singing and praising God at the top of their lungs welcoming us to their church. For the next couple of days, we just hung out there preaching and peeling peanuts with the women, and we saw no other human life other them; however we did see plenty of the biggest bugs/spiders I have ever seen in my life!!! It was ridiculous! One of the spiders I saw could have ate my face! Anyways, it was fun and the women taught me how to dance. Yep, now I am officially African ;)!

Also while we were out there, we led a bible study once with the pastor and some of the church members, and we came to find out that they know nothing, absolutely nothing about the bible or about Jesus. All they knew was that there was a God named Jesus and that He required them to go around and to tell people about Him. So yeah, for over a year they have just been going out and telling people about Jesus and telling them to come to their church, and that's it. Whats so weird is that they loved worshipping Him. Worshipping was all they ever did and thats all they knew how to do other than witnessing. Whats also crazy was that despite their lack of knowledge, you could tell their hearts were so much for Him.

So after that we learned they knew nothing about the bible, we had intense discipleship time with them because we only had one more day with them. We took them through the whole gospel and through some of the Old Testament.

Yep, so that was our first experience out in the bush.

Bush Experience #2

Sat, 16 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

For our next Bush experience, we headed out to this village somewhere in the middle of Mozambique. We stayed there for 4 days.

When we arrived the pastor arranged for us to do a church program, which was a service all day long day every day while being there and to play with the orphans there.
So for our first day, we preached all day long, ate about 6 times, and watched the goat we ate get slaughtered in front of us. It was quite traumatizing and the meat wasn't even that good! Anyways, later that evening, I went to go sit next to the orphans at the fire. We started playing Simon Says kind of and we ended the game yelling 'QUAKE QUAKE QUAKE" while clapping like as in the Mighty Ducks. So that was fun.

The next day we went to the local clinic/hospital to go visit people. While we were there, I started walking around the hospital and I saw this girl from a distance lying on the cold concrete hallway floor. At first glance I thought she was disabled because of the way her body was twisted up on the floor, but I came to realize that she wasn't. As I walked closer, I realized that she suffering from severe severe SEVERE starvation. I have never seen anyone like that before in my life other than on TV. Granted I have seen starved people before in Africa, but this tops the cake. She seriously was skin and bones. I could see every bone in her body protruding. No joke! So I sat down right next to her waiting for my translator to come so I could talk with her. When he came, I came to find out that her name was Sandra and that she had been like this for weeks. She told me that her whole family was dead and that she was alone.

Whenever she talked her voice was very raspy and you could tell she was really straining to make words come out of her mouth. So I didn't keep her talking for long, but I felt led to sit by her. As I looked into her young maybe 20 aged face, I started wondering when the last time she was gently touched. So I began to gently rub her head, which was covered by a beanie. I just sat there for an hour rubbing her head and back and hoping that she would know that she was loved.

After a while, we had to leave, but my heart broke because I knew that would be the last time I would see her again. I said good bye and I told her to come find me when we are in heaven together.
Since we have left Mozambique, I haven't been able to stop thinking about Sandra. My hope is to find a way to get her out of there. So that's my goal for the next couple of weeks.

Christianitys a Cult, What... rice again, & Yes, there is a God

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Catchy title I think!!!!! The three things describe in this title are actually real thoughts I have had these past couple weeks here in Peru.

Well, my experience in Peru has been an interesting one. I have had some really great moments and some pretty "kick in the shin" moments. There have been times where I have just wanted to grab my bag and head straight to Brazil to get the heck out of here, and at other moments, and most of my moments I couldnt have thought about being anywhere else but here.

So, the first part of my experience here in Peru wasnt a good one. I got here and was sick for almost two weeks. I couldnt eat anything but crackers, if even that at times. So that was a bummer. Also, the ministry that they had us doing here, I wasnt too big of a fan. We were going out preaching at schools, doing door to door evangelism, which is going around to peoples homes and sharing your faith, and we were handing out tracts, which are small pieces of paper that talk several things about Christianity. Now I have done this kind of ministry before, but for some reason, this time around I could not stand it at all. It wasnt that it was hard for me to, but it was because I didnt agree with it.

I remember going around to someones house and talking with the lady there and trying to get to know her, but something happened and it ended up not being about building a relationship with her and loving her, it was about telling her this formula to get this formula god, so we can get more people into this club called Christianity. Granted, I dont think that is what Chrisitianity and evangelism is about, but thats how looked and felt to me. I remember the people that I was with saying a prayer for her to repeat so she can become a Christian, and while this was happening I was bawling and praying against her to say that prayer. I didnt want her to receive this formula god. I wanted her to receive this HUGE God that is not programmable. I wanted her to know the God that genuinely loves her and cares for her, because He did because I could feel it when I looked at her. I didnt know how to communicate this to her because of the language barrier so I did what I could by praying and hugging her, but overall I felt defeated and hopeless.

So after we left that womans house, I just crashed. I kept thinking over and over about that experience and about several other experiences I had during the week that we were leading me to believe that we were a cult . So at this time, I began packing my bags for Brazil, but a couple of teammates ganged up on me and convinced me to stay. So I did. Luckily, I was still getting sicker and sicker so my team leader sent me away to recover at a local missionaries house. While I was there, I just began praying hardcore for God to speak truth into my life. I needed to hear from Him that He was real and that He was this HUGE and gracious God that I think Him to be, and that this all hasnt been made up, because otherwise I was done; I was done with being a Christian.

So for a couple of days, I prayed, and no answer came. I did every kind of mediation and listening method I could think of to hear God out, but nothing. So after a couple of days of nothing, I finally just brokedown. I couldnt understand why He wasnt speaking, because I had honestly thought that He had before in my life numerous times. Also, I have always been told that God was a gracious God and that He wants to talk to us, but now when my faith was depending on it... there was nothing. So after not hearing from Him, I started to ponder what I should do next. I started thinking about going home and living a meaningless life that was filled to have fun so I could keep being happy, so then that would distract me from the harsh truth of life being empty and not eternal. At that realization, I realized that I couldnt just give up yet on God. I needed Him to be real in my life; otherwise, whats the point in living, I thought.

So the next day, I returned back to the group and the next evening we had a church service. While at the service, the pastor there wanted to share words from God to people there. So the pastor came over to me, not knowing anything about me or my situation. When he did, I just began praying that God would speak through him to me, and you know what..... He did! God used him to answer my question and more, and there was no way the pastor could have been known any of these things he said to me. So that was pretty sweet!!!! So yep, there is a God. I dont know about you, but that is pretty BIG!

So after that moment things drastically changed. I no longer think Christianity is a cult, phew! Granted, I still dont agree with certain things, but Im learning how to work with these things and to learn how to allow Him to be real and to work in these situations.

Alive in Peru

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Sorry folks. I've been a little behind in my blogging lately.... sorry about that!

Well, two weeks ago my team and I arrived in Lima, Peru. We arrived at 2 in the morning to a large group of Peruvian's greeting us with lots of kisses and hugs. It was quite nice! Then the following day the race took place, which my team ended up taking first place... "go team go"! Due to a small communication error amongst my team, I was an able to race with them. Kari, my other teammate, and I got serperated from them and had our own day of fun and exploration. We went to the beach, ate ice cream, had 2 guys attempt to steal one of our bags, which they were unsuccessful, and enjoyed a nice peaceful day. After that, squad B departed from us and headed up to the Andes, while we, squad A, remained here in Lima working together at a local church.

So far I greatly enjoy the people and the community at the church. They have our group going out into the community talking to people, talking at schools, and running several services at the church. I haven't been able to do too much of that because I've been sick almost every day since we arrived. I have some weird stomach flu or something. It's not the most fun thing in the world! I'm fine for the most part except for when I eat, and then it's no beuno. Hopefully, my day of being healthy should be some where in the near future.

That's pretty much all that's been going on here. Some fun things have also happened such as going to surfing, drinking some yumminess from Starbucks, and getting to play in the worship band as the drummer. So that's been fun!

Alright, well stay tuned in until the next time.

A Human Jungle Gym

Fri, 9 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Last Tuesday a fellow missionary in Pana, named Bill, came to me and asked me if I could go with him to go build a table for this local poor family he knew in town. He had caught word from my teammates that I knew how to build things. So I went with him this one afternoon to go meet the family and to go see what wood they had for me to work with to build them a table, because they had no table of their own.

When I arrived at the families home, five kids came flying around the corner to see their new guests. They instantly grabbed hold of me wanting me to play with them, and my heart instantly fell for them as they fought for my attention and love. For some weird reason, I guess I apparently look like a human jungle gym, because every kid I meet wants me to throw them, to swing them, or to jump on my like I was tree. Anyways, I end up spending several hours at their house playing with the kids and discovering their story.

This family was a family of 9, which consisted of a grandmother that had a son and a daughter, and the daughter then had 6 children. The son and the daughter were both young. The daughter was only 25 and the son was still in high school. So there was no man of the house.

So as we departed for the evening, Bill and I decided to return the next day to build the table. So the following day, I returned to start designing this sweet new table. Thanks to Lone Tree Mexico Missions where I worked and learned my mad carpentry skills building homes... that is Lone Tree located in Southern New Mexico, which is the best camp for any junior high or high school aged youth group or individual. Okay, I'm not promoting or anything, right :)!!!! Anyways, I spent the afternoon building with Bill and the kids. Bill and I taught the kids how to hammer and to saw. It was a hoot!

After we finished the table, the kids and the family were so delighted. The kids began playing, jumping and dancing on it... all I know is that thank goodness it was a sturdy table! So that was fun.

Here's a photo of the finished product and the kids!

The following week, Bri, Kari and I went with Bill to go play in the water with the kids and to drink milk smoothies. Check out Bri's blog for some photos.

Then on this past Wednesday, I went by the family's house to say goodbye because I was leaving the next day to get begin debrief and to bring the family a delicious lemon meringuie pie that Eric and Jon so nicely backed for them. Okay, so know this... I know very little spanish and they know no english at all other than "ear" and "hair"! So I didn't expect to stay long, but that didn't happen. Well, I got their and the kids just ran to me with open arms and with excited spirits. They were so excited to see the delicous treat I had for them. So they eageraly ran to the newly built table awaiting to devour the delightful gooing pie.

I ended up staying with them to partake in the devouring of the pie. Again, I thought it was going to be awkward because of the lanuage barrier, but not communicating verbally didn't matter. We sat around the table learning each others languages. They did their best to teach me their native toungue, which is not Spanish, and I did my best not to look like a complete fool not being able to make their clinking noises or their rolling of the "r" in their words, but I did... oh well!!!! Afterwards, it was back to being the human jungle gym. All the kids just wanted to play. So I spent the next half hour or more just playing, too. What was hard was that the eldest girl, which was probably 12 and was close to my size, wanted me to be able to swing her and to throw her around like her other sibblings.... um yeah, that was interesting, but somehow it happened! I think I almost dropped her on her head like two times, oops! Anyways, they wore me out pretty good, and then it was time to say goodbye.

I began saying my goodbyes and they began shouting hasta manana, thinking that I will be returning the next day, which I knew I wouldn't be, but I didn't know how to explain to them that I won't be returning possibly forever. So that was also interesting and very hard. My eyes began to water as they escourted me back to the main street hopping, smiling, and laughing. I said my last goodbye and began walking home, and that was the last time I saw them.

Address

Thu, 1 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Just in case you all haven't heard... you can send me letters at:

Ginger Cupit c/o AIM

6000 Wellspring Trail

Gainesville, GA 30506

I will receieve those every couple of months while out on the race.

Also, if you would like to send Air Mail like a package or a letter to Peru we will be there from mid-March through the 3^rd week in April. Check with your post office to see when you should send it, or you can start sending it now because we will be there in 2 weeks. The address is:

Ginger Cupit c/o Robert Cooley

Calle San Carlos Del Pinar 228 Dpto 401

UR Villa Jardin San Luis Lima

Peru

If you are looking for any ideas to send me something.... I'm never opposed to

*Chai- preferabbly the Big Train vanilla/spice mixture or if you can't find that, Mystic Chai or whatever else is good, I guess.
*Gum
*Homebaked stuff
*Things like Saviors to suck on.
*Granola Bars- preferabbly the mixed fruit and nut, but whatever... I am flex- I am a World Racer!!!
*Any incredible books, but just remember that I have to be able to carry it around in my backpack
*A letter professing your great love for me, etc... just kidding!

But please do not let this list limit you. Send whatever you feel like sending.
Okiedokie, thanks everyone!

God Speaks

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Since I began the World Race, I have been having some of most ridiculous dreams of my life, and no, I am not on any medications or drugs that would induce these wacky dreams. Anyways, I have been having dreams of demons, and yes, I did just say "dreams of demons," and never before have I ever dreamt of demons, but now out of the blue I was.

Well, in these dreams that I have had, the demons have always been chasing after me. They never were able to get me or never was I afraid of them in any of these dreams, but in the morning when I would wake up, I would be a little freaked out, and who wouldn't if they had evil chasing them down.

So I told my teammates about my dreams, and they prayed over me. After they prayed over me, I stopped having these dreams, but a couple of days later I had another ridiculous dream. However, this dream was quite different, and I want to share it with you all!

So in this dream that I had, I dreamed that my team and I were out walking in this dry and hot place trying to find this small mountain that had treasure in it. When we got to the mountain, the mountain mysteriously shook opened. So I took off running inside of it. There was all this gold and beautiful treasure everywhere, but none of it appealed to me. Somehow I knew there was something more desirable for me at the very top of this mountain in the inside. It was kind of like the treasure scene in the movie Aladdin. Anyways, I kept trudging up the mountain till finally I got up into this small room, and within this small room was this ATM looking machine, and this weird machine was built by God, so He could speak through it; however, no one could just access it. It was only built for God to speak to one specific person, and that one specific person was me. So I started to pray and then all of a sudden God began to speak to me through the machine. Yes... God spoke in an audible voice. It was glorious, and His voice wasn't like the Wizard of OZ voice; it was just a normal males voice, except it was soothing and gentle. He went on to tell me several things... things in which I am not going to share with you all, but let's just say He loves me very much :)! Anyways, in the middle of Him talking to me, I was awoken by noises outside. What a bummer, but I didn't want this dream to end, so I prayed that the dream would continue when I would fall back to sleep. To my great surprise, it did! After talking to God a little more, I was moved to this great library. After walking around in this great library for a while, a huge army began to surround it wanting to take me captive. I began to run, but before they could catch me this human figure with wings came and swept me up. The army began shooting at us, but nothing could hurt us. We kept flying, and I came to discover that this creature was protecting me because I had either a message that was going to help me lead many people or an answer that was going to help save a lot of people. I'm not quite for sure which one it was, but it was something to that effect.

So yeah, that was my dream. It was pretty sweet! I only hope I can have another dream where God speaks to me again.

New Family

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Eric, Jon, Kari and I had the amazing opportunity to go love on and to share Christ with the people in nearby village the other day. It was awesome.
Here's a picture of the Nimachie family, which are our new brothers and sisters in Christ. Praise God for the new family and for allowing my team to be apart of revealing His love to His children!

Volcano Video

Fri, 9 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Yesterday Squad A and I traveled to a nearby active volcano. I got some sweet footage! So check it out at the link below.
My poor angels always have to work overtime!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzG5XZ5dRF4

World Race Videos

Thu, 8 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Hey, check out the latest World Race videos at:

http://www.youtube.com/theworldrace

Uhh... where am I???

Mon, 5 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Alright, so here's the latest scoop on what has happened these past couple of days.....
Last Friday, both squad A and B from the World Race got together to debrief for 2 days in a small village outside of Palenque, before racing to Guatemala.

While debriefing, everyone went to this sweet waterfall to have fun. Our motto is, "Work hard, PLAY hard." So we went and played hard. A couple of us, while there, managed to go into this cave within the fall. Now this cave isn't like a pansy cave.... this cave was humongous! So we went exploring with our little headlamps through this cave. In some parts of the cave, we had to trudge through water that was up to my lips and had to fight off hundreds of bats and their feces. So that was pretty wicked amazing! I can't say I ever expected to do that in Mexico :)!

After our little adventure, the actually debriefing began. Everyone started to share their cool God stories that had happened to them for the past two and a half weeks.
It was really encouraging to hear of what all God had done, but another part of me (aka my flesh) was a bit saddened. The reason I was saddened was because I was surrounded by people that had all these "cool" stories of God doing these miraculous things like healing people and people coming to know Him. Now me on the other hand, didn't have these really "cool" things to say or at least do not seem as "cool". Basically all I did was play with kids and love on them the best I could.

At that moment, I knew that I did all I could and that what I did was just as amazing as what the other people did, but I couldn't make myself believe it. Since I've been on this trip and even on prior mission trips, I feel so much pressure to be this amazing Christian that has all these great stories for eveyone and that when things aren't going that great, I still must find something positive to say about God, even when I don't want to.
I feel like when I do just say a story and kinda make it sound better than what really happened so I can have a great story and when I talk about God with empty words from my heart, than I am just being fake, and then that is causing those around me to get sucked into feeling like they have to have great stories too.

So with that being said.... I am putting an end to that. I want to be comfortable with wherever God has me and whatever He has me doing. If that's doing something as little as sitting with a kid for an hour playing silly games or doing something big as sharing Jesus with someone, and that's what God's will is for me, then I want to be content and I want to be doing it with every inch of my soul. Whenever I am doing God's will, then I am living that "great" story. End of sentence! Also, whoever determined what "little" or "big" meant was anyways.!

So when you read my blogs from here on out, I'm not going to sugar coat them or to use empty words about God, which I haven't yet, and I must say the temptation has been greatly there. I am going to share with you the real and true God I know. If that real and true God isn't good enough, then I don't know what is.

Okay, one more story before I go.

So, my team and I arrived last night into Antigua, Guatemala, and this morning we finished our race, which the race consisted of us racing to this hilltop and praying for an hour in Antigua, and then running to the center of the city to finish the race. We ended up taking 3rd, which I am totally thankful for. Anyways, on with the story.... Well afterwards, I was walking around trying to find an ATM. As I was looking for one, I came across this frail and petite woman that was begging for money and who was carrying a small teenager on her back. The teenager I saw was mentally disabled and was 3/4 her size. I couldn't believe how she was carrying him. At first I didn't know what to do, because I couldn't speak the language and I had no money, but I did have my credit card. So with my broken spanish and hand signals, I asked her if she wanted food. She said yes, so we went out scrounging for food. After a minute or two, we found a restraunt, and it was a Buger King of all places. We went in, she was still carrying the boy on her back, and we ordered some food. After getting the food we all sat down together. I started using all the spanish I knew... I think that lasted about 2 or 3 minutes :)! Then I just sat with them and smiled and began praying over them silently. What was weird was that it didn't feel awkward because sometimes in those moments they can be. All I know was that I felt so blessed to be sitting with them. My whole body and soul was just overwhelmed with joy. So we just sat in joyful silence, but later my teammate Annie came by and I yelled at her to come in because she knew spanish, so then we were able to have a conversation with the woman.

Annie and I came to find out that she was 51 and has 8 kids. Her eldest was 40... so that means she was a 11 when she has her first one. That is ridiculous! We also found out that she was on her own watching over her youngest, the teenaged boy, which was 19 years old, but doesn't look much older than 12.
After chatting with the woman for a while, I asked her if I could pray for her. She permitted me to, so I prayed over the woman and her son, and then Annie and I departed.

Right now, I pray and I ask that you all pray that I get to run into her again and get a chance to be blessed by being with her and her son and by serving them. Also, pray that God will send more people her way to receive the same great opportunity that I did.

Seeing through God's eyes

Thu, 1 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Something bizarre and wonderful happened last week. My team and I were walking around meeting new people, and we came across an elderly woman that wanted us to pray for healing over her.
So we went inside her house and began praying. Usually in these kinds of moments, I typically tend to pray to get the job done. I pray without thinking much about the individual. Well, this time it was different. As I began to pray for this elderly Mexican woman that I had only known for about 2 minutes, something happened. I had opened my eyes while praying, and no longer did I see this unknown Mexican woman, I began to see this beautiful and dazzling sister in Christ. All of a sudden I had this overwhelming love consume my body, and all I wanted was to for my sister to be healed. My heart just broke for her in a very intimate way, as if it were broken for a close friend or family member. So I began praying without ceasing until I couldn't pray anymore.
Well we didn't get to see her miraculously healed right then and there, even though I am confident that she will be soon, but God still did a miraculous work. He allowed me to see someone through His eyes, and it was one of the best things I have ever experienced in life.

The life of the missionary!

Thu, 1 Feb 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Today, my team and I left Aguilar to come back to the city to begin debriefing and to start prepping for Guatemala. Last night, we had to say our goodbyes to the lovely little village we had been staying in. For the past two and a half weeks, my teammates and I had been pouring ourselves out to the people there trying to build relationships and to pour out our hearts to them. But, now after giving our hearts to them, it was time to leave and to say goodbye. It was hard, and I have come to realize that I am going to have a whole year like this... I do believe this is going to be a challenge and I only pray that my team and I will be ready for it.

So this past week and a half, I have hiked various mountains, swam in the nearby river, sang and danced to a lot of cheesy kid songs, chased down a many kid or two to tickle them, swang kids in my arms in circles repeatedly over and over to the point where I am ridiculously dizzy and about to fall over, and gourged myself on the most delectable tamales I have ever ate in my life.... and yes, this was my life!

There had been days, though, that I hadnt felt like swinging or dancing or playing or really doing much of anything, but when I saw the kids and heard them shouting Geen-Gahover and over so I can hold them or play with them, those feelings always seem to quickly fade away. But now, it is on to the next adventure. I know I am going to miss the people and the kids like crazy, but I am blessed to have gotten to experience them! Thanks Aguilar!!!!!

A little tootie tot action!!!!

Wrecked for the Ordinary

Sat, 27 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Here is something that some people back home have been working on. It is an online magazine that brings some of the radical stories from the World Race and other places, capturing the essence of a surrendered life to Christ, to challenge and awaken America. Please share this with your friends, family, and church members:

www.wreckedfortheordinary.com

Training

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Before we left for our ministry last week, we were training in a village called Palenque. We spent our mornings listening to an incredible speaker, and then we spent our afternoon doing errands, going to the internet, or attempting to build relationships in town. Then later in the evenings, we would attend another seminar listening to another great speaker.
If you ever get the chance to listen to Gary Black or Andrew Sherman talk, you should, because both of them are amazing men of God. They greatly blessed me.
Anyways, during that whole week, I found myself struggling. I was struggling a lot with my faith. For the past couple years, I got sucked into always "doing" things for my faith rather than just "being" with God. Doing bible studies, running meetings, praying, worshipping, having a ministry, going to church and going on mission trips became my priority and not God. All these things are great, but when you are just "doing" them to just to do them and are focusing on them more than falling in love with Jesus everyday, then there is a problem.
Here I was, though, on another mission trip about to go around the world to go "do" for Christ. I almost lost it. I couldn't handle thinking about going and sharing with people the love of Christ with a heart that didn't believe the things that were being said. All I knew was that something needed to happen and to change pretty quickly because I was being sent out in a couple of days to go "do" ministry, and the only thing I knew to do was to pray and to have others join me in prayer about it.
So for the rest of the week, I spent my time in prayer and learning how to just "be" with Jesus. Okay, so it wasn't as easy as I thought it was going to be because excited Christians' surrounded me all the time and I was feeling like "blah," and I all wanted was just to feel like them, but through the grace and strength of God, He allowed me to endure and He revealed Himself to me in a very real and powerful way.
"You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart," Jer 29:13
It has been a week and they have sent us off to go "do" ministry. The funny thing is, during the whole week, I never once felt like I was "doing" ministry, but just living and living my faith out before people. That's it. So praise God, and keep praying that this will be how it will be for the rest of the year.

Aguilar

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

For the past week, I have gotten to experience a joy that knows no bounds. For the past week, my team and I have been playing, praying and loving on a small community called Aguilar.
The community is located in a valley within a rainforest. Um it is completely gorgeous.
Since we have arrived, we have been without a translator and were left with leading a youth and adult service everyday for a local church where no one speaks any English. Luckily we have two people in the group that speak a little Spanish. So I guess that's better than nothing.
At first I was pretty worried about how we were going to be able to build relationships with the people because of the language barrier, but as we went out into the community the first day and were greeted with open hearts and friendly smiles, that worry quickly began to change, especially when we met all the kids.

As we were walking around the first day, I saw a group of girls in a field doing cartwheels. So as a fellow wanna-be-cartwheeler, I went to go join them. Most of them fled as they saw me approaching, but one brave girl decided to stick around. She should have known better to trust a crazy blonde "gringa." So we began doing cartwheels together and as we were doing them, a mass crowd of kids began to surround us. So I stopped to greet them, and again, they took off running. This time, though, I took off running after them, and not in some scary kind of way like a weirdo. All the kids went running, and they got the hugest thrill out of it. It was so much fun, but oh how I regret doing that later in the week, because chasing them for 20min or more everyday has become a routine now. Well at least I know I'll be in good shape when I leave this place!!!

Anyways, later that day, we put on our first youth service. A lot of kids attended. At first they were all shy, distant and quiet, but that didn't last very long when we started playing games. Now it's hard for us to get them to be quiet, to settle down, and to let us have some personal space!
So everyday we have just been playing with kids and loving on them. Even though we can't understand each other, it doesn't stop us from enjoying one another. My teammates and I might not be able to hear their stories or be able to share in words who Christ is, but we can still show them the love of Christ through spending time with them and loving on them.