I have spent the past two months ministering in both Kenya and Uganda. My days in Kenya were filled traveling hut-to-hut in local villages sharing the gospel with people in their home. I learned that the church in Kenya is miles wide, but only inches deep. They are more interested in greater numbers than sincere relationships with Christ. It was a great opportunity to instill in the Christian leaders of the community the importance of discipleship. My time in Uganda was spent at Child Voice, which is an organization providing a rehabilitation program for former child soldiers who are now teen mothers. It was an incredible opportunity to live life beside these women as they receive back their lives that were once stripped of them. To see the joy that they found in the Lord amidst their circumstance was remarkable.

The past two months of the race were spent well, but unfortunately I was not living well. Leading up to the race I heard that guys tend to loose weight on the trip given the lifestyle involved. Already being a skinny dude, I questioned where weight would even come from if I were to loose it. But sure enough, the weight loss began month one in Ukraine. I lost a good ten pounds during my three months spent in Europe. Although this was far from an ideal situation, up to this point it was merely a self image issue and not a health issue. The beginning of Africa however was where I first began to question whether or not what I weighed was ok. I noticed after swinging four kids around, I was exhausted. Going to fetch water from the well or playing a game of soccer were activities that became out of the question. I found myself just wanting to lie around in my hammock instead of participating in ministry. Not only was I eating food that had no nutritional value, but I found myself not able to finish meals due to a gag reflex that would trigger before I was even full. This was not a new issue for me, but dealing with this in Africa was causing me to whither away. My baseline for how I felt physically each day was significantly worse than ever before which began to take a toll on me mentally. Due to me being uncomfortable in my own skin, anxiety and irritability became more prevalent in my life which made for poor living. Ultimately, I felt as if I was not living well. Half way through Uganda I had the opportunity to weigh myself at a Ugandan clinic. I weighed in at 118 pounds. Although this did not surprise me, it made my situation a lot more real. Sure I felt a lack of strength and energy on a daily basis. I noticed that I had dropped three belt holes since the beginning of the race. But now placing a number on my weight loss brought all that I was experiencing into reality. I began to question if the way I was living was okay.

During this time of experiencing a decline in my health, I really began to seek where the Lord was in all of this. Why was my body responding the way it was due to a lifestyle I am certain God called me to? I thought about the first missionaries to East Africa who packed their belongings in coffins because they knew they were going to die from disease. I asked the Lord if this was my coffin? Is this what I need to suffer through for the sake of the gospel? The more I pushed into the Lord, the more I realized that what I was going through was unnecessary. For almost two months I had been questioning a peace that I had. It was a peace about Uganda being my last month on the race. It was a peace that I needed to stop fighting and start following. I began to talk to nurses and nutritionists back home that understand missions and the lifestyle involved. They understand Christ and the suffering that he endured. The overall consensus was that my situation was incredibly unhealthy and potentially dangerous. It was agreed that I was living a lifestyle that was unfortunately not conducive to me getting much better. It was recommended that I go home. In following the peace I have from the Lord, the support I have from my family and squad, and the advice I received from specialists in America, I have decided to return home. 

This decision has been the hardest of my life. It has been one that I agonized over for two months straight. It has not been a pleasant process, but it has been a fruitful one. The intimacy that I formed with the Lord as a result of my circumstance was unlike anything of my past. The Lord is using this process to break off fear of man in my life, even as I type this blog. And the faith that I have to step into coming home is greater than the faith it took to begin the World Race. But the confidence I have in my decision and the unquestionable peace that reigns in my heart is where I find my comfort. Because of my certainty I know the Lord has a plan for me here at home. I can be confident in the promise that I am a life in His hands. Thank you for all of your support and I trust that you will continue to support me prayerfully as I follow the Lord home. 

For our month in Ireland my team lived in a hostel in Dublin. Although we were working with Dublin Christian Missions and The Lighthouse, the hostel was a huge area of ministry for us. This was my first experience in a hostel and I fell in love with it. I just love the idea of meeting people from all corners of the world and building relationships with them during the multiple week stay at the hostel. Hopefully through these relationships they can encounter Jesus and then they go back home or to another country. In theory, this is sending fruit around the world. Pretty neat opportunity.

During our last week in the hostel I met Thomas. Thomas is a 26 year old guy from Poland. I met him in the courtyard and he heard I was a Christian from America so he wanted to chat. He sat me down and out of his mouth spilled his life story. His life was very average, yet successful until he got wrapped up with the wrong crowd in college. It was there that he began his heroine practices that led to a serious addiction. His addiction drained all of his income, caused him to loose his job, and in the end left him without a home of his own. Other decisions he made in his past have left his body suffering from some pretty serious diseases. Due to the lack of care he was giving to his body, he was slowly dying. He shared his desire to get clean though. He was on the waiting list for free drug rehab, but that usually takes six to twelve months to get into. Meanwhile he has to continue doing heroine everyday to survive which is pretty frustrating to someone who has no desire to live that way anymore. He was a slave to his addiction. Although I felt like I could offer no assistance to his addiction, I knew where he could get free meals and clothes since all he owned at the moment were the clothes on his back and enough cash to stay at the hostel for a few nights. I sent him to The Lighthouse the following night and that was the last I saw of Thomas for a few days. I wondered what ever happened to him.

The night before my team was leaving Dublin, Thomas showed up at the door of the hostel asking to speak to me. He was not allowed in because apparently management kicked him out earlier in the week. I went outside to chat and he told me some crazy news. He said the night I sent him to The Lighthouse he met a man that changed his life. This guy is in charge of a free drug rehab program in Dublin and had a person drop out that morning. Although normally the next person on the waiting list would take this position, he offered it to Thomas. I made sure Thomas knew how crazy this was. I made him realize there was a reason he was offered this opportunity and not others. I made him realize there is a God who has huge plans for his life, first of which is to free him from addiction. So all Thomas needed was a bus ticket to the rehab center outside of town. I agreed to meet him outside my hostel at 6am the following morning to go buy the ticket.

I walked out of my hostel bright and early the next morning and there was Thomas waiting for me on the steps. The first words out of his mouth were, "Matt, I want to be free." I nearly fell over at the sight of Thomas that morning. Here was a man who has been a slave to heroine for years. A man who's sin has destroyed his life. But he stood before me filled with joy knowing that freedom was on the horizon. Our walk to the bus station was amazing. We talked about what life will look like when heroine is no longer in control. We then talked about the true source of freedom that is available for his life. I told him that whoever the Son sets free is free indeed. There is more freedom available for Thomas. I prayed and asked him to remember the God who opened this door for rehab and to consider giving his life back to the one who died for it. Please join me in praying for Thomas. 

The third week in Ireland we worked with Dublin Christian Missions at their annual family camp. This was held out in the countryside of Ireland, so for the first time I was able to see the rolling hills and the traditional Ireland scenery pictured on most postcards. I am typically against camping, but when I saw a rainbow stretching from hill-top to hill-top, I suddenly didn't mind sleeping in my tent. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous, but even more beauty was found in the atmosphere created when families came together to spend a week in community with each other.

Dublin Christian Missions runs an after school program to provide a safe place for children to play and do their homework. A community developed and out of that community birthed the idea of family camp to help build relationships with their parents. It is a place where families, Christian and non-Christian, can come together for a week to grow closer in relationship with one another and hopefully grow closer to the Lord. This year about ten parents chose to take a "holiday" together and spend it camping with their children. These families come from an area of Ireland plagued by violence and alcohol addiction. Some of the kids have seen murders with their own eyes. They come from a hard place. But for a week the parents are allowed to live free from the fear that their child may be in danger. Family camp was truly a refuge from the storm that is their lives.

At camp I met Danny. He is a fifteen year old boy who at the age of six months was diagnosed with Meningitis. The disease infected the right half of his brain causing Cerebral Palsy type characteristics down the left side of his body. The doctors said he would never be able to talk, but they were wrong. He shouted for joy as soon as he arrived at camp and introduced himself shortly after. Danny became my joy during family camp. Whether we were singing "Pharaoh Pharaoh" together or sharing a meal, I always knew I would find joy in Danny. Because of the way he was made, he could only express emotions in extremes. So when he was happy, he would either jump up and down or shout in delight at the top of his lungs. Danny's overflow of joy was what I lived off of all week.

Family camp was truly a haven. Danny's life at home in his community is quite rough. Because of his disability and the prejudice that is engrained in Ireland's culture, Danny is not accepted by other kids. He is not given opportunities that other children his age have. He is not invited to typical social events. He is excluded from most games. He is even physically and verbally abused by others because of his differences. But at family camp, the kids who typically throw rocks at Danny were choosing to accept him. The atmosphere provided at family camp changed relationships. True community was formed, a community that fostered an environment for people to encounter Jesus.

The families went back home at the end of the week. My prayer as they left was that the community they experienced that week would follow them home. That they would not go back to life as it existed before camp. The following Sunday we saw four families from camp at church that aren't typically there. Some were there for the first time. They also started an adult bible study together during the week. They are seeking God together in community outside of family camp. That is fruit. I believe everyone was created to live in community. I believe God exists in community. These families tasted true community for the first time and I don't believe they will be able to return to life as it was. 

The day after we arrived in Dublin we met with our ministry contacts for the first time. For the month my team was partnering with Dublin Christian Missions at the Lighthouse to reach out to the homeless population in the city. The Lighthouse is a soup kitchen open at night for the homeless to get a fee meal and clothes if needed. It is a place where these people are not only noticed, but preferred. It is a place where they are assured that the Lord has not forgotten them.

I only had to hear a few stories the first night to be completely broken for these people. One man's entire family is in another country which he can no longer return to for legal reasons. Oh and his wife is pregnant with his first and only child. So he feels helpless and alone. Another guy is addicted to heroine which is draining all of his income, keeping him without a roof above his head. I met his best friend at this time as well who professed he was an alcoholic. I asked him if he enjoyed waking up sick each morning as a consequence of his addiction and he said that was only a minor flaw of his current lifestyle. He was content being a drunk. I found out that these men either had issues I could not fix or absolutely no interest in receiving help. As I looked at their helplessness, I felt helpless myself. I wanted to change these people's lives through my own strength, but I had to realize once again that it is Christ that they need, not Matt.

After everyone had finished their meal on the first night I got to share a message of hope to the whole group. I preached out of Colossians and shared with them Christ's story of reconciliation for their lives. I shared the gospel with them because that was the best thing I had to offer as a remedy to their helpless situations. Did I see much fruit that night? No. But I was able to leave knowing they were aware of where their hope lies. That was a solid foundation to build off of in the weeks to come. 

We arrived in Dublin, Ireland on August 4^th and spent our first night sleeping on the airport floor. Not exactly the way I pictured my first night, but I'm on the world race and that stuff is to be expected. The tile floor treated me well for about 3 hours of sleep and then McDonalds was calling my name for a fattening breakfast. Not too much time went by before I found myself back in the McDonald's line for lunch. Once an American, always an American.

When we got to the hostel that afternoon we found out that Manchester United was playing the Ireland Airtricity League in the grand opening of their new stadium here in Dublin. Honestly I couldn't have asked for better news upon arrival. I threw my bag in the room and went straight to the store to purchase my ticket and of course an Ireland jersey for the game. I got one of the last tickets available. I was living a dream of mine and realized in that moment how great it was to be in Ireland.

We got back to the hostel to find an elderly man being thrown out for being drunk and apparently wetting the bed. We watched for a moment and then made our way up to the room. Jessica stood by the window and watched as the man stumbled his way down the back ally. He lost his footing on a curb and smashed his face against the cement. Jessica saw the man roll over with his head covered in blood. Jessica, Rachel and I ran out there as fast as we could with a roll of toilet paper that we figured we could use to clean up his face. We sat him up against the wall and started asking him basic questions to assess how with it he was after the fall. We learned that his name was David. He also informed us that he had too much to drink which to us was not breakthrough information. Once we got him sitting up and cleaned up, we attempted to continue conversation to keep him conscious while a local called for an ambulance. David had a rough day. He told us it wasn't just that day, but the whole year has been rough. Jessica prayed over him for freedom from his addiction and that he may find purpose and hope in the Lord. I was then able to look him in the eyes and share with him how much the Lord cares for him and desires to know him. It wasn't until I told David of the love the Lord has for him that he started shaking his head in denial. He couldn't believe that anyone would love him in the state he was in. I just repeated over and over again to him that he was the one God loves. The Lord calls him his beloved. That is who he is. That is his identity. His identity is not that he is a drunk, but that he is a son of the King. Just before the ambulance showed up David stopped denying what I was telling him and showed a little smile acknowledging the truth I was speaking over him. It was so good to see God breakthrough to him. That made for a fantastic first day in Ireland, but I still had the game at night.

The Manchester United game blew my freakin mind. The atmosphere surrounding the stadium reminded me of college football game day which was the best feeling in the world. We got into the stadium just in time for the opening ceremony. Manchester dominated, but everyone knew that was going to be the outcome. I had my first Guinness in Dublin at the game which was quite enjoyable. Overall it was a fantastic first day and I couldn't believe the Lord had me here in Dublin for the month to do ministry. The Lord is good and continues to bless every area of my life. 

Last month God taught me a difficult lesson about perseverance. He taught me a lot about relying on the Lord's strength and not my own. He called me out on my lack of faith. He showed me I was unsatisfied with my current relationship with the Lord and placed a burden on my heart to experience more of the Spirit. He revealed my insecurities. He showed me how important it is that I start focusing on Jesus in people and not their shortcomings. He pointed out my selfish desires in more situations than I was comfortable with. He walked with me through the darkness looming over the village and taught me how to be a light in those places. These lessons were not received easily. They made me uncomfortable. They made me want to run from my troubles. But God was faithful as always and brought me out of them in victory.

Philippians 3:16 "Only let us live up to what we have already attained."

This verse came alive to me last month with everything I was dealing with. Whether it was the darkness that surrounded me, my feelings of inadequacy, or my temptation to run from my issues, God assured me that I had everything I needed to face the day. He reminded me that the same Spirit that allowed the blind to see, the lame to walk, and the dead to rise lives inside of me. I already am what I am becoming. The Spirit is more than enough for my life. I learned that God doesn't call the equipped, but he equips the called. I am called to be a light in the darkness. I am called to see others and myself the way Jesus views his children. I am called to lay down my selfish desires and choose the cross. I am called to have faith like a child. And all these things would be impossible in my flesh, but thankfully I serve a God who equips the called. He has equipped me with the Spirit which allows me to live for something greater than myself. It allows me to live in a way unnatural to this world. I am privileged to be in the position that I am. So today I can walk in confidence knowing that with the Spirit I am more than enough.

So last month was tough. Personal growth came at the expense of life being extremely difficult. I am sorry if my blogs from Romania have been ambiguous, but to respect others I had to keep them that way. I am doing well though. I am more the man God is calling me to be after all that I experienced this past month. Thank you so much for your prayers and please keep them coming. 

I want to apologize for the lack of blog posts this past month. The internet situation is rough, but even more so it was a rough month for me personally. I am still processing a few things that I experienced here and more blogs will surely come. But for now here is a picture of what the month has looked like...

On July 13^th I arrived in Villa Tecii, Romania for month two of ministry. My team was paired up with the all girls team which meant Garrett and I were outnumbered 11 to 2. Let's just say we were never short on estrogen. We had a blast with them though serving and growing together as one body. Both teams were split up into three separate houses within the small village where we were to do ministry amongst the Gypsy people for the month. The village resides in a valley surrounded by beautiful green rolling hills. The people of Villa Tecii are extremely generous and were such a blessing to live and work amongst. However we found the village to be a dark place. We sensed a spirit of violence and oppression that influenced the community and held them captive. This was a difficult environment to live in, unlike anything I have ever experienced. But I realized we are called to be a light in the dark. We are called to be a lamp on a stand. Ministry would be pointless and boring if we just sought out the light and not the darkness. So we ministered in the darkness. For me this consisted of playing guitar for people in their homes, helping our contacts work around their house, speaking to church congregations, visiting and praying with families in their homes, loving on the children down by the corner store, giving children's messages in nearby villages, and going up on top of the hill early in the mornings to pray and speak life over the city. This was what my ministry looked like in a place where for so long I struggled to see where God was. But I found the Lord up on that hill. I found the Lord in the lives of our ministry contacts. I found the Lord when I heard stories of redemption from an oppressed people. I found the Lord in the beauty of nature that surrounds this place. The Lord is real and he is ever present. Jesus Christ lives in Villa Tecii.

On August 3^rd I will regroup with the entire squad in Bucharest, Romania and then head out at midnight on a flight to Dublin, Ireland! I am so stoked about ministry there. My team will be working with the homeless in Dublin for the entire month. Please pray for safe travels for our team. Also, we don't really have solid housing plans yet for the first week, so pray that God will provide once we get there. Thank you so much for all of your support!  

"YES I am from America and NO I don't know Justin Bieber"

We are finishing up our third week of softball camp here in the Ukraine and I continue to be entertained. The kids here are hilarious. Most of them have never seen an American before. What they know about the states comes from the influences of their American idols. For the girls it's Justin Bieber and for the guys it's Eminem and 50 Cent. These wouldn't be my first choices, but hey they can't influence them too much since no one here understands English. And they all assume we are friends with these people. Although that may be partially my fault since I did convince one kid that my teammate Garrett was T.I. I admit that might have been a questionable decision, but we got it straightened out.

It continues to weird me out how much they exalt us for being Americans. I have autographed more pictures, magazines, baseballs, tennis balls, arms, and faces than I am comfortable with. Most of the time I just have to laugh at the situation because that's the only way I know how to deal with it. However, when I am asked to sign a little boy's arm that has cut marks all on the inside, the laughing suddenly stops. I am reminded of the brokenness that floods Ukraine. I am reminded of the lack of satisfaction that these children must have with life. And I am reminded of why God has brought me to Ukraine.

Yesterday after autographing a few empty cigarette cartons, I asked a group of kids what they wanted to do when they grow up. I asked to hear their dreams. The response I got was incredibly depressing. They told me they had no dreams; no aspirations in life. The only plan I heard from them was to drink vodka the rest of their lives. This also came from a kid with the most self-inflicted cuts I have ever seen on someone's arm. Their response to my question absolutely broke my heart, but it was not shocking. That is all they know. Society in Ukraine revolves heavily around drinking. It is entirely common to see people passed out in the grass on the side of the road until they sober up enough to walk again. Along with alcohol, apparently cutting is a prevalent response amongst teenagers for the pain they feel in their lives as well. This is life here and for these kids it is the cycle they are familiar with. Thankfully God was able to speak through me to these kids and tell them they were made for more than what they are currently living for. It is only through hearing the gospel that they will be changed. This is how the cycle can be broken.

Like I said earlier, signing autographs for kids is awkward every time and never fails. However, I have learned to be thankful. These children come before me longing to hear me speak and I hold the truth of life that they are all searching in the wrong places for. It is an opportunity to redirect the spotlight off of myself, the American, and speak truth over their lives. As I signed one boy's hand, I told him how his very own name is not only signed, but engraved in the palm of the Lord. That is how special he thinks this boy is. That is how special he thinks all of these kids are. And I am so thankful that God has called me here to bring this message to ears who have never heard.

My first week of ministry has officially come to an end and it was certainly filled with both highs and lows. Ministry is difficult. The language barrier is frustrating. Fatigue is ever present. Feelings of inadequacy and home sickness have started to attack. God and I wrestled all week, but even when I was blinded by my struggles God remained faithful in showing himself to me. I am still sorting out my struggles, but I would like to share a story of God working from the past week.

This past Friday we were given the opportunity to administer an eyeglass clinic at a local church. This was a chance for people in the community to receive an eye exam and free pair of prescription glasses. It was also an opportunity to get them familiar with the local church and to experience the church loving them for no reason other than Christ. Nothing is free in the Ukraine, nothing at all. So when something so valuable is distributed for free, people begin to ask questions. This opened many wide doors to present the gospel.

Meet Sasha. Sasha is a fifty something year old man who lives down the street from where our eyeglass clinic was held. About fifteen years ago Sasha was in a car accident killing all of his friends in the vehicle. He has been hit with an axe in the head three times. He has multiple stab wounds across his body. A blow to the head by a steel bar has left a scar across his face. He has been to jail more times than anyone else in his town. He has no wife. He lives alone in a small house with no electricity because the money he earns is used to feed his alcohol addiction. This is Sasha and this is his life. Last Friday my teammate Garrett got a chance to meet Sasha.

Sasha is well known in the community and has had many encounters with the local pastor. He attends church every so often and is presented with the gospel quite frequently. He has heard it all and makes quite an effort to reject it whenever it comes up. After receiving his free pair of glasses last Friday he ran into Garrett on the way out. With the help of a translator, Sasha poured out about his life to Garrett. The local pastor saw this openness and took the opportunity once again to present the gospel to him. Unlike the past times, it was received with a more open heart. Garrett then remembered a verse that changed his own life and wanted to share the power in these words with Sasha. Out of the message he read Proverbs 14:12-13 which says, "There's a way of life that looks harmless enough; look again - it leads straight to hell. Sure, those people appear to be having a good time, but all the laughter will end in heartbreak." Sasha stared into Garrett's eyes for a good 10 seconds with a look on his face that will never be forgotten. God spoke to him through that verse. He thanked Garrett for his word and proceeded to say goodbye as he walked out the door.

Garrett told me this story later that night. He told me how much that encounter affected him and how much Sasha was on his heart. He said Sasha is someone that he will never stop praying for. This hit me really hard. Garrett will never stop praying for Sasha. What a cool thought. Have you ever heard of the saying "there's nothing like a praying mom"? Sasha doesn't have a mother praying for him. Sasha probably doesn't have anyone praying for him. But Garrett traveled to Ukraine, met Sasha, heard his story, and is now praying fervently for his life. There is now someone in this world praying for this man. My question for both Garrett and myself was what if that's all that comes of this whole trip? What if all we do is meet people around the world, hear their stories, and make sure there is at least one person in their life praying for them? Are we going to be ok with that? Will the sacrifice of leaving our lives back home still be worth it?

These were difficult questions for us to stomach, but we came to the conclusion that yes it would be worth it. God has called us both on this trip for a specific reason. If the reason is to bring a thousand people to Christ, then that's awesome. If the reason is to plant a ton of seeds and never see the fruit, then that is great too. Or if all we do is pray for the lives that we come in contact with, then that is cool because that is God's plan. Our expectations are just that, our expectations. We are learning more and more to throw these out the window and to be thankful for how God is using us each day.

After one domestic flight, two international flights, one night in a hostel, and a 14 hour train ride I am finally in Lugansk, Ukraine! It has been such a crazy journey. For this month we will be working with an American contact named Bruce. He and his family have graciously accepted us into their home for the month. They are making our transition to the world race life pretty easy on us with warm water, comfortable beds/couches to sleep on, internet, and great home cooked food. Bruce and his family have lived here for almost five years after moving from Tennessee. The main language here is Russian since Lugansk is only 30 minutes from the Russian border. Bruce knows both English and Russian which allows him to bring world race squads in and have us be effective in the ministries he has developed over the years. I am incredibly excited about the work we will be doing this month. Monday thru Thursday of each week we are running a softball camp for teenagers and young adults. Soccer is the dominant sport in Ukraine and pretty much all kids here are better than us Americans. There is no way we could put on a soccer clinic and hold their attention for more than 6 minutes. Introducing them to a new game like softball is effective in holding their attention which allows for relationships to develop. It is through this that we can take opportunities to tell them about the relationship that is available with a God who is madly in love with them. Each night after the softball camps we will show movies to both the kids and their families to expand on the relationships that are developed through softball. Also on Fridays we will take part in eye glass clinics. We will administer eye tests to anyone and everyone who is interested and fit them for a free pair of glasses. This blows their mind because nothing is free in Ukraine. Saturdays are about rest for us and Sundays will be filled with church and other random ministry opportunities such as hospital visits or events with our softball friends. This is an outline of what our month will look like. Please take this information and use it to pray for me and my team more specifically as we minister to the people of Ukraine.