Happy Summer!  I hope you are all well!  I wanted to update you on my life as a lot as happened in the two and a half years since I returned from the race! 

Upon my return, I felt God leading me away from AIM.   I felt like he wanted me to take some time to develop my identity, independent of an organization that was so central to my development.  So, I took two years and moved closer to Atlanta, I lived with friends, worked at a restaurant and pursued a wide range of careers (everything from management to day trading).  I really enjoyed working in the restaurant at first, I got to interact with a wide range of people on a daily bases - it was like a party happening every day.:)  But after awhile, with the crunch of the economy I found the negativity began to wear on me, and I didn't like who I was becoming.  I consistently remember thinking to myself, "Who am I?  This is not me!"  The pressure the Lord applied from a tough economy, working with individuals who didn't understand the "Jesus" side of me really allowed the Lord to isolate me so I could see who he made me to be.

So as I continued to seek the Lord and seek opportunities, I found he kept bringing me back around AIM and I continue to walk forward in what he shows me.  In October of last year I was offered a part time position assisting in the Marketing department; specifically recruiting staff for the Marketing department.  And just recently they've offered me a full-time position.  I like the position  - it allows me to accomplish tasks and work with people, both of which I am good at.  But what really clinches the job for me, is that it allows me to be a part of something bigger than myself.  We work closely with the World Race, a department that sends out 21+ year olds on a year long trek around the world, ministering to the poor, the prostitutes, the orphans - the least of these.  A generation is mobilizing across the globe; and I'm so excited to be a part of facilitating this movement. 

Last fall my father took me to Spain and Romania.  In Romania the World Race was hosting a conference called the Awakening (www.theworldrace.org/awakening).  About 200 of us pitched our tents on  a massive campground and spent a week reuniting, encouraging and worshipping Jesus.  For the racers currently on the field it was a time of rejuvenation during an intense year of ministry.  For alumni, it was a reminder of the work that was done in them and what the Lord continues to do around the world.  And for everyone it was a sweet time to fellowship in community.  We left there reminded that we are on this journey for a reason and that the Lord is hard at work.  I left encouraged knowing that God had a plan for my life

Re-launching myself into a fund-raised position is a scary endeavor; however, God has always shown himself faithful.  Many of you have resources to give and need a place to invest in the Kingdom.  If you're interested in partnering with me in this, please let me know.  I need people who are outside of the AIM circle who can get involved through prayer, financially and relationally.  If you are unable to contribute financially, please do not feel like our relationship is in jeopardy.  It is simply important to me that I build a network of people who want to stand with me for cause of Christ

My immediate needs are $2500 a month which ends up at $30,000 a year.  I am looking for people I can share the highs and lows of this journey with.  I want you to have the opportunity to be a part of that.  All donations are tax deductible.  You can go online and support me by going to my blog and clicking on the support me button.  Or, if you'd prefer, you can mail a check, with my name in the memo line to: Adventures In Missions, PO Box 534470, Atlanta, GA  30353-4470.   I also have the opportunity to minister to the World Racers I am trying to mobilize in Ireland this August.  If anyone has miles they'd like to donate, please let me know.

I cherish you all and am so grateful that the Lord has sent such a multitude to join me in the journey.

Love,
Talia

And yes, I will be resurrecting the ole blog, so feel free to subscribe on the left.)

Many of my teammates have chronicled on what its been like to be home.  My mind still reels from this past year.  What happened to me?  What did I experience?   Coming home was not supposed to be as difficult for me, I've done this before.  This is not my first time returning from a mission trip.  I mean c'mon, with my history I should have been a pro by now.  But I'm not and this is hard. 

People keep asking me to tell them a good story.  Huh?  About what?  What kind do you want?  My brain scrambles to patch some sembelence of an interesting tale together.  Most often I just draw a blank.  And then there's the quintessential race question: What was your favorite country?  Huh?  All of them?  None of them?  Crap, that's not a hard question, I should be able to answer it.  Eventually 7:30pm rolls around and I can justify putting myself in bed for the next 12 hours to recover.  I miss my team; I miss my squad - reentry is hard.

For your enjoyment here are some:

America Faux Pas to Avoid (that have been committed in recent days):

1. When you see an African American woman wearing a coat with traditional Africa print, it is not acceptable to ask her if she is African.

2. The man on the shuttle bus does not care about your life - probably best to avoid unburdening youreslf to a perfect stranger.

3. Burping is no longer a compliment or polite.

4. Taking napkins from the restaurant for toilet paper - no longer needed and kind of weird.

5. Ditto on stranger's leftover food (Katie!).

6. Throwing toilet paper in the trash instead of the toilet - not needed and also kind of weird.

7. Not tipping the waiter informs them that they are incompetent; a 10 cent tip will not remedy the situation.

8. Beckoning with fingers in downward sweeping fashion just looks weird. 

9. Pointing with your whole hand instead of just one finger, added to the weird category.

10. The nearest empty piece of floor does not qualify as a bed (aka - sleeping on the floor of Target) - not the best option.

Continued stories from China...

Many of you have already heard the story. But for those who haven't - here's a tale for you...

We awoke early on November 10th , prepped for one of the greatest wonders of the World - the Great Wall of China. The hostel had arranged a tour for us to a secret spot, a place no other tourists frequented. An hour bus ride turned into three hours and we finally arrived at said spot. A 30 minute hike led us up a mountain to the point we could climb the wall.

We walked around, photographed ourselves, enjoyed the scenary and turned around to climb down. As we did so, our guide stopped us, "No, the bus has already left. We have to hike 3 hours on the wall to get back to the bus; approximately 4 kilometers." What!? Grumbles erupted and since we really had no other option, began moving our legs.

Two hours into our hike we'd made some good progress. A couple of other fellow hostel stayers were with us and I'd struck up an interesting conversation with the Englishman behind me. I carefully watched my feet to ensure they didn't land in some precarious, slippery gravel - as feet are wont to do. Ginger walked through an arch in front of me, I turned around to say something and then proceeded. The next thing I knew I was on the ground. A stone beam protruding from the arch had attacked me! Blood gushed from my forehead and the Englishman I'd landed on didn't quite know what to do with me. Thankfully Josh wasn't too far behind and came to my rescue. They picked me up and carried me through the arch and Ginger began working her First Responder Magic doctoring my head. Also thankfully, the cut was not too deep and after they'd staunched the wound, I was able to climb the rest of the way down the Wall. It left a nice little scar making for a nice little story.

Thanks to everyone who helped keep me alive in my treacherous situation! Much love!:)

This picture is after they cleaned up most of the blood!

During our time in China, my team had the opportunity to work with a medical ministry.  They brought in cleft palette children from the mountains.  We travelled on a 16 hour bus ride to return the children to their mountain villages.  While amongst the alluring mountains I journaled this...

I encountered death today.  A brutal + untimely death.  A death that shouldn't have occured and leaves me heart-broken as a result.

Kari, Eric and I rode along in a tuk-tuk, on our way to go zip lining.  As we came around a bend in the road, scores of people lined the cliff overlooking rocks and a class 3 rapid.  Our driver pulled over to see about the hulabaloo.  Men with long poles of bamboo crouched on the rocks - hanging the poles near the end of the rapids.  And as we looked on, out of the tumultous waters tumbled a body - naked with arms stretched in characterstic drowning fashion.

I gasped at the sight and quickly turned away.  I could hear the frustration in Kari's voice, "He's still floating, you only float when you're freshly drowned.  Why don't they get him out?"  Her EMT training screamed the answers, but our situation left her helpless to do anything.  And a following quick succession of rapids left everyone else at the banks helpless to do anything as well.  I turned my eyes back just in time to see the small head follow its corpse to the bottom of the river.  Later as I ziplined across the river in a precarious harness, my soul unleashed the pain it felt in a fury of tears.

A man (we found out later) had flung himself off the rocks into the rapids and drowned.  That was a life!  He mattered to someone.  Somewhere in China tonight, someone's life is forever changed.  His family's pain crushed my heart as I thought about the turn of events their lives would now take.

And I wondered if he was a Christian.  Did he know Jesus?  Had his life just been committed to the pits of hell?  This country is barren!  There's no fruit, the soil is dry and wasted.  Lord, what will it take?!  When will you flood these people with your presence?  They are lost and hopeless.  Everywhere I go in this country barrenness meets me.  The darkness taunts the believers with it's hold over China. 

Please pray for China.  Pray for its deliverance.  Pray for this barren country.  Only Jesus can save them!

Day 1 (of our China excursion): rode a sleeper train to a China University to spend a couple of weeks in a cultural exchange program.

Day 14: rode a second sleeper train 18 hours to our next destination.

Day 28: hopped a plane to Beijing.

Day 30: saw the Great Wall

Day 31: rode a 24 hour sleeper train back to Hong Kong for debrief

Days 1-14:  We spent the mornings in various classes learning - Tea Art, Calligraphy, Mandarin and a multitude of other wonderful Chinese subjects.  In the afternoons we conducted English Corners.  We conversed with students for a couple of hours every afternoon to help them improve their English/accents.  This also allowed us the opportunity to develop relationships with the students and potentially share more about the Lord with them.  It was a wonderful ministry opportunity, but, as I wrote in my prayer journal, not as fruitful as you might experience in Africa. 

The Chinese are nice people.  My heart goes out to them in their ignorance.  How can you live without even knowing the option of Jesus.  Working at the University was disheartening in many ways.  The feel of the spiritual oppression there depressed me.  I found myself dragging to get out of bed in the morning.  And talking to the students left me feeling like someone doused my heart in swamp water and then coated in soot.

We weren't allowed to go to church while in Mainland China - it could have severely endangered our contacts and gotten us kicked out of the country.  Please pray for this country.  They don't know Jesus and have so little resources for finding out about him.  Pray that the Father would infiltrate the government with his love.  Pray that the Chinese Christians would be encouraged and would perservere.  And pray that the country would seek the Lord while he may be found!  My heart goes out to this country.  They need the Lord.

If you'd like to gain a better understanding of what it is like for the Chinese believers check out the Heavenly Man.