I Am Ready To Be Crazy, Too!
If you haven’t read a future World Racer’s blog about Training Camp yet, here’s your chance! This seriously makes me so incredibly stoked to go even more – I want to go NOW! This You can read the full blog here.
Training Camp takes place
in the woods of middle-of-nowhere Georgia
where you’re kindly fed fish head soup, ugali,
and a grilled tomato banana and cheese sandwich.
Where you sleep in tents,
then on a school bus,
then under a tarp.
And you go to bed after midnight
only to wake up a few hours later,
before even a hint of the sun rise,
to freeze your buns off at morning exercise
running up and down the hills of Georgia.
Yep, these people are crazy.
Some of these people are alumni.
People who flew, drove, and hitchhiked
to spend the week with us, sleep deprived,
at training camp.
They served us by scrubbing toilets,
waking up at 4am to cook our food for the day,
and praying life/truth into us
over and over and over again.
Their clothes never match
…I’m pretty sure they’ve forgotten how.
They saw greatness in me and pushed me towards it.
They’re ALWAYS either-
a. dancing
b. laughing or
c. praying.
These people are crazy!
Speaking of prayer-
Its like the real deal for these people…rarely…never… did I hear prayer start with
“Dear Heavenly Father”.
Usually it started more like
“Hey Daddy” or,
“Its me again Papa” or,
“Abba we love you” or simply,
“Hi!”
…It’s almost like they KNOW this guy?!
These people are crazy.
During worship there are people
laughing,
dancing,
praying,
sitting,
and standing.
Some people have their hands in the air,
and others have their faces on the ground.
Yikes. These people are crazy.
These people dream about
shutting down every brothel,
ending the AIDS epidemic in Swaziland,
getting clean water for African villages,
seeing Haiti restored,
and finding a loving home for every orphan.
They dream about these things
because they’re actually living to make them happen.
I’m telling you-
these people are crazy.
These people actually believe
every word of the Bible to be true.
They believe healings are possible. Now. Today.
They believe that God breathes and life happens.
They believe we are no longer slaves to sin.
They believe that the power of Christ is IN us.
They believed in the potential for the quiet girl sitting in the back
with the walls around her heart to experience freedom and love.
They believe and pray the same prayer Jesus did-
“on earth as it is in Heaven”.
And you know what…
I’ve started praying that too.
Because I actually really, really like that idea.
On earth as it is in Heaven?
Absolutely. Bring it on.
There’s no doubt in my mind
that those strange Kingdom minded people
who I met this week in the woods of Georgia
are absolutely CRAZY.
that those strange Kingdom minded people
who I met this week in the woods of Georgia
are absolutely CRAZY.
But what I decided this week is,
I’m ready to be crazy too!
The Kingdom of God is worth my abandonment.
I’m ready to be crazy too!
The Kingdom of God is worth my abandonment.
I am Ready to be Crazy, too!
The Stoutonia Newspaper Article about my World Race!
A BIG thanks to Lauren Michelle for writing about my World Race to put in UW-Stout’s newspaper, Stoutonia.
Read and be amused ya’ll!
Page 1:
Page 2:
Page 3:
Page 4:
Page 5:
Page 6 (last page):
Here is what the entire page in the newspaper, Stoutonia, looks like:
Thank you very much for reading and I hope you were well informed and amused :)!
contact me at: fikec@my.uwstout.edu or calliefike.theworldrace.org
The Painted Hill & Silent Auction @ the RAW DEAL!
Hello all! I am hosting a fun event at the Raw Deal that you will NOT want to miss! I am bringing in a local band called The Painted Hill. There will also be a silent auction, which will include awesome products! Who ever is a part of the silent auction, names will put into a drawing, and at the end of the night I will draw a name. Whoever’s name is drawn will win something great!
I am hosting this event as a fundraiser for my WORLD RACE. There is just a small cover charge of $3. The cover charge money, the money from the silent auction, and donation money will ALL go towards my World Race. I would love and appreciate your support ladies and gents! I hope to see many of you there – thank you!
Threads of Hope (beautiful) bracelets for sale!
Hello Hello! I am selling these Threads of Hope bracelets for 1 for $2 and 3 for just $5!
They are affordable and cute. Buy some for yourself or they make great gifts! Half will go to poor families in the Philippians and half will go toward my World Race.
I would be more than happy to meet anybody at the MSC (@ UW-Stout) so you can make a purchase and enjoy these pretty bracelets! Just let me know on here – thanks much!
Email me at fikec@my.uwstout.edu if you are interested! Thanks for your support and have an enjoyable weekend!
Here I have posted below a MUST WATCH 5 MINUTE VIDEO from a current World Racer. Their squad is in neat Nepal!
http://http://vimeo.com/60052303
Enjoy!
I see and feel the love!
Only $8?! Say that’s Cheap!
Happy Wednesday!
I got this great idea from a friend! If I had 440 awesome people donate only $8 DOLLARS, I would have $3,500, which is the amount of my first fundraising Deadline (May 5th).
If all of us work together, this is totally possible! Also, your money would be refunded if I do not raise enough money.
Consider this and have a crazy – awesome day :)!
My Fundraising Deadlines
Hello fellow follwers and supporters!
Today I talked to my mobilizer from the World Race and I now know my fundraising deadlines.
- $150 Deposit – Due 1/10/2013 (2 weeks after you’re acceptance date.)
- $3,500 – Due 5/4/2013 (2 weeks before Training Camp)
- $6,500 – Due 6/17/2013 (2 weeks prior to your trip)
- $11,000 – Due 10/1/2013 (End of 3 months on the field)
- $15,500 – Total Due 1/1/2014 (End of 6 months on the field)
I will need a miracle to reach this amount with the short time that I have. I love your support, thanks!
God bless!
Vietnam’s Culture, People, and Food
Asalamu 3laykum! (Peace be upon you). If you are new to my blog or just as a reminder I will be doing research on the countries that I will be traveling to on the World Race. I will be posting the information I find for you on here! The third country I will be traveling to is…(drum roll please)…VIETNAM!
What does their flag look like? Here it is!
Symbolism: The red symbolizes revolution and blood. The five-pointed star represents the five elements of the populace – peasants, workers, intellectuals, traders, and soldiers – that unite to build socialism
Where is Vietnam located on the world map?
Government type:
- Communist state
Political and Economic reform:
- Vietnam had been one of the poorest countries in the world in 1986. Now, in 2010, Vietnam successfully developed to a lower middle income country.
- In 1993, the population of Vietnam had 58% poverty. Fortunately, the percentage decreased to 14.5% in 2008!
- “Vietnam has been applauded for the equity of its development, which has been better than most other countries in similar situations.” http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/vietnam/overview
Religions: Vietnam stands accused of suppressing political dissent and religious freedom.
- Buddhist 9.3%
- Catholic 6.7%
- Hoa Hao 1.5%
- Cao Dai 1.1%
- Protestant 0.5%
- Muslim 0.1%
- none 80.8%
Video time! Vietnam’s culture, people, and food:
References:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-16567315
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/vm.html
Catching Up in Cambodia
Asalamu 3laykum (Peace be upon you)! I forgot to mention to you all that I will be doing research on the countries that I will be traveling to on the World Race. I will be posting the information on here for you to learn with me! The first country my group and I will be traveling to is Thailand (I posted my Thailand post below). The second country we will travel to is Cambodia. Let’s take a look!
First of all, this is Cambodia’s flag:
Where is Cambodia located? Cambodia is located in the Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos. Need a visual like me? Here you go!
Interesting Fact: Cambodia harbors the Angkor Wat, a Hindu temple. This is actually one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Below is a picture of the Angkor Wat.
Religious Demography:
- 96.4% Buddhists (official)
- 2.1% Muslims
- 1.3% Christian
- 0.2% Unspecified
What do Buddhists Believe? Buddhism is not similar throughout the world. There are common doctrines such as:
God: Buddhists pray to Buddha even when he never claimed himself as the almighty. “In some Buddhist-influenced languages there is no word for God.” http://www.cms.org.au/_resources/The-Buddhism-of-Cambodia/1b83e330-a1b4-1812-9165-99796261de15
Four ‘Noble Truths’:
- Anguish is worldwide
- Selfish desire generates anguish
- The antidote for anguish is removing selfish desire
- Extermination of selfish desire comes through pursuing eight disciplines
Revelation: Buddha perceived his teachings as accommodating an example for monks.
Salvation: Buddhists believe in reincarnation and karma. “Those who pursue eight disciplines the Noble Eightfold Path will achieve ultimate enlightenment, or nirvana. Their soul will be released from the endless chain of re-births. Some believe this to be a state of nothingness with no further sense of self while others view it as a state of rest and happiness.” http://www.cms.org.au/_resources/The-Buddhism-of-Cambodia/1b83e330-a1b4-1812-9165-99796261de15
Most Cambodians
understand the core of
Buddhism in the simple
words, “Do good deeds, get
good.”
Cambodia’s devastating situation: Human Trafficking
Human Trafficking is a crime against humanity. It involves an act of recruiting, transporting, transfering, harbouring or receiving a person through a use of force, coercion or other means, for the purpose of exploiting them. http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/what-is-human-trafficking.html
Not only women are victims of trafficking, men and children are victims as well. Women are trafficked for sexual exploitation and forced labor in factories or as domestic servants. Children are trafficked for sexual exploitation and forced labor in organized begging rings, soliciting, street vending, and flower selling. Men are trafficked for forced labor in the agriculture, fishing, and construction industries.
Shockingly, Cambodia’s Government has not fully complied with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act’s minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking. Cambodia has actually been placed in the Tier 2 Watch List in the 2007 U.S. Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report.
I cannot wait to go to Cambodia because the people of Cambodia are thirsty for the hope we can bring them!
References:
http://www.cambcomm.org.uk/ff.html#religion
http://www.cms.org.au/_resources/The-Buddhism-of-Cambodia/1b83e330-a1b4-1812-9165-99796261de15
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cb.html
http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/what-is-human-trafficking.html
http://www.humantrafficking.org/countries/cambodia
My World Race 