Dva.

We survived the truly amazing 'Amazing Race'! What a blast! 
There are so many things I could tell you, but perhaps I should begin with Josiah Venture's intention of the race. The race provides a quick and intentional way for the teams to get to know each other and to learn how to work together. After realizing the purpose of the race, our team (Jonathan, Sarah, Ben, Chelsie and Esther) decided our goal was not to win, but to actually do our best in every situation. Personally, I was overjoyed since the pressure of having to win greatly reduces the amount of fun I have. The goal to do our best served us extremely well throughout the entire race; when we ran the wrong way for 10 minutes, when team members were tired or frustrated or when we stumbled through a challenge, we were able to work together, doing our best in the circumstance we were given. I thank God for this. As a team, we have learned so many important things that will surely transfer over into the summer! I am so grateful! 

Our finishing dance at Hotel Malenovice!

So, here is an overview of the race:
This year, teams met at the airport in Krakow on May 30, 2012; here the race began. The next 46 hours are somewhat of a blur. We raced through Krakow until the afternoon of May 31 (shaving heads, arms and legs; decoding; playing people bingo; grocery shopping; eating our planets; visiting Oskar Schindler's enamel factory; asking many Poles for directions; praying and debriefing throughout). We took a 3 hour bus ride through the countryside of Poland, nailed the H2O Olympics, danced our way the train station, and taxi'd our way to our destination, Hotel Malenovice. We arrived at the hotel on June 1, 2012 at 1:30pm in second place. Yes, second place!! We were soo very excited... and somewhat shocked.

So here we are the hotel for intern training - with limited internet access as there is only one communal computer. It is absolutely beautiful here; we are so very blessed to be a part of this and I know that we will learn so much. We will learn not for the sake of knowing, but for the sake of doing. We are being equipped to be sent out and I am so excited.

"To this end I labour, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me." (Colossians 1:29)

Rejoice in the Lord always!

Esther