The World Race | Christian Mission Trip

Adventures Guatemala: 1 year, 23 communities, 262 Racers

Adventures in Missions has nine international ministry bases focused on activating the Church in community development and discipleship around the world. This week's Hope Rising blog comes from Kevin and Tanya Applegate at our Adventures Guatemala Base. They have hosted 262 participants and served in 23 ministry locations in the last year. Check it out how the Lord has been moving through the Guatemala Base!

Serving with Refugees in Amman, Jordan

This week, World Race participant John Carothers shares about his time partnering with a local church in Amman, Jordan. He was able to use his unique skills and passions to help advance the Kingdom through a local ministry partner. Check it out!

We Prayed for a Week Straight and Here's What Happened

This week, Alayna Wood shares about her squad's week of 24/7 prayer and worship in the desert of Kyrgyzstan, accompanied by Jacken Holland's photos. The squad sought to bring honor and glory to God through Scripture, stillness, worship, and whatever else the Lord asked of them, and the fruit of their obedience and faithfulness is incredible. Check it out!

Ministry Partnership in Panama

This week, hear from Semesters by World Race participant, Hannah Jones, on what ministry has looked like in Potrerillos, Panama! Her team has been supporting ministries that are committed to providing opportunities for locals to engage in provisional opportunities, intentional community, and experiencing the love of Christ. Check it out!

Building a Church in the Mountains of Honduras

This week, World Race participants Breanne Steindel and Kaci Larick give us a glimpse into life in the mountains of Honduras. They are partnering with a local Pastor and his community to build a church, share the hope of Jesus, and continue furthering the Kingdom of God. Check it out!

God Healed Me of ADHD

This week, World Race participant, Jackie Ivarsson tells the story of how God healed her from ADHD. She takes us through her experience with feeling unworthy of a miracle to knowing her authority as a daughter of the King.

The Lord is working in miraculous ways in and through the World Race. Check it out!

Serving with The Dunamis Foundation

This week, World Race: Gap Year participant Ellie Zeller gives us a glimpse into what it looks like to serve in Quito, Ecuador with our ministry partner, The Dunamis Foundation. The Dunamis Foundation serves underaged girls who have been rescued from sex trafficking and sexual abuse, teaching them life skills while providing a Christ-centered environment focused on restoration and reintegration into the world as healthy young women. Check out Ellie's story!

A Day in the Life in the Dominican Republic!

World Race, World Race: Gap Year, and Semesters by World Race mission teams are currently on the field serving alongside long-term strategic ministry partners. Our participants are partnering with local ministries to serve others and share the love of God!

This week, Emma Austin, Mackenzie Tkach and Anjali Joy show us what it looks like to partner with Mission of Hope in the Dominican Republic. They are serving others through evangelism, house visits, and community service. Check it out!

How Christians Are Pursuing Racial Reconciliation

Today’s message of Hope comes from Kacie Tilman, World Race alumna (2015) as she shares about joining the OneRace movement and how our love for Jesus will come out of us as a voice for the voiceless, seeking justice and loving mercy. Over the last few weeks and months, the climate of our country has truly been bringing some things to the surface. It’s been a moment in history where w...

Healing a Divided Nation with a United Church

Today’s message of Hope comes from World Race Manager, Beka Hardy, as she shares about the power of the OneRace movement in bringing reconciliation and revival through the unity of the church. The OneRace movement is built on the foundation that reconciliation and revival are the solution. Through prayer and fasting, and the relationship and collaboration of God’s people, the spirit o...

How Should Christians Respond to Racism in America

The past few weeks have been a heavy time of lament and prayerful consideration for the Christian church. The unjust deaths of Black men and women like Ahmed Arbery, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor have led many white Christians to ask “What should I do as a Christian in response to racism in America?” Jesus shared a parable in Luke 15 that helps to shed light on how we should approac...

Adventures in Missions Beliefs and Actions in Response to Racism in America

Recent events where Black Americans have been wrongfully attacked and murdered highlight a history of racism that is abhorrent and must not be accepted. Racism is a sin against God and man. Christ followers and the Church in all its forms can’t rest until equality is achieved. Adventures in Missions seeks to Awaken and Activate Christ Followers to their identity and role in His Kingdom. Ou...

How Can Short-term Mission Trips Make a Long-term Impact?

Mission trips have gotten a bad reputation over the years. When many hear the word “mission trip” today they’re less likely to think of dedicated disciples spreading the love of Jesus and more likely to visualize a rowdy youth group painting a fence and snapping photos for their Instagram pages. This outdated method of ministry has been critiqued heavily and stamped with the titl...

How to Grow Deeper in Your Relationship with God During COVID-19

It’s no secret the COVID-19 pandemic has caused safety and travel restrictions that have impacted the day-to-day lives of people all over the world. Job loss, safety concerns, and the disappointment of canceled plans and unfulfilled expectations have brought many schedules and routines to a standstill. Teresa McMillan, World Race: America Mentor, has seen this time when routines have been u...

5 Christian Mission Trips that are Making an Impact

As you plan to travel for your upcoming gap year or semester abroad, you may have considered going on a short-term mission trip, but are wondering “Do mission trips actually make an impact?” At Adventures in Missions, we believe in making a sustainable impact through short-term missions by partnering with local missionaries in projects that build up their communities and share the love...

3 Ways Taking a Gap Year Can Change the Course of Your Life

I get to see myself as a reflection of God So, you graduated High School… what now? With the Coronavirus pandemic still in full swing, new high school graduates, like yourself, are finding your college plans have to change. This sudden change may also have led you to research alternatives, like taking a gap year. Perhaps you’ve considered taking a gap year before, but are ...

Gap Year Missionary Now Serves God in Her Own Neighborhood

Today, World Race alumna Claire Burton (2019, Gap Y Squad) shares how she’s creating a life of ministry after returning home from her international gap year mission trip and experiencing the same God in her own neighborhood as she did across the world. How great is it that our God is never-changing yet ever-powerful? Whether we’re overseas or in our home states, we serve the same po...

I Refuse to Hold Back The Hope I Have

In today’s story of hope, we hear from Betty Gomez, Director of the women’s ministry for Adventures in Missions, Beauty for Ashes. She shares with us how a simple act of obedience transformed into a ministry bringing restoration to countless women across the nation. As the Coronavirus pandemic was beginning to gain global attention, Betty began to feel the weight of the crisis...

The Ministry Doesn�t Stop, It Changes

Today’s message of Hope comes from World Race alum, Julia Piecka (2018, J squad). She works with a faith-based nonprofit, Urban Impact Foundation, located in Pittsburgh, PA. A car pulls up. “Hi! How are you doing? It’s great to see you! How many meals can we get for you?” The person on the driver’s side of the car rolls down his window to simply share the number o...

You May Not Even Know You Have This Spiritual Gift

Many of us have heard the stories of the Old Testament prophets. If you were raised around church culture, then you’ve probably grown up with Bible study groups and Vacation Bible School projects explaining the miracles of Elijah or the teachings of Isaiah. You may have even read about the New Testament church leaders prophesying and teaching the gifts of the Spirit. However, many ...

The Massive Revival Around the World You Don�t Want to Miss

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only taken the lives of hundreds of thousands around the world but has left millions more struggling to cope with a new normal. With so much suffering around the world, it’s easy to lose sight of God. How could a loving God allow something like the Coronavirus to hurt so many people? What could His plan possibly be in the midst of this global crisis? Despite it...

How are You Reaching out this Giving Tuesday?

Did you know Giving Tuesday was moved to today in response to COVID-19? In honor of the new Giving Tuesday, we’d like to highlight the ways you can get involved with what God is doing all over the world. Currently, Adventures in Missions supports local missionaries in countries across the globe through our strategic ministry partners as well as our international bases. Together, we’re ...

The REAL Purpose for Fasting | An Update from Peru

As businesses begin to reopen and we all think about leaving our houses for the first time in months, it’s easy to forget the massive impact the Coronavirus pandemic has had on other countries around the world. In many areas, the virus continues to spread and prevent people from returning to their normal lives. In Peru, for example, residents are still unable to leave their homes after 5pm....

One Simple Act Can Feed a Family in Guatemala for a Week

The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken the foundation of countries all over the world. In Guatemala, many families have had to leave their jobs or and are now out of work. Many who were already struggling are now finding it hard to earn enough income to feed their families. Aderkee, a local Guatemalan missionary, began partnering with the Adventures in Mission ministry base in Guatemala to help provi...

How to Feed a Family in Need for a Month

Did you know that $35 can feed a family in Cambodia for a month? Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many Cambodians find themselves stuck at home and without work. Many of the once-thriving industries, like tourism and hospitality, have come to a screeching halt due to travel bans. These industries provided many of the jobs Cambodians needed to support their families. This leads them to live on a da...

How Millions of Americans Are Doing Ministry Every Day

COVID-19 has brought a lot of uncertainty to America and the world. Many of us feel like we are walking on eggshells—anxious and fearful about the future. Our country has never needed to experience the grace and peace of Jesus more than in this season. As a response, it’s now more than ever to start viewing your job, or daily routine as a ministry. As you stock the shelves of our groc...

Three Ways to Make Disciples from Your Living Room

The pandemic has changed how we travel, how we work, and how we socialize. But as followers of Jesus, the commission to make disciples of all nations hasn’t changed. Even though most of us are stuck in our homes, that means we can continue to share the Gospel, encourage fellow believers, and obey the Great Commission. Here are some practical ways you can make disciples from wherever you are....

How Her Passion for Cooking Became a Ministry

Too often, people see ministry as another activity to fit somewhere in their schedule. It’s just one more box we have to check in between weekly church services, small groups, and daily Bible readings. But God never designed ministry to be just, “one more thing.” Ministry is the way we live. It’s the way we take the passions God has placed on our hearts and express them to ...

How You Can Serve Men and Women in Prison During COVID-19

In today’s message of hope, World Race Alum Paige Deur (August 2017, W Squad) shares about her work with Crossroads Prison Ministries and how the church can bring hope to men and women in prison through correspondence Bible studies. Paige processing Bible lessons in her basement under Michigan’s Stay Home, Stay Safe order. 10 million people are incarcerated throughout...

3 Easy Steps to Bless the People Around You

Not everyone is going to hand sew a thousand masks for needy hospitals or set up a grocery delivery service for the elderly. Sometimes, ministry can feel like one more thing we’re supposed to fit into our already chaotic and stressful lives. World Race Admissions Advisor, Lindsay Sullivan has a different perspective. Since being quarantined in her home, Lindsay has been using social media t...

Hope Rising Devotional No. 7 | Hope in Hopelessness

In this final installment of our Hope Rising video devotional series, World Race Coach Rozy McCormick leaves us with her final thoughts on hope. She shares that man can not close a door that God opens and that we will never lose our hope because our hope is eternal. ...

Virtually Walk and Pray for a School Campus During COVID-19

Today’s message of Hope, comes from Adventures Regional Logistics Representative, Joshua Beebe. He shares how prayer walks in college changed his life and how we can virtually prayer walk our campuses right now from our homes. I’m writing today from my porch in Northeast Georgia. Months ago I had made plans to celebrate Easter with my family in the Midwest. Due to current events, th...

Everyday Heros Fight COVID-19 from Home

WR: Hey guys how are you doing? Cindy: We are great! Tim: You look great Mrs. Bird Cindy: (chuckles) Thank you WR: For those of us that haven’t met you, could you give us a little introduction as to who you are? Cindy: Sure! Well, we are just a family of believers here in Texas. Tim is a realestate agent and I do some life coaching. We’re associated with Adventures in Mi...

Feed Families in South Asia During COVID-19

In a time of greater fear and confusion than we have seen in generations, Adventures wants to continue to mobilize the body of Christ. Most of us are at home scared and angry and wondering what we can do to help fight COVID-19 beyond just social distancing. While the United States has become one of the main epicenters of the pandemic, many other nations remain far more vulnerable to this virus. S...

Hope Rising Devotional No. 6 | Your Story Matters

In this sixth installment of our Hope Rising video devotional series, World Race Coach, Deon Vanstaden teaches us about the power of a testimony. He shares about the Biblical precedent for testimony and how our stories have the ability to change lives and expand the Kingdom of God. ...

Hope Rising Devotional No. 5 | God Can Change Your Failures

In this fifth installment of our Hope Rising video devotional series, World Race Coach, Deon Vanstaden asks you to take a look at the places in your life you deem failures. He shares how Jesus desires to revisit those seasons with us and redeem them—taking our mess and making it a message. ...

Just do Something

In today’s message, we interviewed Racer Angelica Spence on how she refused to let her circumstances stop her from sharing the message God put on her heart. The reality of living under a quarantine makes it easy to feel stuck or helpless. But, we know God is doing something big in the world and is inviting us to be a part of it. WR: So, your World Race was cut short due to COVID-19. How lon...

7 Practical Ways to Live on Mission During COVID-19

Because of recent complications with the Coronavirus, and the reaction to it, we’ve recently had to bring home all of our World Race, World Race: Gap Year, and Semesters participants. This has been a really difficult and disappointing decision for a lot of you, and frankly for us as well. We know for many of you the Race was an answer to prayer, and the answer to a call the Lord put on your ...

Hope Rising Devotional No. 4 | Do You Want To Change?

In this fourth installment of our Hope Rising video devotional series, World Race Coach, Deon Vanstaden asks you the question: do you want to change? He discusses how we can continue to stay hopeful amongst so much uncertainty and fear. ...

Hope Rising Devotional No. 3 | What is Hope?

In this third installment of our Hope Rising video devotional series, World Race Coach, Deon Vanstaden teaches us about hope. He shares the difference between hope and faith and how we can put this into action in our walk with Christ. ...

I'm Home and Now I have to Make a Choice

In today’s message of Hope, Ana Bates shares that quarantine has given her a lot of time to think and process the disappointment that comes with leaving the Race two months early. Ana says that we can’t always control our circumstances, but we can choose how we react to them. We can choose to continue to seek God and we can choose to continue to grow. Each day we can choose. I am ba...

Hope Rising Devotional No. 2 | Nobody Likes Change

In this second installment of our Hope Rising video devotional series, World Race Coach, Deon Vanstaden discusses disappointment and how to continue to trust God when we feel like nothing is in our control. ...

Hope Rising Devotional No. 1 | Welcome Home Racers

This time of uncertainty and abrupt changes can be difficult for us all. So we wanted to offer additional support to our Racers unexpectedly coming off the field, but also offer this to anyone else in need of some extra love and understanding right now. In this first installment of our new video devotional series, World Race coaches, Deon Vanstaden and Rozy McCormick, begin to share perspective an...

A Step into the Unknown

Today’s message of Hope comes from World Racer Rachel Snow as she processes leaving the Race six months early. She shares about her journey to embrace the concept of abandoning everything for the World Race and how it prepared her to embrace this unexpected change fully believing God is not done with her and the best is yet to come. The word abandonment has been on my mind throughout the ...

Is God Still Good?

While my wife, Aimee, and I were visiting family in Canada for Christmas, we got a wonderful surprise—Aimee was pregnant. We shared the news with our family and celebrated the holidays together. But during our checkup in early January, the doctor wasn’t able to find the baby’s heartbeat. That was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to deal with in my entire life. I h...

Covid-19 Can't Kill the Kingdom

Here on the new Hope Rising Blog, we want to bring stories and messages of the hope we have because our God is good! In the midst of fear and uncertainty, we all need encouragement and examples to walk in faith. Our first story comes from Megan Krivsky, right after she found out the Race was unexpectedly ending early due to COVID-19. Her perspective is Kingdom-focused and her eyes are on Jesus. Sh...

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