Posted in General Posts by Alisa Prox on 8/28/2010
CARL-
HAPPY 21st Birthday!
I cannot believe how old I am! Hahaha! No...I am SO beyond proud of you. I wish I could be there to celebrate your BIG day with you, but I am pretty sure you will get along fine without me! HAVE FUN but not TOO much fun...Seriously!
Love you. Miss you.
P.S. Go check out my videos on facebook...I have one for you there! Happy B-Day! :)
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Posted in General Posts by Alisa Prox on 8/18/2010
Tanzania-talk about a unique experience. Ummm...actually, I am almost speechless! I do not have a lot to say about month seven; so bear with me!
 This month my team got to work alongside Imago Dei which I was THRILLED about! I have wanted to work with this team of seven ALL year; finally I had the chance to get to know each member individually. I was truly blessed to be able to minister with them; by far the best part of Tanzania.
Our two teams were sent to Iringa where we partnered with Pastor ChaCha's church (part of Assemblies of God). It was evident that the Holy Spirit resided in the church; almost every person I met was filled with the presence of God. While in Iringa, both Imago Dei and my team had the opportunity to preach on Sunday mornings, give encouragement to different small groups that met throughout the week, visited hospitals patients, and did street/door to door evangelism. All in all, we had a lot of good experiences and I am truly grateful for it.
 At the end of the month, our two teams were split into teams of three and were selected to visit different villages outside of Iringa. Eric (Imago Dei), Kate, and I were chosen to visit the Maasai tribe-AMAZING! We left on a Monday and stayed until early Wednesday morning. Our small trio stayed both nights at a Pastor's house and Tuesday we took a box-cart into the African bush to visit the tribe. It was by far the greatest cultural experience I have ever had. The Maasai danced and sang for us and even prepared a meal in honor of our visit. It was not the best meal I have ever had (by any means) but something that will always be engraved in my memory. They served us goat (which was actually not bad), rice, and fermented milk...that was interesting and disgusting all at the same time! Just saying. That day, Eric gave the word and before that, we got the chance to explore the area. The trip was the highlight of my month and I thank God for it!
S o...that was my month in a nutshell. I just want to apologize for not keeping up on my blogs. I am FINALLY caught up by the grace of God!
Please pray for my squad as we travel to our next destination: Uganda. Pray that the Lord's hand of protection is guiding us and that HIS voice does NOT get loss in all the craziness that we World Racers would like to call travel.
May God bless each of you as you pray.
With Love,
Alisa
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Posted in General Posts by Alisa Prox on 8/18/2010
 Okay, to be completely honest, so far Africa has been so-so. I enjoyed my experience in Kenya, but it was definitely not what I was expecting. Why this surprises me, I have no idea! Almost everything I had expected to experience this year (ministry wise) has not played out; which is not entirely a bad thing.
Before this race I was told that I would either LOVE Africa or HATE it. Well, I do not love it and I definitely do not hate it. It is just...okay .
While in Kenya, my team and I got to live the true experience (well, as close to one as we could get). We did door to door evangelism, spoke at schools, helped around our tiny home for the month, and fellowshipped with any and everyone. There was A LOT of growth in my team and hours upon hours of bonding time. We also had the opportunity to live with a Real Lifer who spent the month with us. Maria Krump-or as we like to call her, KRUMP, brought so much life at a time where most World Racers catch the disease known as home sickness. This girl is incredibleand has so much to offer this world. All I can say is WATCH OUT! She will bring kingdom in areas that need it the most. I am excited to see how God uses her.
So, again, I am at the end of the month and heading into a new one with an open mind and heart. I will welcome month seven with arms wide open...Tanzania, here I come!
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Posted in General Posts by Alisa Prox on 8/13/2010
So, there are A LOT of Birthdays back home this month...here goes my first, of three, birthday wishes...
I love and miss you SO much! I pray the lord will bless you in MA NY ways this year! You are ALWAYS in my prayers and on my heart!
LOVE YOU
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Posted in General Posts by Alisa Prox on 7/27/2010
 Door to door evangelism-not something I was exactly excited about. In America, any time someone came to my doorstep to sell an item or their religious beliefs, I usually turned them away-and when I didn't do that, I just did not answer the door.
The first day of door to door, I prayed that people's hearts would be open and that they would hear what the Lord would speak through us-I am not going to lie, I thought they were going to push us away. Yeah, well, when people say Africa is COMPLETELY different from America, they are not exaggerating...Africa TRULLY is the opposite of the U.S of A. My team and I learned that door to door is prevalent among believers and that it is like a normal everyday activity. Who knew?
Each house we stepped in to welcomed us in and REALLY listened and took to heart what the Lord was teaching them. Answer to prayer-CHECK!
 On top of being able to encourage other believers, Sarah and I actually had the opportunity to do an exorcism-yes you read correctly. Call me crazy (trust me-I thought I was at the time) but it was BEYOND real. The woman whom we prayed over had a child with a married pastor after the death of her husband who was a Satan worshiper. Yeah-NO JOKE!
Not only was the child suffering with some kind of deficiency but the woman's dead husband literally came to her every night. Sarah and I prayed for her, the child, and the house-rebuking ANYTHING that was not of God.
The next day we went back to visit the woman and she said that it was the first time in six years that she was NOT haunted by her former husband.
God redeems...every situation possible.
I would never have guessed that going door to door would make that much of a difference.
I guess door to door evangelism is not so bad after all...
...well, at least in Africa anyway.
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Posted in General Posts by Alisa Prox on 7/27/2010
Just picture this:
A safari in the African flat-lands on looking the big five and feeling the rush of complete adrenaline. Anyone who dreams of going to Africa would place a safari on the top of the "to do list;" after all, it is the thing to do.
Well...when I have the opportunity to go on a safari I will tell you all about it. So I may not have had the chance to have seen the "Big Five" but I have had the opportunity to dive deep into something even more exciting-we call it...the bucket shower.
YUP, you read correctly.
Everyone who has ever signed up for the Race has heard of this insane practice; but we all thought of it as a myth...
...well we thought wrong.
 Last month, my team and I were located in a remote area n Kitale, Kenya. We lived with our Pastor (contact) and his family where we had opportunities to fetch water from a well, had little to no electricity, used the ever-so-popular squatty-potty, lived in TIGHT community, and of course showered in a bucket. Fun times.
The life we lived was extremely simple and looking back I can honestly say that I enjoyed all of it. Ever since being on the race, my team and I have lived pretty descent-we had running water, plumbing, a real toilet, and other appliances that a lot of people take for granted (trust me...I was one of those people). I can only speak for myself but I have been praying for a month like the one we had-and I did not complain. Praise God for simplicity. My team and I learned a lot and had tons of bonding time-it was incredible. It is not an easy way of living, by any means, but the memories that are created are worth every minute.
 The cool thing about my experience in Kenya is that when I go back home I will be a camping pro; my father and brother will have nothing on me! Just saying.
Okay, so you have waited long enough. So you may have asked, "What exactly is a bucket shower?" Well it is just how it sounds. You are given a small bucket that is only filled about half-way up (if you are lucky the water will be warmed). You then step into the bucket, wash your face and hair first and then wash your body. That is a bucket shower-and although it may sound easy...trust me...it is a little more complicated than it sounds.
After discovering how little water you actually need in order to get cleaned, you realize how much water is wasted every day. With all the water that goes down the drain each day, we could be preserving our water source and sending it to villages that have no water at all.
Just something to think about.
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Posted in General Posts by Alisa Prox on 7/14/2010
Hey friends! So because I am a little behind, I am going to have to put up two blogs at a time! Sorry about that! I hope you enjoy them, though! Jesus did some BIG things!
LOVE IT.
LOVE YOU.
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Posted in General Posts by Alisa Prox on 7/14/2010
For years the thought of change FREAKED me out! I could hardly stand the idea of changing the scenery or the people around me; well this race has truly taught me to embrace it. I no longer fear change but get excited when it happens. At the end of every month, I am ready to know what my next ministry will look like-not that I am not sad to see the month end, I am, but the Lord REALLY prepares my heart for those moments.
So when it was time for N Squad's Kenya debrief, I was emotionally, mentally, and spiritually prepared for what was about to happen...
 Okay, allow me to get you all caught up on all the changes that have happened on my team so far on the race. At the beginning of the race, Ignitus consisted of our team leader Krissy Whaley and then Annie Rose Taylor, Kate Williams, Scott and Denise Allen, and me as the team members. At the end of the Philippines, however, we found out that was about to change...of course! This is the World race after all.
Krissy was asked to be N Squad's new squad leader along with Austin Robertson (Ginosko); in which they both agreed to take on.
The WR then asked Scott to be the new team leader for Ignitus (which he greatly accepted) and then added Auston Copeland and Caley Sue Peterson to our group. This team lasted all the way up to Thailand until an accident left my dear sister-in-Christ (Denise Allen) in the hospital with a leg injury. To make a long story short, Denise would not recover in time to finish the race so Scott and Denise decided it would be best to go back to the United States.
I am not going to lie, I was heart-broken. The Allen's are a HUGE part of my life and it hurt to know that they would not be around anymore. However, God is merciful and prepared me for the next page of my adventure-only Jesus could do something like that.
So, come Kenya debrief, I knew change was going to happen...
 Kate, Annie Rose, Auston, Caley, and I found out that we would NOT be split up (I swear I sang the chorus to Hallelujah) but that one team member would be added. Sarah Schrack became our new team leader which was a blessing to say the least. Sarah and I go WAY back...we are talking training camp here!
Our new team decided it would be best to change our team name due to the fact we were a completely different group now. So after much thought, we decided to name our team Umoja which means united in Swahili.
God is good.
This trip has really made me see that trusting our Savior is the best thing to do. Jesus REALLY does KNOW what is best for us; way more than we could EVER imagine.
Jesus gets it...HE knows what HE is doing!
So the whole point of this blog is to show you that change, even though scary at times, can bring great joy. A little more than a year ago, I would have NEVER imagined myself on this race, but because I decided to hand over my life to Jesus (TRUSTING HIM) he turned it right-side-up. It was the BEST decision of my Life!
Thank you Jesus for change.
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Posted in General Posts by Alisa Prox on 7/14/2010
 My time spent on Bangla Road was something I will NEVER forget; the faces will forever live in my memory. My heart was broken for the men and women I came in contact with and I know, without a doubt, that seeds were planted. I thank God for the experiences I got to have while in Thailand and for allowing me to see first-hand what REALLY goes on. My main ministry for the month of May was to make friendships with the people on Bangla Road-and that I did.
Here are the friends I made while in Phuket. They were ALL blessings and gifts from the Lord above. Please pray for each one of them-that they will come to know their TRUE creator and to know they will NEVER be forgotten...NEVER.
 Joy: The bar-manager for Bachelor located in Soi Eric. Her name says it all! This woman was FILLED with joy that impacted everyone around her. Joy ended up signing up for English classes at SHE ministries on my last day of ministry and seemed hopeful for the life ahead of her. I LOVE this woman and cannot wait to see how the Lord will use her! Pray that she sees this and has FAITH.
 Boo: Sells DVDs on Bangla Road. The moment I saw this 18 year old, the Lord told me to speak to him. Although I hesitated, I DID end up talking to him; thank God for obedience. Boo is from Burma, but had to come over to Thailand to make money for his family. He only has one day off a year, which is NOT enough for a kid that is FULL of potential. Boo is very intelligent and has BIG dreams for his future. Boo started to ask A LOT of questions about following Christ and wants a copy of the Bible in the Burmese language. This kid is going to be a prophet to the nations! DO NOT be afraid to pray BIG prayers for this young man!
Plah: Works at the bar Bachelor in Soi Eric. This woman only started working in the bars a few weeks before my team even came. It was evident that she longed for something more and light hit her face when she found out about the opportunities at SHE ministries. Plah's compassionate heart can move mountains-pray that the Lord will come upon her and that she would fall in LOVE with HIM.
Now it is time to close this chapter and open a new one. Thank you Jesus for these AMAZING friendships and for opening my eyes to the reality of what is happening in these other countries.
I cannot believe this race is half-way through! I wonder what the Lord has planned for me next...
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