I leave tonight for the Dominican Republic, leading a high school age team of All girls, will Kara Frate. The team is GREAT and I am so excited about what God has for us there. Please keep us in your prayers ... we need protection, and just to have fun serving the Lord.

 

Also I don't have the finances to fly home on july 10th so if you want to help me out you can Emailme at davidmatthewwilliamswr09@yahoo.com

 

Love you guys and thanks for the support.

     For those of you who have been following my story you know that funds was a major issue for me. I started with VERY low funds in my account and through Gods provision and six months of Prayer my trip was covered ( over half of the cost received in 1 week, mostly by people I didn't know!) God has been extremely faithful with me, and I am writing this in faith knowing that HE is faithful to bless my work.

 

     This blog is for my brother... Kameron Kissinger. Now, for those of you detail oriented people you noticed that our last names aren't the same, and while that isn't uncommon for families these days, in this case Kameron is not related to me... by blood or marriage. Kameron was a friend I had during High School, and during our senior year the family that he new began to fall apart. Without going too in depth, his mom and step dad moved to a different state, and Kameron moved in with my family. so for the past four years I have had the privilege of calling him my brother, and living life with him...good and bad. I have seen him at his lows, and celebrated with him on his highs. He has been there to speak truth into my life, confront me when I need it, a shoulder to cry on, and friend that loves no matter what. Kameron amazes me with the heart the Lord has given him, genuinely caring for the people that honestly I have trouble loving. He is always willing to give of what he has, whether it be to support our family in Texas, or to buy food for a student who doesn't have the money. Kameron is a blessing to me and I will miss him more than either of us know right know, but I even more believe that God has called him for eleven months on the world race.

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Have you ever had a day when you forgot to put on deodorant? A day of worry wondering if other people can smell the profuse odor coming from your body...? Well I take it that you have if you're alive, either that or you haven't hit puberty yet... in which case it is in your future. It's embarrassing, humiliating, and depending how long your day is, it can be overwhelming not only for you but for the people who have to smell you.

 

... Now just hang on with me, because I am sure you're wondering how this is relevant. I was brought to this line of thought today, while I was reading 2 Corinthians 2:15-16 which says:

"For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not like so many peddlers of God's word but as men of sincerity as commissioned by God in the sight of God we speak in Christ. (ESV)"

Now I know that this verse is probably talking about the smell of an offering that is pleasing to the Lord, but while I was sitting and praying this morning I put it in perspective of "Jesus Deodorant."

 

Now deodorant is a huge part of American culture and needs to be applied everyday for social acceptance, but I was convicted today of my "Jesus Deodorant" application. Am I applying EVERYDAY? And some times I need to reapply! When my attitude is out of check... I start to smell a little like B.O to the people around me. When I'm selfish... B.O is there too. When I worry about things that, don't need me to worry about them... B.O strikes back!  So if I am the Aroma of Christ to the people around me then I need to make sure that they are smelling him not me.

 

I am sure that there will be days when I sweat hard and the B.O is waiting just to kill everyone's smeller but those are the days that I need to smell myself and reapply.

So I am not expecting to NEVER sweat or smell, because I am human and it is what my "flesh" does naturally, but rather expect to be spiritually hygienic, and more faithful with the responsibility I have as a Christian.

 

 

So join with me today and lets PUT ON SOME DEODORANT!

     It has been 4 months... 4 months since the Race ended. At times it seems like years ago, or like a dream that I had while sleeping one night, and sometimes it seems like yesterday i was eating meat on a stick in Thailand... Weird.

 

     It has been an easier transition home than I expected it to be. i have started to work at Trevinos Gymnastics again. I was a coach there before i left for the race, and I have found them to be very welcoming of me being back. I know that i am not going to be here long, and actually the plan is to move up to Syracuse, NY in June, and work with Dave Brown for a little while, so until then I will be working here. I will say it is really good to be around kids again. After spending a year around them you kinda miss it.  I had a little 5 year old girl tell me the other day.." Coach Matt. My mommy tells me that tattoos kill people..." as she looked up my right sleeve at both of my tattoos... and all I could do was laugh... I was coaching another girl and told her to stop bending her knees, and she very seriously turned around and stated," Mister Matt, God made me with my knees bent!"   Oh kids are funny.

 

      Along with working at Trevino's I am still waiting to date Hope. Lets define "Waiting" ... Hope and I have two hang out days a week, Tuesday and friday. On tuesdays i go over to her house and we watch American Idol, and walk around the park, fridays we play tennis or Corn-hole! We talk on the phone every once and a while and I guess you could consider all this "Dating." but I do not pursue her like a girlfriend...yet. We have not had really in depth conversations about our past, we haven't kissed, or anything beyond, we are not alone together if we are not in public, and I haven't said the three word phrase that make women want to get married. You see I feel that the Lord told me not to date until 6 months after Hope Graduates High School and that is what I am doing. We are on our fifth year of waiting for each other, and have 9 months left!

 

      Along with this I am trying to help my brother kameronkissinger.theworldrace.org to get ready for the race. He is supposed to leave in July and is trying to raise support. He has a very interesting story and i am excited to see What the Lord is going to do in his life this next year. His heart is for worship and really wants to just serve the Lord in faithful obedience. Please pray about supporting him he could use anything you could give. I will be posting a blog about him soon!

 

       Living at home.... it has been bitter sweet. I love my family, but I am ready to move past little Red Oak Tx. I am trying to be a blessing to my parents while I am here though. My dad work opposite hours as my mom and so anytime they can get together I try to let them... This means taking care of my cousins  that live with us.

 

 

      Prayer needs:  -I wrote a blog before I came home telling of my fears of what temptations might be waiting for me at home, and I think lust was at the top of that list. Well not saying that lust is not a problem now, but what is a big prayer request is just focus. Sometimes I feel so distracted here and I just need the focus and self discipline to do the things I need to get done while I am here.  

- Prayer for Syracuse that  i would be in God's will.

                                 

 

 

We just got 16 inches of snow in one day in North Texas.. ITS CRAZY!

 

 

Di Dinnis has made videos all year, and here are two videos she has just recently made since being home. The first one is about the growth that we have had during the world race and the second is a quick overview of the year. I hope you enjoy it!

 

 

 

 

 

 This is the view walking to down town where the university is that we go and Prayer walk at.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Bikes are chaned up everywhere!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 This is the outside of one of the churches in down town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 this is the inside of the church.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

this is the painting on the inside of the dome of the church.. It is a painting off all the levels of heaven to hell.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 A lot of our ministry this month is talking and sharing our story and lives with the americans at our hostel. We live in this room with 12 beds, and share everything.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 This is the famous David statue, which this is a fake. It is out in the center of town with all of the HUGE statues. The real David, is in a museum that cost money, so we just visit the fake.... the Favid.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 This is just a picture on the river.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View of the city.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 the team getting Gelato!!!

So good!

 

 

 

 

okay. So today is Daves birthday, and because we won't be with him beceuse his  is with Jen and Tonya, in Vienna planning our final debrief.. Hanna and I made him this video.  It is to the song Love Shack because If you around Dave for more than 3or 4 days he is sure to tell you ,"You are Loved."  Well, somewhere along the line someone on the squad but hand motions to it...starting from the top meaning Gods love comes down to me then from me to you {hence the motions you will see in the video.} In Mozambique we were in 'da bush' and the church we worked at was basically a shack, and so I nicknamed it the love shack because that is where people meet Gods love... but it WAS a shack.  all this to catch you up so you wont be competly confused... 

Happy 27th Birthday to Dave! from Ashli Hanna on Vimeo.

Happy Birthday Dave, See ya in a few days!

Pictures of the team from all year.