Heather Beard - Adventures In Missions - Serving the Lord!

Highlight Video

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I have to apologize for not updating my blog hardly at all this summer. My wonderful fiancee is great at updating his, and I guess I just have lived vicariously through him! Check out this link to his latest blog as it has a video that both he and I put together a few weeks back. It is a video that highlights both of our times in South Africa and England! I hope it gives you a little glimpse into the people and lives that You helped touch this past year! Thank you again for your continued love and support.

Blessings,

Heather

http://chadmustain.myadventures.org/?filename=highlight-video

Time with the Fam.

Sat, 31 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Chad and I are having a great time in Dansville. It's been wonderful to be with my family and Chad is having a great time getting to know them. It's been so nice to sleep in, having mom take care of me and cook for me, and process the events of the past weeks and months.

Yesterday, Chad and I went to Letchworth State Park. It is know as the "Grand Canyon of the East." It was beautiful and we had a nice time enjoying God's beautiful creation and each other's company. Here are a few pictures:

The middle falls

Chad and me at the middle falls

The lower falls

We leave New York on Tuesday and will be in Colorado from June 3-13. On June 14 we head to Dallas and we'll be up in Norman the weekend June 20-22.

Our support raising is going well thus far. While we still have a ways to go to meet our monthly support goal of $3,380, we see God's blessing in our lives each day. Thank you for the financial support, the furniture donations, and engagement/wedding gifts. We feel so fortunate to be surround by such an awesome community of family and friends, both near and far.

Be Blessed,
Heather and Chad

Committed to the Call.

Fri, 23 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Dear Family, Friends and Faithful Supporters

As my time has finished in Jeffreys Bay, and the completion of my first year with AIM, my life and ministry are at some important crossroads. Because you have been so faithful in your prayers and support of me, I wanted to share these changes with you and would appreciate your continued prayers.

Jeffreys Bay Update

This year has been great for all us as we have experienced both incredibly blessings and hardships. We've seen people healed, we've seen people die, we've been loved and we've been hated. This is AIM's third year sending an FYM team here and we have seen many lives touched and healed by both present and previous students. God is stirring the people of Jeffreys towards Him and we are so grateful for the opportunity to experience it.

The upcoming season of FYM in Jeffreys Bay is going to look different. The FYM program is launching a new course, called the Awakening, hoping to emphasis more time on training and discipleship. Instead of it being a nine month continuous program it will now be in two parts. The first semester will be used as a three month long discipleship and training program in hopes to see students properly trained. The second semester the students will spend in there selective countries or region of South Africa living out all that they have learned. Jeffreys Bay will be the host of the first semester program the Awakening. And at this point it remains uncertain if Jeffreys will be a destination for a team of students second semester. Please be with us in prayer even now for that time in September!

Personal Update

Much to my surprise and as a real "God Thing", at missionary training camp this past August God brought into my life a wonderful and godly young man, Chad Mustain, who is also an AIM missionary serving in Manchester, England. And in the shortened version, God brought together our love for people and missions, and then brought together our hearts as a couple, and we were engaged this spring and are to be married in Colorado this August 2^nd.

So What's Next

This rollercoaster of emotional highs and lows has definitely deepened our prayer lives, focusing us on what God has for us as a missionary couple. With England out of the picture due to the closing of the AIM base there, we began to pray about whether God would open doors for us to lead and serve in South Africa. Initially we thought yes, but then through prayer and the wise counsel of family and veteran missionary couples, the advice seems to unanimously be to build and guard our marriage during our first year, and this would be difficult to do with the rigors of a demanding overseas leadership position.

Missions In The Next Season Of Life

AIM's home office is located in Gainesville, GA (north Atlanta suburb) and they have offered both Chad and I the opportunity to minister and serve through some key assignments that would allow us to live and work primarily in the Gainesville area this next year. This is still a developing job description but it would include some assignments such as:

Continued development and working with the Ambassador Program, a short-term one-month mission trip program for 16-18 year-olds
Provide leadership and instruction for various missionary training camps including the Ambassador, Real Life, and First Year Missionary Programs
Travel and lead some short term international AIM trips in the spring and summer of 2009
Speak, lead worship, and provide missions education for churches in the Atlanta area

Committed To The Call

God has brought much into our lives this past year. For that we say "YEA God". We haven't and don't understand all God is doing, but one thing we are sure of - WE are committed to the call!

The great missionary mandate found in Acts 1:8 says,

"But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell the people about me everywhere - in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

We are prayerfully content that in being committed to the call that God is leading us to minister via Jerusalem for the next phase of our missions journey.

One thing remains constant for a faith based missionary, whether single or married. We do not draw a paycheck from a ministry organization and rely upon God bringing financial and ministry partners alongside us.

Chad and I have both been blessed individually with a wonderful team of prayer partners and financial supporters. We hope that you will prayerfully consider continuing your support of us during this next year of ministry and as we serve together as a couple.

As a married couple our financial needs and monthly support goal is $3,380 per month for the next year. This amount covers our organizational fees, taxes, social security, health insurance, and what we would live on each month.

It is through your generosity and monthly or one time gifts that we are able to take the love and message of Christ "everywhere . . . and to the ends of the earth."

We would love to hear from you if we can answer any questions related to our ministry or your support thereof.

Be Blessed,

Heather and Chad

hmichaele15@hotmail.com

Arrived Safely.

Thu, 22 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Well, Chad and I arrived safely into Georgia Friday night. While in Roswell over the weekend I managed to purchase my wedding dress, caught up a few friends, had a great visit to one of our supporting churches Dunwoody Baptist, registered at Target and Bed Bath and Beyond, and had a restful time staying with Kurt, Faith, and Shiver Giebel.

We are now in Gainesville, GA staying with our good friends Don and Connie Rock. We have had two great marriage counseling sessions with Jeff and Kelly and signed a lease on a beautiful apartment for the fall.

Chad and I have had a great time networking, building new relationships, connecting with potential ministry partners, and reconnecting with our AIM family. We have been so blessed by the hospitality of our friends and supporters while back in the States.

Please pray that I will experience rest and peace in the midst of all the planning and life changes I am going through. Chad has been such a blessing and is taking wonderful care of me.

More soon!!

Heather

The End.

Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Well the end is close in sight. I still can't believe that in two days I will no longer call Jeffreys Bay my home. It's been a challenging experience, and there is so much waiting for me at home, although it doesn't take away the sadness of leaving a group of people who you've invested into for the last eight months. It's been an incredible experience, one to not be forgotten. God has challenged me, stretched me and refined me once again.

Last night we returned home from Cape Town. We spent four full days there, visiting and touring the sites. Although the weather was not pleasant, the fog never lifting off of Table Mountain, it still was a beautiful time of rest, reflection and fun! We hiked Table Mountain, we visited the penguins, we ate American food, Cinnabun and Subway, we saw three movies, and we climbed Cape Point, the most southern tip of Africa. It was a great way to spend some last moments with our students.

The View at the top of Table Mountain.

Christina and I at the top of Table Mountain.

Penguins!

The drive to Cape Point, including a rainbow!

Cape Point, where it is believed two oceans meet.

The Cape of Good Hope.

The next couple of days we will be packing up and saying our goodbyes. Most of us leave on Thursday to return home. I will be meeting up with Chad at the Frankfurt Airport on Friday morning and from there we will fly to Atlanta where we will spend two weeks visiting our AIM family and doing some pre marriage counseling. From there we will head to New York to visit with my mother, step dad and brother for five days and then back to Colorado on June 3^rd.

I cannot thank you enough for all of your love, prayers, financial support and encouragement as I have been here. I truly would not have been able to do it without you. I have been meaning to post an update on Chad's and I's plans, but with the craziness of this past week, have not been able to. Once I return home I will post an update about our upcoming plans! I love you all and hope to visit with you when I am home!!

Blessings,

Heather

A Carnival and Last Supper.

Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Before we left for Cape Town our students put on a couple huge events for the kids they work with. The Ithemba crew put together a carnival, where over 90 kids attended! Check out these pictures below. It was a crazy and fun time, a time where kids could be kids again!

The Joshua Project team put together a last supper, to say the least with the kids they work with. It was a fun filled day with laughter, dancing, egg races and food! Check out these pics from the day.

I am beyond proud of our students this year. They have truly made a difference in this community. They have forever left a footprint in the lives of many.

Thank you for helping make a difference!
Blessings,
Heather

Update on the Baby.

Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I just wanted to send a quick thank you for your prayers for the baby mentioned in one of my earlier blogs. Our students went back last week to check up on it and good news abound. They said that the mother was properly taking care of it and that it had even gained weight! We have contacted a lady friend of ours here who said that she would make frequent visits to the home to continue checking up on the baby, whose name is Angel.

Where to go from here.

Sun, 4 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I sit here trying to think of how to even begin explaining the events of this last week. It was beautiful, heart breaking and everything in between. Our time here is closing, this last week being our last full week of ministry. And of course it ended up being one of the hardest for both me and our students. I cried, prayed, laughed and struggled right alongside the girls I have been meeting with every week for the last eight months.

Monday was probably the roughest day of the week. Holly and I were out trying to do the grocery shopping, which on a public holiday is impossible, and ran into one of the street kids here. His name is Dion. He is sixteen years old and he has AIDS. He weighs 95 pounds and refuses to take his medicine. He literally is dying in front of our eyes. He has resorted to drinking and friendly smiles and exchanges are no longer had with him. He is utterly hopeless and is begging to die.

From there we receive a call from some of our students who do ministry at the health clinic in one of the townships, Pellsrus. They ran into a woman and her two month old baby on the street. The woman is drunk and holding her child like a sack of potatoes. Our students pray with her, take the child and walk her home. Upon arriving at the woman's house, they see a man rolling joints and at least 6 cats roaming the home. The house is an absolute disaster, and talking to the neighbors we find out they are all alcoholics and the neighbor tells us, "They need a lot of help." Our minds and hearts go back to that child finding out it has not eaten more than flour and water for the last four days. It weighs only 2.5 Kilos, making it about 6 pounds. It has a rash over its entire body. The mother is too drunk to have patience to feed and hold it properly. We sat there wondering what is going to happen to this child. We buy some formula for the baby and try to teach the mother how to do simple things like feed it, burp it and hold it. And then we leave, praying and hoping that God brings restoration and life to that family.

From there we come home. I meet with one of my students and we start talking about the street kids and the most recent situation that has developed over the weekend. There are a couple men here who have started abusing the children and telling them that they are going to hell. They are referred to as the Rastas, so their religion plays a part in both their abusive behavior and condemnation of those kids. The kids go there because the men give them marijuana, yet the men are beating them for sniffing glue and petrol. Either way those kids are in danger.

And that's a wrap. The day is over. My heart still hasn't been able to process all these things, I still feel overwhelmed and heart broken. Today at church, I wept for Dion, for that baby, and for those kids. I don't understand these things. I don't understand why there has to be so much pain in the world. And I guess that's where I'm at. I heard God tell me this morning to surrender. And I guess that's what we have to do as our time in Jeffreys comes to an end. The Lord has really been speaking to me through His word. I'm searching for strength and peace to finish these last weeks strong.

He says

"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock." Isaiah 26:3-4

"a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged." Isaiah 42:3-4

I guess all that to say, please be praying for us here. Today at church the pastor said something that struck my mind and heart, he said through out life we may lose some battles, but we will win the war. So we continue on to fight for the things the Lord cares about.

We leave on Wednesday to go to Cape Town for four full days. It is our last debrief time with our students. We will start to process the events of the year and how to begin to reintegrate back to life in the States. I'm not sure I have any of those answers. Pray that our time will be full of peace, rest, and laughter. Pray for safe travels as it is a 8 hour drive from Jeffreys.

Blessings,

Heather

Storms River Mouth.

Sun, 4 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

South Africa is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, I'm just sure of it. I have felt so blessed this year to have been able to explore and see another part of God's world, his handiwork and masterpiece. On Friday Katie, Melissa and I went to TsiTsikamma National Park and hiked Storms River Mouth. It was such a peaceful day, as God found me right where I was at. It was a perfect ending to a really hard week. Here are some pictures. Thank you for making this possible for me to experience.

Love to you all,

Heather

And We Climb On.

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This week has been a bit different than most weeks here in Jeffreys. Because our ministry sites are still closed for Easter Holiday, we had a bit more room in our schedule to really try and challenge the students this week. So we took advantage of the extra time and decided to structure our days around a couple spiritual disciplines that Richard Foster discusses in his book Celebration of Discipline. We focused on solitude, fasting, prayer and celebration. Each day has many testimonies of the things God did within our students and within me, but for this blog I wanted to share what God did on our solitude day. On Tuesday we took the students hiking up a mountain and gave them the day to reflect and mediate on the semester and allowed room for God to speak into their lives. Before we were allowed to hike we were to pick an object that represented something we needed to surrender to God. Once we had that object we were released to start the climb. My attitude this day was not poor, but trudging through the bushes in Africa and rock climbing isn't necessarily the way that I prefer to find God. But I don't think God really cared about how I preferred to find him, because He's found in everything! Tiredly I started trudging through the thorny bushes and stumbled upon a bush with flowers that were perfectly intact, but had obviously been through a fire. They were completely scorched, but somehow they were still beautiful. I picked one and used it as my object, and began asking God to reveal himself through this scorched flower.

A few minutes later one of our students approached us and asked if we wouldn't mind her tagging along with us, of course we said we didn't. She was really scared about trudging through the bushes alone and I was reminded that sometimes on our journey through life we need the help of others to get us to where we need to be. Because of her vulnerability with us, God allowed that truth to penetrate my heart. So we prayed and continued on our upward climb. After a while we stopped on some rocks and took some time to start journaling about the truths God was bringing to our hearts. As I began journaling I was reminded of my attitude in starting this hike, so I confessed that and asked God to speak. We moved forward and the higher we climbed the more of God's beauty we were able to see. When we were a bit higher we took another break and soaked in the beauty of God's creation around us and I started reflecting on my little scorched flower. I realized why I picked it; it was because this was and is how my heart feels. My heart still intact, but so scorched, I felt almost dead inside. The flower was obviously dead, but somehow it was beautiful. And I realized that even though my heart may feel dead and that there may be nothing to give, God is still beautiful and that beauty radiates any scorched heart.

When we reached the highest place, I was blessed enough to experience three of our students explain their objects and what it represented to them, and then see them yell "I surrender!" and throw it off the mountain. Again I was reminded that God uses the weak to lead the strong. The whole day I felt so weak in every area of my life, but God used me and others to forge the way up and down that mountain, and to help students experience freedom from things that were hindering their journey with God. That is a true blessing of doing what I do and I am so grateful to have experienced that.

That is just one of the many things God spoke to me this week. It truly was a great week, tiring in some ways, but renewing in others.

"And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail." Isaiah 58:11

Thank you all for your steadfast and faithful prayers. We are approaching the end of the trip with just 4 weeks left! Please continue to pray for strength for me and that I would be able to just pour out everything I have. I look forward to seeing most of you if not all of you this summer.

All my love,

Heather

Plan B?

Sun, 6 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Ok...so one of the quickest lessons you learn as a missionary is the importance of Plan B, because as always plans change. We are no longer headed to Lesotho. The day before we left we encountered more obstacles to our departure, we had a couple girls really sick, a spare tire on our van and another tire with a gash in it just to name the top two. So yet again we called another leader meeting. We talked about our options and decided that we would spend the afternoon praying. We gathered the team and told them to pray for us as we make the decision. We had a lot of confused students, which is no fault of their own, but their bipolar leaders. So we approached the throne and all of us were in agreement that we needed to stay here in Jeffreys. So needless to say we obeyed the Lord and find ourselves here. We're believing that the Lord has big things in store for us here and are expecting him to act mightily this week. As a leadership team we have some great things planned throughout this week. We are hiking a mountain tomorrow, the goal is to allow the students some time and space for reflection and strength, we are going to conduct the 30 hour famine on Tuesday and spend 24 hours in prayer on Wednesday. During the afternoons the students will have time to do intentional ministry with their internships and the people here that they've grown to love. We have some other activities planned this weekend, of course unconfirmed, but include some team builders and South African braaing (grilling). So...there you have it Plan B. I think Jesus loves Plan B's just as much as Plan A's!

Blessings,
Heather

A Little R and R.

Fri, 4 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Well the time has finally come, tomorrow we are headed to Lesotho for our two week outreach. God granted us favor with the visa office in Port Elizabeth and our visa extension request was permitted. We will be working with a pastor called James in the mountainous region of Butha Buthe. I have heard that Lesotho is an absolutely breath taking country, so I am excited to experience another part of Africa. Please be in prayer for our team over the next couple of weeks, as we will be out of our comforts and facing a reality that most Africans face each day. Pastor James and his family have started an orphanage and a care point center for children in their area. While we are there our main hope is just to be helping hands for Pastor James and his staff and to bless them in anyway we can. Not only will we be out of our comfort zone physically, but spiritually as well. Because we will be in the bush, we are going to be encountering traditional African spirituality, which can be very dark and oppressive at times. Because of Jesus' perfect love, we will walk without fear, but I would like to extend that you cover us in prayer in this way as well. We are excited for this experience and are looking forward and expecting God to do big things.

A quick update on me personally:

This week was our team's spring break and therefore a break for us as well! Most of our team packed up and went to Cape Town for the week, leaving the house almost quiet. Christina, Holly and I took up an offer from a lady named Joy in a nearby town called St Francis Bay and invaded her place. St Francis Bay is located right on the Krom's River which empties into the Indian Ocean. Joy's house was right on the river and we found it so peaceful. We really were blessed by her hospitality and found ourselves for the first time in months being taken care of. She cooked us all our meals and we even had tea and snacks all day long. She let us watch T.V. and we sat on real couches! It truly was a treat. Her son even came over and gave us a boat ride through the canals of St Francis it was so beautiful. It was a fun filled weekend, but also a relaxing one where I was able to process and pray through a lot of things in my life. I'm grateful that God gave us the blessing of staying with Joy and I'm grateful for the time that God has given me this week to catch up on some matters in my life. Please continue to pray for me as I am working and processing through a lot of the upcoming changes!

Blessings,

Heather

Here are a few photos:

The sunset over the Krom's River.

Christina on our canal ride.

One of the beautiful holiday homes on the canal.

Enjoying a breath taking view.

Me.

St Francis Lighthouse.

New Program offered by AIM.

Tue, 1 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This week AIM launched a new program. Please pass on to people who you think could be interested. Thank you!

Blessings,

Heather

Community Life: training & apprenticeship for Christ-followers

One year of growth, community, and ministry.

We're excited to introduce a new opportunity that many of you will love. We're taking our best coaches and disciplers and matching them up for a year with our most passionate young people (up to age 31). At Adventures In Missions (AIM), we love the next generation. We want to see people launched into a whole new way of doing life. In a culture that esteems independence, we want to restore the value of interdependence that was so prevalent in the Early Church. By living in authentic community, disciples of Jesus learn how to be "salt" and "light" in a way that transforms the world around them. It's a year of training and apprenticeship in community.

Community Life is a place where you can continue to grow in your identity and role in the kingdom of God. The people of AIM will pour into you during this year in a number of ways. Our leaders will train you and hang out with you. We'll help you sharpen your life focus and call to ministry and even help you develop your skill sets. We provide housing in Gainesville, GA, where a select group of 30 young people will live together in several houses in a neighborhood with easy access to the surrounding community.There are five major aspects involved in Community Life:

Mentoring: As part of creating a personal development plan, you will be paired up with a leader at AIM that will regularly meet one-on-one with you and provide coaching, encouragement, and discipleship.Seth Barnes and Scott Borg will guide a team of top leaders as we return to discipleship as Jesus practiced it. This includes intensive teaching to help you understand your past, who you are in Christ, and how to move forward in the plan God has for your life and ministry.You will work on your own, in small group settings, and with some of the most experienced and inspirational mentors AIM has to offer.

Skill development:You will expand your life skills.Many of you will have an internship in the office in an area such as recruiting, marketing, creative writing/editing, media, missions mobilization, web design, or program development.Your internship will be tailored to develop your passion. It's an opportunity to develop valuable work skills through hands-on training.

Ministry:In order to stay connected with ministry, we've partnered with a local outreach to the 60,000 marginalized Hispanics in and around Gainesville.It is important to us that you continue to be exposed to the poor and have the opportunity to engage in hands-on ministry. We'll also partner with a camping and sports ministry.

Travel:To continue engaging in different cultures and learning about God's heart for the nations, we'll provide you with opportunities for travel to put into practice what you have learned. In addition there may be a summer opportunity to lead various discipleship programs for high school and college students around the world. You will be able to call others to a life of sacrifice and to fulfilling the Great Commission. In the future, we'll plant new leadership training bases in places like Spain and Africa with our colleagues Andrew Shearman and Gary Black and partner with them in developing those training centers.

Sample apprenticeships:Recruiting Team, Marketing Team, Multimedia ministry, discipleship ministry coordination, short-term mission project coordination, and many others.You will have the opportunity to use your gifts in mobilizing people for God's kingdom.

For more information: click here

To apply, click here to fill out a Quick App.

If you are an AIM alumni, please call 1-800-881-2461 ext. 270 or email SerenaLivingston@adventures.org

Change in Plans.

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

So today we were suppossed to be on our way to Lesotho, but the events that have unfolded this week prevented us from making our trip. This week we were informed that our visa extension request had been denied. It threw our leadership team into a crazy time of brainstorming ideas of how we can get that request granted so that our team would not have to go home a month early. The Vias went down to the Home Affairs office to try and get our money back and by the end of their time there they came out with our visa extenstions. We are not quite sure how it all worked out, but know that our God hears our prayers and loves to answer them. So with that craziness, we postponed our trip to Lesotho. We will still be going, but instead of leaving this weekend we will leave on April 5th. This weekend we are still heading out of town with our team. We are taking them to Alice, a town 3 hours East of Jeffrey's. We promised a former pastor of a church here in Jeffrey's that we would come for Easter Sunday and did not want to go against our word. So this morning we are headed to Alice to join Pastor Gundu and his church for ministry and for Easter. Please just keep our team in your prayers, for health, safety and traveling mercies. We plan to be back on Monday afternoon to continue on with ministry here in Jeffrey's. Thank you all so much for your love.
Blessings
Heather

A Little Late...But We're Engaged!!

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

So many of you know this already, well probably all of you know this already, but Chad and I are engaged! I dropped him off at the airport on Friday to return to England and it was possibly one of the hardest things I have had to do. His two week stay here in Jeffrey's was more than perfect and it just seems wrong to have to part yet again. We both know God has great things in store for our future together, and at this point that is what is getting me through these tough days of being apart. I love Chad more than I ever knew I could love someone. He truly means the world to me and I cherished every moment we had together. Besides getting engaged, for the full story see http://chadmustain.myadventures.org/index.asp?filename=she-said-yes, we were able to enjoy Jeffrey's and it's amazing beaches, visit Addo Elephant National Park (I thought I died about 5 times as the elephants were a little too close for my comfort :)), check out local ministries here in Jeffrey's, hang out with our FYM team, and take a short trip to Plettenberg Bay. It was a packed two weeks, but everything Chad and I hoped for. It seems as if God is lining up our path to return to Jeffrey's next year, for our second year with AIM and to help with The Awakening and the FYM program again. For more details see http://www.fymissions.com/a/fym/africaAwake.asp. Our plan at this point is to get married on August 2^nd and return to South Africa in September to help with a new team of students for the next nine months. We are both excited about this and are looking forward to another great year, together this time! Here are a few pictures from our time together. Hope you enjoy, and of course thank you for all your love and support for both Chad and I over the last months. It hasn't been easy by any means, but with all of you behind us it has made a difference! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

Blessings,

Heather

Catching some rays!

The Lovely Ring!

Dinner before the big question.

Chad and I at the watering hole.

So I found out I have a fear of elephants since moving to Africa.

No lions in sight.

Chad and I at the beach in Plettenberg Bay.

Team Update.

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Just another quick post to let you all know on a couple happenings with our team. Although the last weeks have been excellent with Chad here, we had the misfortune of losing one of our participants due to sickness. Her name is Raelynn Chambers, and she could use all the prayer she can get. She has undergone many tests and will continue to these next couple of weeks as the doctors try to figure out all that is going on in her. For the most part they have answers, and praise God they are not life threatening, but it will be something she will have to deal with for the rest of her life. Please pray for her strength phsycially, emotionally and spiritually. We are not the same team without her and miss her dearly. Pray that the Lord will continue touching her!

Our Rae Rae.

Another quick note is that we are taking our team on a two week outreach to Lesotho. Lesotho is a small country within SA. It is about 7 hours away, so on Saturday morning we will pile into our kombis and make the trek. We will be living out in the bush, or rural area, and will be without electricity and running water. We are working with a Pastor who has an orphanage of 8 children. Our team will be living there and doing whatever we can to help. We are also planning on doing some house visiting, and a lot of praying. Please be in prayer for our team the next couple of weeks, for safe travels, for health and for great opportunities to serve in any capacity! We plan to be back in Jeffrey's on April 4th. Communication will more than likely be slim, so keep the team and I in your prayers and if possible I will update my blog. Thank you all!

Blessings,
Heather

Cooking Time with Emily.

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Our team partners with a church in the black township, Tokyo Sexwhale, called Ithemba. Ithemba in Xhosa means hope. Pastor Gundu and his wife Emily have recently just resigned from Ithemba and Gundu has taken a new pastoral job in a town a couple hours away. His wife, Emily and 2 children however are still here in Jeffrey's. Emily is a principal at a local adult school in the evenings and as a family are not in a position where she can leave her job as it is their only source of income. They have now been separated for about a month, and are hoping Gundu will come back at the end of this month. Over the course of the month I have had a lot of opportunity to be there for Emily. I could only imagine how lonely and scary doing all she does alone and really felt it on my heart to spend as much time with her as I could. So Holly and I have made it to her house once a week to visit, pray and encourage her as well as to cook up some American food for her and her children. My schedule doesn't always allow much room to go into the townships and visit with people as much as I would like so the time I do have I value greatly. So my Friday afternoons have become Cooking with Emily time. We have only had the opportunity to cook something with her twice, but both times it was delicious by the grace of God. Cooking here in Africa is never quite the same, as the ingredients are different, all the measurements are different, the oven cooks differently, etc. Our first cooking session consisted of Chocolate Chip Cheesecake. And last week we cooked pizza as requested. It was the first time that I have ever made my own dough and it turned out great, after praying over it before I put it into the oven. More than just the cooking, our time is filled with encouraging one another to press on even though our work during the week is hard. I always feel blessed leaving her house and look forward to our continued cooking times together. Yesterday I received a text from her saying how much she enjoyed our company and feels so blessed by the AIM team. Keep Emily and her family in your prayers. Again a small thing reaping huge blessings.

I love you all and am missing home always.

Pressing On

Heather

Emily and I making Cheesecake.

Emily's youngest, Mkatwa.

Me and Makuto.

Different strategies for trying to build up a team.

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

So the last couple weeks our leadership team has faced this issue of what to do with a team of 15 who has made their team house a place to just live, a house where love is scarce, and encouraging words are no longer dripping off their tongues. We look at the potential of this team and our hearts break for the lack of true community. Because we know what true community fosters; it fosters love, it builds people up, it speaks truth into hearts and it allows people to just be themselves. So instead of sitting back and allowing the enemy to steal anymore life from our team, we came up with a couple ideas or games that are attempting to create healthy team interaction and true community once again.

Last week we played a game called Secret Servant, a Christian version of Secret Santa if you will. I assigned each student to another and they had to serve that person in secret all week. We asked them to be creative in ways that they could serve in secret, as sometimes our service is unknown to man and does not need recognition in its truest form. There were many creative ideas, people were doing other's chores, they were making each other's beds, they took their person on scavenger hunts for goodies, there were encouraging notes floating around, for example one said this team would suck with you here and attached was a sucker. By the end of the week everyone knew who their secret servant was, but it was nice to see our team serving and loving each other once again.

This week we decided to continue trying to help build our team morale. Today we gave each student a disability. Some have no voice, others cannot use their hands, some have one hand, some can only use their voice, some have one leg, some are blind and one girl has to pray for any person that initiates conversation with her (I know not a disability, but has a true purpose). Any time that the students are home or on our property they have to enact their disability and if at anytime we catch them not, they will do 25 pushups each. We hope to show those who are blind or without hands that there are other ways to serve their teammates. We hope to show those without a voice the weight that our words carry. We hope to show those who are normally functioning how hard it is to carry the full load of a team by themselves. We hope to show our team that they need each other, that this body of Christ is missing parts when it's not functioning normally and interdependently. We played this for the last day and a half and it proved to be effective in teaching them the things we hoped for. I don't think it's a game that our team would want to play again, but it sure did give them a different perspective on their team and that's all we hoped for.

And we ended a great week of team builders with a great family night of House Olympics. For those of you who are frequent watchers of The Office, maybe you recall the episode of Office Olympics, which is what we tried to replicate. It was a great night, filled with laughter and fun. We lit the torch, we played the theme song of the Olympics, we sang the national anthem and we played games with each team member winning a medal throughout the night. And then we ended a fun filled night watching the inspiration of it all, The Office.

Cheering the Torch in.

Medalists.

Sword Drill.

Thank you for your prayers for our team this week. It was truly a blessed week with them and I am so thankful for the restoration that God is doing in each of their lives.

On another note, Holly and I taught this week on prayer. The books that we used to help guide our teaching sessions were The Art of Listening Prayer, by Seth Barnes and The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence. God definitely has blessed Holly and I, as we both were nervous about teaching. Our conversations have been excellent and I feel that we are leaving the students challenged, which was our intent. Praise God for using us outside of our comfort levels!

Blessings, Heather

Shopping Day!

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

So something that I love about my job is doing the grocery shopping every Monday afternoon. It's weird for me to admit that that is something I love, especially since before this trip it was something that I hated to do. But it's become a ministry for my co leader Holly and I as God usually places people and opportunities in our path throughout the afternoon of shopping. Yesterday was probably my favorite day of shopping thus far. As we were leaving the house a couple kids from the township appeared at our house, as it's no longer a mystery where all the Americans live. They have been coming over to our house on a pretty frequent basis for the last week or two. Sunday afternoon I taught them how to play the game Uno, and graciously lost all 3 games. Yesterday, instead of pointing them back home, most likely to an unsafe environment, Holly and I pulled up to them in our van, rolled the window down and asked if they had a couple hours to spare to be our helpers for the day. With smiles on their faces they agreed and hopped into our kombi. So here is a mini photo tour of our shopping extravaganza yesterday! We first went to the local grocery store called Pick n Pay. Here you can find anything you need, but be prepared to pay for the grocery bags at the end of our trip. Keegan agreed to be my helper and Christaan Holly's helper and with our grocery carts, Holly and I took two kids around trying to teach them how to look for the best priced items as well as saying excuse me when you bump someone and thank you when someone allows you to pass. With their heads hardly being above the carts, we made our way to pay after letting them pick out something to eat and drink. They helped us bag it all up, push our way out and load up the van.

From Pick n Pay we went to Fruit and Veg, which is where we get all of our produce. We took a break and ate lunch on the grass, and inside took the time to dance to Gwen Stefani in the aisles. From there we made our way to the chicken man, ok his real name is John and his store, Kekkel en Kraai, but we refer to him as the chicken man, because you guessed it that is where we get our supply of chicken for the week. Over the course of the semester John has really become more open with us. Holly and I have enjoyed the relationship that our time has allowed us to build with him. And of course from there we have to go to the butchery, where we get our meat and cheese and also to the mini mart where we get our supply of bread for the week. After running into the people that we do and taking the time to talk or pray with them, as well making a run into the post office, that usually consumes our afternoon.

Fruit n Veg with our Kombi (van) proudly parked in front.

Me, Keegan and Christiaan enjoying a break.

Holly and John at the counter of Kekkel en Kraai.

So after exhausting our helpers, we made it back home and they continued to help us unload a van full of food. We managed to find a place for all of it which always is a challenge and decided to snack on some fruit and play another game of Uno. After teaching them how to shuffle a deck of cards, I suffered yet another loss. It was all in good fun and many laughs were shared as they told eachother the cards I held in Afrikaans. It was such a blessed day that we invited them to join us every Monday. Holly and I recognize in these boys such pleasant spirits yesterday that we are determined to not allow them to be a product of their circumstances like so many of the youth here. But we have hope that God will push them and make them so much more. I'm thankful for the opportunity to walk alongside these boys and hopefully can call them into a life full of hope, love and faith. Please join us in praying for these boys, but also the youth of Jeffrey's Bay.

I feel blessed to do God's work even in the menial tasks, like grocery shopping. Thank you for your love and support! May you find God's presence even in the smallest of tasks this week!

Heather

A Beautiful Lady.

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

I wanted to continue to introduce you in further depth of what some of our students participate in. One of the ministries that they thoroughly enjoy is house visits. At the beginning of the semester we met up with a contact of ours named Auntie Matilda. If all of you could meet Auntie Matilda you would be eternally blessed. She is an amazing, passionate woman of God. She desires to see the face of God glorified in her own community. She spends her time taking care of those whose lives have been devastated by AIDS. Everyday she visits those who are sick and does anything she can to make their life a joy. She washes, she bandages, she prays fervently, she delivers food, she is Jesus. Everyone in these parts knows Auntie Matilda. After a couple of weeks of following Auntie Matilda, the students began developing relationships with a few families in the community, whom they visit on a weekly basis.

One of these relationships is with a woman named Noma. Noma is of Xhosa decent and a beautiful woman of God. Noma has AIDS and her life has been in a fragile state of condition. Last semester, standing 6 foot tall, she weighed only 40 Kilos which is about 88 pounds. Her feet were swollen immensely, so even walking and doing things around the home were impossible. Our students visit and pray over her almost daily throughout the week hoping to bring a little joy to her day. As they returned to her house for the fist time in a month this past week they were overjoyed by what they saw. We were all a little worried for her, not being sure if she would still be alive upon returning. O thee of litte faith.she had gained around 8 Kilos and her feet were back to normal! She is almost back to a state of health where she can start taking ARV's, which help prolong her life and better her health. I know the Lord is increasing the faith of our students through Noma. I am so thankful for what He is doing through them and through Noma. Please keep her in your prayers. For more on the house visit team see http://cassieorr.myadventures.org

Blessings,

Heather

JBay Take 2.

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Well we are back into the swing of things here in JBay. It has felt so great to finally start again. Over the holiday I had a lot of time to think, pray and listen to God. There have been times in my life where I have been disappointed with God for putting me in places or situations that do not necessarily line up with my expectations, hopes or desires. My time here in JBay has been one of those experiences. Last semester was nothing of what I expected from my time in Africa. But I have come to realize that maybe that is ok. That even though my time was nothing of what I expected, maybe it was better that way. Maybe God put me in places and situations that I didn't want to be in, and maybe in my reluctancy I missed Him. Maybe I missed the things that He wanted to do in me and through me. And maybe that is the case and maybe it is not. But as I have returned to JBay, I have felt God redeeming the life of His servant and restoring a hope that He has a purpose for me here. As I return this semester, I return with less of my own expectations and am far more open in waiting and expecting God to do His thing, not mine. As I look back over the last three months, I regret living in my own stubbornness of wanting life to look the way that I had planned it, but am thankful for a God of second chances. Thank you for all your love and support and for your continued prayers. Please be in continued prayer for our safety, our house seems to be targeted these days. Someone the other day walked right in, while someone was home and stole one of our girl's purse. It doesn't seem to be that whoever keeps coming in is wanting to do harm, just wanting our things. So we continue to praise God for looking out for our wellbeing.

Stay tuned this week for fun stories, pictures and videos of our first week back in action!

Blessings,

Heather

Fun Run.

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Today our team had the opportunity to help with a local 5K put on by a Dutch couple to help raise awareness and donations for the Joshua Project. See a previous blog entry, http://heatherbeard.myadventures.org/index.asp?filename=the-joshua-project . This is the second year that they have done this event. It costs 10 Rand to run the race, which is about $1.50 with all the proceeds going directly to the Joshua Project. This couple from Holland spend their holiday season in Jeffrey's spreading the word, collecting prizes and preparing for the race. They did an excellent job and hosted a wonderful event. Besides having an adult race, they also have a short 500 meter race for the kids. So 3 of us jumped in our kombi, or van, and went into the township collecting kids. With the help of Bougani, a favorite child among the team shouting out the window, we gathered almost 20 kids. It always amazes me how the parents here just send their children out the door to go with a van full of Americans. And somehow all of the kids made it back home, plus a couple more I'm pretty sure. It was a fun day and a great reunion for many of us with some of the kids that our hearts fell in love with last semester. Enjoy a couple pictures of the Fun Run.

Bougani helping us gather some kids.

Our Kombi, with everyone in it.

Actually, its quite serious!

3 of us helped at the halfway point to encourage and hydrate the runners!

Some of our students particpated.

Some of the Joshua Project Boys....love them.

Jap, he is one of the directors at Joshua and a favorite among the kids.

We ended with prizes for the winners and of course dancing.

Thank you for keeping this place in your prayers! There are so many good people that we work with here, they truly are a blessing.

Heather

One Wild Ride.

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

So hopefully this works, I have yet to figure out all the applications in the blogging world. I just wanted to give you all a better picture of the Ostrich farm tour!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd-SM2A58-c

Heather

Here I Am.

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Dear Friends, Family and Supporters

What a fantastic couple of months I have just had. Since my last blog, our team finished up a great first semester in JBay. We had our group debrief in George, a stop along the Garden Route which is a beautiful scenic drive along the coastline of the Eastern Cape. It was a great time of fellowship and relaxation, reflecting on what God has done and making plans for this semester for ourselves and ministry. We were able to do a lot of fun activities; one of my favorites was a tour of an ostrich farm. Sounds lame, I know but seriously check it out sometime.

Then from our debrief, our team split for the month break, some going home and some staying in Jeffrey's for the holidays. I was privileged enough to be able to go back to the states. I spent three lovely weeks, with my boyfriend, Chad, see www.chadmustain.myadventures.org, his family my family, as well as supporters and friends of both of ours. The time we spent together was more beautiful and blessed than we could have every prayed or imagined. We had such a good time meeting the important people in our lives as it gave us a deeper glimpse into each other. Thank you to all of you who made time to hang out with Chad and I and for all of those who had us over for dinner, or allowed us to stay at your house. It was truly a blessing. Here are a few pictures of Chad and I as well as the Mustain Family.

So here I am back in Jeffrey's, sitting in our living room, typing this blog. I got in late last night and was able to sleep through the night. Although I woke up this morning a little bit in a frenzy, seeing how it was 1 a.m. Texas time. Thank you for your prayers. I am looking forward to seeing what God has in store for me and for our team this semester.

Blessings,

Heather

The Joshua Project.

Sat, 24 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

I thought I would take some time to describe a few of the ministries that our students have been pouring themselves into these past couple of months. They will continue working with them over the next couple of weeks and will pick back up with them when they return from their Christmas breaks in January. One that touches my heart deeply is a ministry called The Joshua Project. "The Joshua Project is a safe haven for vulnerable children and children living on the street to receive love, support, education, and training. Through consistent relationships and education-based programs, we seek to help these children to realize and develop their unique talents; to become healthy, responsible adults and a productive part of the work force and community; and most importantly, to discover their value as a child of God created for a specific purpose." Please visit their website for more information on their programs. http://www.joshuaproject.co.za/

The Joshua Project building.

I've heard just a couple of stories about some of these children, please let me share them with you. Imagine being eight years old and living on the streets. Imagine being eight years old and instead of learning arithmetic, you're learning how to survive alone, cold and hungry. Or how about another child who attends the Joshua Project who just a couple months ago watched his brother burn to death because his father came home drunk and lit the child's bed on fire. These are the kids that they are reaching out to. These are the kids that our student's hearts are breaking for. These are the kids that Jesus is calling us to love. My hope for these kids is that when life seems hopeless, they can remember that with God there is always hope. Just the other day I was able to help transport 50+ of these kids to a park for a graduation BBQ. On the way home after an afternoon full of swimming, food, and games they sang the song Bambalayla at the top of their lungs. Bambalayla, Jesu Bambalayla, it translates hold fast, hold fast, hold fast to Jesus. It was sweet music to my ears, just a little taste of heaven. I couldn't imagine a better place to be; looking in the rearview mirror, seeing every child with a smile as they proclaimed to hold fast to Jesus. Can it be that simple? Life here sometimes seems so dark, so hopeless, so full of despair. And my heart continues to break, because I know the things that are going on here would break Jesus' heart too. But just as those kids sang the other day, so will I. Bambalayla, Jesu Bambalayla. I will hold fast to Jesus, because when we do we find hope and life.

Pray for the Joshua Project and pray for the kids here. Pray the Spirit of God would undeniably touch every child's heart as they learn they are a child of God created for a specific purpose.

Photos courtsey of Tiffany Singleton.

Our Home

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Friends and Family- I first owe you all an apology for not updating my blog in a month. So I am sorry about that, no excuses on my end. But I wanted to introduce you to our beautiful home in Jeffrey's Bay!

The Front of our House. Yes you can see the ocean from the upstairs.

We ordered 22 bean bag chairs for our community living room!

Our Kitchen.

Who doesn't love to wash dishes for 20 people?

And of course...my favorite....

And more to come!

Blessing to you all. I love you and miss you more than you know.

Heather

The Living Waters of Jeffrey's Bay.

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 00:00:00 GMT

There has been a common word that the Lord continues to speak to me through various means. Deep.he whispers it, he shouts it, he longs for me to go deeper. And it's not only me that he continues to beckon to the deep places. One of the privileges of my job with AIM is that I get to walk alongside a group of people searching for the deep parts of God. It truly is nothing short of an honor. I love hearing the ways that God is beckoning his children to Himself. It brings deep joy to my life and heart. Last week two of our students made the decision to be baptized. Cassie had been experiencing pretty sharp and intense pains in her stomach during her time in Africa. We prayed over her, we sang over her, we took her to the doctors, but nothing "seemed" to be wrong and nothing seemed to help. She was frustrated, toying with the idea of maybe going home. Now if you know Cassie you would realize that to lose her on our team would be nothing short of a devastation. One morning during our group discipleship time she vulnerably asked for prayer. So we put her in the middle and prayed over and sang over her. During that time the Lord ministered to her soul and she received a couple visions. In the first vision she saw herself preparing for battle. The second was of the Lord taking her hand and leading her into the ocean. As the waves crashed upon her and as she was taken under the water she felt something released. After that she made the decision to be baptized. Here's a link to her blog page if you want to read her account http://cassieorr.myadventures.org/index.asp?filename=alive-in-christ. I was more than excited for her to baptized, remembering the power it had in my life. It released something in me to go deeper in my relationship with the Lord. I was a new creation and became free to explore the depths of God's heart. Here are a few pictures of our service.

Jenny and Cassie before being baptized.

After being baptized, Cassie has experienced fewer and fewer stomach pains. The Lord daily draws her to Himself. Today I was able to spend an extended amount of time with her and I am constantly surprised with her vulnerability and openess to the Lord. He is absolutely taking her into deeper waters and it's an honor to walk alongside her.

Beautiful Brokenness.

Sat, 20 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The other day I asked the Lord to reveal my purpose here in South Africa. Why am I here Lord, what do you desire for me and out of me this year? His answer was one word, deep. As I journaled through that word, the Lord brought 1 Corinthians 2:9-10, "'What no eye has seen, no ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him'- these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God". I came to no resolution that day, but as the days pass I believe the Lord is showing me and revealing to me the depths of Himself.

I find myself walking with one our students, who is in a place of beautiful brokenness. I find myself being used by God to reveal the deep things of Himself to her during this time. And as I am pouring that into her, I feel Him drawing me into the deeper places of his Heart. This last week I have been reading over and over and mediating on Song of Solomon. I feel all that He has been doing in me this month is coming to a head. I feel Him drawing me closer and more intimately than I have ever allowed myself to experience. As I read the way a bride is described, the capability we have to ravish the Lover of our souls with just one glance I am blown away that He desires me. "I am my beloved's and his desire is for me." He desires me, He chooses to love me right where I am at, no matter what I do or where I go, He will continue to be ravished and captivated by one glance.

He describes the bride as a locked garden, a fountain sealed. Yet in that garden there is a fountain, a well of living water. And maybe He is answering me in my question of how do I regain that living water. Is it just that I need to embrace Him as my bridegroom and as his bride there will be a well of living water in my garden? Can it be that simple? That living water I long for, can come simply by being ravished by His presence?

I hope that you feel captivated by the Lord's presence today.

Loving you and Missing you from afar-

I apologize for the lack of pictures....unfortuantely my camera has broken. I will be taking lots of pictures next semester! Sorry for you who are visual...

It's always a process.

Fri, 5 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

This last week we have been in JBay without a team. Honestly its been really hard. It's hard knowing that our team is growing and being challenged and we're not there to be a part of it. It's hard not feeling purposeless here. We go shopping almost everyday, of course strictly for house necessities. Ok and maybe for a sweatshirt, which dont exist, because its freezing here! We clean and have meetings all in the name of preparation. Don't get me wrong it's necessary to prepare, it's just hard. I've been told over and over to enjoy this time. Before long we will have 18 people living under one roof, coming and going throughout the day. I am looking forward to the a glorious reunion with our team on the 13th and hearing all the things I know our Father is doing in their lives. But until then I continue to prepare for their arrival. I had an awesome time with the Lord this morning. The Lord continually keeps calling me back to a process He started in me last February when I was here. Jeffrey's Bay literally means healing waters or living waters. As I keep coming back to this process the Lord continues to show me new revelations of my hearts condition. As I approached the Lord this morning I came completely open to where He wanted to go. This is an exerpt from an email I sent out this morning:

The Lord gave me a completely new understanding of the proverb "Guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." I am realizing that my wellspring of life is completely dry. I have given my heart away and because of that its left my heart broken, and has completely turned my wellspring dry. Where does that leave me today? In a drought, plain and simple. I feel as if I have little left to give. A weak love at best. But my prayer to the Lord was just the desire to overflow with His living water. My question is how do I get there? What's the process? And as I asked these questions, tears flowed down my face as He answered You get it from me Heather. You get it from me. Let ME fill you. The Lord has to be my source. Simple yet powerful. And then for the first time in my life I wrote a poem, I think. This is me being ultimately vulnerable with you. So here you go.

The Well
Over the years this well has been a source for others.
A source that now is dry.
A source that is left unvisited.
There's a storm brewing on the horizon.
A storm that threatens a flood.
Run, take cover, hide yourself.
But a familiar voice calls out to me.
It says, "Wait.
This storm it will fill you, it will fill you.
Let it fill you."
It comes without asking.
It's heavy.
It hurts.
What is this?
I didn't ask for this.
I give up.
I don't understand.
That voice it comes and it speaks-
It says, "Let it fill you.
Be still. Let it fill you."
I'm sick of fighting.
I'm sick of running.
I'm tired.
And it fills me.
Slowly at first, then it increases and now my well its overflowing.
I'm overflowing.
And I realize I'm living.
I'm alive.
And people are drawn to this source again.
Drawn to a well of living water.

Quite a personal blog, I debated about sharing my heart on the internet, but my hopes is that the Lord will use it to speak to many others.

Blessings to you all. Missing you from afar!

What does one do when stuck in the Frankfurt airport for 14 hours?

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Yes that's right our team spent 14 hours of our life in the Frankfurt airport waiting for our connecting flight to Johannesburg. You whom have travelled through this airport may understand it's nickname which happens to be the armpit of the world. I'd be lying if I said I didn't agree.

And that's what happens when you are stuck in the Frankfurt airport for 14 hours.