A Change to Route 1!

BIG UPDATE!!!!!!

Guys!!! I seriously can’t believe I’m typing this right now. There has been a bit of a change to Route 1. Next year, I will no longer be traveling to three countries… I will now be traveling to FOUR! I will spend 9 months traveling to Guatemala, Ecuador, Nepal, and  COSTA RICA! This experience just keeps getting better and better. God is so cool and seriously such a good father! A little story: Costa Rica has been on my “Places to go” travel list for the LONGEST and now…I’ll be going next year with the World Race!! From the beginning, when I was in the process of choosing a route, I knew I was being called to Route 1. The service I would be doing kept nagging at my heart. The only “downside” to route 1 was that none of the countries were on my “places to go” travel list, which wasn’t all that important to me, I just really wanted a route that had at least one of my desired places to travel. All in all, those place would have their time, it was a matter of me being obedient to where God was calling me this next year. Route one it was. This added location, Costa Rica, seems so much like a gift, not only just to me, but my entire team. We’re all stoked about it! Cool things happen when you’re obedient in walking out what God has for you. 

With that being said, I wanted to take this time to actually tell you guys all about the countries. I have had many questions asking where I’ll be and what I’ll be doing. Keep reading to learn all about it!

Guatemala: My journey begins in Guatemala. I’ll spend my beginning time at the Adventures in Missions base, located near the town of Antigua. As the base staff teaches and equips my team and I with God’s Word, I will work alongside them to build relationships with the surrounding communities. I may find myself playing soccer with neighborhood kids, doing outreach in local villages, or teaching English in a primary school. Here I will reach new heights in my faith and show God’s love in tangible ways.

POPULATION:16.58 Million

LANGUAGE: Spanish

RELIGIONS: 

• Roman Catholic

• Protestant Christian

• Non-Religious Mayan Beliefs

Costa Rica: Here, misty and active volcanoes stand guard. I’ll work alongside World Race ministry partners who are showing the radical love of Jesus to this city. My team will stay in San Jose, home to the Adventures in Missions base. I’ll be serving God’s people in a variety of ways, by teaching dance or English, sharing God’s word with neighborhood children, or even by taking part in community projects in the broken parts of this country devastated by gang violence and poverty. I’ll grow in my spiritual gifts through weekly teachings from the base staff and walk out my faith by showing this Pura Vida nation the true source of Life. 

POPULATION:4.906 Million

LANGUAGE: Spanish

RELIGIONS: 

• Catholicism 62%

• Protestantism 21%

• Non-Religious 9%

• Other religions 6%

• Buddhism 2%

Ecuador: I will live in the capital city Quito and serve with the World Race ministry partner Inca Link, who is making an impact for God’s kingdom through a network of ministries around the city. One of these ministries is providing a safe house for rescued victims of human trafficking, while another is hosting a food program that serves Venezuelan refugees. My team could be serving at a home for adults with special needs, or teaching English at a local high school and sharing the Gospel. My time in Ecuador will definitely be a high point in my journey.

POPULATION:17.51 Million

LANGUAGE: Spanish

RELIGIONS: 

• Roman Catholic 74%

• Protestant Christian 10%

• Atheist 8%

• Other 8%

Nepal: Surrounded by the impressive Himalayan mountains, I’ll visit remote villages where people wait with an open heart to hear the message of the Gospel for the first time. Among the colorful streets of Kathmandu, my team will join World Race partners as they bring the message of the Gospel to the earth’s most distant corners. Here I’ll discover hands-on that there is no place that God’s love can’t reach.

POPULATION:29.13 Million

LANGUAGE: Nepali and Maithili

RELIGIONS:

• Hinduism 81%

• Buddhism 9%

• Islam 4%

• Other 6%

Thank you guys for reading! Now that you know a tad bit more about the countries and the mission work I’ll be doing, please be praying for them, as well as my team as we prepare our hearts to go out and touch these nations. 

You guys are awesome, and again I can’t express how thankful I am for you and your support! 

Much love,

Kourtney