Thank you Lord for a safe place to rest my weary head tonight, for shelter and the privilege that comes with it. Thank you for directing my paths when I am helplessly lost, and for placing kind strangers in my way to guide me. Thank you for giving me the ability to communicate with a smile, words I could never express in a language I can’t speak.
Tiweno, Ecuador 2012

I pray that as I continue this journey, that I will be both teacher and student. I pray that I will give, and also receive love and kindness.

Zambia, Africa 2009

I pray you will help me to see your face and likeness in everyone I meet, that I will recognize your Creative Goodness when my toes are digging in the white sand in Mexico, and when I am passing through the snow capped mountains of Ecuador.

San Blas, Mexico 2013
Laguna Quilotoa, Ecuador 2012

Lord, when I am tired, and frustrated, and hungry beyond words, I pray for an extra portion of your grace. I pray that I will see you in the moments of despair, when I am homesick and have lost my way.

Be my comfort when I am missing my home and family, when I am not sure if I can face another day of bumpy roads and swarming mosquitoes. Please protect me from illness and danger, be my quick escape when I am faced with temptation.

Missouri, USA 2013

When I lose something that is precious to me, whether it be pride, money, or my favorite pair of socks, help me to remember that You are all I need, that I am more than the belongings I am carrying on my back, I am more than my dignity and ego. You formed me in your very own identity, so when all else is gone help me to rest in You.Appalachian Trail, North Carolina 2013

Lord, when I encounter that which I cannot understand, I pray for wisdom and compassion. I pray for courage to look beyond cultural and societal stigmas, I pray for understanding when I am faced with prejudice, bigotry, and extreme poverty.

I pray for open hands and an open heart. When I am asked for money on the street from throngs of children and crippled beggars, I pray for the means to offer them whatever I can, and to never turn away out of shame or guilt. Multiply what little I can give so that the fishes and loaves will be overflowing.

Ecuador, 2012

When I share with others what I have seen and heard, use me as an instrument in your hands to open their eyes and increase their knowledge. Grant me the ability to speak as an ambassador for the oppressed, abused, and misunderstood. Show me how I may lessen the chains of injustice or ease some heavy burden.

Zambia, Africa 2009

Lord, help me to be more than a restless wanderer. Teach me to seek Your face and Your heart with purpose. Give this journey significance and meaning beyond me. I pray that I will not be a mere traveler but a pilgrim, searching for love and truth.

And Lord, when I walk through the valleys help me to always remember the view on the other side of the mountain that you have promised is waiting for me.

Snowbird Mountain, Tennessee 2013