Dear friends and family,
I would like to take you on a journey with me; a journey that began when I went to Nicaragua for my very first international mission trip. On this particular trip my eyes were opened to a world I was previously blind to see; one that is stricken with poverty, absent of hope, and desperate for Jesus. Since then, I have been to Nicaragua two more times and with each trip God continues to open my heart, filling it with an indescribable love for the people around the world who need to experience Him. After knowing what it looks like to love and serve God’s children, I realized that I would not be happy doing anything else. On my last trip to Nicaragua, I felt The Lord leading me to trust Him for a longer period of time. However, I had no idea that the opportunity to do so would come so soon, in fact, this year.
Instead of going to college this fall, I will be going on the World Race Gap Year; a 9 month mission trip around the world. Leaving in September, 2014 I will travel to Central America, Asia, and Africa, coming back home in May, 2015. I will be going on this trip with a team of 50 other 18 to 22-year-olds and we will spend 3 months serving in each country. Through Adventures In Missions and the World Race, my team and I will serve in partnership with churches and ministries to preach the Gospel, work in orphanages and hospitals, minister to women and children in sex trafficking, and bring the restorative hope of the Father’s love to many tribes and nations. The unique thing about the World Race is that it is not only a mission trip, but also an intensive discipleship program designed to launch my generation into our specific calling. It is a challenging adventure for young adults to abandon worldly possessions and a traditional lifestyle in exchange for an understanding that it’s not about you: it’s about the Kingdom.
I will face many challenges on the World Race, and I ask that you partner with me in prayer. Pray for me, my team, the nations we will be serving in, and that the Lord will be glorified above all else. As I prepare for departure, one of my greatest challenges is my financial support. Like most other missions organizations, World Race participants are required to fundraise financial support. In order to leave fully funded, I need to raise a total of $13,000, but also have to meet a $6,000 deadline on May 3rd and a $9,000 deadline on June 28th. As of right now I have a balance of $2,000, so I need to raise $4,000 in less than a month to reach my first deadline. I firmly believe that God will provide in full, but I need your help. As I take this large step in trusting the Lord, would you prayerfully consider supporting me through a onetime donation, or $100 monthly or some other amount? Some are called to go, others are called to give. Please help send me out unto the nations.
The World Race is a journey that will show me daily more about the Father’s heart and His extravagant compassion than I could ever imagine; one that will require me to give more of myself for more of Him, every single day. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to go on this journey because the Lord could reach these people all by Himself, but He is choosing to use me. I would like you to come on this journey with me that is just beginning, and see what God will do.
In Him,
Alissa Cunningham
