Dear Friends and Family,
I hope you all enjoyed a lovely Christmas season and a safe and happy New Year’s! I wanted to write to tell you about the exciting things happening in my life in the new year. Through a childhood friend’s blog about her missionary work last year, I rediscovered my own desire to live out the command Jesus puts forth in John 15:12: “love each other even as I have loved you.” I read about young women not so unlike myself—my age and even ten to fifteen years younger—living in desperation, victimized and forced into prostitution by human trafficking. I saw pictures of young children, barefoot in the dirty streets of their poor villages, yet wearing smiles on their faces. And God stirred a desire in my heart to do what I can to serve these women and children and other people like them. And I am excited to say that He is leading me to do this through missions.
Beginning in July, I will be serving as a missionary through an organization, Adventures in Missions, as part of their World Race program. The World Race is an 11-month Christian mission trip to 11 countries across the world. As World Racers, my team and I will partner with local churches and ministries to share the love of Christ with the lonely, broken, and forgotten in some of the poorest parts of the world. We will help plant churches, minister to the poor and the sick, share the Gospel with orphans and women and children trapped in prostitution, and spread the hope of our God’s unending love to those who need it most.
I know that this is the path that God has set for me, and I wholeheartedly believe that He will provide for my needs. And I hope that He will do that through you. I am writing to ask if you would consider partnering with me prayerfully and financially. To go on the World Race, I must raise $15,500 to cover all of my field and travel expenses. Your tax-deductible contribution can be made as a one-time donation of any amount you choose or as a monthly gift, wherein you also choose the amount you would like to give and the beginning and end dates for your donation. Any amount that you are able to give will help me and my team spread Jesus’ love around the world.
I have enclosed a response card and a pre-addressed envelope for your donations. If you feel able to contribute to this ministry, checks should be made out to Adventures in Missions and returned, along with the donation card with my name on it, to Adventures in Missions, P.O. Box 534470, Atlanta, GA, 30353-4470. If you prefer to make your donation online, you may visit my World Race blog, annalayton.theworldrace.org, and click the “Support Me” link on the left hand side of the page. Simply follow the instructions there to complete your donation.
I am so excited to embark on this new part of my walk with Christ and look forward to seeing the way God will move in my life over the course of these 11 months and beyond. I am honored to have the opportunity to serve you and the people of the countries I will be visiting. Even if you are unable to contribute financially, I ask for your prayers and invite you to follow my blog as I document this incredible journey that God is taking me on. I will post pictures and stories of each country all along the way and would love for you to see how God is working in my life. I want to thank you for your prayers and your financial support, and may God bless you as you consider partnering with me.
Joyfully,
Anna
