If someone had told me, 10 years ago, that I would be spending a year of my life hopping from country to country, living out of a backpack, I probably would have been pretty disappointed. When you spend your childhood moving from Mom’s house to Dad’s house to Grandma’s house over and over again, you begin to dream of a life where you stay in one place for more than a week. For me, my first semester of my freshman year at Southern Nazarene University was the longest I had lived in one place since I was about 7 years old. In my ideal world, I was going to go to college, meet a nice boy, get married and live in one house for the rest of my life. I was under the impression, as most girls are at Christian colleges, that I wasn’t really living until I was engaged or married. Marriage was the end-all-be-all. It was during my Sophomore year that I realized that I had it all wrong, and that God wasn’t showing me that I had to wait till I was married to be worth anything. In fact, He had been preparing me for a life of adventure since I was a child. Enter, The World Race.
I don’t remember when I first heard about the World Race, or even when I decided I wanted to do it. What I do remember is the flutter I felt in my chest when I read the list of the 11 countries I would be living in for a month each, and how it felt to read the blogs of former Racers and think “I’m going to be in this same situation soon.” I also remember asking “Really God? Now? Now that I’ve got a job, an apartment, and a dog? Now that I’m finally comfortable (other than, you know, student loans, rent, vet bills, etc.)?” But if there’s anything I know about “callings” it’s that God doesn’t call us to comfort, which is great, because although I’m incredibly excited about this huge change… I have a feeling it’s not going to be comfortable.
If you’re not familiar with the World Race, you’re probably wondering what I’m talking about. I’ll be posting about the World Race often over the next year, so here are a few answers to some frequently asked questions.
What is the World Race?
The World Race is an 11 month mission trip, where I’ll be living in 11 countries for a month each. The mission is to serve “the least of these” while amongst true community.
Where will you be going?
As of right now (routes often change, one of mine already has), I will be going to India, Nepal, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Greece, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Botswana, Swaziland, and South Africa. That’s 3 continents… I’m still getting my head wrapped around it!
Who will you be going with?
I will be going with a ministry called Adventures in Missions where I will be on a team of people from ages 21 to 35. From there, we will be split into squads. The people in my squad will become my family for the next year.
What will you be doing?
My team and I will be working with local ministries in need of volunteers. These ministries will be helping out their people in different ways, depending on the country, city, etc.
How will you be fundraising for this thing?
I will be doing a few different things to fundraise. I’m selling the majority of my stuff, like my clothes, furniture, etc. and trying to get a few freelance design and calligraphy jobs. For much of the fundraising though, I will be asking others for support.
What about that weird looking dog you keep posting pictures of?
Most likely, sweet Mimi will be in good hands with my mom in Houston, who has a crazy yorkie and an even crazier 11-year-old, both of whom will be happy to play with Mimi until I return… that is, if my mom is still willing to give her back to me by then.
What does your family think about this?
My family has been so supportive of this whole thing. They’re nervous for me, which I expected, but they’re also constantly lifting me up and encouraging me throughout this process, which I also expected… because my family is incredible.
What about your job?
I’ve had a great time living in Branson, and working as a brand artist and photo manager at Clear Marketing. I’ve learned a lot about living on my own, and professional life, but I’m also so excited to move on to this new adventure. Everyone has been supportive, but we’ve been a little too busy these days to even think about it! All this to say, I will be leaving Clear at the beginning of December so that I can have a month with my family before I leave for a year.
What happens when you come back? Any plans?
No plans. I have no idea what I’ll do when I come back to the states. The only thing I’m planning is spending time with my family and fighting for custody of Mimi. I’m not worried though, because I truly believe that God takes care of His people. His plans are so much better than anything I come up with… The World Race is proof of that.
How can I help?
First and foremost, prayer. This whole thing will be one of the most challenging and scary things I’ve ever done. Just pray that the Lord keeps my squad and me safe, and that He prepared our hearts, minds, and bodies during these months leading to our launch.
I also have the daunting task of raising $17,017 to cover my living and travel costs while I’m away, and there are several ways to help me in this. You can donate to my trip as a one-time gift or as monthly donations, allowing you to choose the amount and beginning and end date. If you would like to do this, please make checks payable to Adventures in Missions P.O. Box 742570, Atlanta, GA 30374-2570. Make sure to specify that you would like the donation to go to AnnaGrace Mercer or your donation will not be sent to my account. If you would prefer to make a donation online, you may do so by clicking the “Support Me” link on the left side of the page and complete your donation as instructed. Keep in mind, though, that a 5% credit card fee will be taken out of the donation for credit card processing. Also know that these donations are not refundable.
There will be a few other ways to help me as well. Soon, I will be selling my serigraphy prints on Etsy for $30, and once I get those up I will post a blog with the link. I will also be selling cute little calendars with the countries I will be going to for each month. Also, you can buy some of my clothes, furniture, etc. when I begin selling it in a few months. There will be more information about this soon!
Another way to help me is, if you’re in need of calligraphy work (hello SNU brides!) I would love to do that for you.
Lastly, share this! You can never have too much prayer and support!
I can promise you that this will be my longest post until I am out on the field. But if you have any more questions, please email me at [email protected], or call or text me at 832-622-3174.
Thanks for reading!
AnnaGrace
