So here’s the thing: Since my last blog post almost 3 months ago (yikes), a whole lot has happened. Since then, I’ve moved out of my apartment in Branson, left my job at Clear Marketing, had my car break down once again, gone to World Race Training Camp for 2 weeks in Gainesville, GA where I met my amazing Squad-mates and my official teammates, gotten incredibly sick, visited my sisters in Jacksonville, FL, gone to Disney World dressed as Yzma from Emperors New Groove, moved in with my parents, gotten a job at a wine tasting room, and had one of the most stressful 2.5 months of my life. Around the time I posted that last blog update, I said something insanely stupid to my best friend, Tiffany. While we were at Vintage Paris, a coffee shop that I used to go to all the time, we sat in one of their comfy couches and I told Tiffany, “I’m just ready to leave Branson already, so I can relax at home with my family and stop stressing so much”… LOL. Because I can’t even fathom the idea of trying to put down my experience of moving, training camp or living back at home into words in this blog, I’ve decided to make a few lists. I love lists, and over the past few months I’ve made more lists than I thought were possible for a single human to make in just a month. Here are a few that I best show how these months have been for me:
Things I Miss:
- Having my own apartment
- Having a creative job with people I love working with every day
- Being a 10 minute drive away from Tiffany
- Living next door to all of my friends at SNU
- Having my own apartment
- The coffee and people at Vintage Paris
- Steady paychecks
- My old mattress
- My kitchen
- Having my own apartment
Things I Don’t Miss:
- Branson tourist traffic
- Living in a city where nothing is open past 9
- Paying rent
- Branson winters
- Branson tourist traffic
- Having to walk my dog down 3 flights of stairs whenever she needs to use the bathroom
- Living in constant fear of my landlords realizing they gave me a washer and dryer even though I wasn’t paying $30 monthly, and then taking my precious washer and dryer away from me
- Hearing my apartment neighbors dog barking throughout the night through the paper-thin walls
- Worrying about what training camp will be like
- Branson tourist traffic
Things I am Thankful For:
- Living with/near my family
- My amazing World Race Squad and Team Cotton
- Whataburger Honey Butter Chicken Biscuits
- A part-time job that I love
- Bosses who I love
- Living in an actual city again
- Having an extremely supportive family
- Having more than just one coffee shop to choose from
- Seeing old friends and making new ones
- Walking Dead watch parties
- Free HBO 30-day-trials
- Not paying for rent, electric or groceries
- Doggy doors
- Free haircuts
- People who love to help other people
Things I Still Have to Do:
- Get my vaccinations
- Get all of my medications
- Print a bunch of passport photos
- Sell my car
- Finish my online training
- Pay off all of my debt from car repairs
- Figure out the perfect hot sauce to bring on the World Race
- Apply for forbearance for my student loans
- Apply for my visa for India
- Cry some more
Stupid Things I Wish I Could Bring but I Know I Can’t/Shouldn’t:
- My best friend
- My dog
- All of my calligraphy stuff
- My long hair
- My bike
- My Uggs
- A year-long supply of Cookie Butter
- My coffee mugs
- My clunky laptop
- My bad attitude
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Here are some important dates coming up:
December 16 – My $10,000 fundraising deadline… which I’ve PASSED!!
January 8 – LAUNCH! I, along with my parents, will be going to Atlanta, GA for a couple of days. My parents will be able to learn more about Adventures in Missions and spend their last few days with me before a launch a few days after. I’ll be leaving for India first! I am also praying that I will be fully funded by this time!
January 24 – I’ll be spending my 23rd birthday in India.
February 28 – My $13,000 fundraising deadline… which I’ve PASSED!!
April 30 – FULLY FUNDED DEADLINE! As of today, I have $15,376, which means I am $1,641 away… over 90%! So close!!
How can you 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 prepares our hearts, minds, and bodies during these months leading to our launch. Also, pray for our fundraising efforts and that people receive us well. I have one teammate, Meghan, who still needs about $4,000 before December 16th, so please pray or donate!
I only have $1,641 left 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 in your check memo 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.
I am still selling bracelets for Threads of Hope, and you can get one (or a bunch!) by contacting me on Facebook, through email, or by calling or texting me. They’re absolutely gorgeous handmade bracelets, and half of the proceeds go towards helping at-risk families in the Philippines.
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, as well as any design or photography work you may need. Right now, I am selling calligraphy greeting cards, so if you’re interested, contact me! I’m also wrapping Christmas gifts for donations! This will include gift-wrapping and decorating, as well as cute little calligraphy name tags! The calligraphy tags are $3 each, and the gift-wrapping is for whatever you feel called to donate.
Lastly, share this! You can never have too much prayer and support!
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If you have any questions, or just want to talk about my trip with me over coffee, I would love to hear from you! I’m officially back in Houston until I leave in January. You can call or text me at 832-622-3174, or you can email me at [email protected], or message me on Facebook.
