It’s been over a year since I left for the World Race, and sometimes I have to remind myself that it wasn’t all a dream. The past year I’ve seen things that could break your heart, and they broke mine. I’ve taken risks and sought adventure and tasted just a little bit of the richness of life that is ours through Christ. This year was extremely challenging and I have learned a hundred lessons about the Lord’s provision–through prayer, healing, preaching, community, and even daily tasks like pulling weeds and cleaning the dishes. God has introduced me to what life can be when we live boldly and find the joy of the Lord in everything.
On the World Race I also discovered many new things about myself and refined many more. I left a year ago unsure of what I wanted to do with my life, but with many big dreams and ideas for how to further the Kingdom. Over the course of the eleven months, I’ve been given a great deal of clarity on the direction of my life and I’ve realized that God made me for discipleship in community. I love when God turns things around for people who have found themselves deep in a pit. And I also know that building relationships with people is the fastest way to influence them for the better.
You see, I believe God has called us to so much more in this life, and sometimes it’s hard to say “yes” to God’s tremendous plans for us. I think God wants me to be a teacher of these things. I believe he’s designed me to disciple both those in the pits, who just need to experience his salvation for the first time, and those in the Church who find themselves stuck, living a complacent, colorless life. And I’m going to try to do exactly that.
My long term goal is to open a community center that will target two main demographics: troubled youth and adult women. The community center would have a mentoring and support program for troubled youth who want to get off the streets and into a more stable lifestyle. It would double as a network for youth to find rehabs, shelters, or other long-term care programs. The community center would also have fitness classes, such as yoga, pilates, and dance that would target adult women who are less likely to stay healthy and active on their own. While physical health would be a benefit, the real goal is to boost women’s self-esteem, cultivate community groups, and equip them with bible study resources. The whole idea of the community center is to foster healthier more positive lifestyles for the community and to do so with gospel principles.
I’d be crazy to believe I could make this happen without much experience or know-how, and that’s why I’ve returned to Adventures in Missions (AIM), the organization that runs the World Race. As I explained in an earlier blog I am working at AIM as a Project Management Fellow. It’s been about a month and a half and I’ve already learned so much about how healthy organizations are managed and developed. My experience here has already improved my ability to envision, strategize, implement, and operate an effective project. Each week I feel more equipped to chase after my dream of opening a community center and more confident in being the person God created me to be.
I’m telling you, this a good thing. The dream the Lord has given me is a worth pursuing. If you agree, please pursue it with me.
The truth is, I need supporters. I need people to support me financially. Otherwise, I’ll have to go home and I’ll be missing out on five more months of training for the work I believe God has entrusted me with. The most helpful way of supporting me is through monthly donations. Please consider committing to a monthly donation of $50 for the next five months. Any support you give, whether it be one dollar or a single prayer, will have a huge impact on the Kingdom Work I have the privilege of doing through Adventures in Missions.
To Donate Monthly, visit adventures.org/dynapay and follow the instructions to donate a certain amount to my account monthly. Dynapay will take money out of your bank account for a specific number of months that you chose. Be sure to write my name, “Deborah Bitzer” under the section “Which Person or Purpose to Support.”
To Donate via Mail, make out checks to Adventures in Missions and be sure to include my name, Deborah Bitzer, in the memo line. You can send checks to:
Adventures in Missions
PO Box 742570
Atlanta, GA 30374-2570
To Donate Online, follow the “support me” link located on the top of my blog. Choose the option that says “Support a World Racer” and make sure my name is specified.
If you have any questions or would like to have a conversation with me, please email me at [email protected] or call me at (484) 947-4679.
“For each one of us, there is only one thing necessary: to fulfill our own destiny, according to God’s will, to be what God wants us to be.”
-Thomas Merton-
