Well, it actually happened…somehow, miraculously, I have now received $17,561 to fully fund my entire 11 month World Race journey!! Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart if you have supported me in any way, whether through prayer or financial means…everything makes a difference! I sincerely would not be able to do this without you all and your generosity. Thank you especially if you were one of my anonymous donors!! I received nearly 1/3 of my support from anonymous donations ($5,550!!!), but as such, I wasn’t able to thank you directly.
It’s crazy when I look back to when I kicked off my fundraising journey with my first blog back in February; all the fear, doubt, and trepidation that ran rampant through my mind when it came to asking people for money. $17K is a lot of money…that much was plain to see, so I was hoping to mitigate the discomfort of asking for help by pitching in as much of my own money as possible…but God had other plans for me.
One day, as I was praying, I felt Him say to me, “Do you truly trust Me? Do you believe that I can actually take better care of you than you can yourself? Will you allow Me to fully provide for you for this Race?” I was floored. Yes, I did trust God, and I knew that in theory He could take care of us better than we could do for ourselves…but did I actually believe it? That was a tough one…was I actually willing to take action and follow through to turn my knowledge into belief? Reluctantly, I agreed. I wouldn’t chip in any more of my own money for the rest of the time I was fundraising, but since I had already given $150 toward my trip, that wouldn’t count.
Less than one month later, I was at my church in Korea and one of my friends came up to me and handed me an envelope. She said that she had felt like God wanted her to give that to me for my World Race trip. When I got home and opened the envelope, inside were four crisp bills, totaling $150 dollars, the exact amount I had paid out of my own pocket so far for the Race. In that moment, I received all the confirmation I needed to trust in God’s faithfulness. Here we had someone from Brazil, living and working in Korea, and giving me not just US currency, but the exact amount required to replace my previous contribution, all because God had placed it on her heart to do so. Even though it took me a while to actively begin asking friends and family for support, from that moment on, I never doubted once that God would provide for me through the incredible generous support of others and allow them to experience the joy of giving cheerfully.
Now I stand here at the finish line, looking back on where this fundraising journey has brought me and how I have learned and grown through this whole process. I am truly amazed at all God has taught me. Who am I to doubt my loving Father? When He calls us to do something, He WILL provide a way for us to walk out that calling in obedience, no matter how insurmountable the obstacles may seem…TRUST HIM!!
A few logistical notes:
– Now that I am fully funded, any further contributions on my blog will no longer go to me, but instead will go to the World Race General Fund to be used as the organization sees fit.
– If you had an automatic payment set up for monthly or bi-weekly contributions, you will have to stop those payments yourself. Even though I am fully funded, the payments will continue either until your pre-planned end date or until you cancel the automatic contributions.
– If you still would like to contribute toward the World Race, please consider supporting some of my amazing squad-mates who still need help to complete their fundraising journey (both have around $4,000 left to raise)! These two are either current or previous teammates of mine, and have been such a blessing to me throughout my time on the World Race:
Abby Riley (abbyriley.theworldrace.org)
– My “little sister” on our squad and my teammate on Team Salty during the first two months of the Race, Abby has a God-given fire and passion for Truth. She has a exceptional depth of wisdom, and is a gifted communicator to boot. The feedback I received from her during our time together on team is some of the most challenging and life-giving feedback I have received during my entire Race, and still rings loud and clear in my mind to this day. She is also an incredible writer & storyteller, and does a great job capturing her World Race experiences on her blog.
Vandella Jasso (vandellajasso.theworldrace.org)
– Vinnie is one of the youngest members of our squad and my brand new teammate as of one week ago on Team Braveheart, but I have got to know her plenty through the time our whole squad has spent together. She has a wonderfully abundant joy in her countenance, and doesn’t shy away from asking the tough questions that are so needed. I have constantly seen her engage the people we are ministering to with such a heartfelt love, compassion, and genuine desire to know them. She cares deeply for everyone, whether they are teammates or someone she has never met before. Her authenticity is inspiring, and is clearly demonstrated throughout her blogs. I am looking forward to learning even more from her as we spend further time ministering together on Team Braveheart.
