To begin, words can't describe how blessed I feel by this amazing opportunity and all of the adventures I'm about to embark on. I have recently felt overcome with emotions of worry, stress, fear, and doubt. I'm about to backpack across the world for 11 months sharing God's love!! Me. If you had told me I'd be doing this a year ago I would have entertained the thought, but never thought it would be real life. After meeting a fellow squad mate Amy a few weeks ago when she graced me with her presence by stopping in at Michael Kors in Nashville, I realized that I'm not the only girly type going on the trip! She too expressed similar fears and we soon realized how silly we were (and might I add relieved we weren't the only ones!) to be thinking such thoughts. Of course we can do it! I'm not saying it's going to be easy…but isn't that part of the appeal?
Before I get too ahead of myself, I want to give a little insight into my journey thus far and the road that led me to this opportunity…
On March 10, 2013 my life was forever changed by the loss of my best friend, Sami Ullah, in a tragic car accident. Sami was an amazing friend and I am forever thankful for the lessons and blessings he brought to my life. The greatest thing I learned from Sami's death was how short life truly is. I know we are told this all of the time, but saying goodbye to my best friend before I flew back to Nashville from Northern Virginia one night, and finding out the next morning he had passed away truly put this all into perspective. We aren't guaranteed tomorrow, and we never know when the end might come. With that said, I realized I didn't want to waste any more time. I needed to go after my dreams no matter how large or small it was. For me, my dream involved growing deeper in my faith, experiencing different cultures, and making a difference in the lives and world around me. I had the World Race on my mind for a bit, but the idea of it would sometimes get buried under the clutter of every day college life. It wasn't until my manager at Michael Kors encouraged me to look into it deeper and I took the time to pray and meditate in my thoughts, that I realized THIS (the World race) was exactly what I was searching for.
I am now a little over 4 months from launch in January. I am currently raising $$ to support my trip, and mentally and emotionally preparing my heart and mind for this journey. With this upcoming 11 month journey, I am seeking support both financially and through prayer. The total amount to raise is $16, 285… this amount covers all of my expenses on the field. You may support me in my journey through my blog by clicking on the "support me" link on the left side of the page.
I am so excited to see not only how God will move in my life, but in the lives of others this coming year! I hope not only to be a blessing to those I serve, but also to my supporters. I thank you in advance for your prayers and financial support! It means the world to have such a strong support system like I do!
"Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to all creation" Mark 16:15
