So how did I decide one day to leave my life in America behind for a year? Simply, I just made a choice.
The year 2014 has been one for the books. I graduated from The University of Texas at Austin this last May originally thinking that Medical School would be the obvious next step for me, being my ultimate goal for as long as I can remember. Instead, somehow I ended up in the slums of Bangkok where I spent the summer living with and serving a grandmother who at the time was a complete stranger to me.
I then returned to America in August with many questions about systemic poverty, racism, privilege within the context of America, and more urgently I desperately asked God where He was among all the suffering. Among the friends and mentors whose lives had now become intertwined with my own. Among a grandmother who became family to me that would never be able to choose out of her own situation.
Fast- forwarding a bit, I am again putting off medical school for another year to be a part of the next stage of my life I believe God is inviting me into, which is His restorative vision for our world. Starting in September 2015 I will spend a month in each of the following 11 countries: Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. My squad will come together to serve populations just as unique as our team. I will partner with local ministries in each of these countries to learn from and serve their communities, and ultimately I’m hoping to gain a sense of the different healthcare systems intact in our world and how to better love and serve people from different backgrounds.Tasks I participate in will vary based on the ministry’s needs, but can include church plants, building houses, helping in orphanages, teaching English, feeding the poor, taking care of the sick and elderly, and aiding victims of trafficking. Our goal as a team will be to bring restorative hope and love to every tribe and tongue.
One of the biggest and most daunting challenges I will face in preparation for this trip is funding it financially. In order to leave fully funded in August, I need to raise about $17,000. This amount covers all field expenses including lodging, transportation, food, and insurance for the year, while additionally covering expenses such as specific gear and supplies I will need to purchase for the trip.
As I take this large step in faith, I ask that you would prayerfully consider partnering with me in one (or more) of the following ways:
- Prayer. This will by far be my most pressing need. Interceding for others in prayer can be so powerful, especially when we take a moment to consider what a blessing it is that we have a God that listens earnestly. I would love to add you to a prayer list, where I can update you with personal, team, and community prayer requests. Throughout this whole journey, I want to practice constantly being in a state of being dependent on God’s voice.
- Support me financially. I really do believe that The Lord will prove to be much greater than my fears in this area. Over the next few months I will be having fundraisers to meet my goal, and I ask that even if you are not in a place where you can support me financially that you would consider sharing my fundraisers with family, friends or church members that may be able to. I could even use the help in planning and executing my fundraisers, so if this is an avenue that you would be interested in please let me know!
***If you are at a place where you can partner with me financially, you can click on the Support Me tab on this blog***
- Stay updated. I have been provided this blog for the race. Prior to the race and during, I will be primarily using this blog as a place to share my thoughts, stories, pictures, and prayer requests. It will be the easiest way for me to stay in touch with you in my absence, and in gratitude of your support I would love you to stay a part of my experience in this way. All you have to do is click Subscribe and you will be notified whenever I update this blog.
Thank you for taking the time to be a part of my journey, may His kingdom come.
