Dear Friends and Family,
I hope this letter finds you well! I am writing to share the exciting news of what God is doing in my life. The past couple years I have been aimlessly pursuing my own plans; however, lately I have felt God calling me to something more, namely the missions field. I will be serving the nations and spreading the truth of salvation through Jesus Christ on a missions trip known as The World Race which is run by Adventures In Missions or AIM. AIM is an interdenominational missions organization that has sent over 100,000 people into the mission field since 1989. The Race is an 11-month mission trip that spans these 11 countries: Honduras, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos.
I’m very excited for this opportunity! The Race is a trip of abandonment, in which I will leave behind the comforts of my home and life here in the U.S., to live the next year of my life serving the “least of these”. We will spend approximately one month in each country doing whatever the Lord calls us to do. Some examples of our ministry could include building a church, sharing Christ with prostitutes, farming, teaching children, preaching (that one makes me nervous), helping in orphanages, and ,as always, spreading the unconditional love of Jesus Christ.
I want to take this opportunity in my life to travel and serve the needy all the while growing in my relationship with my Savior and sharing Him with others. He has given me a great compassion for others, and I want to share that compassion with those who may not ever have the opportunity to experience His love otherwise and show them the freedom and peace that only He can bring!
We are called to spread the gospel through the Great Commission, (Matthew 28:16-20), and I am going to answer that call. This is where you come in! I know that God will provide everything I need for this trip and I would love for you to be a part of advancing the Kingdom through the love of The Father. There are a few ways you can do this:
1) Please, please, please partner with me in prayer! This is by far the most important part of this and your prayers could mean a world of difference in all of this! I would ask that you pray for me, my squad mates, and anyone and everyone that we may come into contact with over the course of the year. Prayer is POWERFUL, and through it absolutely anything can be accomplished!
2) Secondly, I would humbly request that you partner with me financially by donations. In order to spread The Gospel to the nations I must raise roughly $16,000. While this is quite a bit of money, I know that my God is SO much bigger than any amount of money that I could challenge Him with. Donations are tax deductible and may be made as one time donations or as monthly drafts with you choosing the start and end dates. If 25 people would commit to giving $50 a month for 12 months I would be fully funded for my trip. I cannot do this without you and no amount is too small! I am including more info and details on ways you can do this. You may also visit my blog at Jeremydriver.theworldrace.org and click the “Support Me!” tab to donate.
3) Aside from the initial $16,000 for the trip, there are various vaccinations and other materials, like a passport, that I have to provide for myself. All of which will total in the ballpark of $2-3000. I will be living out of a tent and backpack for the year so various camping equipment like a tent, hiking pack, sleeping bag, etc… will be necessary. If you would like to donate any equipment, let me know. If you would like to donate any amount of money to me personally for these things, you can just send my mom or I a check at the address listed below. If you prefer donating gear or other essential items, I will also post a wish list on REI.com in one of my blogs. Feel free to contribute to any of those things!
4) It would be a HUGE blessing to meet my final deadlines before I launch in July! The Financial goals that I need to meet for this trip are as follows:
a. $3,500 Due by 5/3/2014
b. $7,500 Due by 6/17/2014
c. $11,000 Due by 10/1/2014
d. $16,273 Due by 1/1/2015
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and I hope that you will join me in this endeavor as I travel to these countries to serve those in need! Please keep me in your prayers! You can keep up with recent happenings via my blog! Also feel free to email me, facebook me, call me, send me telegraphs or the like and I accept letters through postal service, owls, carrier pigeon, paper airplanes carried on a breeze, or the Pony Express. My address is 419 Nathan St. Lebanon, TN 37087. You may make any letters out to me or to Donna Varvel when I am not at home.
Donations are tax deductible can be made in a few different ways:
1. Credit and Debit Card Donors
– PROS: Quick and efficient. Most preferred method. Able to setup automatic monthly withdrawals. Easy online access.
– CONS: 3% fee added to donor payments, which goes to the credit card company to pay for that convenience.
2. Bank Draft Donors
– PROS: Still quick and efficient online access.
– CONS: 2% fee added to donor payments, which goes directly to the processing company to pay for that convenience.
3. Written Check Donors
– PROS: No fee deducted. Sent directly to our bank where it is deposited. The bank then sends an image of that check to our accounting department to apply toward your support.
– CONS: Can take approximately 2 weeks from the date you mail the check before you expect to see it in your support account. Also please note that you cannot receive letters or any correspondence at this address.
4. DynaPay Donors
– PROS: Automatic deduction from a checking account each month with no fees. To sign up for DynaPay, your donors can go to www.adventures.org/dynapay or they can print off this form and mail it in with a voided check to
Adventures in Missions
ATTN: Donor Relations
6000 Wellspring Trail
Gainesville, GA 30506
– CONS: The donor MUST create an end date for their donations. If they do not DynaPay will not automatically end the donations and DynaPay will continue to deduct each month unless the donor calls to have it cancelled.”
* DynaPay is for monthly donations ONLY. If you or a donor tries to submit a one time donation on DynaPay we WILL NOT process it, and a check will have to be sent in.
5. *********Cash Donors
– Please Do Not Send Cash To The AIM Headquarters!! If you would like donate with cash or to the various gear and inoculations I will need, you may make checks payable to Donna Varvel or Jeremy Driver. If cash is a necessity for you just contact me and we will figure something out. I will provide receipts or some documentation to show where the money is going for any donations made to me personally through cash or check. I want to be as transparent as possible with this ministry and with anyone participating in it in any way shape or form especially when it comes to finances and those who are donating! If you have any questions please ask!
Adventures In Missions, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and a long-time member of ECFA. Your donations are tax deductible based on the policies and principles at www.adventures.org/policies.
