Hello and thanks for checking out my blog! For those that do not know me, my name is Jonathan Mantay, I’m 28 years old and I’m from Midland, Michigan.
The Lord has called me to the World Race and I couldn’t be more excited to answer that call and follow Him! I’m leaving in January 2017 and I’ll be heading to Indian, Nepal, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and South Africa.
I love being outside and living out of a backpack so the World Race fits me perfectly! I work for The Chippewa Nature Center as a trip leader where I take kids from ages 11-16 on week-long backpacking and canoe trips all over Michigan. Getting kids outside and exploring is a huge passion of mine. I’ve also hiked all over Florida and even did a 70 mile hike in Sweden. In 2014 I embarked on a 2,185 mile thru hike of the Appalachian Trail and during that time I met a friend, Steve Buffington who had previously done the race. He told me the impact it had on him and just how amazing it was. Once I finished the Appalachian Trail I remember what he told me and I decided to apply and here I am today about to launch in 3 months!
Another huge passion of mine is being a certified firearms instructor. I enjoy shooting and really want to get into competitive shooting so teaching others safety and sparking that same kind of interest in them is something I love doing.
So that’s a little bit about me 🙂 There will be more to come in the future in blogs and vlogs. Thank you for reading and I ask that you keep me in your prayers for support, safety, strength and guidance as I embark on this journey! Thank you!
Be blessed in Jesus’ name
-Jonathan
