When I announced that I was going on The World Race to my family and friends in December, July seemed so far away. Now that the snow has melted after a seemingly unending winter, the calendar now reads “May” and I leave for training camp in a little over a week and launch to 11 countries in 11 months in two months!
It has been a few weeks since I have posted a blog and, I promise, you will be receiving more frequent updates from here on out! This last month has been one of the busiest, yet most encouraging, months of my life. In addition to working two jobs, catching my brother’s soccer games (he scored two goals last night by the way!), and preparing for the Race, my schedule has been quite full.
In April, there were two fundraisers benefiting my World Race mission trip and I am excited to say that they were both very successful! Pizza Ranch invited me to host a fundraising night at their restaurant, and over $400 was donated by the restaurant and through tips of people that came out to dine with us! A couple days later, Hope Wesleyan Church held a garage sale and donated all the proceeds to my mission trip. Over two days at the garage sale, over $900 was raised for my World Race! At both fundraisers, I was able to have several great conversations with people about my story and about the World Race!
At this point in this blog, I could start talking about how God provides (He does).
I could also talk about how important it is to seek him even during the busy times of our lives (It is important!).
But I would like to take this blog in a different direction.
I would like to share how blessed I am to be living in such a supportive community, surrounded by people who have supported me without hesitation, not only financially, but also through prayer and encouragement! I am blessed to have a family that will stand behind all of my adventures and friends that encourage me along the way. I am blessed to be part of a church full of people that love Jesus and each other. I am blessed to be born and raised in small town Iowa where everyone knows everyone and supports each other simply because they are from the same town.
With that being said, to any of you who have stopped in the grocery store to ask me about my trip, to those of you who have commented on my Facebook posts, to anyone who has given a financial gift to support this ministry, or have said a prayer about my trip – THANK YOU! By doing this, you have become a valuable and irreplaceable part of this journey. Even though you may not be with me as I travel to 11 countries, each of you has made an investment in my life and in the lives of so many people around the world!
