As I have gone through my four years of high school and reached the big, scary senior year, I really started to search for where God was calling me after I graduate and I was trying to answer the well-known question of “what are you doing after high school?” For the longest time I felt like this was a one-sided conversation I was having with God, and I would often become frustrated. I began realizing that even though I was going to God with my future I was still trying to plan it my way and I was making sure it would fit in my comfort zone so I wouldn’t be uncomfortable. When the new year hit and it started becoming very real that I needed to focus on this in a little more depth, God continued to show me Proverbs 16:1 that says, “We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer.” This hit me like a ton of bricks and I realized that I wasn’t fully trusting in God to lead me in the right direction. From that moment on I turned my future over to Him and realized I can’t do this on my own.
God has given me a heart and passion for missions and sharing His love to those who are searching, so I strongly felt that that was the direction He was leading me. Adventures in Missions (AIM) was an organization that was brought to my attention and from the first time I checked out their website, I was hooked. I looked at other organizations but none of them seemed to create the excitement that AIM did. I really started to get the excited, butterflies in the stomach feeling when I began reading the descriptions of what we will be doing in each country. From reading these I found that the bulk of our ministry will be relational and that is something that I have really enjoyed on past trips. So, the journey has continued and I am super excited to share with you that I have been accepted and am fully committed to going on a nine month trip to El Salvador, the Philippines, and Malawi!! God is so good.
Before I leave I will take part in a ten day training that will begin to equip me for the mission field as well as get me acquainted with the group members I will be spending the next nine months of my life with. I will come home for a month after training and then leave in early September for my first stop, El Salvador. The main focus while we are in each country will be building relationships with the many people we meet. One of the things I am very excited for but also nervous about is, taking all the good times as well as difficult times that are a part of my journey and sharing them with people as a part of my testimony. I am open to allowing God to use me in this way but this is also an area where I know I will be stretched out of my comfort zone and it will help me grow spiritually.
Support is one thing that is crucial when it comes to a trip like this. The biggest support I would like to ask of each of you is prayer support: Prayer now as I am preparing but also while I am away. I ask that you would pray for me as I prepare to leave what I know for nine months and take on this “new” life. Pray also for the people that my group will encounter. If you are interested in supporting me in this way I will have a list of more specific prayer requests that I can get to you. Thank you in advance for the prayers, I appreciate them so much.
You can also support me in a monetary way. In total, this mission’s opportunity will cost $12,491.00. Yes, this is a large number. But, I am reminding myself daily that we have a big God that has this big number under control. There are a few ways monetary donations can happen:
- Write a check out to Adventures in Missions (be sure to put MCFARLANDJULIE in the memo line) and either mail it to me or hand it to me in person
- Give a donation through my blog, online. There is a “Support Me” tab on the left.
- Write a check and send it straight to the organization at
- P.O. Box 742570, Atlanta, GA 30374-2570
*IMPORTANT* If you are planning to send a check directly to the organization make sure you write my Appeal ID, MCFARLANDJULIE, in the memo line. This will let them know that it is to go into my account and not into their general fund.
Adventures in Missions is a tax-exempt organization under IRS code 501(c)(3) and is a member of the ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability). Due to IRS and ECFA regulations governing the administration of tax deductible donations given in support of a particular trip/program, support contributions given on behalf of an individual will be used to offset the costs of the trip/program you are involved in. All contributions are non-refundable regardless of the participant’s success in completing the program.
A quote that has stood out to me throughout this journey so far is, “It is true that God may have called you to be exactly where you are. But, it is absolutely vital to grasp that he didn’t call you there so you could settle in and live your life in comfort and superficial peace” by Francis Chan. I am very excited for this opportunity and experience that God has given me to step out of my comfort zone and grow in many different ways.
Thank you for all of your prayers and support as I take on this new and exciting adventure.
God Bless,
Julie McFarland
