For the past few weeks, the river of donations has slowed to a trickle. I began to think, "Ok, this is it. No more money is going to come through until I really push into seeking speaking appointments or individual meetings with potential supporters." (Not that I minded that… it's just that so far, God has really seemed to delight in providing every penny without my help.)
And then, right before I closed my eyes to drift to sleep last night, I decided to check my fundraising account, and discovered that $200 came in yesterday!
I quickly did the math and found that … I am now down to triple digits! Woah, woah, woah!
Did you hear that? Only $932 dollars to go! Less than one thousand! As I looked at that little "9-3-2" on my phone's calculator, my eyes popped open. And that was it! I was awake for hours.
I can't believe how close the fundraising finish line is. God has seriously done this without my help, and I am in awe of His goodness, faithfulness, and provision.
But the "glory-to-God" moments don't stop there!
Yesterday, I finished packing for Training Camp (which is in TWO DAYS!). I'm taking almost everything I will be taking on the race, so this is a great practice run.
Y'all, I hate packing. I despise it. I have spazzed out over packing for weekend trips to Greenville, so it's really not my strong suit.
But I just want you to know that I packed calmly over the course of two days this week with only two Wal-Mart runs and zero crying melt-downs.
I simply sat down, spread stuff out, and got to work. Everything fit on the first try. I'm telling you, I am convinced that Jesus Himself was sitting in that room every second. I felt complete peace and no fear about forgetting something or making it all fit. I just knew, down to the deepest parts of my soul, that this whole packing thing was going to work out just fine. I never got anxious or stressed or even a bit teary. I was content and joyful and grateful and in awe. It was beautiful.
Plus, when I finished, I got to take a picture with my packs like so many World Racers before me.
It was strange to see my face wedged between those two packs. I'm really doing this! I'm really going to be a World Racer!
Another "God-loving-me-in-the-small-things" miracle occurred last night while I was walking through a few stores with my mom and sister.
You see, one of the most overwhelming parts of packing for me is choosing which clothes to take. We need clothes for varying work assignments, varying cultures, and varying climates. I have to take enough clothes for a year while also taking as few items as possible. I keep hearing to "mix and match" but I've never been especially good at that, so I've felt kind of at a loss. As of yesterday, I had one possible outfit in mind.
Then, last night, it was like God just said, "Oh, Kaleigh, here you go. Here's a list of every clothing item you should pack." Just like that, it just popped into my head! I suddenly knew which kind of bottoms to pack, how many shirts of different colors and styles, … every last detail.
I grabbed my phone to type up the list and then just kind of stared at it in amazement. No more stressing about that either! I was so excited I just HAD to hug someone right away! (Fortunately, Mom didn't seem to mind.)
God is taking care of me in every possible way.
When I first signed up for this, I was reluctantly obedient. I was scared and sad and a little bit hurt that God was asking me to leave behind a life I love for an entire year. However, as I've walked in obedience, God has been faithful to fill me to overflowing with His joy! I think about the race constantly and can't wait to get to camp in two days to get this journey started!
Packing for a year seemed like a really overwhelming task, but as I sat down to give it a go, God walked me through the process. I actually felt His presence in the midst of all those piles of clothing and gear! I'm so thankful for those two days He and I spent on packing this week.
Trying to determine the perfect wardrobe for this year seemed impossible, but God told me exactly what to buy and pack and completely calmed my fears. Now, I can't wait to get all the items gathered together and see what kind of outfits I can create!
And, of course, when I first signed up, $15,500 seemed like a very big number. Here I am, seven months later, and I have less than one thousand to go. I didn't conduct fundraisers or go on coffee dates or speak in churches. I sent out one round of support letters in January, prayed, and trusted the rest to God… and, goodness gracious, He is so much better at fundraising than I ever could be!
My heart is full and my spirit is ready.
God is faithful and good and, oh, how I love Him!
Please keep me and my squad in your prayers over the next week. We all meet one another on Saturday for the first time, and for a week we will camp, face challenges like the ones we may face on the race, undergo training for our year on the field, learn our launch date, and get assigned to our team of 6-7 people to serve alongside for the year.
I am excited and expectant! I fully expect this to be one of the best and hardest weeks of my life to date. Will you please surround me in prayer as I begin this adventure? If you haven't done so already, move your cursor over to the left and click "Update Alerts" and enter your email address to subscribe to my blog. Then, when I get back from camp and blog all about it, you can be the first one in the know!
Thank you for your love and support and financial blessings and prayers and encouragement. I love you guys!
Blessed are the people who know the festal shout,
who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face,
who exult in your name all the day
and in your righteousness are exalted.
For you are the glory of their strength;
by your favor our horn is exalted.
Psalm 89:15-17
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I still have to raise $932 to cover the cost of The World Race, so if God lays it on your heart to help send me out by supporting me financially, click "Support Me" on the left to make a tax-deductible donation online. Or, cut out the 3% online processing fee by writing a check to "Adventures in Missions" with "WARDKALEIGH" in the info line and mailing it to:
Adventures in Missions
PO Box 534470
Atlanta, GA 30353-4470
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If you feel led to help cover the cost of my personal expenses (supplies/gear, flight to launch city, immunizations), you can contact me personally for more information. I am paying for as much as I can out of own pocket, but I appreciate any donations for these costs as well!
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If you would like to receive my blog updates in your email, click "Update Alerts" on the left hand side to enter your email address. You can also join this facebook group to get updates between posts. Plus, I'm now on instagram if you want to follow my preparation and journey via photos!
