My first conversation with the Lord regarding the World Race took place more than a year ago. God had recently planted this need to "go" in my heart and I did not know what to do with it. I was not sleeping very well. I cried constantly. And all I could think about was people enveloped in darkness. I was quite literally mourning the state of humanity. As I cried to the Lord one day, I realized that this was His heart too. His heart breaks for people who have broken hearts. His heart breaks for people who deny Him. And His heart breaks for people who have never heard that He exists. Whoever portrays God as a malevolent God waiting to strike down His creation is dead wrong. This state in my life proves that to be a lie. God is compassionate beyond comprehension. So compassionate that His heart breaks.
So, I got this random memory thrown my way of some World Racer who had made a spoken word video a few years back. I decided to research the World Race. Long story short, I instantly fell in love. I could not get the World Race out of my head. More specifically, I could not get Ireland, Romania, Ukraine, Swaziland, Mozambique, South Africa, India, Thailand, Taiwan, Nepal, and Cambodia out of my head. I knew this was it for me.
Obviously, the biggest thing keeping me from applying was the financial factor of it all. $15,500 is a lot of money. Especially when you consider that I come out of a single-parent home with limited financial resources. But I knew this was it for me.
Flash forward a few months. I'm sitting in an auditorium packed full of 3,500 women singing and praising the Lord. Christine Caine, who is a hero in and of herself, is speaking about God's will.
Halfway through she says, "I want you to think about the most outlandish dream God has ever placed on your heart."
World Race. Instantly.
"Now think of the reasons that you are not doing it."
Money. Money. Money.
"If the reason that you are not acting on the dream is doubt that God can provide, then I am almost guaranteeing you that God is asking you to do it."
Oh crap. She called me out. Unintentionally, but still. I knew that the reason I was not applying was that I was not really trusting God. So, that Sunday, I sat down with some of my closest friends, and I applied.
And since then, I have trusted. Truthfully, I am pretty far behind on fundraising. But I am trusting. Some days, I feel so overwhelmed, it is crazy. But I am trusting.
And in my trusting, I am humbly asking for your financial support. I do trust the Lord. But I also trust that He uses willing vessels. It is my hope, my dream, and my calling to preach the Gospel to the world. And I want to ask you to be apart of it.
My twenty-first birthday is on April 12th.
So, for the entire month of April, I am asking every single person I know (and some that I do not know) to donate $21 to fund my trip.
I shall call it:
$21 for my 21st
By donating, I take you with me around the world. You sent me there and I carry you in my heart. Even $21 is a huge contribution. God is going to do powerful things in these places and I can not wait to set foot on this adventure with Him. By donating any amount, lives will be changed by the power of the Gospel.
Whether you can or can not donate, I would love for you to partner with me in prayer. There's nothing in this world that I believe in more than the power of prayer. Prayer changes things. Prayer makes finances a minimal issue and maximizes God's strength. Prayer makes Satan small. And prayer makes hearts pure.
Also, you can help me spread the word. Even letting your friends and family know about "that crazy girl that loves Jesus and wants to go tell eleven countries about Him," is a huge help. The more people praying, the better.
I love every one of you so much. Thank you for your ongoing support. You continually amaze and astound me and I can feel your prayers daily. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Also, if you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an e-mail at [email protected]. I would love to chat with you 🙂
