I first want to say that I appreciate you all so much. Thank you for investing your time and money in supporting me for the World Race. I have a made a decision to hold off on going on the race for another year, maybe even longer.
I do still feel called to go on the World Race, but just not right now. I have prayed over this a lot, and I did not make this decision lightly. Please believe me when I say that I have every intention of going on the World Race in the future!
Let me explain a few things. My first reason for pushing back my trip is this, I do not have a home church. In fact I haven’t had one for about three years now. I’ve gone to several church’s, but I either didn’t stay long enough to get involved or the Lord would just close the door to that church. For about a month now I’ve felt really convicted about leaving for the World Race and not having a home church. I felt like something was off. The WR is such a huge commitment that I do not want to enter into lightly. I need people to constantly pray for me, I need people to support me, I need a community. And even if I found a home church now and started getting involved I would have to leave pretty soon and it just would not allow me enough time to really build relationships with people.
I do not want to be put on a time limit, I want to enjoy fellowship with other believers and build lasting relationships with them.
Another reason why I would like to take a break from missions is simply because I’m burnt out. Since I was eighteen, I have always been involved with missions. I had an internship for a year at a ministry in TX. The year after I went to Africa, once I got back I was accepted to join staff with the same ministry I interned at. At the beginning of last year I decided to not join staff but instead intern for them again for 6 six months and once I left there I signed up for the race. I haven’t really allowed myself to completely relax from missions and support raising.
Understand that my reason for pushing the trip back is not because support raising is too hard or I just don’t feel like it. No, it’s because I need a church family who will support me before, during, and after the World Race. It’s because I would like to focus way more on my relationship with Jesus than my support account for the WR.
Up until the fall of last year I wanted everything, “now”. I was extremely impatient and just plain antsy to have everything I wanted right now. So many people my age are like that. Patience is no longer a virtue to the people of my generation. I however want to be learn patience and waiting is not bad. So many people think waiting means that it’s never going to happen. My view is that yes it’s going to happen but just wait patiently on the Lord. Waiting is a good thing, that’s why I’m not broken-hearted over not going on the WR right now. I know in my heart that I will go in the future. Until then I want to remain close to the Lord and be in a Christian community and prepare even more for the wonderful eleven countries that I will visit when I do finally go on the race.
So this will be my last blog until the Lord gives me the ok to rejoin the World Race. Thank you all so much for being supportive of me and praying for me and even donating what you could. It still means the world to me!
As far as the money that I have raised, it is non-transferrable and non-refundable and it will be put in the general fund at Adventures in Missions to help with other ministry related things. My money and your money are still being put to good use.
I hope you all are understanding, and please pray for me that I would find a home church soon. And I seriously cannot thank you all enough for your support over the last five months.
I love you all so much!
Love – Kathryn
