Too Many Meals, A Few Support Numbers, and One Controversial Holiday List

I had four Thanksgiving meals.  The night before Thanksgiving¹ was spent with
the wonderful Boles family.  The next
day, my grandparents cooked a Thanksgiving lunch, and that night my mom cooked
a Thanksgiving dinner.  The day after
Thanksgiving, the Yates family, also known as ‘second family’, had me over for
a post-Thanksgiving meal.  Though there
was no more room in my stomach, I managed to eat on taste alone.  Four. 
I would’ve said something

like, ‘each meal was better than the last’, but
the Wednesday night meal featured Julie Boles’ Amaretto Cheesecake, which simply can’t be
topped. 

For Christmas, I was equally blessed with a ridiculous meal
and ridiculous amount of gifts.  I was
also blessed with a new house and a new bed. 
Of course, an REI one-man tent will serve as my house in 2011, and my
bed will be a 40-degree sleeping bag.

Here’s the point – I’m blessed beyond what I deserve.  And by blessed I mean spoiled.  And it’s not even close.  So, needless to say, it may take some adjusting
and getting used to my new life in 2011. 
No phone, no hot showers, the same 6 or 7 shirts for the entire year,
and not enough food-money to buy a $5 footlong – even if I made it last the
entire day. 

I couldn’t be more excited about the adjustment. 

The World Race has perfected the art of sending hundreds of
20-somethings around the world on an extremely tight budget.  And though I probably won’t be having four
Thanksgiving meals next year, I’m sure I’ll still have my fair share of ‘I don’t
deserve this’ moments. 

In order to have the opportunity
to make this adjustment, I must raise $14,300 in support in the next
year.  So far, my incredible financial
partners have helped me reach about $6,000, which leaves about $8,000 more to
raise.  While this seems like a pretty
expensive trip, consider this: My international air travel next year to eleven
different nations around the globe (Caribbean, Central America, Africa, and
Asia!) is only going to cost $4,300.  That’s the cost of many week-long mission
trips!

So, where else does your financial support go?  Here are some numbers that scare and excite
me as the New Year approaches.  It’s gonna be an adjustment for sure.

• Your $3.75 donation will
  pay for my meals for one day. ($26.25 for one week and $116.25 for one month)

• Your $3.00 donation will
  pay for my transportation (from my housing to ministry site) for one day. ($21 for one week and $93 for one month)

• Your $5.25 donation will
  pay for my lodging for one day. 
  ($36.75 for one week and $162.75 for one month)

• Your $460 donation will
  pay for all of my personal
  expenses for one month.  This
  includes all of the above plus important stuff like translators and toilet
  paper!

I must raise $10,000 by March and the full $14,300 by
August, or I won’t be able to finish the World Race.  I know I will reach those goals, but it is
also very important that I reach them quickly, because when I need to fundraise
during the Race, that means time away from my ministry site to focus on
calling/emailing/blogging to try to raise funds.  I would like to spend every day while I’m
gone helping those in need.  When I call/email/blog
I want to be able to share stories of healing, restoration, and miracles, not
asking for money.  So please help me live
and write these stories by helping me get to $14,300 as soon as possible! 

To partner with me financially on the World Race, click here.

¹ While I try
to respond to as much fan-mail as I can, it’s simply impossible to answer
every one of the hundreds of e-mails I get each day.  However, due to the season, a pretty
consistent question has been ‘What is my favorite holiday?’  Well, not only will I give you my
favorite holiday, but I’ll give you a rundown of my top ten, and some bonus
holidays, and some explanations.  After all, it is the season of
giving.

1. Independence Day (summer, baseball, cigars, pool, grilling out, beer, fireworks – 4th of July is the perfect storm of all that is good coming together for one day a year)
2. Thanksgiving (Pecan Pie.)
3. Baseball Opening Day (Marks the beginning of summer. And more importantly, the end of winter. Well, at least in my book)
4. International Cigar Day (If it’s not on Wikipedia yet, it should be.)
5. Memorial Day (a pseudo-Independence Day, which is enough for me)
6. Christmas (The fact that winter is involved bumps it down to #6. It would probably be lower if it weren’t for Egg Nog.  And Cousin Eddie. Jesus, too.)
7. Groundhog Day (Only cause it gets me in the mood to watch Bill
   Murray)
8. Christmas Eve (I’m not sure… but I’m pretty sure.. that it could be Hitler or Osama bin Laden’s birthday, and if Egg Nog was involved, it would have to be in the top 25.)
9. Easter (It’s Spring, baseball’s underway, and a legit holiday to celebrate, too.)
10. April Fools Day (Now we’re reaching)

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