Maybe you are wondering how you can partner with me in prayer, so let me tell you how!
In no particular order:
First off, this is my first missions trip and as such I have no idea what to expect. I already know I love to travel and see new places but my travels have always been of the tourist/sightseer variety where I go, pack everything I can in, and then leave. I don’t take time to really soak the culture all in. So first off I guess you can pray that I will truly absorb the culture and appreciate what it can teach me.
Yes this trip will be an amazing travel opportunity, how could it not be when I will be visiting 11 countries I have never been to before and 2 new continents! But God is truly the central focus of this trip. For a year now I have asking God to teach me how to trust in Him and listen to his voice. It has been a difficult journey but I feel this is my chance to now practice everything I have learnt and experience God’s faithfulness first-hand. So please, pray for my relationship with God.
This mission is not without it’s challenges. The timing of this race works out really well as my landlord would like to sell the condo I am renting so I will be moving back in with my mom not just after the race, but likely for a little bit before as well. I have also taken a leave of absence from my job as a teacher and while I am guaranteed a job upon my return it is uncertain what school or what grade I will be teaching in. I have to pack up both my classroom and my condo before I leave which is two very big jobs. So please pray that everything will work itself out logistically both before and after the Race.
Another big challenge I face before I leave is fundraising. I don’t have a large family or extended circle of friends and while my church is a decent size it is not a huge church, also it will be sending out, at present, 4 other missionaries between now and when I leave. So while prayer is always appreciated and needed I do need to find people who are also willing to financially support my journey. When God told me I was going to be going on a missions trip he very clearly told me “I will make a way where you don’t see one” and I don’t know if that is referring to my fundraising situation or not but I am choosing to trust in Him that he will place a call in the right people’s hearts to join me financially. So let’s pray big and bold, let’s pray that I can leave fully funded in September for this mission!
I also face challenges while on the race. Since I was 15 I have struggled with back and neck pain and see a chiropractor and massage therapist regularly, on average once a month. One of my biggest worries while on the race is my health. Not only do I have my back to worry about but I also experience episodes of low blood pressure and low blood sugar which I manage mainly by eating regular meals. These meals bring me to my last physical health challenge of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), my body dislikes a lot of foods which often results in a lot of intestinal and abdominal pain. Not to mention all the various vaccines I need to get to protect myself! While this all may seem like a lot to deal with I am trusting it will all be looked after. I spent 3 weeks practicing sleeping on my air-pad and was pleasantly surprised at how good my back and neck felt! I know how to recognize and manage episodes of low blood pressure and low blood sugar as well as I have medication I can take when food is not my friend. So prayers for my health are always appreciated.
Another challenge while on the race is safety. Obviously we are not staying in luxury locations. We are going with the purpose of helping those in need. And often those in need do not live in the best of circumstances. I have a lot of travel experience to a variety of countries so I feel like I have a lot of prior experience to work with but I also know that I am very trusting of others, always wanting to see the best. And while that is not a bad thing I do know I need to be vigilant about my safety. So please pray for my safety.
So I have spent a lot of time talking about how you can pray for me, but there are other people and ways you can pray too.
Pray for my mom. While I do have extended family, it has been me and my mom my whole life! I have lived away from home before but now my grandparents are both gone and so it will be different for my mom this time. So while this is my trip I haven’t forgotten the tole it takes on the people closest to me.
Pray for my team. Pray for the leaders who are carefully crafting our teams so that we compliment each others strengths and weaknesses. Pray for our bonding and unity as they will become my family during this 11 months.
Pray for our countries and our ministry partners. Pray that God is laying the groundwork and preparing people hearts for the work we will be doing in each country. Our squad has had a wonderful idea of praying for 2 countries each month for these 6 months leading up to our race. Each month I will be posting a blog introducing each country I will be praying for. Using the website www.operationworld.org I will also be posting a blog with specific ways to pray for that country.
