This is the letter that I have written and am sending out. If you would like to receive one, just let me know!
Dear Family and Friends,
I’m writing to tell you what God has been doing in my life recently. Most of you know that I have been working at a preschool in Gainesville since graduating from the University of Florida a year and a half ago. Many of you know that this wasn’t my original plan but I have loved working with these sweet kids. They make my life much more entertaining and if you have talked to me recently you know that I am ridiculously attached to them. But as much as I have enjoyed pouring into the lives of these children, I know that God is calling me to something new. I have spent the past several months praying and seeking out what God has planned for the next phase of my life. That’s when I came across the world race. The world race is an 11 month long mission trip to 11 different countries around the world to serve and love the least of these.
At first it seemed crazy to leave my family, friends, and comfortable life in America behind for a year. It also seemed like a crazy amount of money to raise to be able to go. But I felt God pushing me to step out in faith and trust Him; to trust Him with my future, to trust that He will provide for my every need, to trust that His plan for my life is good, and mostly to trust Him, to get out of my comfort zone and follow Him wherever He may lead.
After much prayer I decided to take a step of faith and go on this adventure.
I will leave in July 2014 to travel to Honduras, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Philippines, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia with about fifty others teammates. We will partner with local churches and ministries to preach the Gospel, love orphans, care for the poor, pray for the sick, plant churches, minister to women and children who are victims of human trafficking, and simply share Jesus with people around the world.
I’m excited for the opportunity to grow in my relationship with the Lord, to deeply rely on Him, and to take the love of God to these countries. I’m excited to be doing so many different types of ministry throughout the year and I pray that God uses the time to reveal the unique gifts He has given me to serve Him.
Over the next several months I will be preparing to leave in July. Part of that process is raising the funds to follow God’s call to the nations. I need to raise $16,285, which includes travel, insurance, and living expenses for the year. As I take this step of faith to trust God to provide for me, I want to ask that you consider partnering with me in two ways.
First, I need your prayers. Please pray for my team and I as we raise support and prepare to leave in July. Pray that God prepares us for the work He will be doing in and through us during the world race. In Ephesians 2 Paul says that God has prepared works for us in advance. Pray that we have the courage to step boldly into what God is calling us to. If you would like to see updates and prayer requests check out my blog rachelsnowden.worldrace.org.
Second, please prayerfully consider whether God is calling you to support me financially. If 55 people commit to giving $25 a month then I will meet my fundraising goal. If 15 people commit to giving $100 a month I will exceed my support goal. Please don’t feel that you must give one of these amounts or that you must commit to giving monthly. This is just to give you an idea of how a few people can make a huge difference. There are a few ways you can give. I have enclosed a response card that you can mail, with a check made out to Adventures in Missions, to PO Box 742570, Atlanta, GA, 30374-2570. If you would prefer to donate online you can go to my blog rachelsnowden.worldrace.org and click on the “support me!” tab on the top banner or left side of the screen (Note that there is a 2-3% service fee for one-time gifts). If you would like to give monthly go to https://www.adventures.org/dynapay and be sure to add my name in.
Thanks for taking the time to read this letter, for praying for me, and for considering partnering with me. If you have any questions please feel free to get in contact with me. My e-mail is [email protected]. I’ll be in touch soon to talk with you about giving and to discuss any questions you have. Thank you again!
Love,
Rachel
