I’ve been home from the World Race just over a week now. It’s been surprisingly good! The Lord has allowed me to experience a lot of joy being home. My favorite part has been reconnecting with the people I love. I’m thankful that the transition home hasn’t been as tear-filled as I expected!
More on the transition home later – because I have some exciting news!
I am going back to Uganda for 3 months with Kingdom Journeys Beauty for Ashes!
I am so excited for this opportunity. The Lord only gave me a small glimpse of women’s ministry on my World Race. He used those short amounts of time to light a fire in my soul to see women set free and live out their identity in Christ. God revealed my calling on the World Race, and Kingdom Journeys is my chance to step into that calling.
So what is Kingdom Journeys Beauty for Ashes?
Kingdom Journeys is a second year program though Adventures in Missions. They send out small teams of World Race Alumni to walk out their unique callings overseas under a period of apprenticeship after they’ve completed the World Race. It is a vehicle for mature and driven leaders to pursue a more specialized calling, mission, or ministry – one that makes them come alive, and allows them to activate their giftings, passions, and calling toward a specific Kingdom purpose.
Beauty for Ashes is a program though Adventures that empowers women to experience God’s restoration and hope through storytelling and safe community.
My team will be working with Sisters of Hope International, an organization that serves widows and single mothers from the slums of Kampala. Sisters of Hope provides education, materials, and discipleship in helping the women apply valuable skills and resources to provide for themselves and their children. They want to add the Beauty for Ashes retreats to their program offerings – and this is where we come in!
How is this different than the World Race?
First, it’s a much smaller group of people. I will only be traveling with a small group of female World Race alumni rather than a 40 person co-ed squad. Also, I’ll stay in Uganda for the entire 3 months instead of moving to a new country each month. Another thing that is different is that there is much more ownership over this trip. Kingdom Journeys is a fairly new program, which means that participants are not just “going” on the trip, we are “pioneering” the trip. We will be responsible for not only doing the program, but also building the program for future participants. It’s very exciting!
When do you leave and how long will you be gone?
This is a fun question. When I started writing this blog, I was scheduled to leave this September (in 6 weeks!). By the end of writing this blog, I was informed that due to lack of participants, the trip is pushed back to January. I’m very excited about this because I was not thrilled about leaving again so soon after returning from the World Race! So I will be leaving toward the end of January and returning toward the end of April. Exact dates TBD.
Do you have to raise support?
Yes, I do! I am confident that this is what the Lord is asking me to do. I know He will provide just like He did for the World Race. I will need to raise about $8,000 for this trip. But we’ll talk more about that later.
What will you do in the meantime?
Great question! I don’t know. If you know of any good short term jobs in Omaha or even know of anyone looking for a short term nanny, please let me know. This is another area that I am fully confident the Lord will provide in! I also need to find a car to drive for 5 months. Know of anyone willing to rent out a car for that long? Let me know that too!
How can I support you?
Just like I couldn’t do the World Race without you, I can’t do Kingdom Journeys without you! One of the best things you can do for me is just ask to hear about my World Race experience. Ask me specific questions about what I learned, what was hard, what was good, what I discovered, etc. I deeply desire to share the things the Lord has done in and through me over the last year – I just need you to ask!
Financially, right now I am looking for supporters to join my team. If you are interested in donating any amount, please click on this link: Donate to RaeLynn’s Kingdom Journeys Trip. Select “Kingdom Journeys,” enter my first and last name, and the amount you would like to donate. I’m looking for one time and monthly supporters.
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Thank you for reading about what the Lord is leading me to do after the World Race. One thing I’ve learned through my experience this past year is what God will do when you say “yes.” I’m excited to continue on this journey with you!
