Hey All,
I tell ya, time is definitely flying! In less than two months I’ll be on a long flight to Thailand with my team to begin this RACE! As we close in on the day of departure, though I still get a little nervous, I have begun to get a bit more excited about it – it really is happening! 😉
So, I wanted to write a quick update…
Over the last couple weeks, I was privileged to travel down to Australia to visit some friends. It was a great time to catch up, have some great heart-to-hearts about life, see the sights and just relax a bit. I sought out a couple beaches and really found it therapeutic! Praise God for this time!
As I walked along the beaches, it occurred to me why I never tire of the beach… The waves! One goes out, another comes in. With each one that comes in, new foam, rocks, shells, jellyfish or kelp wash up along the shore. Treasures to behold! With each one that goes out, dead crabs, crusty kelp, and impurities are washed out to sea. Just as each wave brings a sense of newness and washes away what used to be, so each phase in life offers a new opportunity and ends the current phase, the way things have been.
Although I’ve been enjoying my current phase, I’m really looking forward to all that the Race has to offer. Not only will it truly be an adventure with new friends in different cultures, but it will be an opportunity to see God with new eyes, to see Him working in different ways, and to be a part of His work around the world! I remember many years ago praying that even if I never married, even if I never had kids, even if I never really had anything of real value attached to my name, it would be enough for me to experience God working in the world… to see and be a part of miracles… to grow intimately with Him, so that I would trust and love NO ONE and NO THING more than I do Jesus! I’ve already experienced some incredible things with God in my 30+ years of life (that have confirmed His existence, and His knowledge of and love for little ol’ ME), so this will just be a continuation of that, but I guess I’m just saying I’m excited to see how He works in other parts of the world, under different circumstances and in different cultures!
*So, one last set of notes…
**Please be praying for my team! We found out this week that our launch date is on Sunday, January 3rd! We’ll fly out of LAX at about 11pm. Most of us have not reached the $10,000 minimum due by December 18th. Please pray that we each reach that goal (if not a little more, since the entire amount of $16,362 is due April 2016) and consider how you might be able to support me or us, or share with anyone you think might want to support our mission. Several teammates have already dropped out of the January launch date because they won’t have the funds in time. We have already begun forming relationships and making connections, so to lose anyone else at this late date would be discouraging and disappointing.
**Be praying for those we will be encountering that they would be open to the gospel, friendly to our work, and really feel God’s love through us.
**Pray for our hearts, that we would have good quiet times and prayer times before and during the trip and that as we all meet each other we could find a way to not only get along, but genuinely care for one another like siblings.
Thank you again for your support in my life! Without it, I know I would not be where I am today!
In His Grip,
Sarah
