Hey friends! I just wanted to give you a quick update: I have met my first fundraising deadline of $5,000 and am well on my way to my second deadline. Thank you to everyone who has supported me financially and prayerfully; this trip is just as much yours as it is mine! Training Camp is coming up in a month and I am so excited to get to meet my squad!! Please be praying for diligence, patience, and faith for my squad and I as we continue fundraising and other preparations for the Race.
I’m sure many people are curious about why I want to go on this trip and what I hope to accomplish in all the countries I am visiting, so I figured I would answer those questions as well as discuss some of the things that have been weighing on my heart.
Before I jump in to the reasons I have chosen the World Race, I want to cover some reasons I’m NOT going. I am NOT going on the Race to be a hero. I cannot single-handedly pull the communities I visit out of poverty. I am NOT going to perpetuate the idea that Westerners are superior to everyone else. Our way of doing life, though comfortable, may not be the right way. I am NOT going to undermine the abilities of the people in these communities. I do not intend to make these cultures dependent on handouts from America.
That being said, I AM going to love and to learn. Every person needs to experience the love of Christ and I hope to be a living, human example of that. Loving people can look different, sometimes it may be sharing a meal, helping them build a house, playing games with orphans, or simply hearing their story. I am going on this trip with the expectation of loving on every person I meet, and then letting God cover the rest. I fully expect Him to show up in miraculous ways. I hope to keep a humble perspective throughout my journeys as well, allowing the people that I serve to teach me. America may be rich in the eyes of the world, but materialistic poverty is not the only kind of poverty. I am excited to learn about different cultures, spiritual practices, family dynamics, and foods!
I did sign up for this trip to love on God’s children all over the world, but I would be lying if I said those were my only motives. The reality is that every time I step out in faith God reveals more of Himself to me. From my very first summer mission trip to moving to Charlotte, I have fallen more in love with God and His incredible character. I am hungry to draw near to Him and I don’t think the intimacy I desire can be found inside my comfort zone. Surrounded by a closet full of clothes, my king size bed, my air conditioned home, I am safe and I am comfortable, however I am not relying on Him. So, I have decided to follow God’s call to go out into the world and serve, and I anticipate meeting Him every step of the way.
