Dear Friends and Family,
Brokenness. I feel like that is the word that describes what God has been doing in me for the past year. Since being home from South Africa and Swaziland, I once again find myself wrecked. I have seen the brokenness of this world; I have sat in the midst of immense heartache and pain; I have experienced the chasm between light and dark, despair and hope, death and life.
I have been broken and I don’t think my heart will ever recover.
And at the same time, I have seen the hope of Jesus come alive; I have seen how His love changes people. I have experienced the power of the love of Christ – a love that transcends all language barriers and cultural differences. I have seen that His love never fails. With each experience, I feel as though I plunge deeper into the heart of Jesus and it has left me forever changed.
My prayer has been that God would continually lead me where He wants me and that He would put His heart within me. I didn’t know how beautiful, and painful, that ache would be. I also had no idea how dangerous that prayer was or what He would dare me to do next…
I honestly thought that the next phase of my life would be more “normal,” that God would have me stationary for a while. However, after a lot of prayer (and arguing with Him) and through very clear confirmation, God made it painfully obvious that He has other plans in mind.
So… this summer, June 2010, I will be leaving on an 11-month journey called The World Race.
The World Race is a ministry of Adventures in Missions (the organization I’ve served with this past year). During the World Race, we will travel to 11 different countries in 11 months for the purpose of bringing the love and the hope of Christ to the nations. Along with a team of around 40, I will be traveling to the following countries:
Ireland, Ukraine, Romania, Israel, Egypt, Kenya
Uganda, Explore Africa, Thailand, Cambodia, Explore Asia
We will spend one month in each country. We will be living among the people and will be involved in a variety of different ministries including: pub ministry in Ireland, working with the prostitutes of Thailand, loving the orphans of Kenya and Uganda, living with gypsies in Romania, and being open to any other challenges or opportunities that the Lord puts before us.
Honestly, I’m scared. I feel as though I have seen so much pain already and I wonder how much more my heart can take. I know that God will show us the power and beauty of His love, but also there is raw reality of poverty, slavery and sickness, loneliness and heartache. This world is broken, but I know that God is putting it back together. He is daring me, once more, to go; to help bring at least a little bit of His Kingdom to those broken, forgotten places of the world.
Sometimes I feel so small and inadequate, but I was recently reminded of the radical love that I have seen and experienced – and reminded that this love is too great not to share with the rest of the world. I have seen hope come alive in the darkest of places, I have seen the beauty of the love of Christ take root in hardened hearts, I have seen God change people. So yes, I am small… but His love is not.
So, as I wonder if my heart can handle any more, God quietly assures me that He has it all in His hands. He assures me that His love never fails and that it will not fail to sustain my broken heart. So, because His love is better than life, I will trust Him and I will follow. I am scared and unsure, but it is an honor to obey.
I have been so humbled by the prayer support I’ve received this last year. Knowing that I have a support system that intercedes on my behalf and on behalf of the nations has brought me more encouragement than you know. I cannot tell you all the ways I’ve felt the strength of prayer; I have seen barriers broken as God’s people cry out. I know that it is only through prayer that this trip is possible. I have seen how crucial it is to seek the Lord for every step of the journey. I am sincerely asking nothing more than for you to join me in crying out to the Father on behalf of the poor, the oppressed, the voiceless, the orphan and the widow. I am asking you to pray for my team and our ministry, that we would be God’s hands and feet and love the unloved; that God would give us His heart and His vision. I ask for prayers that God would provide all that is needed and that, above all, my heart and the hearts of our team would be solely focused on Jesus and bringing His love to others.
I want to thank you so much for allowing me to share what God has been doing in my life. I look forward to all that God is going to do, for He never ceases to surprise me. I long to follow after the heart of Christ and to see the redemption He offers to all who are broken. I ache for His Kingdom to come on earth as it is in Heaven. So… once again I say, “Here I am, send me!” and God takes me seriously. I have got to be more careful about what I pray…
Grace & Peace,
Sydney Sample
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Now, I hope you hear my heart when I say that, above all, I desperately want and need your prayers. However, the unfortunate part of missions is that it costs money. Here is the part where I get really uncomfortable… The total cost for this trip is $14,300. I know that God can do all things but, to be honest, this amount seems insurmountable to me. I trust the Lord and He clearly said that He would provide, but I also believe that He is calling me to be responsible. In order to gain funds for the World Race, I am currently working one job and actively looking for a second. I am also in the process of planning different ways to raise money including a rummage sale, selling my car, etc. In addition to praying for my trip, I also ask that you would join me in prayer over finances.
I want you all to know how very much I appreciate the time that you have taken to read this letter. I would never want to view any relationships as a way to “raise support”. I hope you hear my heart when I say that, above all else, I desire your prayers. If you would like to talk to me, to ask questions or hear how God has worked in this past year, or to hear more about the Race, please feel free to contact me at 501-944-9278; [email protected], or through facebook.
Thank you so much for your time… you are a blessing!
