Dear Friends and Family,
I hope this letter finds you well! Life’s pace for me has really begun to quicken. I am in my third year at the University of North Texas and will be graduating this December (yippee, six months early) with a degree in Sociology. With my undergrad college career coming to a close, I daily began to ask myself, “What now?” I rushed through the past 3 years with the intent of going straight into graduate school next spring, but for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why I was in such a hurry. I spent a lot of time in prayer asking the Lord to guide me because I know that I have a lot of decisions to make about my future that will affect me for the rest of my life.
As a guest speaker in college once said, “No one ever gets to the end of their life and says, ‘I wish I’d played it safer.'” Everyone always wishes they’d taken more risks. I’ve decided to do just that – play this game of life a little risky. Many people my age are trying to find themselves. They have launched out into the real world and gotten a real job. If you’ve known me for a while, you know that there’s something in me that can’t settle for the ordinary – I want to change the world. And I’ve wondered how to begin doing that for a while now.
So, I decided to hold off on grad school. I found a great program called “The World Race,” applied, and was accepted.
I will be leaving this January to spend a year of my life intending to live like Jesus lived. But while He spent His life in a remarkably small area, mine will be the privilege of traveling around the world. I will be living out of a backpack (~
sigh~. Yes, that means my puppy, eyelash curler, and high heels won’t be coming along
J). I will be going with a team of about 30 fellow believers, and as we go, we seek to serve partner ministries that are caring for the poorest of the poor. And our opportunities are endless – we will be doing anything from serving in an orphanage to building homes to ministering in the streets!
Playing it risky also means not living for me. I want to be a part of something greater than myself. I believe that by taking a year of my life and intentionally learning to live as Jesus lived, touching the poor, learning to live on little, I will become the world changer that God intended me to be. I’ve got one life to live and before taking on any long-term obligations, I want to commit to making it the radical life that Jesus himself modeled. I know I’ll learn to abandon all that has made my life comfortable and will learn to depend on Him as I’ve never had to.
I thank God for this opportunity that is before me and trust He will meet my needs. Ultimately, my prayer is that He will do that through you. I would be honored if you could partner with me in this ministry. My needs and the most important ways you can participate and help are. . .
1) Encouragement – Please visit and subscribe to www.teaganhighfill.theworldrace.org by clicking on “Subscribe to My Blog!” Throughout the year I will be posting pictures and journal entries. Please take time to check in on me and to post comments, send me pictures from home, send your love and prayers.
2) Prayers – Please keep me in your prayers. Pray for my team, for the people we meet, and the divine appointments still in front of us. As you keep up with my journal entries, I ask that you would pray specifically about the various struggles and celebrations that I will be experiencing throughout the year.
3) Financial Support – I do need your help, whether that be $5 or $5,000. I have to raise a minimum of $13,800 for the trip, in addition to money for my passport, visas, vaccinations (agh! The worst part!), travel gear, and unexpected expenses. If 20 people committed to giving $20 a month, and 15 more committed to giving $50 a month, I could reach my goal! To make a tax deductible donation please click on the “Support Me” link. You can best support me by making donations as soon as possible, and please let me know the date and amount of your donation so that I may track all funds appropriately and thank you personally
J.
Many of you are Christians and share my mission to follow in Christ’s footsteps. Please prayerfully consider your role in the Kingdom and how God is calling you to join this World Race with me by offering your encouragement, prayers, or financial support.
Some of you may not share my belief in Christ, but you do believe in me, and share my desire to make a difference in this world! Those of us participating in “The World Race” will be a voice for so many who have no voice. Please carefully consider joining my team to add your voice, in whatever way you are willing and able.
Several of you have large spheres of influence. I would be honored if you would pass this letter on to your friends, your family, your church, or your colleagues so that they may all have the chance to join the race with us!
Please pray that what we are creating here will spread. We want to be used by Him to radically alter people’s lives. . . and hopefully yours. . . if you will let us! Are you ready for the race, will you join my team?
I love you all very much and am so blessed that you are a part of my life.
Love,
Teagan
