Dear Family and Friends,
I hope this letter finds you well! I’m writing to let you know about some new things that have been happening in my life. I fell in love with foreign missions as a teenager and have felt God’s calling for me to do something longer than just a week or two. God has always had some very interesting adventures for me so far in my journey with Him. However, after graduating from Dallas Baptist University with a Bachelor’s degree in Christian Studies, I found myself asking God, “What next?” I did not believe Grad School was the next step quite yet, and I was tired of being a waitress. God was and is so faithful as He led me to work in a wonderful Christian school, Morning Star Academy, close to home as the Spanish, music, and art teacher. I have been working here since October 2013. I know this is where God wanted me to be for the time, but I also felt that I would not be here for too long. I have really prayed about how God could use me and where He wanted me. I had heard about the World Race through a couple of friends of mine a little over a year ago. It went to the back of my mind as I thought about other places and ways to serve. However, the World Race kept coming up here and there. I began to read different blogs from the people on the race. After much pondering and prayer I realized that this was God’s next step for me after my short time of teaching.
The World Race is a Christian mission trip through a non-profit organization called Adventures in Missions (AIM). It’s an 11-month journey to 11 different countries where worldly possessions are abandoned. Through adventure, ministry, community, and self-discovery, World Racers develop broken hearts that propel their hands to act for God’s kingdom around the globe. I will have a week of training in July in Georgia. I am scheduled to leave in September 2014 and will be ministering and working in Haiti, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia. My team and I will be partnering with local churches and ministries to preach the Gospel, plant churches, work in orphanages, minister to women and children who are trapped in prostitution as a result of human trafficking, teach in the classrooms, natural disaster relief, and bring the restoration and hope of the Father’s love to many tribes and nations. I have not done many of these things, but God equips those He calls. This will be a journey that I not only get to minister to God’s children but where I will experience discipleship and spiritual growth. It will not be a cakewalk. It will not be comfortable. However, it will be a life-changing experience.
I am so grateful for this opportunity that God has given me, and have every confidence that He can and will provide for me! Ultimately, my prayer is that this goal can be met through you. I am writing to you to ask if you would consider partnering prayerfully and financially with me in my ministry. I must raise $16,000 in order to go on the World Race. This covers all my expenses on the field. This financial support can be given through a one-time gift or as a monthly donation, wherein you choose the amount you would like to donate, and beginning and end date. If 200 people each gave $80 as a one-time donation I would be fully funded. However, whether $5 or $500, any donation is greatly needed and appreciated! While it will be my experience, what this money is really being raised for is so that people across the nations may be served as Christ served and loved as He loved, and by praying with me, and/or giving financially, you also become a part of this amazing work that God is doing. This is not just for me but it is ultimately about furthering His kingdom. If you cannot or choose not to donate financially, I ask that you please keep my team and me in your prayers throughout the journey. I need a strong group who will be willing and adamant about praying for me during this journey. This process can be burdensome at times, but overall it will be an awesome opportunity to see God at work and reveal Himself in many, I am sure, unexpected ways. I also invite you to follow my blog over the next year at katiacaylor.theworldrace.org by signing up to receive my updates! This way, anytime I share my experiences and photos throughout the journey you will be the first to know!
I have enclosed a response card with my information and a pre-addressed envelope, inviting you to share in this ministry. There is also an additional page with more specific instructions on how to give and details about the different options. I will be following up with a phone call and possibly another letter to keep you updated, but please feel free to email me with any questions you may have! Please call me at 903-227-1699. My email address is [email protected], or there is a “Contact” link in the upper left hand side of my blog page as well. I would like to thank you in advance for your prayers and financial support.
I can’t wait to see how God moves in my life and the life of others through this journey! May God bless you as you prayerfully consider partnering with me on this journey! In Christ’s Love,
Katia A. Caylor
Donating Options: Monthly Donating Options-
- With monthly donations through my blog site, you may select a start date and automatic stop date. There is a still a 3% processing fee for online monthly donations set up through the blog.
- You can also give monthly through a website called Dynapay, which you can sign up for athttp://www.adventures.org/dynapay. There aren’t any processing fees when using Dynapay, but Dynapay won’t allow you to choose an automatic stop date at the time you set up donations. You have to contact Donor Relations when you want to stop the donations at [email protected] or call 1-800-881-2461 ex 251.
- Also keep in mind with monthly payments, that if you wanted to support me for all 11 months you would need to start before I actually leave, because my final deadline is six months into the Race.
Donating Online-
- By donating online, there is an additional fee of 3% of your donation total.
- To donate online, you can go to my blog page at katiacaylor.theworldrace.org, and click on the “Support & Send Me” link on the left hand side under my picture of my blog page and then follow the donating instructions.
Sending a donation in the mail-
- By sending a gift in the mail there are no additional fees!
- Make checks payable to Adventures in Missions and you must include “World Race Katia Caylor” in the memo line, otherwise the donation will not be directed to my account. Please mail all checks to Adventures in Missions, PO Box 742570, Atlanta, GA 30374-2570
- Please contact me when you put a check in the mail so that I can keep AIM up to date on my current support total, because sometimes checks can take weeks to process before they actually reflect in my account – Thank you!!
Tax Deduction Information-
- Adventures in Missions is registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization. Donors will receive receipts for their gifts with the understanding that the disbursement of those gifts lies completely at the discretion of Adventures in Missions and that the gifts are non-refundable and non-transferable, per IRS regulations. Gifts may be tax deductible; please consult a tax adviser.
Other giving options-
- I will have other expenses that will not be covered by the cost of the trip that I will need to raise separately (i.e. gear, flights to and from training camp in Georgia, flight to the launch point within the U.S. and the flight back to Dallas,TX when I return to the U.S., medications, insurance etc.). If you would feel more comfortable donating to these expenses please feel free to contact me and let me know how you would like to support me.
