“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship.” -Romans 12:1
Greetings Family and Friends!
You may not be surprised to learn that there are radical changes on the horizon for my life. My corporate job and comfortable apartment in suburban America are not in the plans for 2009. God has called me to obediently take a step of faith to leave it all behind and follow His lead. It is an 11-month mission trip called The World Race.
The World Race is one of many mission trips run by an organization called Adventures In Missions (AIM). The World Race sends young adults to 11 countries in 11 months. We are split into teams of 5-8 individuals and travel the world spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to people all over the globe to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Each month we will be doing different types of ministries from caring for orphans and homeless to church planting and disaster relief while evangelizing all along the way. We will be vessels of Christ’s love across the nations.
I will be leaving in January of 2009. I am excited about this trip. I believe this trip will really help to continue the development of my spiritual gifts. I desire to be a part of this mission trip because God is calling me to it. I love meeting new people, traveling, experiencing new cultures, and seeing new places. I have deep compassion for those who are less fortunate: the poor, the lost, the broken-hearted. More than anything my heart longs to see people come to Jesus. Ultimately, this 11-month experience with The World Race will be nothing short of life changing, and I would love for you to be a part of it!
There are several ways you can contribute. My team and I will need prayer support for safe travels, good health, effectiveness in ministry, and spiritual strength, guidance, and growth. We will need financial support as well. I need to raise $14,000 for the year. This amount covers air, land, and sea travel as well as food and lodging. I will also need to raise funds to cover visas, vaccinations, international medical insurance, and supplies (tent, sleeping bag, backpack, etc). My goal is to raise $18,000 so that all costs are covered. Although it may sound impossible, if 10 people give $300 per month for six months or 30 people give $100 per month for six months, or 50 people gave $60 per month for six months, I would have enough. Whether you are able and prefer to give a one-time donation or a monthly contribution, all contributions, prayer and financial, are a truly a blessing and graciously accepted.
I have enclosed a response card and pre-addressed envelope that invites you to share in this ministry with a one-time donation or monthly contribution. Please make checks payable to Adventures in Missions and write “appealed by” and my name in the memo section of the check if you would like your donation to go to my account. Including the enclosed card will provide AIM with all the necessary information. In turn, they will send you a receipt. All gifts are tax deductible. To learn more about AIM and the World Race, you may visit their website at http://www.theworldrace.org/. I will also send out a newsletter once a month to share with you how the support raising is going and what God is doing in my life and He prepares me for this great adventure. In addition I have a blog that you can subscribe to and follow to see what is going on in my life prior to departure and throughout the duration of the trip, www.samanthamccowan.theworldrace.org.
Throughout the application process for The World Race, I have experienced God preparing my heart for ministry. He has been giving me compassion for people in a way I’ve never felt before. He’s been giving me confidence to reach out to those I don’t know well or at all. Most of all, He has been giving me peace about leaving behind the life I know now and my comfort zone and stepping out into the missions field to really live my life completely for Him and experience the life He has for me. I long for the full life and adventure that God has in store for me. I know He has great plans for this ministry. Many lives will be touched and I can’t wait to be a part of what God is doing. Please partner with me in this ministry to share the message of Christ to our hurting world.
Please share this with your friends, family, church and business. I need all the prayer and support I can get. Thank you in advance for your prayers and financial support. If you have any questions at all or would be interested in hearing more about this incredible adventure, please call me (316) 990-5599 or email me at [email protected].
Blessings,
Sammie McCowan
