I apologize for the lack of posts, my new goal is roughly once a week until I head out. Get ready.
I’ve definitely been starting to see the incredibly wide range of emotions in preparation for our September launch, from an excitement that is ready to strap on that backpack and step onto the plane to the Phillipines to an undeniable twinge of anxiety contemplating the magnitude of this 11-month adventure, and I’m sure this is all just the tip of the iceberg.
Made my way up to Ann Arbor a couple weekends ago, home to the nearest REI 
(“Toys R Us to a World Racer,” to quote another WR blog), a measly 3 1/2 hour trek. Conveniently I had a wedding in Toledo to make it slightly more convenient (congrats Hauges!), but I’m still foreseeing another trip possibly in the next week or so. Picked up my tent (REI half dome 2) and my backpack (osprey aether 70), along with a few other little things; just one more step to start making this trip feel a little bit more real to me.
In other news…I oughta admit that this whole support-raising thing can be quite uncomfortable. To be upfront about it, I’m sitting right at about $4000 now, thanks to those awesome folks who have sent in funds in response to support letters and conversations. That said, I’m also supposed to be at around $7000 by the 14th…which is in 5 days. I’ve been trying to make some follow-up phone calls and catch up with people, intentionally trying to invite you all alongside me on this adventure. Honestly, I don’t want to try and do this journey on my own, because I would almost definitely fail, and this trip is complete beyond me alone. I love it when I talk to people that almost seem more excited about the race than I am, and I genuinely believe that God has unbelievable things to reveal to us all through this trip, and I don’t want you or I to miss out on it. Yes, I need money to go on this trip, but I’d hate to reduce relationships to a request for money or for you to feel anything you’re giving is going to a faceless account. I’m incredibly blessed by an amazing community, and I hope that through this trip I can bless you as well as they people we serve. If you have any questions about the trip or how you can help, please give me a shout.
Speaking of support raising…got a couple of upcoming fundraisers if you’re in the neighborhood:
Wednesday, July 14, 5-8pm: Chick-fil-a, 2360 North Fairfield Rd, Beavercreek, OH – bring in this flyer and I’ll get 20% of your purchase!
Friday, July 16, 5-8pm: Tropical Smoothie, 6241 Far Hills Avenue, Centerville, OH – no flyer, just show up and I’ll get 15%!
Thinking bout doing a FAQ blog post to answer the questions that I’ve gotten a lot talking to people about the race, so if you have any questions you’ve been dying to ask or want me to answer again, leave it in the comments or contact me!
Also, I’m trying to put together a list of folks to be contacting while I’m on the race, like a support list database for email updates. Sooo, if you think I might not have your email, feel free to drop me a line at [email protected] and say hey!
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” – Mark 16:15
