Isaiah 6:8
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”
Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
Dear loved ones,
I have so much I would like to share with you all!
I am learning that God has created His people as sojourners; here on this earth as a temporary place of dwelling. I am finally understanding that I am a being of eternity and my work here is the work of the Kingdom of God. As I grow and experience, I discover that the true essence of life is born out of love. I have a fire in my heart to give of the love and truth that has been given to me.
I was blessed with an opportunity to do that over the past couple years as I spent much of my time at The Mission in Carmen Serdan, B.C., Mexico – a home for children and adults with disabilities. My heart will forever be with all of those beautiful people, for they have become my family. I learned so much about the weak state of humanity but also about my Savior’s love and His desire to work through those who are simply willing to be used. My time in Mexico made the fire in my heart grow. After heading back to Ohio in July, unsure of where my journey would take me next, I knew I just needed to be patient and wait on the Lord to show me my next step.
During this period of waiting, an idea, or perhaps a plan, kept pressing on my heart. During my first trip to The Mission, I heard from a friend about The World Race – an 11 month mission trip to 11 different countries. For two years, I thought over and over about the idea, but let fear get in the way of actually applying. But hope is stronger than fear and finally, just a couple of months ago I decided to apply. I’m happy to tell you that I’ve been accepted! By July 2015, I will be on my way to India, Nepal, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Botswana, Swaziland, South Africa, Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Jamaica. The World Race is a program funded through an organization called Adventures In Missions. Since 1989 they have sent over 100,000 missionaries out into the nations to serve. I will be traveling with a team and working with local ministries in each country. The work is all across the spectrum – from teaching english, to sharing hope with sex trafficked victims, to building projects, to taking care of children in orphanages, to running vacation bible schools, to sharing the good news with the hopeless, to feeding the hungry, and visiting the poor. This journey is to serve “the least of these” while abandoning many of my worldly possessions and traditional lifestyle to backpack around the world. It’s all about the Kingdom. I can hardly believe that I have an opportunity to be a part of something as wonderful as this.
This next season of my life will be devoted to the preparation for the journey that lies ahead. God is showing me that first and foremost I need to rely on Him in this time. He is my Savior, my hope, my comfort, my peace, my strength. I can’t do anything without Him. But I’m also learning that in order for me to continue on with this journey, I need to set aside my pride, humble myself, and ask for help. Most importantly I ask that you would be in prayer alongside of me. I am currently working two jobs, but still I can’t reach my financial deadlines alone. Not only do I need your prayer support, I also need your financial support. I need to raise $16,266.10 – which will cover 11 months of meals, lodging, air, land, and sea travel, administrative costs, set up costs, coaching costs, debriefing costs, and training camp costs. Honestly the cost does seem a little scary to me, but I rest in knowing that God will provide for what He has called me to do… even though it may seem impossible to me at the moment. I am beginning to understand that fundraising isn’t just for the person being sent out but it’s about connecting the entire body of Christ to be part of the ministry.
I genuinely appreciate all of you so much. Thank you for keeping me in your prayers and for supporting me and for being part of my journey. You are a blessing to me in more ways than you possible know. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Always love,
Mackenzie Staich
* Feel free to subscribe to this blog if you would like to receive an email each time I post an update about my journey.
** If you have any questions or would like to talk with me more about this trip, feel free to email me at [email protected] or give me a call at 419.989.8545. I would love to talk with you!
DONATIONS:
1. Online
– www.adventures.org – under the ‘donate’ tab, click ‘ World Race Participants ‘
or
– on the left side of my blog, click on ‘Support Me’
2. Mail – send check to:
Adventures in Missions
P.O. Box 742570
Atlanta, GA 30374-2570
(be sure to indicate the purpose of your gift on your check: The World Race (please include my name on the check))
