Greetings friends and family,
It has been far too long since I last updated you on the personal journey I have been on and the journey I will soon be taking. The past year has been full of transition & development, and a year of personal & spiritual growth. This year has been full of changes and as my relationship with God continues to evolve. He continues to speak, and I have been doing my best to listen. Recently I have turned my focus back to World Race. It’s been more than a year since I first felt called by God to apply for World Race and though things haven’t gone quite as planned, and there have been many changes along the way; I’m incredibly excited to be pursuing this dream again!
So what has changed?
Well to start my travel plans. I am now committed to a new route with a new squad, January – Route 4! Along with this change, I have a new training date, a new departure date, and new fundraising deadlines. I am so enormously grateful for the spiritual and financial support that I have received so far. The prayers, donations, and words of encouragement have been incredibly reassuring. My next fundraising goal is $5,000 due Sept, 23 prior to training camp in October. My second goal of $10,000 will be due December, 16 prior to our squads launch in January. $13,000 will be due February, 28 and the final goal of $16,617 will be due April, 30.
Far outweighing the changes in my schedule are the changes I’ve noticed within myself. Prior to applying for the World Race I was working in manufacturing. After being accepted as a racer I took a part time position at the Salvation Army as a Food Panty Assistant. Before I knew it, what was supposed to be a job to pass some time before leaving for my adventure quickly became a passion. My job was no longer focused on deadlines and profit but focused on people. I was no longer being asked to manage people & projects; I was being asked to show love & compassion, empathy & respect. After a few months I transitioned into my current role as the Assistant Program Manager of a pilot program called the Community Food Club. It has been an incredible experience getting to see firsthand how the program has grown and how the community and culture has developed within it. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time in this role and know that God is preparing me for something spectacular! I can’t wait to see how he will use me or how I will be able to apply the skills that I have learned.
It’s been exciting to see these changes in myself and I’ve also noticed a change in my relationship with God! For me, applying for World Race was an act of submission. After crashing and burning time after time in my adult life, it was obvious my way wasn’t working. My application was very much my, “You lead and I will follow-Jesus take the wheel” moment. Over the past year I’ve been learning to listen, been learning to pray and learning to trust. As our relationship continues to become stronger, my journey moving forward with God, not only with World Race but with life in general, is feeling less and less like a leap of faith. It’s starting to feel like a great adventure with a great friend. Though I don’t know what the future holds, I’m incredibly excited for what God has in store!
