Dear Loved Ones,
I am writing with exciting news! But before I get to it, I want to thank you once again for supporting me in 2016 as I ventured out on my 11 month mission trip. I cannot even begin to put into words the impact you made through your contribution. The Lord has been teaching me a lot about the ripple effect. The donation you made allowed me to encounter countless people interacting and influencing each one of them as God set up those divine appointments
Have you ever had a one-time conversation or brief interaction with someone that changed the way you thought and permanently influenced your life in a significant way? I know I have. Sometimes we do not realize the weight of our words or completely understand the impact of our actions. But God does. Throughout our 11 months overseas the Lord spoke and worked through my squad to speak life to the spiritually dead and bring the hope of Jesus Christ to those hopelessly lost in their sins. Your support helped make that possible. You have a part in all the results.
So again, thank you! I honestly cannot say it enough. Not only were the lives of all we encountered affected, but my life is forever changed. What I want out of this life has completely shifted. What once seemed so important – possessions, prestige, careers – has lost its luster. I have now learned to love people like I never thought possible and you had a direct hand in that.
Since I have returned home I have been earnestly seeking the Lord for what He has next for me. During the waiting time He has proved so faithful, as He always does. Here are a few of the things God allowed me to do while I waited upon Him.
I was homeless in North Carolina. I shared the experience with a few alumni racers of living at a homeless shelter in North Carolina. My heart was to gain a better understanding of how the homeless live and some of their struggles. One thing that struck me as I listened to the stories of those I encountered was that many of us may be only one decision away from being homeless. I met many people that did not want to be on the street. But life fell apart for them, sometimes through no fault of their own, and they could not seem to put it back together. While I was not able to help every person with their physical needs, I was able to share the hope of Jesus with many of them. I realized most of them knew about “Jesus”. Unfortunately, many based their view of Jesus on someone else’s perception or an unfortunate experience with someone who was a poor representative of Him. It was a beautiful thing to be there with them. We had no agenda. We simply wanted to be an example of the love of Christ; the pure and hopeful love; the love that meets the woman at the well and sees her exactly where she is and loves her regardless.
I walked the streets in Texas. I was blessed to spend three weeks in Dallas /Fort Worth Texas working with Time to Revive. They are a ministry that simply goes out on the streets and loves on people. Our mission was to lift people up in prayer and encourage them while sharing the Gospel with those open to hearing it. Over the six weeks this ministry was in DFW about 3,000 people came to know Jesus and over 1,500 of them wanted discipleship and someone to walk closely with them in their new faith!
I poured into children. I was involved in Vacation Backyard Bible School in a rough area of my town. I was privileged to give God’s love to some of the most beautiful children I have ever met. Many of them did not have the nicest clothes; refrigerators full of healthy and delicious food; or the best home life. They were the ones who, if unreached, have little hope for a bright future. We had the opportunity to feed them; teach them Bible verses; dance with them, and share Bible stories. I even invited a few over for a pool party! My team will continue to pour into this local community and meet their needs as best they can. We have the opportunity to impact many lives of the next generation here in Elkhart.
The need is great here in America and I am more aware of that than ever before. In the past year something has shifted in me. My heart is for the “least of these”.
Before going on the race, I probably would not have gotten involved with these types of outreach ministries. My time was too valuable and I had too many things I needed to get done. Since my return, however, the Lord has ignited a passion within me to serve people, specifically the lost, the rejected, and the unloved. My time on the field helped me to learn what it means to walk and operate in freedom from the chains of my past. I have gone through quite a bit of inner healing of past hurts. I have learned how to communicate in a healthy and uplifting way. My year on the World Race did not just affect every single person I encountered. It also deeply changed and transformed me in every facet. My heart’s deepest desire is to now share that transforming love God used to set me free so that others might be free as well.
So now it is time for the exciting news. I believe the Lord has called me to share the goodness and love with which He has entrusted me. I have been given the opportunity to go back out onto the foreign mission field as an Alumni Squad Leader for Adventures in Missions. I will spend five out of next eleven months with two Alumni co-leaders mentoring, guiding, and discipling a new group of approximately 40 racers as they seek to bring the love of Jesus Christ to a lost world.
This is not a decision that I made on the spur of the moment. I started thinking about squad leading when I was still on my race and have prayed about it for over a year. I believe God has called me to this. I am honored and humbled to be used by God to walk alongside my generation in raising up young people from all over America to take action; to be intentional in everything they do; to be a voice for those who can’t speak; to operate in freedom and vulnerability; and most importantly to look and act more like Jesus for the rest of their life.
Part of my responsibility before I leave is to raise funds for the cost of this journey. Thankfully, my expenses are much less than my initial mission trip. I am responsible to raise $6,500 to cover the cost of five months on the field and returning to the field for a week on two different occasions for squad mentoring. So I am asking you once again if you would consider financially supporting this call from God. Your tax deductable gift of any amount is an investment in what the Lord is doing through this ministry and every ministry we partner with. You will have a part and share in the blessing of the things the Lord is doing on this earth through this ministry. Now that is exciting and incredible!
If you would like to support me on this journey, just click the “donate” button on the the top right corner of the screen. Any amount is so appreciated.
I know God will provide. He always does.
Thank you for all of your prayers, words of encouragement, and support.
All My Love,
Julie Reusser
