I have long dreamed of traveling the world, in whatever way it presented itself. international missions has been on my heart since I spent 2 weeks loving on orphans in Ethiopia and hanging out with people who live in a literal dump in Uganda, both of whom still have so much love and joy for the world and the people around them, regardless of the lack of “things” they have. so I guess this is where the story begins.
8 years ago I stumbled upon adventures in mission, and was immediately captivated by the thought of traveling around the world for a year, ministering to all kinds of people, in all walks of life. I vividly remember walking a 5K with my mom, telling her all about the race, and beginning to dream up the different fundraisers I would put together to raise the required funds. I talked non-stop about the race, the different place I would get to experience, the beautiful hearts I would encounter, to say the least, I was pumped up.
and then, all of the chatter and thoughts slowly disappeared. I stopped obsessing (read: I was literally obsessed, would read blogs daily, and did an unbelievable amount of research on the race, it was borderline insane) about the race, I went off to college at Florida State, and found a new niche. the Lord called me to be a Young Life leader, and my how sweet that journey has been.
i think throughout the college and leading sweet middle school girls the Lord has been sending me hints, or rather placing things right in front of my face that have been flashing signs that the race is for me, that I never even noticed, until now.
but most of all the way the Lord has softened my heart for this journey has been incredible. recently I have been talking to a lot of different people about the sovereignty of the perfect plan that the Creator of the Universe has for them, but in all honestly I think that has been preparing me for this leap of faith that He was going to tell me to take. in late December, I found out I wasn’t going to be able to apply to graduate school at my top university, a move that I so greatly dreaded for years, had a change of heart and then began planning for months. two days later, i received the call of a lifetime where i was asked to think about accepting a spot to go on the world race, a dream that i have had for 8 years. on Christmas, my mom gifted me a hiking pack, one that she thought would be used for a graduation hiking trip on the appalachian trail, that i will now carry on my back, around the world, for the next year. the way the Lord has already provided for me already has been astounding.
in short, on December 23 I accepted a spot on the august route 2 of the world race, where I will have the sweet opportunity to visit 11 countries and spend a year of my life abandoning a life of comfort, and joining a team of sweet people (whom I have yet to meet) on an adventure full of beauty and brokenness, to love and be loved, to have my faith stretched and to embrace the Lord’s calling for me, learning how to become fully dependent on my heavenly Father and the immeasurably more that He has in store for me. an adventure that includes India, Nepal, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia.
I beg you to join me on this journey, one that will be full of laughter and tears, heartache and life change. it will be extraordinary as we abandon western civilization and the American dream to find ourselves and live beyond the borders as we live out of a backpack in the poorest parts of the world.
consider the different ways you can be a part of my journey: first and foremost, begin to pray for my squad and as the Lord works to prepare our hearts and minds for the mission field. please, continue to prayerfully support us as we venture into the unknown where our faith and trust will be tested. pray for life change, for softened hearts and for open minds. pray for safety and for the Lord to show up in the lives of the people that we meet and the countries that we visit.
second, subscribe to my blog! I will be posting regularly, to keep you updated and to document my the next year and a half, which will go through the completion of the race. blogging has always been a dream of mine, but having a blog has always been such a far out thing for me (read: technology is not my strong suit, therefore this is a step out for me).
third, a trip like this is not going to be cheap. in order to leave fully funded in august 2017, I have to raise over $17,000 to cover all of my expenses for the 11 months. your support for this trip is most sincerely appreciated, in whatever way you feel called.
I am pumped for this journey, and I hope this blog can give you a glimpse into my life around the world, and the special moments that your prayers and financial support will help make possible.
so much love,
carly
