I remember first hearing about the World Race and daydreaming about it. I watched videos, looked through pictures, read stories, and was in such awe of the whole thing. I thought to myself, “what an incredible and life changing experience that must be”. And to now think that I’m taking my first steps towards pursuing my once “daydream” is both overwhelming and exciting – but mostly exciting!
A lot of people have been asking me about the World Race: what it is, what I’ll be doing, where I’ll be going, who I’m going with, how long I’ll be gone, the list goes on. I figured that I would put together a bit of an introduction to the World Race for those of you who have questions and want to know a bit of my story and why I’ve chosen to do this.
After going on a twelve day mission trip to China back in March, I had what I guess you’d call “a wake up call”. Before my trip, I completely rejected the idea of a gap year and focused my time entirely on academics and getting into college quickly. During my trip, I experienced God in a way that I never had before. Working with kids in orphanages, talking to locals and hearing their stories, building deep relationships with teammates, and seeing God’s kingdom work in a place so foreign to me – these things changed me. The trip in its entirety significantly impacted the way I wanted to pursue my future, and after three days of being home from China, my mind was set; I wanted to get back out on the mission field. (Thank you Steve!)
Over the course of nine months, I will be traveling to four different countries with 55 other people: Costa Rica, South Africa, Thailand, and Myanmar! In each of these countries, ministry will look different almost every day. We will be working in orphanages, teaching English, ministering to women and children trapped in human trafficking, building and planting churches, manual labor, building relationships with locals, and more. We will be living with host families, in villages, with the locals, or wherever we may find ourselves. Our team launches next September and will be back in the States in June 2019. I am beyond excited for this next stage in my life!
If you’d like to follow my journey, this blog will be the best source. I’ll have limited communication throughout the trip, but will be able to occasionally contact back home.
If you’d like to support my trip, there are a few things you can do:
1. PRAYER – Although this journey is exciting, it’s also terrifying. Prayer for wisdom, guidance, and safety for both me and my teammates would mean the world!
2. DONATIONS – This is by far the scariest thing for me with getting ready for the trip. $15,800 is a big number! My goal is to be fully funded by August 2018. Any sort of contribution in this area would be a huge support and would mean so much.
WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT – The preparation process can feel lonely, scary, exciting, and daunting at times. Emotional support would be appreciated before, during, and after my trip!
I seriously can’t even find the words to describe how excited I am about the World Race and for what God has in store for me and my team. These next several months are going to be crazy, but I’m so grateful for the opportunity to share my journey.
Adventures In Missions is a tax-exempt organization under IRS code 501(c)(3) and is a member of the ECFA. (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability). Due to IRS and ECFA regulations governing the administration of tax deductible donations given in support of a particular trip/program, support contributions given on behalf of an individual will be used to offset the costs of the trip/program you are involved in. All contributions are non-refundable regardless of the participant’s success in completing the program.
