The last time that I sent a true life update was a few months ago when I’d just arrived in Nicaragua. Latin America was fresh, rice and beans were still a novelty (though in all honesty, I’m convinced I’ll never truly grow weary of them), and speaking broken Spanish was exhilarating in the most romanticized way. And though I’m five months deep into my Latin American travels, I’m still obsessed with this culture. I still crave rice and beans daily. And speaking Spanish still gives me butterflies.
A couple of things, however, have changed. And for that reason, I’m writing you. No matter how serious you’ve been about keeping tabs on my trip, it must seem about time that I head home. I’ve been emailing you and dropping things on social media about the Race for well over a year now. And you’re right: I’m in a plane heading home as we speak. Before either of us know it, I’ll be stepping foot in some San Diego soil for the first time in 11 months. Hallelujah, praise the Lamb! Seriously. It’s been a long, beautiful, trying, praise-worthy-yet-equally-tear-worthy trip, and home sounds like a deep breath after sprinting the mile 11 times over again.
Nonetheless, no matter how thrilled I am to come home (*drumroll please*),
I’m leaving again.
Maybe that was a bit anticlimactic if my friends and family have already spilled the beans to you. Maybe you’ve already lifted a prayer for me. Maybe, if you’re the eternally supportive cheerleader type (um, Becky Johnson), you’ve already dropped $10 in my fundraising account. But now it’s come time that I start mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically (and financially) preparing to leave again in a little over a month from today.
This time around, my role is Alumnae Squad Leader, meaning that a) I’ve done the same trip before, and b) I’m in charge of leading 21 participants as they step foot on the field, some for the first time in their lives. However, rather than sticking out 11 more months, my co-leader, Madison, and I will only be with the group for the first five months. By the end of February, Madison and I will have been to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Lesotho, and South Africa, raised up new Squad Leaders, headed home, and, for the first time in seventeen months, unpacked our bags for a long, deep breath. Maybe we’ll draft another life update email. Maybe we’ll just take a nap.
If you haven’t guessed it already, you are, yet again, a really important part of this new journey. I have $8,560 to fundraise, which includes two separate opportunities to visit my squad on the field after those first five months, once in June and once in August. Eight thousand dollars is a fairly intimidating number, especially after being income-less for about a year now. But I’ve got so much confidence in the Lord’s provision, especially after eye-witnessing Him do some absolutely insane things for my squad mates and me.
The trip itself is $8,000. But, part II of this update email is that two weeks ago, I flew into Atlanta, Georgia from Ecuador for our squad’s training camp! Training camp is an incredibly important moment of meeting the group, creating culture, establishing standards, and deep diving for unity among what will turn into family. It would be a tough thing to come out of training camp without having experienced exponential growth in the Lord. So, I’m asking that you also help me pay for my flight to and from Atlanta where I was able to support my new squad at training camp, while also flying back to South America to finish my own Race.
I believe wholeheartedly in the World Race and its endless potential to wreck any and every life that it touches for a deep hunger to bring the Kingdom. As I’ve shared stories and revelations with y’all, my hope has always been that you’d develop deep faith in what the Race is doing in thousands upon thousands of people’s lives yearly. I’m dying to get out there again to walk with a new group as they get their lives radically swept up in the doings of the Lord.
My ask is that you would be my sender. My goal is to have $800 of monthly support, which I am currently $400 short of. My dream is to have a handful of college students/young adults support me with $10-$30 monthly and another handful of couples/families support me with $50-$150 monthly. Whether you’re able to support me simply in prayer, with a one-time donation, or any combination of things aforementioned, know that your role as a sender is just as valid, courageous, and significant in the Kingdom as my role as the sent.
If you have questions, of course comment/text/call/DM/send a messenger pigeon. I’m super grateful for whatever you’re able to bless me with — you can do so here. All donations made through Adventures in Missions are tax deductible 🙂
If you’d like to help me pay for my $560 flight to and from training camp, you can do so through Venmo (@adriajohnson) or PayPal ([email protected]).
With tons of love,
A
