Well if you have stumbled across this page you have finally been given the correct link to my blog. Congratulations, you passed the loyalty test 
Jokes Jokes. I am so sorry to those of you who received the wrong link, that was totally my bad, but thanks for persisting through that trial and finally making it here.
So a little bit about what is next for me. I am going on a missions trip to 11 countries in 11 months, yes you read that right 11 in 11. I don’t know about you, but to me that seemed like it was an impossible feat, especially when those countries span across the globe. I have traveled Europe for two months and went to 10 countries but that is like going to 10 different states on the East coast where they are all close together and I only really scratched the surface of being there. I didn’t get to immerse myself in the culture and get to know each city and the people, I was just a tourist, bopping around from place to place. But to be in each country for a month and stay in one maybe two cities in each country for the entire month, that is pretty much full immersion and seemed like it could never happen.
When I first heard about the World Race the adventurous side of me was immediately in. Anyone who knows me would tell you I am always game for a new adventure. But after about 5 minutes of dreaming the practical side set in, doubts arose and I cast it off into my daydream pile thinking this is not something I could actually make happen. I mean what was I going to do with all my stuff, my car, and how would I be able to raise the support to go? The last time I fundraised I only had to raise a third of the amount and that was one of the hardest things I have ever done. So there was really no way (in my mind) I was going to make this happen. I was right, I could not make it happen, but the Lord could.
When I say that the World Race was coming at me from every direction, I am not joking. In the month of April, there was not one day when I didn’t hear, read, or have a conversation about it. After about the third week of it being thrown in front of me, I couldn’t help but bring it to the Lord. “Ok God what is it you want me to do with this information?” His response was “Are you willing to go?” So naturally I took that as the Lord telling me to apply so I could leave in January. I mean isn’t that what he said???? Nope, He was just asking if I was willing, he didn’t actually want me to apply yet. Willingness is something that the Lord has been asking of me since I met him. A willingness to dream big dreams, to move away from comfortability, to be vulnerable. So it should not have been such a surprise that he was asking me again to be willing to go. So why was it? What I have figured out over the last 6 months is that I have a deep longing and desire to stay; to be rooted in one place. And over the last year and a half that I have been in Buena Vista I think sub-consciously I have wanted it to be this place. Even though I want it so badly to be this place, the Lord says not now, so I have to obey.
After I came to terms with not leaving in January, all communication about the World Race stopped, which was perfect timing going into summer. I had ten and a half weeks of total silence concerning the World Race, so I figured it was off the table again. Man was I wrong. Three days after summer season ended, the World Race was coming up all the time. REALLY Lord, again? This time He made it easy to apply. The funniest thing about looking back at this whole situation is that a week after making peace about not leaving in January my boss told me she was pregnant and would be leaving for maternity leave starting in January. Obviously the Lord’s timing is ALWAYS perfect, but isn’t it cool when we get to look back and see where and how the Lord was at work; orchestrating every detail for us. Allowing us room to think and grow, all the while He is planning our best future. What a good, good Father.
So where does this leave me? Currently I am working on sending out my fundraising Letter (sorry to those of you that got the wrong link to my blog at first!). For the next several months I will be fundraising, fundraising, fundraising. My goal is to update this blog at least once a month with how things are going and what new opportunities arise to support what I am doing. My goal is to be fully funded before I leave in October, so if you want to partner with me in prayer that would be prayer request number 1. Number 2 would be for the Lord to continue to equip me with boldness and confidence so that I can walk obediently into the conversations and actions he has laid out for me. Lastly but certainly not the least, I want to boldly ask the Lord for his favor on the team of people I will go with. That He will start forming bonds between us now, and that we will work cohesively as a team from the very beginning.
