Hey-ooo. Most of you reading this probably don’t know me. My guess is you’re a character from Shawn’s story, or you randomly stumbled upon this blog post (or so you think).
My name is Vickie. I’m one of the squadmates Shawn will be traveling with on the World Race. As soon as Shawn joined the squad, I had a feeling we would become good friends. He’s basically my brother already (not sad about it).
To those who have supported Shawn financially:
You have made the right decision. Shawn has a calling on his life to go do this, and there is no doubt in my mind that he will be used in so many ways on the race. To both the people we minister to, and throughout our squad. We cannot leave the States without him. He has unique giftings that bring so much to our squad. I’m so thankful and exicited that you have partnered with him in your finances to help send Shawn (and therefore our squad) to spread the Gospel across the world.
To those who have supported Shawn by prayer and encouragement:
Thank you, thank you, thank you. We all have our ‘squad’ back home. Our communities, our families and friends. And we can’t do this without you. FUNDRAISING IS HARD. There have been so many days we all struggle with it. But that is where you all come in. Asking how things are going and encouraging when things are looking impossible or hard. Because we serve a God who does big things and works in wild ways. Thank you for partnering with Shawn and praying for him. For speaking truth into lies. For encouraging him and building him up.
Shawn has such a great heart for helping people. He’s compassionate and kind. He sees the big picture more often than focusing on all the little ways things have to work out. He’s prayerful. He loves Jesus a lot. He wants to go spread the message of Jesus to these other places.
Will you be so brave as to donate to this journey? To give up a coffee or two this week from Starbucks, and donate that $5-10 to help make eternal impact through Shawn in 11 countries? Are you willing to help send Shawn on this journey?
Funny to think that as I’m writing this, Shawn and I are still strangers. We haven’t actually met, and won’t for another three weeks, when we travel to Georgia to go through Training Camp. But we’ve talked so much, and I can’t leave without him. He’s become a character in my story already. I can only dream what the 11 months on the Race will bring, but I am so excited to see it and have Shawn and the rest of the squad to share it with.
And isn’t it an interesting thing to think for a moment…about friends. At one point, every single one of your friends was a stranger. Yet over time, they became friends. They got to know you, and you became known by them. Hopefully fully and deeply known. I hope you have friends like that. Friends who always make you not only know you’re loved and cared for, but make you believe it as well.
If you’re a stranger to Shawn and you’re reading this, I hope you’ll consider partnering with him. Either by prayer or financially, so that he can make a difference in the name of Jesus to those in these countries we’ve never been to. God will use him in big ways on this journey ahead, and I hope you’ll be part of it.
Stay Wild,
–Vickie
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.–Hebrews 10:24-25
*notice this scripture doesn’t say “stir up only your friends.”
My challenge to you all is to stir someone up today. Encourage them and love them well. Pray for them and with them. Tell them they’re known. Tell them they’re cared for. Tell them they’re more loved than they’ll ever know.
