Since announcing my commitment to participate in The World Race next year, I’ve received an enormous amount of positive feedback and encouragement. It’s amazing to know I have such a supportive group of friends and family backing me on this journey.
In my last blog post I shared about the changes in my life that led me to make the decision to go. There’s been a lot of interest regarding the details of this program. I’d like to address the top 5 questions I’ve been asked to bring everyone up to speed.
What is The World Race? Despite the name, it’s not actually a “race”. The World Race is a short-term mission program sending 21-35 year-olds to 11 countries in 11 months operating under the organization Adventures in Missions (AIM). There’s also a program called World Race: Gap Year for 18-20 year-olds traveling to three continents in nine months. Racers leave behind the lives they’ve built up at home (possessions, career, loved ones) to be fully present serving people in disadvantaged areas of the world. Each squad is comprised of 40-55 racers which are broken down into smaller working teams of 5-7 before launch.
When are you leaving? The launch date is early January 2019. In October of this year, I’ll be at AIM headquarters in Georgia for training camp. This is where I’ll meet my squad in person and train with other squads that are leaving in January.
Where are you going? The 11 countries are Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, India, Nepal, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Romania, Ukraine.
What will you be doing? Part of this whole experience is learning to go with the flow by meeting needs that are present in the moment. More information for structured activities will be provided as we go. Examples of various activities include teaching English to students, helping with church programs, visiting people in hospitals or refugee camps, and assisting with community projects.
How much money do you need to go? The financial requirement for participating in the World Race is $18,200. This will cover the cost of travel, food, and lodging for the 11 months as well as training camp. A follow-up question to this has been “How can I help?” I’ll be holding several fundraisers to help raise money. Anyone interested is welcome to donate directly to my fund through the blog by clicking “donate“. This donation will be automatically added to my fund. If sending a check to Adventures in Missions, please make sure to write my name “Ashley E Smith” in the notes section. Including the middle initial is important because there is another racer with the same first and last name. I am also available to receive donations via Apple Pay, Venmo (@Ashley-Smith-886), cash or personal check. Thank you in advance for your financial support. It’s a lot of money, but I know God can provide.
Another question I’ve been asked is, “How did you hear about The World Race?” In my next blog post, I’ll tell you about how it all started at a Super Bowl party. Don’t forget to sign up to receive blog updates. If you have any other questions about my journey or The World Race feel free to comment below.
