B I G N E W S!!! Today I’m committing to give a year on mission to serve the broken, rejected, and hopeless across the world! 4 months ago I had everything I could have ever wanted and was more excited than I have been in my whole life. When all of that was taken away, everything turned dark and I lost my hope. I believed that I deserved the dream but not the hurting. Though I can’t find my purpose if I don’t know what my worth is. The past 4 months I have been on a search for my worth and have found that it’s 100% all in God! And there is no greater purpose when this discovery is made.
So in August 2019 I will begin the World Race which is an 11-month mission trip that will take me to South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. For more information on the awesome work that will be done through that please visit the link below. The funds needed to make this mission trip happen scare the heck out of me but I’ve been encouraged by God and the insane works he does through his people so I would love to invite you to join me in this fundraising goal! I guarantee that each dollar raised isn’t for my personal gain but solely to spread God’s love to the world. This is a story that I have no desire to live out on my own so it would mean the world to me to have you walk with me through this.
Lastly, and I touched on it a little, but I want to explain the “why” of this decision because it may not look like the most logical thing to do especially considering that I was originally in place to do exactly what I wanted to do in the exact place I wanted to do it and at the exact time I wanted it. If you asked me I would honestly say that I would rather my original plan work out than this decision to go on mission but that’s the most beautiful thing about this! The song “Spirit Lead Me” speaks to this way better than my own words would so here’s the “why”:
If You say “it’s wrong”, then I’ll say “no”
If You say “release”, I’m letting go
If You’re in it with me, I’ll begin
And when You say to jump, I’m diving in
If You say “be still”, then I will wait
If You say to trust, I will obey
I DON’T WANNA FOLLOW MY OWN WAYS
I’M DONE CHASING FEELINGS
Spirit lead me
……
When all hope is gone
And Your word is all I’ve got
I have to believe
You still bring water from the rock
To satisfy my thirst
To love me at my worst
And even when I don’t remember
YOU REMIND ME OF MY WORTH
I don’t trust my ways
I’m trading in my faults
I lay down everything
‘Cause You’re all that I want
I’ve landed on my knees
This is the cup You have for me
And EVEN WHEN IT DON’T MAKE SENSE
I’m gonna let Your Spirit lead!!
South Africa
Your World Race journey will start in the large and diverse nation of South Africa. This nation is incredibly multicultural and it still healing from it’s dark and painful history of racism and segregation. This country has 11 official languages, coastlines on two oceans and world famous mountain views. Racers in South Africa focus a lot of their time on evangelism through the school systems. You might find yourself discipling middle and high school students through sports ministry, teaching life skills or assisting with academic classes.
Zimbabwe
Next you will continue north to Zimbabwe, home to the Zambezi river that feeds into the world-famous Victoria Falls. This nation is still in transition after being colonized and suffers from large unemployment rates. World Racers in Zimbabwe focus on coming along the local church and partnering with them to impact the Kingdom through their communities. Racers join in with everything the churches do, helping with their services, meetings, outreach and offering uplift and encouragement. Community and relationships are central to life in Zimbabwe, your month here will be all about discipleship through sharing life together.
Zambia
Next, you will head across the Zambezi to Zimbabwe’s neighbor, Zambia. Our partners in Zambia are focused on church planting and evangelism. Most Racers will settle into a specific town or village and work with our ministry hosts to share the Gospel and plant Christ-centered communities in a focused area. There will be lots of opportunity to work with children, leading camps and events. Our partners have expressed a growing need for ministry for women. The women in Zambia deeply want to share their voices in a new way, and you could be a part of empowering them to share their stories.
Malawi
Your final month in Africa will wrap-up in Malawi, known as the warm heart of Africa. Compared to other surrounding nations, Malawi is very rural and considered one of the poorest countries in the world. This month you will you put to work all the experience in church planting you have gained from your time in Southern Africa. The people of Malawi are known worldwide for their hospitality, you will be forced to slow down as their culture highly values people over tasks, timelines and to-do lists. Our partners in Malawi want Racers to help set the foundation for new believer to live their lives for Christ. They are really passionate about follow-up and discipling people after they have been introduced to the Gospel. So you can be confident the relationships you build this month will have great potential to make a lasting impact.
Vietnam
Next, your journey will take you to Southeast Asia, stopping first in Vietnam. This incredibly friendly nation loves to welcome visitors from around the world. You’ll find it very easy to start up conversations, as people love to ask you why you’re there. You will also meet lots of travelers and expats and have the opportunity to share your faith and why you’re traveling with them. Our partners here offer a wide variety of ministry opportunities. From serving the elderly community, to teaching English to working with orphaned children or serving in mission minded restaurants, this month will be filled with community, deep conversations and large bowls of pho.
Cambodia
Next you’ll head to Thailand’s modest neighbor, Cambodia. Here you will find delicious food, open air markets and bustling streets. Cambodia is struggling to heal from a dark and crippling genocide in the 1970s and is currently faced with crippling poverty and human trafficking. Much of the ministry this month will focus on investing in youth. You’ll likely spend your month reaching children through teaching English and the Bible. English is critical for the younger generations to find sustainable jobs and education to move forward.
Laos
Your time in Southeast Asia will take you next to the Laos, one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the area – nicknamed the crossroads of asia. Compared to the great development from its neighbors, Laos has remained relatively traditional. Laos is a closed country so it’s mostly uncreached by or unaccepting of the Gospel. In your time there you will come alongside the locals that are working to change that. You will assist local church planters both in sharing your faith and passing out the word of God, but also actually helping to construct buildings for believers to meet in. This month will be stretching and rewarding.
Thailand
Your time in Southeast Asia will wrap up in Thailand, known for its stunning beaches, friendly people and bustling outdoor food markets. You will feel welcomed here, but you’ll quickly take note of darkness that plagues this region: human trafficking. In Thailand, you might find yourself under neon flashing lights and sharing a Coke with women in between their dances in night clubs. You might find yourself having difficult conversations with the tourists partaking in the industry and spending hours covering your teammates and the streets in prayer.
Peru
You will kick off the final leg of your journey in Peru, a nation in the clouds. The Peruvian people are very proud and have a strong indigenous background. The closer you get to the mountains, the more people you’ll find wearing traditional dress and speaking in different local dialects. The main ministry Racers focus on in Peru is planting Christ-centered communities in the jungle. Racers doing this ministry live with the local people and share a daily routine with them. You could be leading locals in Bible studies, sharing your faith with families or simply helping prepare dinner. We also partner with an orphanage for children with special needs and a college ministry in Lima. This month will be heavily focused on relationships and community.
Bolivia
Next you will continue on to Bolivia. This nation is dense with jungle and mountains including parts of the Amazon rainforest and the Andes mountains. Everywhere you look there is incredible natural beauty. In Bolivia, we work with a lot of pastors passionate about evangelism and many of our partners focus on ministering to remote, unreached villages. You could likely find yourself hiking and camping for days at a time to share the Gospel with a community that has never heard it before. Bolivia is the poorest nation in South America and as the people are very ethnic, they experience a great deal of discrimination from other nations. Recently evangelism almost became illegal and this really left the local Christians frightened. You can be part of bringing encouragement and hope to this fragile nation.
Argentina
Your final month on the World Race will wrap up in Argentina, a country rich with culture and nationalism. Argentinians believe they have the best of everything – the best wine and food, and they’re very proud to be home to the Tango and sections of Patagonia and the Andes Mountains. You will surely pass through Buenos Aires, a bustling city that will remind you of New York City. Our biggest partner in Argentina is Youth for a Mission (YWAM). They have a ropes course and focus on youth and women’s ministry. They also love to take teams out to preach in the street – something we hope you have great confidence in my the end of the Race. Argentians are very social and love to spend hours talking and catching up over cups of mate. Argentina has the capacity to be a missionary-sending nation, our vision there is to empower them toward this goal!
