With about 3 weeks left in America before I leave on The World Race some of you might be wondering, what are you doing to prepare for this life changing move? How are you feeling with such little time left before leaving? Well, honestly, it’s been a crazy couple of weeks. Besides working Monday-Friday i’ve been trying to sell all of my apartment furniture and knick knacks, finish up my last 2 classes of my Bachelors, hang out with as many of my friends as possible, play as much volleyball as I can, while also trying to relax a bit.
On top of all of this I have been taking some time to prepare my mind, heart, and soul for this journey. Sometimes when preparing for these types of trips I can get so focused on fundraising and packing the right stuff that I can forget to prepare for the new people I will meet and cultures I will take part in during this mission trip. Preparing my mind and heart for the locals I will meet, the tasks God will give me, and the battles I will face will help me to walk into these new communities with the right frame of mind.
Right now i’m not gonna lie, i’m a tad bit stressed. Mostly because I feel that time is fleeting on me. There is so much I want to do and so many people I want to spend my time with before leaving. One of the hardest parts, but also the most humbling parts, of this journey has been fundraising. It’s incredible to me the support and love I have received. It can be hard raising this huge amount of money, or even dealing with money in general. But ultimately I know it is not my money. I know that God has and will provide. It has also been hard for me to prepare for all the goodbyes I have to say soon. But I know that these goodbyes are not forever.
I have learned a lot about overcoming my own personal fears these past weeks and months. Fear of the unknown, and even the known, can hold so many people back from following the Lord and His plan over our lives. The bottom line that I want to share with you all is that we must be obedient to do what He has told us to, fear or no fear. We have to trust that He will comfort us, that He will provide for us, and that He will take away the fears that we have, if we are obedient to Him. This is the life I strive to live over the next year.
Above everything though, I am incredibly excited to start this journey. As hard as the goodbyes will be and as time and money consuming everything has been, I know it will all be worth it. I know that there is a bigger purpose for this trip. I know that God is going to move mountains and perform miracles and I can’t wait to share it all with you. On this trip I want to be someone who choses flexibility over obstinacy, gratefulness over complaining, encouragement over gossip, kindness over sarcasm, and grace over entitlement. But I cannot do this alone. I want each and every one of you to hold me accountable. I want you all to walk in this journey with me. Because this is not just about me going out into the world and helping people. This trip is about God doing incredible things and His glory, power, love, and presence being known throughout the nations. And you can be a part of that mission too!
How YOU can help:
I still need to raise about another $2,500 by July 18th! If you feel led to help out financially and give, there are a few ways…
- Click the ORANGE donate button towards the top right of the screen. You can do a one time or monthly online donation through that button. It also instructs you how to write out a check if you’d rather do it that way. All donations made online and via check are tax deductible
- I still have my adopt-a-box fundraiser going. Head over to my social media pages to find that and claim your square
- I am partnering with Keys For The Journey for the month of July. Check out their products at https://www.keysforthejourney.com/ and select my name at checkout. A portion of your sales will go to my fundraising efforts
- You can Venmo or Cash App me @AverieArmbrust (any amount helps)
We’re getting down to the wire now! I am officially leaving on August 1st for launch in Atlanta. Then we leave for South Africa a few days after that. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this! I truly appreciate all the love, support, and encouragement I have received along this journey so far. Love you all & God bless!!!
