Hello friends and family!
I am so excited to finally let you all know my plans for next year. In September I will be joining Adventures in Missions and going on the World Race Gap Year! Adventures in Mission (AIM) is a short-term missions organization based in Gainesville, Georgia. AIM partners with long-term missions, missionaries, churches, and organizations around the world, sending in teams to serve them in the work they are already doing.
I will be traveling with a group of 40 other young adults, ages 18-20, on my squad. This group will then be divided into smaller groups of 5 or 6 which will be my team. When we travel, we will travel with our squad, but each team will separate to go to their own ministry sight for the month.
I will be traveling to Guatemala fist. “This is a county where Adventures has an established base. Guatemala is one of the most evangelical countries in the world. We will have the opportunity to work alongside local believers working to bring the World of Christ to a new generation. We might spend our days building relationships with youth who are at risk for falling into gang violence, but we could also teach English or kick a soccer ball around in the lush rain forest terrain with volcanoes dotting the skyline. Life in Guatemala is slow and focused around hospitality, and its a truly stunning place where God is raising up a generation to serve His Kingdom.” Then our squad will be traveling to Ethiopia! “Ethiopia is a nation unlike any other African country as it evokes a feeling more closely associated to the Middle East. The people here are deeply passionate about families and being together. All meals are eaten from collective plates and absolutely nothing can start without their signature coffee ceremony. There are many organizations working to serve the locals, but very few are sharing the Gospel alongside their work. Many World Racers spend their time helping our partners share their faith in Jesus with at-risk children while helping provide them an education. The elderly populations in Ethiopia is often neglected, so we may spend sometime working to care for senior citizens, teaching the youth to honor and respect them, and listening to their incredible stories.” Finally we will be traveling to Thailand. “Thailand is known for its stunning beaches, friendly people, and bustling outdoor food markets. We will have countless opportunities to share our faith with both locals and tourist. We may spend our long days loving on children with special needs or doing projects around our Adventures Thailand base. We will likely spend hours covering this country, our teammates, and the base in prayer.
When traveling to all these places it would be difficult to carry around luggage, so we are doing something a little different. I will be carrying my clothes, home (tent), sleeping bag, and anything else i might need on my back. Some months we may be pitching a tent, sleeping in a church basement, or in a ministry contact’s spare room. We will also have a food budget. This money will be used in different ways. We could be cooking our own food, buying food at local markets or eating with our ministry contacts.
The cost of this year of missions work is $16,600. This covers all expenses of the program. Including training, travel between countries, food, lodging, administrative costs, and insurance. These funds are fully support raised; I am praying for a number of generous donors that will partner with me in this ministry to send me around the world. If you would like to give financially, you can click the “Donate!” button at the top to make an online donation. Or click “Contact Me!” and send me an email if you would like to donate by check. If you are interested in more information about my World Race journey and how you can support me financially and through prayer click the “Contact Me!” button and send me an email! i would love to talk with you about it more.
I am so excited to see what God has in store for this trip! He has already done so much and i can’t wait to see what he has planned for the future!
Talk to you soon!
-SB
