some of you have/will probably receive this letter in the mail soon. for those of you who didn’t i decided to copy and paste the letter on here in case you are interested in an update:
I am writing to update you on how everything has been going since my last letter. I have been so blessed to be able to see God work through others in these past few weeks. I have already raised about $5,550 at the time of this writing (which is AMAZING and WONDERFUL and such a BLESSING!!).
I teamed up with another “world racer” (as we are now called since we will be attending the World Race… I’m sure you get it) and he allowed me to join in on his fundraiser last Friday evening. It was really nice to have my mom and dad there as well as support from others whom I love.
I am writing because I still need more support, well $8,800 to be exact. I have to admit that I do not enjoy fundraising and trying to sell myself. However, I am learning and growing as an individual through this process. I have learned that my expectations are usually not correct and that having faith is a very difficult but rewarding process.
I want to team with you to increase the Kingdom. I want this to be about Jesus rather than about me. I want you to give if you feel compelled in your heart to give. I want to encourage you to grow in your faith and listen to what the Lord has to say to you. I understand that for some of you this may not mean that you are called to give financially. However, if you feel a call to give financially I pray that you will be obedient. If you feel called to support me in prayer, I pray that you will also be obedient. I have been challenged to live up to my word and pray for each and every individual I am sending this letter to. I want you to know that you, individually, are in my prayers and I pray that you are able to grow through my journey…hopefully through following my blog: www.addieweaver.theworldrace.org and if you are led, to partner with me financially to help support me in this process.
I do not want to “track anyone down” and I do not think it is my job to. I just want to encourage you to be obedient to the Lord’s call if you are led. I understand that some of you may have reservations about this trip or the organization that is sponsoring the trip, you can learn more about Adventures In Missions online- www.adventures.org. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Have a blessed day!
that was the letter i sent out and have received some feedback since posting it. so i will address the feedback:
first – “You might want to help people connect with your work while you’re in the field. Can you tell
us anything about what the teams will be engaged in? If people know they are building an orphanage, a school, or a project like that they may feel more inclined to contribute.”
this is a good point and i agree. however, i do not really know what we will be doing. i have asked a couple advisors who work for Adventures In Missions, and who have been previous world racers, what type of work i would be engaging in while on the trip. the answer i received was to imagine what i might be doing on a one month missions trip and multipy that by 11. he told me each squad has a team leader (there will be about 7 squads on the entire october world race team – about 7 members each) and we have contacts at each country we will be going to. we help out in whatever way we can and try to address the needs. so, if there are building projects, we will build. if there are child care needs, we will play. if there is evangelism or pastoring needs, i hope we receive training (we will). i was told that this is a journey to help us find our spiritual gifts and be able to utilize them for the Kingdom. i have a feeling i will know more about this after i attend the training camp from july 24-august 2 and i will definitely keep you updated.
second – i was told that i must have a very big heart for wanting to “visit people in places no one wants to go.” i am starting to realize and appreciate the importance of evangelism and i am starting to take Matthew 28:19-20 to heart: “therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” i appreciate and am thankful for local ministries and know that i have been personally touched by my local churches and other local ministries. however, i feel called to travel at this time in my life. i feel like i have counseling skills and an empathetic heart and i want to be able to reach others and share the love of Christ. if this means that i will have to be uncomfortable physically due to the environment then so be it. if this means that i will have to sleep in a tent in the desert, ok. if this means that i have to get a ton of shot and take a lot of pills, and always wear sandles, and be hot and sticky, and have curly hair for 11 months, no problem. to live is Christ (Philippians 1:21). i am trying to offer myself as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1) and i am excited to see what the Lord has in store, not for only for me but also for the Kingdom. i can put up with discomfort if it means that others can be eternally saved.
please feel free to provide any feedback to any of my posts and i will try to address them individually or via the blog.
thanks!
