Friends! Here’s an exciting update that a hand full of ya’ll have already received via email…
Today I am writing with a fresh disposition and five months of great fundraising experience! Our Lord has taught me loads about His heart recently, mostly showing me how to love His kids more.
A quick reminder:
Starting in October, I will travel to 11 countries over 11 months with the World Race to do Christian ministry and tons of service. We will partner with existing ministries in each country and spend the majority of time working with them. Yet some days, we will just hit the streets and find ways to bless people.
A few weeks ago, something crazy amazing happened. My good friend, Heidi, and I sat at the kitchen table feeling a bit stagnant, and we begged the Lord to give us a divine opportunity to tell someone about His goodness. No more than 30 minutes later, we found ourselves with arms wrapped around the back of our new friend Red as we prayed for him. Red had just “stabbed the **** out of a man”, and was thus eating his last meal before the LAPD would find and arrest him. As we sat next to the road eating with Red, two police cars drove by four times each without noticing Red. We knew God was giving us another 30 minutes to lavish Red with love, truth, and prayer.
The first moment I laid eyes on Red, his face was bleeding, his hands were swollen, his clothes were dirty, and his arms were covered in tattoos of demons and devils. He paced back and forth as if paranoid. I was terrified – and naturally decided to keep as much distance as possible. But God was gracious to answer our prayer for a divine appointment: Red walked up to us and stuck out his dirty, bloody hand.
Earlier that same morning, I had a vision that I believe was from God. I saw myself sitting at the foot of an elderly woman whose dirty legs were covered in scabs and scars. I recognized her utter mess, but chose to lay a hand on her in prayer.
This vision flashed through my head as Red stuck out his hand to shake mine. Red wasn’t healed of his addictions that morning. He didn’t accept Jesus that morning. But he experienced the love of Jesus and the enemy took a big fall.
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Since my fundraising launch in January, friends and family have blessed me with a total of $8,000 towards my $18,200 goal. Two of these faithful supporters have pledged to support me monthly – which is huge!
This month, I ask that you join my team by supporting me on a monthly basis until the end of January 2019. After a quadruple-checked number crunch, I am asking the Lord to bless me with 9 people/families who will prayerfully and faithfully support me with $115 per month for the next 8 months and 10 students who will prayerfully support me with $10 per month for the next 8 months.
I could be bummed that Red didn’t choose to trust Jesus that morning – the enemy would love for Heidi and me to be discouraged! We are reminded, however, that we’re but one piece of Red’s journey towards consciousness of his redemption.
I am desperate for you to join my fundraising team so that more and more people like Red may be awakened to their redemption. I believe with all my heart that the sender and the sent are one. The Lord has blessed me with abundant mobility, meaning – if you can’t go, allow me to go on your behalf. As a mentor of mine says, I am no less because I am asking you for money, nor are you any greater because you are the fuel that sends me. Again, the sender and the sent are one.
Over the last four months, the moments that the enemy tells me to be fearful of fundraising are the same moments that I choose to become more faithful in my giving. So I challenge you: If your finances are tight, there is no better time to join me! Turn the enemy’s scheme on its head as you lean even more into faith.
Thank you so much for your prayers and support. It means the world to me.
In Christ and with so much love,
A
