To my supporters,
Hello from a cute little coffee shop in Penang, Malaysia!
I sit here thinking about everything I want to update you guys on and I can’t wrap my mind around the fact that it is already month 7. Wow.
To be honest, I have a love-hate relationship with this whole blogging thing. I planned on posting once a week just to keep all of you in-the-know but that hasn’t quite worked out due to lack of wifi and an unpredictable schedule.
I have encountered some exciting, difficult, happy, and extremely lonely times on the race thus far. I love sharing about my experiences, but when I sit down to blog about them, I can’t. It feels too impersonal. It opens up the possibility of making things seem better or more glamorous than they actually are. I want to be face-to-face telling all of you about the hurt I have seen and felt. About the victories and celebrations and the amazing things God is doing around the world. I want it to be relational. To be real. There are also things I am unable to share on the internet due to the sensitivity of some of our ministries and locations. For that reason, I have decided to only write ministry update blogs (with the exception of this one) to give you an overview of what the team and I are doing for the month and how you can be praying.
It may not be through a blog during the next 4 1/2 months, but I anxiously await getting to tell all of you about my journey. Public speaking is not something I am necessarily gifted at but the Lord has given me the ability to do it. I have been having visions of speaking to churches and groups of people about the race for the past month. I’m not sure what that means yet, but I know He will reveal more and present opportunities when that time comes.
I want all of you to know how much you mean to me. Your financial support, prayers, and advocacy for this 11 month journey have been astounding. I am blessed and honored to have the opportunity to do Kingdom work in some amazing places all over the world. This is because of you. Thank you.
xx
Ali
