Adventures WorldRace SethBarnes Sponsorship Giving

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So I sent out my support letters about 2 weeks ago and am excited that I already have people giving money and others saying that they plan to support me! It is very encouraging to know people are supporting me. Although they have given no questions asked, I am sure they have some questions and that others of you have questions before giving. I wanted to take some time to answer some questions that you might have…since they are some of the questions I had myself!

 

WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, HOW???

 
 

WHO is Adventures in Mission:

AIM is an interdenominational missions organization that focuses on discipleship. They emphasize prayer and relationships in the work amongst the poor. Since AIM was established in 1989, they have taken over 80,000 people into the mission field, some for as short as a week and others for a year or longer. They have 14 bases around the world, which include year-round ministry to places where “the least of these” are found. AIM believes that by giving people the opportunity to hold orphans, bring hope to the hopeless, and pray for the sick, lives are transformed. AIM seeks to disciple as Jesus did – their vision is that God would use them to raise up a generation of radically committed disciples of Jesus Christ.

 

WHAT is the World Race:

The idea of the World Race is to take a year of your life and to live like Jesus and His disciples, as well as the early church apostles- while traveling around the world. We will be traveling to 11 countries in 11 months, radically abandoning everything for the work of God. This is not just another experience; it is a radical commitment to a Christ-centered transformation. It involves intentionally living as a disciple of Christ. Simplicity combined with a servant spirit, a heart of mercy and a passion for God’s glory are the heartbeats of the World Race. We will backpack across the world. When we travel, we will need to make the most of our resources. In many places, we will stay in tents or wherever people invite us to stay, just as Jesus instructed His disciples to do. World Racers develop broken hearts that propel their hands to act for God’s kingdom around the globe. The best part of the World Race is that it is merely the beginning of a life-long journey. On the World Race, we learn about what God is doing on the earth and how to join Him in it.

 

  WHERE are you going:

Turkey, The Dominican Republic, Haiti, Romania, Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines, China, Malawi, Mozambique, and another country in Africa!


WHEN are you going:

July 1, 2010 – May 31, 2011

 

 WHY:

I have become complacent, just going through the motions of working. Even though I am successful in society’s view, I feel God calling me to something different. I do not know God’s entire plan for my life, but right now, I feel God is calling me towards missions. So why the World Race? Good question! I know it sounds crazy – to quit my job and go to 11 different countries. It will be a lot of places and not a lot of time in each place. God can still use us to impact people – it doesn’t matter the length of time you spend in a place. I have spent only a few days with some people in Mexico and still have contact with them! (One of them has invited me to their wedding…and wants me to be involved!) I feel that this is where God is leading me and even though you or I may not understand it the verse God kept bringing to mind before I decided was Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean NOT on your OWN understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your path.”

 

I wasn’t planning to go on a long term mission trip but one of my friends mentioned it to me and I felt it was something I wanted to do! It was the trip brought to my attention. I started praying about it and then felt like this was what God wanted me to do. In the past, people have asked me the question, “What would you do if you had a million dollars?” Every time, my response has been that I would travel and help people. In reflection, I have realized that if I did not have to worry about money or a job that is what I would do with my life. AIM has given me the opportunity to do that. I have been praying about whether this was what God wanted me to do then later realized this trip is an answer to some of my other prayers.
 

 HOW

I will be traveling with 40+ amazing teammates! Before leaving on the World Race, the team attends a ten-day training camp. I will officially meet my teammates there although we have already begun communicating. We will have a schedule of seminars, team-building activities, and practical ministry exercises. Participants’ worldviews are stretched, and some are completely shattered. In order to understand other cultures and how the Gospel is communicated in local contexts, we must call into question the presumptions we have made about God based upon our own cultural biases. Racers leave training camp with a whole new appreciation for the power of the Holy Spirit and what God has, can, and will do.

During the first week of the Race, teams are met out in the field to do a practical training session, where we will be equipped, commissioned, and sent out. It is here that the team will continue the renewal process by putting aside fears and inadequacies, and moving out into ministry under Christ’s authority, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Again, this can be a time of revival, but the main focus is activation – to bring all the head knowledge of what has been imparted to a practical level of action. The team will also have coaches walking beside us throughout the year. Coaches bring teaching, encouragement, and counseling.

 

 FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME WITH ANY OTHER QUESTIONS!!!