Since it is Thursday and I enjoy a good throwback, I thought I might throw it back on my blog today, too. I have some amazing people in my life. Chances are, if you’re reading this blog, you are probably one of them. So I’m gonna throw it back. You might be one of the people who has stuck by my side from the time I started selling Girl Scout cookies and those weird summer sausage and cheese packages. Or maybe you came into my life a little later, when I was chosen to be in the New Years Day parade in London, England. Or later yet, when I decided to go on my first mission trip to Costa Rica, when I thought “that’s what normal Christians do when they have been Christians for a while, go away for 14 days and call it good.” Or maybe you were there for my first trip to Romania… or the time I decided to go back again for almost three months. By then we both knew this wasn’t just a phase or a fad. It was turning into a way of life for me. Not about escaping reality, but about a desire and a need to GO. After that second time in Romania, my life calmed down for a little while, but like an itch that couldn’t be scratched enough the need to GO again, came back. You might have started following my journey when I started on the World Race… the first time. Or when I decided to go to Oklahoma, because God humbled me enough to make me realize I am not above serving Him in my own country. Or that time I moved to Georgia and had the most transformational eight months of my life. And, maybe you just started this journey with me as I began squad leading and decided to go back on the World Race. Phew that is throwing back to a lot. A lot of time. A lot of financial support. A lot of people wondering “when are you going to stop?” “When are you going to grow up?” “Where are you going next?”
It is a lot of throwing back to YOU sending ME.
You my dear supporters have sent me to 16 countries, some multiple times, over 20 months.
You have supported me financially with almost $30,000 in the last 10 years.
You have been there for me when I was literally hungry, thirsty for clean water, or dirty in need of basic necessities for health and hygiene.
You have been the ones I have cried to about my broken heart for the things I have seen.
You have been the first ones I run to when there is an opportunity for me to GO.
You are the ones I wished could have been standing by my side as I washed Mimoza’s (a 19 year old with severe special needs) hair to make her feel beautiful, and watch the look of joy when she got a comb as a gift.
I wish you could have been there to see the Pastor’s face, when I gave him my Bible in English so that he could learn English and study scripture side by side with his Romanian bible, at the same time.
I wish you could have been in my classroom as I figured out how to teach English in Cambodia to teenagers who had no basis for English at all, so I got to make a fool of myself by acting things out.
As I jumped off a bridge between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
When I had conversations with people on my squad that brought about lightbulb moments.
Times that I shared hard things, but that needed to be shared.
You were the drive behind getting my butt out of bed and continuing on, persevering, even when I was tired and weary and ready to go home.
My stories could go on and on and on and on for months probably.
I have that many stories, because you chose to SEND me.
Some people would say that you enabled me, in a bad way. Enabling me as in not teaching me to rely on myself or teaching me that it’s only my responsibility to take care of myself and that is the priority for life. As in, giving me what I want to go “vacation” around the world (which is definitely not what I do). Instead you have empowered me. You have empowered me to believing that I can conquer hard things. You have empowered me to believe in myself and in my dreams. You have taught me that relying on God through the generosity and support (emotional, spiritual, and financial) of others is hard, but also a blessing to receive. You have given me the wings I needed to GO and figure out what the heck I was put on this earth to do.
Thank you just isn’t enough. But they are the only two words I can form together that make any sense at all. This is for you my supporters. Thank you for allowing me to be your hands to hug on hundreds of orphans, touch widows, feed children, and get my hands dirty with the soil of four continents. Thank you for allowing my eyes to see the broken, the dark, the dirty, the hurting places, but for my eyes to see hope, and purity, and joy in those same places. Thank you for allowing my feet to do adventurous things like ride elephants, bungee jump, climb small mountains, and play in waterfalls and for not judging me when I get the chance to do something fun. Thank you for allowing my ears to hear over 15 languages and hearing the Body of Christ worship, even when I didn’t understand. Specifically to my financial supporters, thank you for trusting me with your hard earned dollars. For trusting that by donating those dollars to my name, that you are expanding Jesus’ reach into this world through my arms. In that way you have empowered me to be able to do ALL of these things and to you I am more thankful than I can ever attempt to communicate. It is not something I take for granted, nor do I feel entitled to your money. I understand that you work hard for it. I have relied on God to put in your hearts a desire to give, and He continues to surprise me with the people He has donate to me.
As my time of fundraising for squad leading begins winding down, I am just reflecting on how thankful I am. I have some pretty cool opportunities coming up that *FINALLY* no longer include fundraising. I can’t wait to share those with you, when I have those plans solidified. Until then, I am going to ask you to be faithful with me for just a little while longer. My squad that I have been leading is still on the field for four more months. I did not make the deadline financially to be able to make it to their debrief in the Philippines at the end of month 8/February. But there is still hope for me to be able to make it to final debrief in Cambodia at the end of month 11/May. I need to be fully funded for my five months that I spent on the field which is almost $1700 and in addition need to have $1500 to cover my plane ticket and other expenses while I am at debrief. So in my final push of fundraising I need $3200 by March 1st. I know that God has done amazing things through me and I want to finish out this season strong. If I don’t make that deadline, I don’t get to go see my squad, and honestly there are some people I might not see again. If you feel led to donate, please do. You can do so, as always, by the link on the side.
Again, thank you so much for loving me well through this whole adventure of fundraising.
And, what is a #throwbackthursday without pictures =] Here are some photo collages of my mission trips in the past 8 years. Here’s to you, my faithful supporters. Love you!!!
Costa Rica Dec 06-Jan 07 Romania July 08
Romania June-August 2010 World Race 2012
World Race 2012 World Race 2014- Squad Leading
Much love,
-A
