Dear Family and Friends,
I hope this letter finds you well and that this year has been one of abundant blessings. As we prepare for the change of seasons and welcome the beginning of fall, I would like to tell you of a new beginning I am preparing for as I have chosen to follow God’s calling to undertake an 11-month mission trip.
After much prayer, I feel God is calling me to uproot myself from the comforts of my current life and embark on a mission across several nations. In January 2014, I will start this journey with an organization called Adventures in Missions on their World Race program. I will travel with a team of young adults to a new country each month: serving in 11 countries in 11 months’ time. The discipleship and ministries will vary by country: partnering with local ministries and churches to help spread the gospel, praying for the sick, feeding the hungry, ministering to victims of human trafficking, and bringing hope to those who need to know God’s love and grace. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5
I have always felt most connected with God when I am doing mission work. Serving God allows me to be His hands and feet, fully connecting with His body of believers and non-believers alike. In high school I went on two week-long mission trips and again in college I spent a spring break serving those devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The summer of 2009 revealed a different side of mission work when I served as a Flood Relief Intern in Cedar Rapids, IA. I coordinated teams of 50-200 people who helped rebuild the lives of those affected by the previous summer’s historic flooding, which inundated 10 square miles of the city.
I had some very challenging days during this mission work, but I always ended the day with a smile and woke up excited for the next. It is this passion that I long for in my work: a desire to serve others more fully, a commitment to serve “the least of these”, and an unquenchable fire spreading God’s love and purpose to the nations. This is the life I seek through my upcoming mission trip.
It is at this time that I humbly ask you to partner with me on this journey. No matter how large or small a role we have had in each other’s lives, God has crossed our paths for a purpose. First and foremost, I ask you to keep me and all others in the World Race program in your prayers now and in 2014. I ask you to pray for our safety, growth of faith, healing of scars, and obedience to God’s calling in all seasons of our lives. I then invite you to open your heart as to whether God is calling you to further assist me in this ministry. I would be honored to serve as your hands and feet as I spread God’s love to the nations. If you feel called to partner with me, I have included an insert that will explain more about the Race and how you can provide monetary support. If you choose to do so, I humbly ask that you consider donating by September 27, which is my first financial deadline.
I greatly appreciate your consideration of support and you taking the time to read about my calling to missions. I invite you to experience this journey with me. From now until the end of the Race, I will be keeping a blog of my experiences and would be honored for you to follow me at http://amandafinneseth.theworldrace.org/. If you would like to learn more about the World Race program or my specific route (January 2014 Route 3), you can do so by going to their website: http://www.theworldrace.org/. Thank you for considering supporting my call to missions and its impact on the lives of those I encounter through this journey!
If you have any questions or would like to discuss my mission trip further, please feel free to call me at 515-360-2876. “Here I am [Lord]. Send me!”' Isaiah 6:8
Blessings,
Amanda Finneseth
