11 in 11

I cannot believe that I only have 11 days left in Pennsylvania! 11 DAYS!!! 11. Days. 11 days of packing, wrapping, and cleaning up. 11 days of hugs, kisses, pictures, and good byes. 11 days of eager anticipation for God to move as He provides for my needs (and desires). 

Over the next 11 days, I am praying for the following:

1. A strong prayer team who will be dedicated to praying daily for me, my team, and my squad over the next year. God has already prompted 6 people to dedicate the next year to following my story and praying fervently on my behalf. There are many things to pray about as I finish preparing and embark on this journey. Please consider joining me and these amazing people in prayer as we watch and wait for the Lord to work as I go to proclaim the gospel to the nations. 

2. A tetanus booster/Typhoid vaccination. God is amazing (you know this already, but I truly cannot stop praising His goodness)! There is a doctor in Bethlehem who will administer the vaccination for free, I just need to pay for the actual vile of medication. This particular brand costs $95. 

3.  Malaria pills. While I plan on buying more Malaria pills on the field, it would be very wise to take at least one month’s worth of pills with me when I launch. These pills vary in price, but a one month supply seems to run from $100-$250 depending on the brand. 

4.  Vitamins/dietary supplements/ essential oils. I have read many, many articles about taking these things with me. While they are not a necessity for survival, it would be excellent for me to have these resources to boost my body. Again, the prices will vary. 

5.  Financial support. As of now, I am over 40% supported! I am consistently in awe of the generosity of my family, friends, and even complete strangers. While God has been providing faithfully, there is still a lot of support to raise. Please prayerfully consider becoming a sponsor and donating to this mission. These investments will certainly have a lasting impact on the nations. 

6. iphone/ipod touch: 11 months is a long time to be away from home, away from the comforts of easy access to communication and entertainment. My desire is to get an iphone/ipod touch (that I may use without cell phone service) so that I may take pictures/videos, download music and sermons, and use the apps to communicate back home with all you lovely people. 

7. New sneakers. I have sneakers and other shoes that I can take with me, but they are already pretty worn out. In order to save money while on the field, I would love to take a new pair of sneakers which will ideally last the entire year. Good footwear is necessary as we will be walking. A lot. 

8.  A hammock. Part of the experience of the World Race is that we will be living out of our backpacks the entire time. As much as I would love to, by super cozy queen-sized bed simply will not fit (be sad for me). The sleeping mat I have is good, but I suspect that there will be times when I will want to get off of the floor- hence the hammock. 

9. A new study Bible. Last week another World Racer looked through my Bible and noticed that I have filled many pages with notes.  I have used my Bible during my entire academic career at Cairn University, and it looks like it is about to fall apart. Aside from the condition of the Bible there are two reasons why I want to leave this at home: 1- I am told that some cultures find it disrespectful to write in your Bible. It is a holy text and should not be marked at all. I see their point and I certainly do not want to offend. 2- these notes are incredibly meaningful to me. There are prayers and personal praises of victory, questions that I have pondered, and quotes from memorable sermons and Bible classes. If anything happened to this Bible, I would be devastated. 

10. T-shirts and Threads of Hope bracelets. In faith, I ordered 100 t-shirts for a fundraiser and I need to sell the remaining 60(ish) before I leave. Shirts cost $20 each and Threads of Hope are $2 each. I invested nearly $700 into these products and I believe that the Lord will use this to provide the funds for my trip. 

                                                                         

11. Last, but certainly not least: I need to stay in touch with you! Please, send me your email address, Instagram user name and Skype user name so that we can stay in touch over this next year!! Also, please go to my blog (amandabrescia.theworldrace.org) and subscribe to email updates. 

Please join me in prayer over the next few days as God continues to prepare my heart for ministering to the nations as I serve Him with my life.