Hey friends!
I’m so excited for my journey ahead! Thanks for choosing to be a part of this with me. About two years ago, my dear friend Maddie told me about the World Race and encouraged me to apply for one of the routes, and since then it had always been in the back of my mind. This past January, one of the speakers from my campus ministry shared with us that he believed this year was going to be a year of “breakthrough” – that if God told us what he was going to do in our lives over the next year, we wouldn’t believe Him. Taking a leap of faith, I decided to apply for this gap year program.
I will be on route 4 of the World Race Gap Year, evangelizing in Costa Rica, Cambodia, and Swaziland for 3 months each. The main focus of ministry of our first months in Costa Rica will be partnering with local churches to share the Gospel with rural communities, especially in impoverished border towns. Then moving to Cambodia where there is still a very real struggle to heal from a dark and crippling genocide from the 1970s and currently a large amount of poverty and human trafficking. A lot of ministry here will focus on investing in youth. My team and I will most likely spend 3 months reaching children through teaching English and the Bible. English is critical for the younger generations to find sustainable jobs to move forward. Our last move will be to the small African country of Swaziland (eSwatini). Swaziland has the highest HIV/AIDS rate in the world and as a result 1,000 of children have been left without parents. The World Race has a long-standing presence in Swaziland and have built a base there run by local and international staff. We will be serving alongside Children’s Hope Chest to operate a large system of care points serving local orphaned and underserved children.
I’m stoked to see how God is going to work in my life these next nine months, and I can’t wait to share it with all of you. There are a few main ways you can support me on this mission if you choose to! First, I will be needing prayers for safety, guidance, and growth throughout this journey. Second, if you would like to support me financially, there will be a link to do so on this page. Anyone desiring to walk beside me through Costa Rica, Cambodia, and Swaziland is encouraged to follow along with this blog! I will post regularly with updates about my trip, stories of the people I’ve met, and testimonies of what God is teaching me during this mission.
I am endlessly grateful for your love, support, and dedication to spreading the Message of Christ throughout the globe. I couldn’t do this without you.
With lots of love and excitement,
AB
