Happy Monday, I have good news! I have now raised over 1/3 of the funding I will need for this mission trip, and have surpassed my first deadline over a month early! This means I officially get to go to training camp in August to meet all of my squad and get the information I need for leaving in October. My next deadline will be to raise $10,000 by September 16, which will secure my plane ticket for India in October. If you haven’t already, please go SUBSCRIBE to my blog! It’s the quickest way to find new updates, and all you need is an email. Click on the link to the left that says “Follow Me!”
As I get closer and closer to leaving I’ve gotten several questions about what I’m doing and how exactly it’s going to work…great question! This blog post is to inform you about the logistics of what I’m doing and the lingo I will often use.
Are you doing this through a program?
Yes! The organization I am involved with is called Adventures in Missions, or AIM for short. AIM is an established missions organization that has been around since 1989, sending people from different churches and backgrounds all over the world. It is an inter-denominational organization, meaning I will be traveling with people from all different denominations and backgrounds. AIM sends people on short-term and long-term mission trips, but the specific program I am doing is called The World Race. The WR sends young adults ages 21-35 to serve overseas for 11 months, going to a different country each month.
Where are you going?
The World Race sends groups of people on almost 20 different ROUTES each year, all going to different parts of the world. My specific route will be leaving in October and will be going to:
Asia (India, Nepal, Vietnam, Cambodia)
Africa (Botswana, South Africa, Swaziland)
South America (Argentina, Chili, Bolivia, Peru)
Many of y’all have asked about what specific cities or villages I will stay in, but I do not have the answer to that question yet. I will find these details out once the time gets closer, and I will let you know more then! The best and quickest way to find out this information is to SUBSCRIBE to my blog for updates.
Who are you going with?
My route consists of 50+ young adults from all over North America…this is my SQUAD. As a squad we will travel to and from each country together as well as meet up occasionally for debriefs. Once we are in each country we will be split up into TEAMS of 6-8 people. Each team will be doing different work and live in different parts of the country. My team will be the people I am living with day in and day out. I will get to know them very well! I will not find out who is part of my team until August.
While abroad, the squad is backed by a squad-specific leadership team. This includes SQUAD LEADERS, which are alumni racers who travel some with us for the first few months of the race. They will help us get the hang of everything since it will all be new to us. There are several other people that are backing us up from the AIM office in Georgia. They will be taking care of traveling logistics and making sure it is all set up for us. AIM will also have a dedicated group keeping up with current events to make sure that each country we are supposed to go to remains a safe location. If a country becomes unsafe, then they will change our route to be going to a different country for that month. There are tons of people involved in ensuring our safety!
Who are you staying with?
We will stay with local ministry hosts, called CONTACTS. We join the work of the local church through these contacts. If our contact does not speak English, we will have access to an interpreter. Our contact teaches us about their country and cultural expectations. Most times we will pay our contacts upon arrival for boarding arrangements. However, there are times when we stay in our tents for the month and do our own grocery shopping via team budget.
What exactly will you be doing?
The truth is, I don’t know exactly what each month will look like, because each country will bring a different form of ministry that is best fitting for what is needed. I do know that I will be doing things such as serving in partnership with churches and ministries in local communities to preach the Gospel, plant churches, work in orphanages, minister to women and children trapped in human trafficking, and bring the hope of the Father’s love to unreached communities. This is essentially going to be my job for the next year. I will be doing missionary work 5 or 6 days a week, and I will have 1 or 2 days off for rest, team bonding time, and exploring the culture and country we are staying in. I want to ensure you that this isn’t going to be a year-long vacation. I will be living out of a backpack and sleeping in a tent. We will be doing different forms of ministry almost every day, but we will have the opportunity to do what we want on our days off. I want to make sure I get the rest I need to continue being my best self, but I also plan to explore and fully embrace my time in a foreign country.
How much will this cost?
I have to raise $16,961 for this mission trip…daunting, I know. This will cover all costs of travel and living abroad, such as: visas, airplane tickets, food, missionary health insurance, and ministry costs. I am currently saving personal money for unforeseen emergency situations, small gifts for family/friends, and occasional soul-care adventures during my time off. This money will not come from any donations received. Other personal expenses that are out-of-pocket are traveling to/from Georgia for training in August, vaccinations, and gear (backpack, tent, sleeping equipment, etc.).
You can find out how to support me by reading my previous blog titled “How you can help” or you can donate here.
Are you ready?
Yes and no. I have been considering doing the World Race for a couple years now, so it’s crazy that in 4 short months I will finally be going. It is just now starting to feel real! I have gotten most of the large gear I need, but there are still so many small things I need to collect before October. If you have traveling experience I would greatly appreciate any suggestions on the best gear! I’m still trying to spiritually/emotionally/mentally prepare for the things I will be experiencing while I’m gone, but I don’t think there’s really any way I can be fully prepared for this.
I will spend August 10th-20th at TRAINING CAMP in Georgia. This is the first and only time my entire squad will get to meet and be together before we leave in October. During our time at training camp the AIM staff will be prepping us in as many ways as they can for the World Race. I do not know exactly what we are going to be doing at training camp, but this in itself is preparation since that might be the case for time abroad. This week and a half will be crucial time for me and my squad!
Please continue to pray for me, my squad, and the people I will meet in each country. I have already felt so much love and support by so many of you, and that has been very encouraging during this time of preparation! Love you all, and as always feel free to contact me for further information.
