Starting off with the essentials: My name is Austin Edward Lear, I’m 22 years young. I’m from a small Southern Missouri town, Bolivar, and have lived there my entire life. I grew up in Bolivar, and graduated in 2013 from Bolivar High. I currently attend two churches regularly, North Point Church in Springfield, MO, on Saturday evenings and James River Church in Ozark, MO, on Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings. Both churches are home to me, and both churches have brought me out of trials and taught me lessons I would’ve been lost without hearing. I am huge into literature, both writing and reading, and invest daily into reading a new book or writing a new poem. Above all, my desire is to constantly pursue Christ, and to invest love into the lives of those that He places around me.
I came toward the World Race, and Adventures in Missions, around the beginning of 2016. Multiple friends had opened my heart up to the idea of missions, and after many long weeks of prayer and direction of what that meant God led me to the World Race. As my introduction to the idea of the World Race began, I felt God slowly easing my heart to leaving College. After two and a half years of attending SBU (Southwest Baptist University, in Bolivar, MO) I finally gave in to the feelings on my heart, and chose to obey God as I withdrew from classes with no intention of a specified future. Many months later of unemployment and constant trial, I chose to once again obey God’s direction for my life by giving up my life to His lead; and He led. I came into a new job, blessed with finances and great working conditions, and I felt God telling me to apply for the World Race. So I did as I felt on my heart, trusting entirely on God’s direction for my future, and was accepted to the World Race.
My story is full of ups and downs, blessings and trials, and I praise God through it all. I’ve learned to trust my life into a walk of Faith for what God has planned. Thus far, God has not led my astray, nor do I believe He ever will. My journey on the World Race is just beginning, and I need your help to get me to an ending.
In a meager seven months I need to raise $17,000. Which may seem like a big number, but I know of a God who is bigger, and is capable of providing any need. I am asking for your unwavering support through this next season of life God has placed me and my fellow Racers in. Not only through financial support, but also support through prayer. Prayer for myself, my fellow World Racers, and for the people we will be interacting with on the trip. I wish for you to be a part of this journey alongside me. You may choose to subscribe to get my blog posts that I will be updating throughout the year. I thank you all so much for your continued support, and I am excited for all that God has prepared for us.
Many blessings
