“I’m gettin’ too old for this…”
This is one of my favorite things to joke about, of course, as I am one of the youngest people in the AIM community here in Gainesville, GA. I am only 24 years old and pretty fit and healthy (though, ask me to run
and you will get a big fat thumbs down from me). So in reality I know I still have a lot of life to live.
What is crazy to think about, however, is that in less than two weeks, on November 20th, I will turn 25-years-old, a quarter century… Wow. I know for some of you this is not a big deal at all, as you have already hit the half-century mark. Congratulations! But as for me, it is a wild concept to grasp. I do not think I could ever imagine being 25. It’s just not something I can understand. I guess I am holding on enough to my childhood imagination that I still have grandiose ideas of what it is like to be in this stage of life.
Looking at where I am and what I am doing, I would certainly consider myself a working man. If you asked me 5 years ago where I would be today, I probably would have joked about my childhood dream of becoming a professional Ghostbuster (like Dan
Akroyd and Bill Murray). I would not have imagined I would be working full-time for a Christian non-profit organization, setting up global partnerships focused on bringing God’s Kingdom to the nations.
But that is, in fact, what I am doing going into my 25th year of life. And it is exactly where I am supposed to be. It is hard work, it is exhausting, I have to brainstorm and problem-solve on a regular basis. But the truth is, I love it. I love that I get to have phone conversations with people in South Africa, or send numerous e-mails back and forth from Cambodia. I am a part of helping enslaved prostitutes find spiritual, emotional, and physical freedom. I am a part of helping orphans find hope and life, future and family.
In the midst of all of the work that needs to be done to mobilize hundreds of young missionaries, working for a non-profit means that I am not fully supported by a salary. I need friends and family, churches and strangers to support me financially so that I have a steady income, ensuring that my daily needs are met. Without this financial help, we would not be able to see to the needs of the orphan and the widow, the naked and the homeless, the sick and the lonely.
For my 25th birthday, instead of asking for gifts like a nice dinner or a new tattoo (like last year), I want to ask from all of my loving friends and family for financial gifts in my support account. You can click here to give online, or you can send checks to this address, appealed to Braedon Tabor:
Adventures In Missions, PO Box 534470, Atlanta,
GA 30353-4470
Adventures In Missions is registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Donors will receive receipts for their gifts with the understanding that the disbursement of those gifts lies completely at the discretion of Adventures In Missions and that the gifts are non-refundable and non-transferable, per IRS regulations. Gifts may be tax deductible; please consult a tax advisor.
If you do not want to give to my support account for my birthday, please at least give to another missionary or cause that you do believe in and want to support. There are many people in positions like me who are impacting the world in amazing ways who do not have steady income. This would be the greatest birthday gift I could ask for.
Thanks for reading.
