As I have been telling people about The World Race and my participation in it, I’ve listed all sorts of reasons why I decided to do it: share the gospel, travel the world, and grow as an individual. All of those were definitely considered when choosing the World Race, but I think there is even more to it. I want to do everything in my power to put myself in the position to grow in my relationship with the Lord and encounter Him personally. This isn’t as much of a legalistic “to-do list” as it is making a decision to always say “yes” to Jesus often times before I know the question. This is very scary and hard to do, because I like to be in control. In fact I’ve always (at least in my mind) had my life precisely planned out. But this year the Lord told me, “I want you out of your comfort zone. I want you to take an enormous risk where you are not in control at all and have to really trust Me”. Believe me, leaving the country for a year was never part of my plan. I like to do things my way and know exactly what I am getting myself into. I am calculated, but my God is not calculable. He is big. He is powerful. But, the truth is I usually don’t give Him the room to work in my small, prearranged version of the world.
Well, I’ve grown tired of giving lip service to how great God is and not giving Him the opportunities to actually be great and powerful and all the other things that He is. And so here I am. I have committed to giving up everything I have ever known for 11 months. I am all in. I have no backup plan. I am completely trusting in the Lord, and you know what, I’ve never felt more alive and never been more excited. I know because I am trusting Jesus and stepping out that I am going to experience the Lord in so many new ways and will walk away from this experience with such a greater understanding of God’s heart.
So, I wanted you all to know that, and I wanted you all to know that I am praying for us as a body. I am praying that we would all get ourselves out of the known and the comfortable. For me, I know God wants that to be in the form of the World Race, but I also know that you don’t need to go to 11 countries to encounter God. He wants to show up in all of our lives. So why don’t we let Him? My prayer is that you would say ‘yes’ to Jesus no matter what the question is and be unleashed to experience how good our God is in ways you never have before.
I also wanted to offer you the opportunity to financially support my race. One of the things I love most about Adventures in Missions is that they don’t send you anywhere without a support base back home. That’s where you all come in. It all starts with prayer, and I ask that you would please be consistent in your prayers for me both leading up to and throughout the duration of The Race. Please pray that the Lord would be glorified in all aspects of my race and life and that I would grow to know my Father in new ways throughout this whole process.
Another aspect of being a part of my team is the opportunity to support my ministry financially. The cost of The Race is $16,200 which covers all of my field expenses and travel costs for the 11 months of the trip. While my final financial deadline isn’t until December, my goal is to have all my funds raised by my launch in September. Donations can be made either one time or monthly. Monthly donations can start whenever but must end by December 31, 2015. Every donation is incredibly meaningful and valuable to me. If you are looking for specific amounts, I am praying for:
- 25 people to donate $10/month
- 20 people to donate $25/month
- 5 people to donate $50/month
- 5 people to donate $100/month
If you wish to give you can click the ‘Support Me’ button on the left-hand panel, or if you want to give by check, contact me for more specific instructions. All donations are tax-deductible. Thank you and God bless!
Drew
