Hey! Well, February happened, huh? I don’t know what February was like for you, but for me it was a lot like life. I lived some more life in February, plain and simple.
I am supposed to blog every month just to keep everyone updated on what my World Race is looking like from month to month. And let’s just be honest for a minute–I’ve settled into a pretty regular every-other-month pattern (sorry AIM staff, I have failed to live up to expectations already). This idea of blogging sounded so great at first. Everyone was unfamiliar with what I am doing and there was so much to tell about. After the first couple blog posts, though, what do I share? That I’ve raised more money? That I still need to keep fundraising? That I lived more life since my last blog post?
In the past few months I have had the opportunity to speak in churches and share about what I am doing, and also to share about what my prayer is for the church on the Maine District (not the building, but the body of Christ). Sometimes in my interactions with these churches or individual members, it seems as though some people look at me through an elevated lens, or have certain expectations or presumptions based on what I am doing, and they have forgotten that this is my life. So if my life isn’t completely wrapped up in the World Race, what am I doing with life on a daily basis?
I am a full-time student. As my last year of high school comes to its peak, I juggle a full schedule of six classes. I am also enrolled in two college classes and one adult education class. I spend many nights doing homework until or after midnight. It’s exhausting, but I love it. If I don’t reply to your messages within the hour, or even by the end of the day, it is because this is my life. I try and make myself as available as possible, but sometimes that looks like a message returned at 1:00 a.m., or 24 hours after it was sent. I try to reply as quickly as reasonably possible, but I have to live in my life too.
School is only during the week; the weekends are open, right? Out of the eight Sundays 2020 has contained so far, I have spent five of them speaking at five different churches across the State of Maine, and one Sunday spoke at two different churches in the same day. Two other Sundays were spent out of state traveling for my district’s Nazarene Missions International (NMI) council. Well, that is seven Sundays out of eight accounted for. What about that other Sunday? That weekend I had my big spaghetti dinner and auction fundraiser on Saturday, and after Sunday morning service I was leaving for a three-day-long youth event that I was responsible for as the youth leader.
We’ve barely begun to talk about fundraising and other World Race-related things. Those parts of my weeks are filled with social media posts, answering questions, preparing speeches, keeping up with my squadmates (all 38 of them), mailing support letters, writing blog posts, planning fundraisers, as well as researching and subsequently purchasing gear. 🙂 On top of planning for the World Race, a certain amount of time, thought, and consideration must be invested in college planning now so that I can attend college after the WR.
I love my life! Please don’t hear any of this as complaining, because it’s not. I say all this to say I am probably more normal then people make me out to be. I am just a high school senior who is trying to graduate, get a jump start on college, and plan for the year after graduation, which just so happens to include a trip around the world. This life I live is really nothing new. This is basically what my life has contained for just about four years now.
I tell you all about what my daily life is like to say that February was “normal”, it contained all of these elements. Which is not to diminish what God did in February because He showed up in huge and amazing ways. In February He opened doors and prompted people to give generously. As a result, $7,033 was added to my total money raised. February isn’t even over yet. I still have a Mitten Making Day fundraiser on the 29th!
In February God showed me this verse and it has become one of my favorite verses, even making an appearance on my new prayer cards 🙂
“I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!” Isaiah 65:24 NTL
God has definitely proven His words to be true in February and I can’t wait to see how He shows up in the last stretch of fundraising to become fully funded!
As always, hit subscribe at the top of this page if you haven’t already to get my new blog posts or notifications about them sent straight to your email. This will be the best way to keep in touch while I am on the Race. If you feel so prompted, you can also donate by clicking the orange “donate” button at the top of this page, and you can become part of my journey to become fully funded, as well as what God is using me to do around the world for His kingdom.
