Dear Friends and Family,
I hope that this letter finds you well! I am writing to share with you some of the wonderful and exciting things that God has been doing in my life recently. As many of you know, I spent my summer living in Swaziland, Africa with a team through Adventures in Missions. During those two months, I saw and experienced things I never thought would enter my life. I held little children as young as 2 years old who had no family of their own. I prayed over families whose main fear was whether or not their mud house would cave in during the night. I prayed for healing for a crippled woman and witnessed her walk to church a few weeks later, fully healed by God’s power! During the evenings, I watched the sun set while listening to stories of unspeakable hurt from girls younger than myself. I spent several hours talking with a single mother at a shopping mall and watched her sob through the aisles of the grocery store as we purchased her $10 worth of groceries, more than she had had in months.
I felt so many emotions while I was in Africa but the main feeling that planted itself in my heart was alive! Those two months and the experiences that came with them wrecked my heart and life. I knew when I set foot overseas that there was no going back. I would come home at the end of the trip but my heart would never be the same. God started to tug on my heart and open my eyes to the desires and passions he has given me. My greatest desire is to be His hands and feet. I want to be with the lowest of the low, those who are forgotten, abandoned and broken. I want to bring light into the darkest places in this world and proclaim Jesus’ love where love has never been felt. I look back on Africa and all I can say is “Lord, give me more!!”
God has answered that plea in many ways but perhaps the biggest is by allowing me to be accepted for the World Race in October of 2016! The World Race is an 11 month mission trip to 11 different countries through Adventures in Missions. After lots of prayer, I am so excited to share that this is the journey I believe God calling me to from October 2016 to August of 2017! I will be spending one month each in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, and the Philippines! I am so incredibly excited for all that I know God is going to do through this experience. In order to take part in this trip, I need to raise a little over $16,000. Yes, I know, that is a HUGE amount. However, I serve a God who isn’t limited by bank accounts and dollar signs and I am choosing to have faith that if this is indeed his plan for me, the money will be available.
This is where you can help! I am looking for people to partner with me both financially and in prayer throughout this journey. If you feel called to give, you can do so by clicking on the “Support Me” tab on the left hand side of this blog. While financial support is incredibly important, I desperately need people who will commit to supporting me through prayer! Also, I realize that many of you may have questions, concerns, etc. about this trip and I would love to talk with you more! Please don’t hesitate to ask!
Over the past few months, “Nothing I Hold Onto” by Bethel has become one of my favorite songs. A line in the song says, “I will climb this mountain with my hands wide open…” and that has become my prayer for this trip. God has this trip! He has never failed me or given me more than I can handle. My job is to walk forward with my hands wide open, trusting Him to hold me up and guide me, ready to receive all that He has in store.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this letter and for considering supporting me in this upcoming season! Your interest and support means the world to me and I can’t thank you enough!
Blessings and much love,
Erin Wilber
