Well, I finally did it! I sat down, wrote up a quick life update and mailed out invites to close family and friends asking them/you to consider joining my team. As most of you know, I found out in September that I was accepted to go on this journey. Here I am, almost 6 months later watching God breathe life into this very soon reality of mine. It’s still so hard for me to imagine that in just 25 short weeks I’ll be boarding a flight and leaving the USA for almost a year. WHAT?!
I’m humbled by the support I have already received, and I would be honored if you would take a minute to read the following and considered joining me on my side of the playground.
I know what you’re thinking, “Why on earth is Hannah sending me a letter titled ‘Red Rover, Red Rover?” All I can say is, I’m not totally sure. Let me rewind. In September of this year I was accepted to go on a mission trip with Adventures In Missions, called the World Race. This isn’t a hop, skip, and a jump kind of mission trip. I’ll be going to 11 countries over the span of 11 months. Yes, you read that correctly! In August of 2016, I’ll be leaving for 11 months to meet, love, serve, and share God’s hope with the people of this world.
Let me briefly catch you up on what I’ve been up to the last 10 years or so. I’m currently 24 years old (when did that happen?), I nanny full time, and live with three of my sweet friends here in good ole Kansas City, Missouri. (Go Royals!) As many of you know, I had a rough time in high school having to deal with a few pressing health issues. These issues were resolved but unfortunately started presenting other health issues that I carried along with me for years and on into my early 20’s. In late 2013, God healed me of my chronic pain and the majority of my many food allergies! It was miraculous. Life quickly started looking “normal” for me for the first time in about 8 years. “Normal” meant moving out of my parents house, completing my associates degree, working full time, and applying to work at the summer camp in Montana where our family had vacationed in the past. Working at Clydehurst Christian Ranch, in Montana had always been a dream of mine, but one that I never thought would happen. The fact that I was actually confident in my healed and healthy body to work a full summer away as a crazy camp counselor started waking up desires that I had but had put on the back burner while I worked through the sicknesses. Montana started waking up my forever desire to GO and SERVE. While working that summer, I learned that one of my co-counselors had just returned from the World Race. I’ll never forget sitting in chapel and hearing her heart for the nations. I wouldn’t soon forget that Sunday. Camp grew me in ways I was unaware needed maturing. Camp also showed me that true growth and joy happens when you’re walking with The Father outside of your comfort zone and outside of your control. I remember thinking to myself, what a pipe dream World Race was for me, so when I mustered up the courage to apply in late August and then got the call that I was accepted in September, I was truly overjoyed!
So, back to the Red Rover part. Red Rover was one of my favorite games to play at recess. If you’re not familiar with the game, allow me to describe it as best as I can. You start with two teams. The two teams hold hands together then face each other from a distance. Then, one at a time a person from one team will run full speed towards the other team. The goal? To break the human chain. If successful, they will grab one of the opposing team’s members and add them to their own team’s chain! Fun, right? Dangerous and terrifying? Yes. This may sound silly or far-fetched, but this week I’ve been praying for help with writing this support letter. As I’ve been praying, I kept thinking of this game I haven’t played in over 15 years and I cannot get the sing songy voices of a bunch of grade-schoolers out of my head! “ Red rover, red rover, send Hannah right over!” I think it’s because they are singing and asking for more teammates! That’s the connection here, little third grade Hannah is holding hands with her squad mates singing Red Rover Red Rover, asking if you would join her support team and come right on over!
WHO
– Me, HB!
WHAT life on the World Race could look like
– It’s hard to know fully what we will be doing in any set place. What I do know is that I will be traveling with a group of 50-60 people. Within this group we will break down into teams of 8-10. Once we arrive at each location, we will be sent out to serve in many different ways such as; sharing the gospel, teaching English, helping in orphanages, facilitating day camps, farming, building, helping to promote healthy communities, bringing relief and rejuvenation to local ministry families, working with women trapped in the sex trade industry, and much more.
WHERE
– Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. (Romania and Greece have recently taken the place of Albania and Macedonia)
WHEN
– August 2016 – July 2017
WHY
– To serve and meet the needs of many.
HOW TO HELP
– PRAY for me! I’m asking for prayer that I would completely surrender my own desires and expectations. That I would live by faith and not by sight. For my team, that we would be selfless, patient, and full of grace, peace, and joy as we abandon the comforts of home.
– GIVE Would you consider a gift of any amount? I need to raise all of my own living and traveling expenses while I am away as to not be a burden on the ones we are serving. So far I have $5,000 and am at 30% of my $16,500 goal! Donations are tax deductible, yay!
Ways to GIVE
- ONLINE Head on up to the top of this page and click “Support Me!” follow the prompts to a secure website to donate online.
- CHECKS & CASH should be made payable to Adventures in Missions and sent to the address below. A hard copy of a fundraising card should also accompany the check. Let me know if you would like for me to send you a fundraising card!
ADVENTURES IN MISSIONS
PO BOX 742570
ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30374
** HUGE shoutouts to my roommates for modeling their red rover skills and to my dear friend Hannah McEldowney for taking and editing the picture. Also for teaching me how to upload it to the computer because I’m THAT technologically challenged, it takes a village ya’ll!**
