Hey y’all!
I literally cant wrap my mind around the fact that I have less than a week until I hope on a plane to Atlanta and start launch/training for the World Race!!! I have some thoughts and things I want to share with y’all, so bear with me this may be a long post! 😉
It blows my mind how fast these last 10 months have gone by and how the Lord has literally carried me through this fundraising and prep process. I have so much to be thankful for!! He has shown Himself again and again throughout this year and made it abundantly clear that this is what He wants me to do for 2018. And I C A N T W A I T ! God is so incredible and amazing, y’all!! It is so humbling and so cool to see how He has been preparing and growing me for this journey! It is amazing what can happen when you surrender everything over to the Lord and ask Him to use you in mighty ways.
He has been working and stirring in my heart this past year on how to be totally and completely dependent on Him. Honestly this year was tough. It was a whole year or refining and pruning of my heart and mind. I asked the Lord for years to use me and grow me out of my comfort zone and that’s for sure what happened! HA. Y’all, fundraising is hard and a full time job… especially when you have to raise 17 THOUSAND dollars…like, what..? But the Lord is so faithful and good and He honestly carried me through that whole process as He said He would back in April 2017! That was the last time after that that I EVER stressed about fundraising and I know it was Gods peace and another confirmation that He was preparing the way for me to do this.
He was also preparing me for abandonment in the little things. There was a season this year where my high or excitement for the trip went down a little (don’t get me wrong I was super excited for the trip and still am) but, I was starting to meet all these people and friends were moving on in life and getting real big girl jobs and the enemy started bringing me down. I started feeling stressed about the future and what I am doing after the race, asking myself; “Who will I be with, or how will I support myself?!” But we all know that fear is not of the Lord! At training camp God just covered me with His love and peace and I had to again surrender all of myself, my stress, worries, expectations and fears. He was again working in me teaching me that I absolutely need to stop carrying all this baggage on my own and start giving it to Him and trusting Him daily in the mundane. He even taught me about abandonment and trusting Him through a simple hair cut haha (okay it wasn’t simple, I cut 9 inches off) but my hair has been a huge security blanket for me over the years. One time I got this compliment from someone and they said, “Don’t ever cut your hair, it is what makes you,” and that sentence stuck with me for a long time. I started to believe that I was only pretty with long hair and just this past month God broke me of that lie and I was inspired to cut my hair for myself and my journey (cause trust me it’ll make life so much easier lol). And turns out I love my short hair and may keep it like this forever who knows;) but the point is I was learning to give up control and not care what others thought of me! I wanted to be rooted in what I know God thinks of me: beautifully and wonderfully made!!!
In the beginning of the prep and fundraising process for the World Race, I started trying to set these expectations where I had to be super Christian and 100% qualified for the race and all the things we are going to do for our ministry. But honestly, I am not qualified, but I know the One who is and I will be riding with Him!! Haha! Yes, I am super nervous and I am not 100% sure what or how I am going to do things that are asked of me, like preaching.. ahhhh.. But I know I am going to be relying on Gods strength, asking for His boldness and for the Holy Spirit to speak in and through me! I believe and know that when you work hard, study the word and ask for His guidance and strength He will carry you through the hard times or the task before you! I know God is going to grow and stretch me in sooo many ways and I cant wait to go on this amazing journey with Him!
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Okay so now lets get down to business…
I leave on Thursday January 11th for Atlanta, where I will be staying for almost about a week. I’ll meet up with my squad and we will do training and worship sessions and team time. It’s going to be AMAZING! My family is also coming down for two days to Atlanta and they will meet my squad, worship with us and do parent stuff 🙂
I will officially leave the country on the 16th and then I won’t get to my ministry until the 18th! Team Beloved Daughters, which is the team I am apart of, are doing church planting and community development in the second largest city in Cote d’iviore! I am so excited to work with our ministry hosts and do ministry with my lovely team for the first month?? I honestly couldn’t have asked for a more perfect team to start the race off with! I love each and everyone of the girls and I cant wait to see how God uses all our collective strengths and weaknesses to bring Him glory and advance His Kingdom!
Here are some things you can pray for us for:
1.) Safety and Health
2.) Wisdom and Discernment so that we stay safe and listen to the voice of God so we don’t miss an opportunity to bless and love one someone.
3.) Boldness and courage to share the gospel, anything the Lord has placed on our hearts or things that He is teaching us.
4.) Unity within our team
5.) Please pray for the people we come into contact with and that their hearts will be open to receive the good news of Jesus Christ!!
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As time goes by and launch approaches, I am so thankful and truly grateful for all the love and support you all have given me throughout this year and fundraising/prep process. Thank you all for your prayers and I will be leaving here knowing and thanking God that I have an army of people and prayer warriors praying for me. It truly means the world to me.� So thank you again for everything! y’all are the best and I pray that you have a blessed 2018!!
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You are loved,
Hannah
