Before I begin, I’d like to say thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I am truly amazed by the way God is already providing for this trip. To those of you who have already begun to support, wether it be through prayer, financially, or both, I am in awe of you! The way you have stepped up and have supported me fearlessly and relentlessly is nothing shy of amazing. I am truly thankful for each and every one of you, and I would love to pray for you, talk to you, and just experience life with you! Feel free to hit me up with prayer requests, lunch dates, and anything else you’d like! I’m always here 🙂
On that note, onwards…
Daily I am asked questions about the World Race and I notice a lot of the same questions are asked by different people, so I thought maybe this blog post would be interesting to those of you who like to know all the juicy details.
What is the World Race Gap Year?
The World Race is an 9 month missionary journey to 3 countries to serve the poor while living amongst real and raw community. It requires stepping out of your comfort zone and being exposed to what God is doing in the world.
Is anyone going with you?
Yes, I am going with an organization called Adventures in Missions and I will be on a team of people who are all around my age (18-22). Our team will be broken into squads. My squad will become my family. They are the ones I will travel alongside, pray with, and do life with for the next year.
Anyone you know personally?
Nope, no one else lives close! However, our team is getting acquainted more and more as the days go on! They’re already my family.
Where will you travel?
I will travel across 3 continents and spend three months living in Thailand, Guatemala, and Malawi.
What will you do there?
My team will volunteer with local ministries in each location doing everything from sharing the gospel in villages, to loving on AIDS victims and playing with orphans to helping those trapped in human trafficking to meeting with and encouraging believers in their faith.
What will you bring with you?
Each World Racer leaves with a hiker’s pack weighing between 30-40lbs to meet airline weight restrictions. In it will be my sleeping bag, pillow, tent, mess kit, medical kit, 8 days of clothes, 2 pairs of shoes, my Bible, my journal, and my most basic necessities (and trust me, the definition of necessities here is a LOT different than what you have in mind).
How does your family feel about this?
That’s complicated… I’ve gotten support, but everyone in the fam is pretty reluctant. College after High School is the norm, and it’s definitely weird to deviate. But this is what God is calling me to do, and He’ll provide for me, as well as the vision for my family.
What happens when you come home?
When I come home I won’t have much, but I will have everything. I may not have a wardrobe bursting with clothes, but I will be clothed in the security of my Father in Heaven. I may not have a place to live, but I with my tent on my back I will have the freedom to live anywhere in the world. I may have missed weddings and births and funerals, but I will have gained memories and experiences and testimonies. I know the Lord will shake my world and those of the people I meet with the magical touch of His hand. Don’t worry about me. I will be okay. I will be forever changed.
What are your plans for after the Race?
I’d like to say I have that all figured out, but it’s just not realistic. In more than a year, I’ll be stepping off the missions field from the greatest adventure of my life. Any plans that I make on my own in that time will surely be wrecked and changed by my journey and by God’s vision for my future. I am trusting and putting my faith in the fact that the Lord will use me in ways that show my heart where I should go, what I should do, and how I should continue my ministry when I return home. As of right now, I would like to attend college after the race. Maybe I’ll wind up an Alabama cheerleader after all. As for a career, I’d like to say I’ll be doing something where I can help people. God has given me a heart for those in pain and in need already. Since being accepted on the World Race, he has given me the words and the guidance to speak with young girls, as well as girls my age, and share with them God’s love for them and his beautiful and awesome plans for their lives through normal conversations. I know that somehow, God will continue to use this in me… but who knows what the future holds.
Can you receive letters and packages while overseas?
I cannot receive packages for any reason other than emergencies. An emergency package contains only one of two things: a debit card to replace a missing one, or medication. The locations I will be living in are very remote. It just isn’t practical to send or receive packages. I can, however, receive and send snail mail when I have access to a post office. Write me. I’m a sentimental freak & a homebody as well, so I’d love to have letters and cards that I can take with me, and open along my journey to keep my friends and family close as I take on the world.
How can I stay updated on your travels?
To the left of this post you will see a place to type in your email address to receive email alerts each time that I post. I am required to blog once a week up until my launch date. After that point, I will be posting twice a week as long as internet access allows. I promise to post pictures!
How much does the trip cost?
The actually trip costs $13,805, but this amount does not cover a handful of things. It does not cover the cost of travel to and from training, the flight to the start of the Race, the flight back from the end of the Race, medical insurance, the cost of equipment, and some of the documents I will need. I’m guesstimating I will need to raise around $17,000.
When do you need to have your support raised by?
There are several financial deadlines that I have to meet, but I believe that I will be fully-funded before I ever set foot overseas! God will take care of me, I know it.
– July 22, 2016- $5,000 due and in World Race account
– September 16, 2016- $5,000 due and in World Race account
– The rest should be secured before launch (October 1) !
How can I help?
First and foremost I would so appreciate your prayers during this time and also while I travel. Pray for my team’s fundraising efforts and that God would be preparing our hearts in big ways for this God-adventure. Pray for our safety as we travel and that we might bring love and hope wherever we go. Read over the list of the nations we will travel to. Pray for these broken and hurting nations! Pray that the sweet people we meet will be open to hearing the truth of God’s word.
Financially, there are several ways to help. You can donate to my trip as a one-time gift or as monthly donations, allowing you to choose the amount and beginning and end date. If you would like to do this, please make checks payable to Adventures in Missions P.O. Box 742570 Atlanta, GA 30374-2570. Make sure to specify that you would like the donation to go to Hayden Schwarting or your donation will not be sent to my account. If you would prefer to make a donation online, you may do so by clicking the “Support Me” link in the upper left side of the page and complete your donation as instructed.
Thank you so much for your support already- it is truly amazing to see how God is moving in this journey!
xoxo,
Hayds
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
