I would like to thank Paige Harris for sharing this much needed blog! I’ve had many people ask me these specific questions, and would like to also share them with those who have partnered with me in this thrilling adventure!
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As I continue to support raise, I’ve noticed a trend of questions. Really good questions. My intention for this blog post is clarity. Let’s get to it.
Any World Race specific LINGO will be big & bold for reference.
Q: What is The World Race?
A: The World Race is a program through ADVENTURES IN MISSIONS. It is an 11 month missions adventure to 11 countries. Participants go through an application and interview process for a specific ROUTE. My route trains in August and launches in October 2016. I will return to the United States around September 2017. I will return to Georgia, USA approximately 1 month after The World Race, for an additional debrief session with October squads.
My route is October Route 2:
Asia (India, Nepal, Vietnam, Cambodia)
Africa (South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland)
South America (Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Argentina)
Q: Why are you raising $16,961? Why so much? Where does the money go?
A: The cost of my program is $16,961 to cover all costs of travel and living abroad. This includes everything from visas, airplane tickets, food, missionary health insurance, to ministry costs. This money goes directly to Adventures in Missions. I do not handle any of the money raised. It processes through AIM headquarters in Georgia. Any additional money raised over my assigned amount, does not go to me, but a general fund for AIM. Therefore, I will notify all supporters when I am FULLY FUNDED.
More on raising funds…
I am encouraged to fundraise the entire amount, rather than contribute my own funds. I like to call this SUPPORT RAISING… this process is more than funds. I consider my senders to be ministry partners. This mission is a partnership. I am your representative of our community, the Church, and JESUS CHRIST. I take this call seriously.
Sub question: What will you do about money on the race?
I am currently saving personal money (from my job) for unforeseen, emergency situations, small gifts for family/friends/hosts, and occasional soul-care adventures during my time-off. This money DOES NOT come from any donations received. Other personal expenses that are out-of-pocket: gear (backpacks, tent, sleeping bag, compression packs…), vaccinations, prescription medicines, etc. This along with money spent on fundraising is my personal financial contribution toward the mission.
Q: Who are you going with?
A: My route consists of approximately 40+ young persons (young professionals, recent graduates, students, non-students)… this is my SQUAD. As a squad, we will travel together to the same countries and meet-up for occasional debrief and leadership weekends. However, our ministry locations and work will differ. Upon arrival of a country, we will split into TEAMS. Teams are 5-7 individuals who DO LIFE together. We are with each other 24/7. We give each other genuine FEEDBACK everyday to help sharpen each other (this is a real thing… every single day!) and we submit weekly CELEBRATIONS & CHALLENGES to leadership for accountability and encouragement. Each person in a team has a team role, decided by leadership during TRAINING CAMP. These roles include a team leader, treasurer, communications point-person, and more. Teams will likely change 1-2 times, while abroad. Training camp will be held for ten days in the middle of August in Georgia, USA. Training camp is all about team building and preparing physically, mentally, and spiritually. This is six weeks before LAUNCH. Launch takes place a few days in October in Georgia, USA before we travel to our first country. This is the final training and preparation. Loose itineraries will be assigned. Our parents have the option of attending parent sessions and a final, tearful, commissioning service.
While abroad, the squad is backed by a squad-specific leadership team. This includes SQUAD LEADERS, alumni Racers who travel some with us and identify/raise up new squad leaders within our squad to lead. We also have a marvelous crew of SQUAD MOBILIZERS, MENTORS, COACHES, TRAINERS, COORDINATORS… and more! We are well cared for!
Q: Who are you staying with?
A: We will stay with local ministry hosts, called CONTACTS. We join the work of the local church through these contacts. If our contact does not speak English, we will have access to an interpreter. Our contact teaches us about their country and cultural expectations. Most times, we will pay our contacts upon arrival for boarding arrangements. (However, there are times when we stay in our tents for the month and do our own grocery shopping via team budget!)
We will not know much about our contacts until launch, and even then, we are given limited information. This information is subject-to-change (AND OFTEN DOES!), so leadership prepares Racers to not maintain ANY expectations.
Many of ya’ll have inquired specifics about province/state/city/village… simply, I do not know. I will likely not know until I arrive in that country.
PSA: Another reason to SUBSCRIBE FOR UPDATES… so I can tell you where in the world we are and what kind of work we are doing, and access pictures.
Q: What are you doing in each country?
A: We will join in God’s work, often through our contacts. Some months we may be charged to choose-your-own-adventure and make new contacts for future Racers.
We will participate in many service-oriented projects (manual labor, construction, farming, hiking into villages, cutting grass with machetes – S/O TO MY GIRL JORDAN…), build relationships with contacts and locals through encouragement and love, teach English, and even preach.
We will have some “time-off” to engage, explore, reflect, and refresh. I’m not sure how often this will be yet. But I trust the time will come when it is needed.
(I tweaked the answers to the next two so they were personalized)
Q: Are you nervous?
A: This past summer I had the amazing experience of spending the month of June in Seronga, Botswana. It was during that month that I experienced a feeling of being more alive than that, that I can ever recall. Throughout the month God opened my eyes to a desire I had to experience the world and all of its abundance. It was on the bus ride to our returning flight that I first signed up for the race. Its through this desire and peace that I am thrilled and humbled at this opportunity.
Q: The world is a dangerous place, do you think with today’s international dangers that it may not be the best time?
A: This is one of my favorite questions to be asked. I am currently studying in the field of Emergency Management, in which I hope to use to work on an international platform. Throughout the courses we take we are required to be educated on the current, long-standing, and previous potential threats at both the domestic and international levels. Now while many might question my sanity stepping out into these many potential dangers. I think back to Benny Prasade’s words (for those of you who haven’t check out my first blog, and watch the video at the end) “My friends if you really want to talk about Jesus, nobody can stop you; so don’t use excuses so go forward, He died on the cross to rescue you from sin and give you eternal life. I cannot keep Jesus to myself…”
Romans 10:14 – Paul says,
But how will people call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how will they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher (messenger)?
1 Corinthians 9:19-23 – Paul says, 19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone,to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews.To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
I sincerely hope this post was helpful. I welcome any additional questions. Please post them in a comment below and I will update this blog, accordingly!
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