Hello Hello! Well, I will update you since the last time I wrote. As you can see from the title, I’m now at about 30% funded of my goal- all thanks to God!!! I was just beginning to support-raise the last time I wrote (which was only about 3 weeks ago), and I was only at around 3% to 5%. I’m very humbled by the support and love that I’m receiving- so thanks very much to everyone from the bottom of my heart. So yeah, it’s been going really well- just the amount of interest, support, love, and encouragement I’ve already been shown.
Another thing that’s new is that I went to a travel clinic for this trip and told them all the countries that I'm going to, and I was given 7 shots and 3 medications to try to help prevent me from getting certain diseases. I thought that the amount of shots was a little humorous, but I’m really glad and grateful to take as many preventive measures as I can.
I’ve also had some challenges and hardships as well. One of them is that my mom actually found out about this trip- and I had been waiting to tell her about it (I wanted to wait at least another month or so), so that she wouldn’t worry any longer than she had to (she just worries a lot about my safety). But I ended up having to tell her the basic details (just that it’s 11 months and I go to a few different countries), and it didn’t go down so well, and I ended up crying. But anyway, glory to God because now she seems to be doing well and is more accepting of it than I thought she'd be. And thanks to those of you who are praying for her- it's helping. And I think it’s good that she knows now because then I don’t have to be tip-toeing around it so much I guess.
I can tell that support-raising is already challenging and helping me to grow a lot in the areas of not being ashamed of God or the gospel (“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.”- Romans 1:16) and humility when asking for support, and the area of confidence. Although I like support-raising in general, sometimes it is just really hard and nerve-wracking for me to call and meet up with people because I don’t know how they’re going to react and how it will affect our relationship I guess. I put a lot of importance on my relationships I realize. And yeah I just get concerned about other peoples' opinions of me sometimes, so yeah I’m just learning to not put so much value in that you know especially since people have already expressed so many different opinions to me about this trip. "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?" -Psalm 56:3-4. I realize that I also put a really big emphasis on how I perform and what/how I think, say, and do things (in many areas of my life not just support-raising) because I have a strong desire to do the right thing and to be competent/excellent. While that is a good desire, it can often lead to insecurity. I’m just trying to always remember that it’s not about how I perform, that my worth does not come from my performance, but from my identity in Christ, and that God can work through my weaknesses and that I can boast about my weaknesses, so that Christ's strength can rest on me. “But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” -2 Corinthians 12:9.
I did actually have someone that I met up for support bluntly criticize how I was speaking and my “performance” I guess which was pretty hard and discouraging because it is one of things I really struggle with, and also what I was wearing/looked like (and it was from a Christian), but also it was good because it challenged me to be confident and unashamed. I realized that one of my biggest fears is being criticized/judged and now I was, so that’s kinda as worse as it can get. (Well I know it can get a lot worse, but yeah haha). I know that Jesus can understand.
But yeah it is for sure exciting to have these opportunities to tell others about Christ and about what I’m participating in and to catch up with people. I've been in prayer a lot about support-raising, my family/friends, my teammates, my supporters, the people in the countries that I'm going to, etc. Anywho, I should probably end this because my intent is to keep these as short as possible and this is kinda long ha. But yeah, again thank you so much for your support and prayers. It’s helping incredibly, so keep it up! God bless you!
I found this passage really encouraging:
"….For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many." 2 Corinthians 1:8-11
