Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears! I am here to tell you a story of a young man who has wild dreams and crazy aspirations. This young man is Jackson Moushon, the author of this letter. My story begins in the 9th grade. I was eating lunch one day, and I was rather enjoying it. Out of nowhere, a guy who was in the grade above me came over to our table and asked us a question. He asked if anyone wanted to go on a mission trip. I have always felt called to missions, and so I was, of course, curious. I inquired about it, and he told me that it was a two-week trip to Panama over the summer. It sounded like an amazing opportunity, and so I said I would talk to my parents about it. I never dreamed that they would say yes, but after a lot of prayer and pleading, they did.
This marked the beginning of my missionary career. I went to Panama that summer with my friend, and I loved it so much that for the next two summers I went to the South American country of Suriname for a month each summer. I got to see God work in many amazing ways in those countries. God has grown me through those experiences, and I will never be the same because of them. I am now a senior in high school, and I will be graduating at the end of May 2017. I still love God, and I know that I am called to go on the mission field even more.
A few years ago, I had heard about something called The World Race. The World Race is a mission trip where you can go to eleven countries in eleven months, or you can go to three continents in nine months. I thought that was awesome, but I was too young. This year, I turned eighteen which is the age requirement for the nine-month long trip. I, of course, asked my mother if she would be ok with me going on a trip like this. Since you are getting this letter, you can assume she said yes.
I am pleased to announce that I have applied and been accepted into The World Race Gap Year program. I will spend from September 2017 to May 2018 in five different countries. The countries I will be going to are: Ecuador, Zambia, Malawi, Mongolia, and China. I am so happy to have the opportunity to serve God in this way. However, it is not smooth sailing for me yet. I still have to prepare for this trip. I need to be strong both physically and spiritually. I also have the huge task of raising enough money to go.
The trip costs about $15,000 dollars. Checking my wallet, I seem to be a little short of that amount. This is where you come in. Many of you may not be called to the mission field, or you may not have the time. I have the time and the calling but not the resources. I would be so grateful for any support you can give me.
Also, I will need one other thing that is more important than money. I need prayer support for my team and me. I will be writing a blog to keep my supporters informed. . Before the trip, I will post information on the trips and updates on how I’m doing. I love all of you and would like to thank you all for the support you have given me in the past and the support you give me now.
Sincerely,
Jackson Hayes Moushon
