Hello lovely people!
I want to take a quick moment to update y’all on how everything is going and to share a few things that I have carried with me for a long time.
First of all, I’m so happy and humbled to have been given this adventure and opportunity to not just travel and meet souls from all over the globe, but to also inspire and move the people that I already know here at home! I have been learning quite a bit from fundraising for this trip. One of those things is that no matter how exciting, huge, and good something is; it’s gonna be a hell of a challenge to get fully funded. And to be honest, that can be truly discouraging but then God sends me someone that believes in missions and in that we all have a part in fulfilling that call, and my hope is restored again. Because of those who believe and have acted upon their belief I have a little over $2,000! And I’m so incredibly humbled by that! So thank you, thank you, thank you!! I can’t express how much the support I’ve received so far means to me!
I would also like to announce that I have bought my backpacking pack and a tent!!! Which makes this all the more real! I still have quite a few things to purchase before leaving for training camp in July and it can get very expensive, so I’ve created an REI registry! If you are interested in helping me in a more tangible way here is the link to the registry!
>> http://www.rei.com/GiftRegistryDetails/GR76338601 <<
This summer I am planning two fundraisers to help support my trip! The first is a yard sale! I’ve asked people to donate things that they don’t want and that they would be willing to donate to have a wider variety of things. The family that I work for as a nanny has so kindly offered to lend me their yard to have this sale! It will be in about two weeks on June 14th. More details are posted on my Facebook, if y’all want to check it out! For the second fundraiser I am hoping to put together a benefit type concert at a local coffee shop in Dallas for late July or early August. Still working on the details for this one and will announce it as soon as it’s set up, so stay tuned for that!
So now that all of that is out of the way, here’s the meat of this post.
As a missionary you can experience some very awkward situations when in the process of raising funds for a trip(I hear it gets better…. we’ll see). For most of us, asking people who aren’t very close to us for financial help is not something that happens very often or ever. But missionaries live a very unconventional life and sometimes the path we’re called to take to fulfill a dream is just that, unconventional and uncomfortable(at least for me). And I’m slowly but surely learning to accept and embrace it all because the bigger picture for my life is much larger than me and my insecurities.
Like I mentioned earlier (and like the scripture says), we all have a part in fulfilling the call to reach every tongue, tribe and nation. But it looks different for all of us. Some of us are crazy enough to leave the comforts of home so we can travel halfway across the world to live amongst people who don’t speak our language and have a different way of life. Some of you may not feel that desire for your life and you’re happy to live vicariously through the lives of others, and that’s perfectly fine! But that in no way excludes you from fulfilling the call that our Lord Jesus gave us. If that last sentence offended you or made you uncomfortable, I’m sorry……..
Actually no, I lied.
I’m not sorry.
I believe that to be the truth.
Before I go on, I want to say that I’m not writing this to guilt trip anybody into doing anything. That is not my intention nor my job. I, also, in no way think that I have it all together, or like I know more than anyone else. I’m simply putting my thoughts and beliefs out there raw. We need more honesty in life.
If you are reading this and are not a believer in Jesus, then I want to share this with you: We all have a responsibility to the world we live in. Whether that be taking care of the planet or taking care of the people living on this planet. We all have a purpose and it is to help the life around us.
I do acknowledge the fact that we all have our own personal hardships and life and things to deal with and in no way am I invalidating that. What I wish to communicate is that there are matters in this world that are on a different level that we are all still responsible for. We do all have a purpose for the world around us and that calling isn’t just for when we feel like it. That calling is always there. It doesn’t leave and then come back when it’s convenient (it’s never gonna seem convenient). Our job is to figure out what we are to do. What we can contribute to the world.
For this season of my life I know that I am supposed to go on this World Race trip. I know that there are women who have survived horrifying situations that I am suppose to listen to, hug and love. I know that there are little babies out there without people to love them who I’m supposed to hold in my arms, play with, and shower with kisses. And I know that there are people out there who are supposed to encourage me, embrace me, and impact me for life. I long to meet all of these people. They are already in my heart and dreams.
So I leave you all with this:
Find something that draws you in, something you really care about and do what you can to help that situation. Give your time, devotion, money, creativity and support to something or someone that needs it. It’s a very simple concept, the hard part sometimes is laying down our lives for a greater cause. But I promise it’s worth it. It’s always going to be worth your sacrifice.
