WARNING: This blog is about money and fundraising *everyone’s favorite subject* but PLEASE hear me out. This has been heavy on my heart and mind lately, and I want to share with you some needs that I would love to see fulfilled. This is definitely not a typical blog post but one I feel needs to be written.
So here is the deal. I have reached and exceeded my fundraising goal!!! Praise God for his provision!!!! Thank you for your support of my going on the World Race. As I said in my last blog, I truly am so thankful for all of you, and every time I think about how God provided thousands of dollars for me to go on this trip, I just shake my head in disbelief. He provided in some really unexpected ways (typical God, right?), and the generosity of my community is astounding.
**My blog shows I still need around $5,000, but I have the money and am waiting to contribute the rest of the funds until right before I leave since it is a nonrefundable contribution.
The fundraising deadlines are $10,000 by December 21 to be able to launch in January, $13,000 by February 28, and $18,700 by April 30, so a person could still be on the field for a few months without being fully funded.
That being said, I have three teammates who are struggling very much financially to make this trip happen and are still around $3,000-$4,000 away from the $10,000 deadline. At Training Camp in October (you can read my blog titled “The Deets on Training Camp to learn more about what we did), I had the privilege of meeting my entire squad of 32 people from all around the country. Towards the end of our 10 days of training, we were given our small team assignments. My SQUAD travels to each country with me but is split into five different TEAMS of 6-7 people that will go to different parts of each country, and my TEAM is who I will be spending all day every day with. I was put on a team with five other girls (six including our leader), and I am very excited about being with these people because their stories and backgrounds are so different from mine. I have so much to learn from them, but I need them on this journey with me for that to happen!
I have talked with those three teammates specifically about their fundraising to try to help brainstorm ideas or figure out how I can help. If I’m honest, I have felt somewhat helpless for a while because they all live so far away from me that I can’t imagine how I can advertise their need in an effective way. I can’t help promote their fundraising events or talk to local businesses or churches for them. I can’t come up with as much money as they need by myself. I know I am so very blessed to have a large extended family, church family, coworkers, and friends who all support missions. That is a pretty rare thing when you think about it, and I can’t thank God enough for blessing me with an overwhelming amount of support from EVERYONE.
Unfortunately for my teammates, this is not the case. Either their families and friends are not supportive at all or they have moved around a lot throughout their childhood and don’t have the connections that I have had by staying in the same area my whole life. They have each tried so many different things to raise money with little success. Since we also need spending money in addition to the amounts listed above, most of what they make from their jobs is being saved for that purpose, in addition to paying their current living expenses. My heart goes out to them, and I want to help in any way I can. I realize that if they are meant to go on the World Race with me, God will ultimately provide for them, but have you considered that his provision might actually come through this appeal to you? Perhaps my amazing community is also meant to bless my teammates who lack the same support system I am so blessed to have. Maybe God will provide for them in a completely different way, but He has laid it upon my heart to at least make their needs known.
I do not write this with any intention of making you feel obligated to give nor has that ever been my intention throughout the entire fundraising process. I only want people to give if they truly want to do so, but I do believe that my asking for help offers you the chance to practice generosity and to invest in God’s work all around the world and in his people whom he loves so extravagantly. Will you consider investing in and blessing these lovely teammates of mine?
I would never want to take advantage of your generosity, but I would be so grateful if you would at least consider donating to one of my teammates. If you don’t feel led to give financially, please pray for their financial needs to be met or let me know of any other ways you can think of that we could help them.
- Does your workplace do matching donations? Would you consider making your match go to my teammates?
- Do you know a business that would donate? Adventures in Missions is a 501(c)(3) organization, making any donations tax deductible.
- Does your church support non-members? Can you help me get my teammates connected to the appropriate people if they do?
- If you’re unable to give yourself, do you know anyone who would?
You can read their blogs to learn more about them by clicking on the links below. If you were planning on giving to my trip all along and just haven’t done so yet, I would very much encourage you to donate to one of my teammates instead.
If you’re questioning why you would give to a perfect stranger, well, I am vouching for them, and you know me. If you still would rather not donate to someone you don’t know, you can donate to me, and I will in turn donate that amount to them. From this point forward, donations I receive will be donated to them, so you can just donate through my blog, and I will “pay it forward” to my teammates.
If you plan on giving large amounts directly to Adventures in Missions, please let me know before donating because any amounts I receive over $18,700 will go directly to Adventures in Missions’ general fund and will not help me or my teammates directly. Thank you all for considering this!
Kim Keller
Blog: https://kimkeller.theworldrace.org/
Hannah Green
Blog: https://hannahgreen.theworldrace.org/
Jessica Velez
Blog: https://jessicavelez.theworldrace.org/
Donating Online-
- To donate online, you can go to their blog pages, click on the “Donate!” link on the left-hand side of the page, and follow the donating instructions.
**Online donations can take up to 4 business days to process.
Sending a Donation in the Mail-
- Make checks payable to Adventures in Missions. You must include the person’s first and last name in the memo line or the donation will not be directed to their accounts. Please mail all checks to:
Adventures in Missions
P.O. Box 742570
Atlanta, GA 30374-2570
**Checks can take up to 2 weeks to process before they show up in the person’s account.
Adventures In Missions is a tax-exempt organization under IRS code 501(c)(3) and is a member of the ECFA. (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability). Due to IRS and ECFA regulations governing the administration of tax deductible donations given in support of a particular trip/program, support contributions given on behalf of an individual will be used to offset the costs of the trip/program you are involved in. All contributions are non-refundable regardless of the participant’s success in completing the program.
