It’s been awhile since I posted, and I just wanted to give a few quick updates on what is and will be happening with my trip, as well as a list of specific prayer requests for those of you who would like to partner with me through prayer 🙂
Quick Updates
- I will be at Training Camp from October 16-26 in Georgia! For about two weeks, I will be getting to know the rest of my team, hiking and roughing it in my tent with all of my gear, and to be perfectly honest, I am not really sure about the rest! I’m pretty sure I will have a lot more answers to some of your questions after my time at Training Camp, maybe even more information about what ministries I will be working with and where in each country I will be, but no promises!
- I have been checking a lot of preparation items off of my list for the last few months and am happy to say that most of the big things are done, such as vaccinations, figuring out what to do with my car and where I will live, getting a Power of Attorney, and all of those super fun necessary life things. I’m sure more will continue to come up, but there are some things I simply can’t do until December anyway, so what can be done is done.
- Fundraising – WOW. THANK YOU to all who have so generously supported me financially. I am SO thankful for God’s provision, and I never could have done this without the help of so many people. I have reached my initial fundraising goal, but am continuing to accept donations since income from my job will be going partly to the World Race in December but also to unexpected expenses (and expected expenses) that are bound to come up before I leave. Unexpected expense #1 that recently came up: I need new tires. Ugh. I also am unsure as to when I will be leaving my job, and even one paycheck makes a huge difference in what I am able to put towards my trip. I initially planned on a total cost of around $22,000 and expected to pay about $10,000 of that myself. I can try and guess what I will be able to pay myself but really can’t know, so your donations are still SO APPRECIATED! God provides, and it’s been so amazing to see how he does it, so thank you for being a part of that!
Prayer Requests
Training camp:
- Safety in travel
- Ability to know how to use all of my new gear (I’m no expert camper over here)
- Unity within my team – that we will not compare ourselves or be intimidated by each other but will love each other well and unite under the common goal of loving Jesus and showing people who He is, that we will help each other grow in faith
- Ability to complete the 2.2 mile hike with all of my gear in 38 minutes! For those of you who don’t know, they just want to be sure that we are in pretty good physical condition since we could potentially have to hike many miles with all of our gear while on the World Race. Not like I’m a slow walker, but 38 minutes is a pretty brisk pace for a 2.2 hike with 30-40 pounds on your back in the heat of Georgia…
Preparation:
- That I will be able to think of and take care of everything that needs to be done before leaving in January and that I won’t be overwhelmed by last minute things that may come up
- Packing – I have some of the big stuff but have a lot of little things I need to figure out, and it’s actually kind of hard to know what you need and don’t need for 11 months out of country when it all has to fit in one bag!
- That I will have motivation to make healthy eating choices and prepare myself physically so that I am in good shape before I leave
- That all of my relationships here would not fade simply because I am leaving but that they would be strengthened
- That I would continue to have opportunities for sharing what God is doing in my life
- God’s provision if I am unable to stay at my job for as long as I hope to (and his provision even if I do stay as long as I want to), that I will be able to leave on good terms with my employer and all of my coworkers
- That my heart will be focused completely on God through all of the preparation and that God would bring to light any motives for going on this trip that do not honor Him
- That I will be continually resting in who God is in these months before I leave – through all of the everyday routines and busyness of making sure things get done
While on the World Race:
- Safety in travel and in places of the world that may not be safe
- Good health and protection from the elements in places that aren’t known for pristine sanitary conditions
- **Courage to keep choosing to follow Jesus even in times of loneliness, fear, or the unknown**
- That God will bring verses I have memorized, songs I know, and encouragement from others to mind when I am in those moments of doubt or fear, that God will make his presence and love known to me in those moments especially
- Perseverance (for 11 months) through living conditions that are different than what I am used to and that I won’t miss my own bed too much!
- Unity within my team – same request as Training Camp!
- That God would prepare the hearts of the people we encounter and that God would give us his love to love them and wisdom in our words and actions
- That God will use me and my team in accomplishing His will on earth and that we would come home changed and with a renewed passion for Jesus and people
- That God will give me comfort when I am missing things back home such as holidays, birthdays, weddings, annnnnnnnnnndddddd the birth of my niece or nephew (TBD) in March 2019 to my sister who lives in Sioux Falls – so sad I won’t be there L
- That God will help me and my team to choose attitudes of joy and love despite circumstances
- That above all, God will be honored in everything we do and we will grow closer to Him
**Honestly, probably my biggest request for prayer right now is that God will help me to keep choosing Him and resting in His love even when my emotions are overwhelming me. 11 months of being gone has been sinking in more and more as January creeps closer. The fear that keeps coming to mind is that I won’t be able to make it 11 months being away from home because even that thought has brought me to tears already, and I’m still here for 3 more months. It’s easy to say now that I can go 11 months when I’m not lost and overcome with loneliness and fear, but emotions are powerful, deceitful, and convincing. The truth? I know God is faithful, I know He is always with me, I know I’m not supposed to be able to do it on my own, but regardless of those truths, it’s still been and will be a struggle for me. With all of my heart, I want to choose Christ despite what that means giving up, so I would love your prayer for courage in those moments when I am overcome with emotion.
If there’s anything else you want to know about Training Camp or the World Race, I would love to answer those questions for you, so don’t hesitate to reach out to me!
