This blog, and this announcement, have been a long time coming. I’ve been a bit nervous to post this, but thanks to encouragement from many different angles, I have decided that it’s time. Big things are happening, friends!
I told you all about the opportunity I am pursuing to lead a Passport trip this coming July, which I am still excitedly awaiting (don’t know what I’m talking about? Check it out here). However, this isn’t the “leaving” to which I am referring. Some of you may remember my first month of my World Race and our team’s partnership with Rescue Pink, which is a ministry that works to eliminate female infanticide and mistreatment through various outreach programs to local women and children. Back in Bulgaria, the Lord brought India to the forefront of my mind. I told the Lord that I didn’t know what to do with these thoughts, but I would be faithful to pray for the country and all those I met while I was there. After a few weeks, I felt prompted to reach out to Rescue Pink’s fundraising coordinator, Sherry. We began talking about the ministry and what ways they were looking at growing the program. One of the main things that Rescue Pink needs currently is an ESL (English as a Second Language) curriculum, written by someone who speaks the English language and has a background in education. I knew that Sherry knew (and she knew that I knew that she knew) that this was my area of study in college and that God had put India and Rescue Pink on my heart for a very specific reason.
I believe so fiercely in the ministry of Rescue Pink and the ways that they’re reaching out to and loving their community, despite differences (religious, etc.) that would often drive people apart. I believe so fiercely that the Lord allowed me to serve at Rescue Pink month 1 of my Race. I believe so fiercely that the Lord doesn’t allow ANY experience or season or prompting to be wasted… ever. So, because of that…
I’m Leaving. Again.
At the end of September 2018, I’ll be leaving to go back to India. This time, I won’t just be there for three weeks or a month. This time, I’ll be there for 6 months. During that time, I’ll be writing a year’s worth of unit-based English curriculum, as well as traveling to all four of the current Rescue Pink sites and enacting the curriculum and training the current teachers. I’ll be using everything I learned during my time in college (scaffolding, backwards planning, etc.) to create lessons that will help these girls strive for and achieve something so much bigger than everyone around them tells them they must settle for. My heart is to show these girls that they are worth something, that they are seen, that they are loved, that they can dream, and that they can break the mold set for them by hundreds of years of oppression and cruelty. My heart is to provide them with skills that they can use to communicate, grow, and potentially even get a job that will allow them to earn the finances that will provide for their basic needs.
While I am preparing to go to India to teach these girls skills that can one day provide for their basic needs, I need partners to provide for my basic needs. This time spent in India will be unpaid and unsubsidized, meaning that I need to embark on the fundraising journey yet again. Things like housing, bus tickets, food, clean water, and my flight are all necessary parts of this trip, and bring the total I need to raise to about $6,500. I cannot get to India or help these girls without help, and I want to invite you to be a part of this journey.
When you partner with me, Rescue Pink changes from simply being “Joanna’s organization” or “Joanna’s ministry” or “Joanna’s thing” to being YOURS. You are directly impacting the lives of these girls, and you are directly promoting social justice at a worldwide level. YOU become an active part of Rescue Pink, effecting change and planting seeds of hope in the lives of some of the sweetest and most promising girls you’ll ever encounter.
Would you pray about and consider becoming a one-time or monthly donor? To donate, please go to www.rescuepink.org/intern/ and click on the green DONATE button. I will be using this blog platform from now until I return to update you on my progress and the progress of the girls in the program. I can’t do this without you, and I’m so excited for YOU to become a part of the incredible ministry and outreach of Rescue Pink!
WOW FRIENDS. This feels like an insane step, but I know it’s absolutely 100% right. I’ll continue to update you as I get closer and closer to the end of September. Thank you for your thoughts, prayers, love, encouragement, support, partnership, and excitement! In honor of this incredible opportunity, I wanted to include some pictures of my time in India and the beautiful girls and women I’ll get to meet and partner with. Stay tuned, friends! There are amazing things happening!
