Happy New Year! I just finished my first semester of my junior year at North Park University. If your fall was as crazy as mine I’m sure it flew by. I kept busy by starting on the soccer team, leading a discipleship group, joining the spiritual formation team at University Ministries, and becoming the head student Athletic Trainer for the Women’s basketball team. Alongside all these new activities, I have been processing through something that is changing my life.
My sophomore year was a journey of heart ache, unbelievable joy and everything in between. I was at a place where I felt unworthy and like God had forgotten about me. Thankfully I had a supportive community and God had much more in store. Through Psalms 139 and my experience in Zambia I found HE made me and that I am not a failure. In the summer of 2013 I began to wonder about who God is and what it really means to follow Him. I realized I was living my life apart from God and desired more than anything to intimately know Him. I never expected God to speak to me and was shocked when I felt He was calling me to step out of my comfort zone and to do this thing called the World Race. I doubted whether this was from me or from God, but over and over He brought me back to the World Race. Then it hit me, I had asked God to show me ways I could grow closer to Him. But I had never thought about surrendering to His plan. I began to realize he is calling me to trust Him, to let go of everything I know that is safe and familiar and to go. I will allow God to reveal Himself and His plan, and let Him be Lord of my life, literally, not just something I pray and read about.
The World Race, you are wondering? http://www.theworldrace.org/ It is a program through Adventures in Missions (AIM). It is an 11 month mission trip to 11 different countries. It’s not just mission work, but also an intensive discipleship program. AIM brings authentic and purposeful community to serve the multitude of people on this earth so that we are stretched to discover more of who we are, who He is, and how we fit into His kingdom plan. My team and I will partner with ministries to serve in a multitude of ways. We may be preaching the gospel, working in orphanages, ministering to women and children enslaved by human trafficking, and bringing the restorative hope of the father’s love to many tribes and nations.
My race starts this September 2014 and I’ll get back at the end of August 2015. At this point we are scheduled to be serving in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Honduras, South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland, Albania, Turkey, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. I have training camp from July 12-19, 2014. At training camp l get to know my team and prepare for the coming year.
If you are seeing this than you have either been involved in my life some way or you’re a random person who came across this blog. whoever you are I hope you can see some of my heart. I am asking for your help- prayerfully and financially.
To be honest beginning this journey has been challenging. And I really need prayer for:
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fears of leaving my home and the supportive community I have here
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Being able to selflessly make this about God and not me
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Worrying about the dynamics of my WR team
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Diving fearlessly into the unknown
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Trusting God will financially provide
In order for this trip to take place I am required to raise $16,254. This number terrifies me. I know I can’t raise this amount of money without the support of many people. Would you take some time to consider supporting me in this opportunity God is calling me towards? I must meet certain deadlines:
By June 28, 2014 I need to be at $3,500 which is about 25%
By August 18, 2014 I need to be at $7,500 which is about 50%
By December 1, 2014 I need to be at $11,000 which is about 70%
And finally half way through the trip March 1, 2015 I need to be fully funded.
There will be another blog post called “Important Information Regarding Donations” that will have more information on the different methods of supporting me financially. However, if you click on the tab to the left of this post called “support me” that will lead you to a place where you can make online donations. With that said all that information plus more will be on the next blog post.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and to carefully and prayerfully consider supporting me. It means so much that I have friends, family, and people I don’t even know who are walking along side me in this process. Continue to check out my blog here to learn more about me, the race, support opportunities and to follow my journey from this point forward.
Without Him I’d be nothing,
Joe
