Training camp is in 8 days.
Holy cow.
I'm freaking out.
But not for the normal reasons that Racers do for training camp. I'm excited about the road trip to get there, meeting my squadmates in person (who I already love so deeply!) I can't wait to rough it in the backwoods of Georgia, maybe with showers, hike with all of my gear, get with Jesus and get rid of some of the junk I insist on carrying around in my heart, worshiping alongside my squad, and beginning the process of breaking down to myself so that I can be built back up in Him. I can't wait to be placed on a team, and learn who the immediate family I will be living and working with for at least part of the year, until team changes, will be.
But the reality is that we might not make it there.
Because Josh and I are going on the World Race as a married couple, we have to fundraise for two people. Many Racers cringe at the $15,500 that is needed to make it happen, but imagine doubling that. $31,000 is almost as much as Josh and I have in student loan debt. Every deadline means that we have to double the amount needed by most people. Sometimes the stress of trying to figure out how the heck it is going to happen is crippling.
But then I remember the God that I serve. He loves to surprise us and bless us, especially at the eleventh hour.
We need to have $1,600 more than we have right now in order to make it to Training Camp. Every inch of my heart is longing to be there with my F Squad family. I believe that it will happen.
But still, I find fear
creeping
up
on
me.
I don't want to be fearful. "The Lord is my light and my salvation-whom [what] should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life-of whom [what] should I be afraid?" Psalm 27:1 (brackets are my addition).
*What if we don't raise the money?
*What if we have to leave our F Squad family and have our hearts broken?
*Am I stupid or naiive to think this is doable?
*If we make this deadline, how are we going to make the next one on June 17th? (6,000 more, or 13,000 total).
But you know what I noticed about every single one of these questions? They all have "I" or "We". "We" are not the ones who need to raise the money and shoulder all the stress we are putting on ourselves.
It's like a parent and a kid who have just checked out at the store, and the kid wants to carry all of the bags, including the gallon of milk, the bag packed with cans of veggies, the tub of icecream, and the 24 pack of sodas. There is just no way the kid can carry it all. So, the parent, in love and wisdom, says, "Sweetie, why don't you let me carry them. Here, you can carry the bag with the bread."
God can totally do this Himself, but He is letting us take part in His work because He loves us, and He wants us to be a part of it. I have to remind myself daily, wait, who am I kidding, about every few minutes or hour, that I can loose my tight hold on this. It is something that I want so badly, and we are so close, that I am afraid if I let go it will slip away.
Can you say control freak?
That is one thing that I am SO looking forward to working on and conquering with the World Race, and with whatever long term missions work we do in the future. I definitely could do it here as well, but the Race will help me along in that process, as well as to figure out how to do that while on the mission field.
Please consider partnering with us, and helping us to first get to Training Camp, then to launch in July, and I look forward to one day when I can shout that elusive F word from the rooftops…"Fully Funded!"
If you would like to donate to our Support Account to help us make the $1,600 to make it to Training Camp, the best way to do that is to mail us a check. We were given an extension on our deadline, so we have to bring the rest of the money with us to Training Camp. Please make it out to Adventures in Missions, with Josh and Jen Mendenhall in the memo line. Then mail it to our house at:
2104 S Candace St
Ozark, MO 65721
It may take a couple of weeks for the check to be cashed, because they will be at the camp for the week, too, and sometimes it takes several days to process.
It doesn't stop at the $1,600, though. We will need $6,000 more to reach the $13,000 mark in order to launch in July. You can donate online by clicking the "Support Us" tab on the left.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Lots of Love from the Mendenhalls.
