Just over 3 weeks until launch. Wow. When I was accepted to the World Race nearly 6 months ago this day seemed so very far away. Now I’m running around like a crazy person trying to finish my to-do list in time! Here are some updates so that we’re all on the same page.
Route change:
In true World Race style, my route has changed! Although any change leads to some uncertainty, I am excited for this one and love the feeling of following wherever God calls. Here’s the new route:
Guatemala
Honduras
Nicaragua
Costa Rica
Thailand
Myanmar
Cambodia
Malaysia
Philippines
South Africa
Swaziland
Packing and Preparing:
Considering I’m leaving the country in a few weeks, I think this is all going pretty well. This week has been all about tying up some of the last big necessities, leaving me the remainder of my time to make final decisions about what I can’t live without for a year. Oh, and making it all fit in my backpack.
This is also my last week at work, so I’m expecting to be able to work miracles with that extra 40-45 hours of free time I’ll have starting next week! Preparing to leave my job has been an interesting time. I had never planned to stay at this job, yet it is so representative of the comfort and stability I’m leaving behind that I’ve had mixed feelings as I prepare to walk away from it. Still, I feel like God’s biggest challenge to me has been letting go of the things I hide behind and take the proverbial leap of faith, so one of my greatest excitements about the Race is stepping into a lifestyle of passionately serving and living out my faith. And I have to say how blessed I have been in having a boss and co-workers who not only support me in the Race but are going out of their way to help me get things ready. Thank you.
Saying good-bye:
Last week I said my first good-bye, and it definitely started to hit home. Between making arrangements to cram in quality time with everyone I know and tearing up while buying baby clothes for the niece I won’t meet until she’s 8 months old, leaving is always in the back of my mind. I know that it’s easy to mourn what we’re going to miss out on, but I think that’s mostly because we don’t know yet what incredible things we’re about to experience. As I think every Racer can probably attest to, it’s a constant struggle between preparing for and anticipating the year to come and remaining present while we’re still here with our friends and families. Thankfully, my nephew’s greatest concern this week is that his cat will miss me. If that’s my biggest problem, I’ll take it J
Fundraising:.
I don’t know how to describe the amazing generosity I have seen through this process. I have to give a huge thank you to my church, which is small but mighty. I shouldn’t be surprised at the willingness of my congregation to rally behind a member and faithfully trust God (and by extension, me) with their money. Because of this church and several other wonderful donors outside of it, I am very close to being fully funded. I’m currently at $15,100, which leaves me just $1,900 short of the support I am required to raise for the World Race. My friends, thank you. God is so faithful to us, and I’m so thankful to you for your faithfulness as well.
If you would like to help me with this last little bit, click the Support Me link on the left. My goal is to be fully funded before Launch. This is definitely possible! Several people have asked me about personal finances, so I’ll address that too. My fully funded amount does not include what I am paying out of pocket for my gear, travel medicine, plane tickets to launch, or any of my personal expenses during my year abroad. A low estimate of my pre-trip expenses is around $1,200. If you feel moved to contribute in this way you can e-mail me to find out how.
I also have a Wish List at Amazon, Kaila’s World Race Wish List. This has a few things I NEED to buy before the Race (like more packing cubes, compression sacks, and a mosquito net) and some things I would like to have if budget allows (like a small yoga mat, some accessories for my tablet, and some Amazon credit to buy e-books over the next year). If anyone would like to purchase any of these items I would love it – please shoot me a quick e-mail at [email protected] if you do so I can remove it from the wish list and avoid doubles. Let me take a minute here to thank an AMAZING friend (you know who you are) who purchased EVERYTHING that was previously on my REI gift registry. Thank you so, so much! *Update: My compression sacks, yoga mat, tablet accessories, external hard drive, and mosquito net have been purchased for me! I feel like a broken record, constantly saying how amazed and thankful I am by the generosity I’ve received. It’s so great to see God’s provision through this process!
Prayer needs:
For the most part I’m excited and not as stressed out as I thought I would be, but there are some areas I would love to have lifted up in prayer.
1) 1) That I would be able to stay present and feel like everything is finally done, so that I can rest and enjoy these last few weeks at home.
2) 2) Right now, the biggest attacks are coming against my health. Nothing dire, but I’ve had a few unexpected issues come up including some VERY expensive dental work. Needless to say, the stress of dealing with all of this the month before Launch is not helping me stay calm. Also, the financial strain is definitely a concern. I do not want my focus right now to be on money, so please be in prayer. God is already moving in huge ways and providing ways for me to take care of this pesky health stuff in time and without going broke. Keep it coming!
3) 3) I have several wonderful people on my squad who need some help to meet our December 23rd financial deadline. These are people who are as passionate about this calling as I am, so please pray that they will receive the money on time. If you have time, browse through the other A-Squad blogs. You’ll be impressed!
Friends, thank you for your support. Thank you for dealing with my crazy self as I try to navigate this exciting but trying time. Oh, and I hope everyone reading this will sign up for blog updates! It’s really easy, just click on the Updates button on the left. That way you’ll never miss ANYTHING I have to say!
