I don’t think I am very good at this whole fundraising thing because I feel extremely awkward asking directly for money. I would much rather have some kind of event like a car wash or raffle, or maybe sell some crafts or baked goods, but I have already done all of that, and now I am overseas trying to figure out how to get $3,500 so I can stay for the last 4 months of the race. I don’t know how to go about this…other than asking. So, If you are reading this please consider making a donation and if you know anyone who would be interested in giving to this cause, please consider sharing my information with them! And now I am just going to tell you why this is a cause I believe in.
Before coming on the race, a few people expressed their concerns about how my work overseas would be valuable to the people here. How am I different from any other person who shows up in a foreign country, at some humanitarian organization, and says, “I’m here to serve you, put me to work”? I was wondering that too, before I came on the race. You know that feeling, “am I just another number?” or “Is there anything unique that I have to offer?”.
Now that I have been doing this for seven months, I can tell you that, I am different from my other squad mates. I do see things that other people don’t see. I have ideas that are unique and I have gifts and talents that I bring to the table. I don’t have to be a Doctor to be able to see a need and put forth action to address it. I have seen in each country how God has chosen me to do something that another person could not do. Why not? Because they are busy using their unique gifts and talents in another area to do something else.
The bible says the workers are few but the harvest is plenty. Its true. There are SOOOO many things to do. Everywhere. I never have enough time in any of these countries. There are people who need refreshment, encouragement, new faces, a caring conversation. There is so much to say, to do, to plan. I could have stayed longer in any of these countries.
I want to stay on this journey. I want to continue to meet other servant-hearted people who need a helping hand. I want to use this year of my life, here. I may not ever have this chance again. Life might take me another, more settled, direction. For now, I want to stay. I want to finish what I started. I just need help. I need help from people who are in a different spot in their life and are able to give. It just happens that right now, I am the doer. Some day I will probably get to be the giver.
I know one thing that goes unsaid is the social media pictures of me bungee jumping or petting a tiger that make it seem like its all fun and games over here. One of the hardest things for me on the race so far has been sharing my pictures because of course I want to share the cool/fun things I get to do but it can appear unbalanced because I don’t take pictures of the “day to day”. I share the highlight reel and the moments that I actually think to capture. You can’t see what the race is really like in my pictures. There is so much more to what we do over here than what could ever be shown in a picture. The majority of the time I am living in the moment and not taking pictures so honestly there isn’t really a way to capture the meaningful things in pictures but you can trust me and read in my blogs that God is at work and using every one of us, individually.
In short: Please consider supporting me and sharing my story with others who may be willing to!!
