I sent the below email to my supporters, but God told me to also put it in a blog. Of course I was initially squirming at the idea of asking even MORE people for help, but so far, people have been tremendously willing to pitch in.
And I’m adding this: Whatever I raise beyond what I’m asking for here will go towards getting me a car when I get home, and here’s why.
I had to sell my beloved old Sentra so I could afford my vaccinations and gear for the Race, and I was SO mad at God about it. For so long I complained to him about what I might possibly do when I get home, because it’s hard to get a job or get involved in a church without a car, and even harder to get a car without a job. Finally in Malaysia he interrupted my whining and said, “You could ask ME for a car…” and I laughed. He asked, “Why are you so sure that I want to send you home to nothing? Why would I provide all your needs for eleven months and not continue to take care of you after that?”
So, I’m not expecting to come home and find a Lexus in my driveway, nor am I expecting someone to read this and buy me a car, or anything else hugely miraculous. I’m simply saying: hey, here’s how much money I need for the rest of my Race, and don’t worry if your donation puts me over that goal because it’ll still greatly help me.
I had to sell my beloved old Sentra so I could afford my vaccinations and gear for the Race, and I was SO mad at God about it. For so long I complained to him about what I might possibly do when I get home, because it’s hard to get a job or get involved in a church without a car, and even harder to get a car without a job. Finally in Malaysia he interrupted my whining and said, “You could ask ME for a car…” and I laughed. He asked, “Why are you so sure that I want to send you home to nothing? Why would I provide all your needs for eleven months and not continue to take care of you after that?”
So, I’m not expecting to come home and find a Lexus in my driveway, nor am I expecting someone to read this and buy me a car, or anything else hugely miraculous. I’m simply saying: hey, here’s how much money I need for the rest of my Race, and don’t worry if your donation puts me over that goal because it’ll still greatly help me.
——–
If the World Race has taught me anything about myself, it’s this: asking for help is one of the hardest things in the world for me to do.
But if the World Race has taught me anything about the body of Christ, it’s this: just about everybody loves giving help. If they know that it’s needed.
And if my time in Asia has taught me anything about God, it’s that he is GOOD. He delights in filling our lives with good things, and he wants us to ask him to bless us.
Money has been the most daunting thing about the World Race from the day I first looked it up two years ago. I had to ask people for sixteen thousand dollars, then I had to save money for vaccinations and all of my gear. The money in my AIM account provides for my base needs(lodging, transportation, four dollars a day for food, etc), but there are other things that I have to personally cover; sometimes four dollars doesn’t buy much to eat, sometimes you get sick and your medical bill isn’t high enough for insurance to cover it, sometimes you’d rather send your clothes to the laundry service down the street than wash them by hand(and in turn support a local family’s business).
Most Racers fundraise for personal money as well, but I was so worried about meeting my required deadlines that I only asked for people to give to my AIM account.
And God had made it very clear from the time I was accepted to the Race that he wanted me to do it with very little of my own money. From spending my last bit of savings on last minute doctor bills and a broken down car, to having an ATM eat my debit card our first week in Bolivia and Charles Schwab refusing to send a new one for four months…I assumed God was telling me that I was supposed to do the whole year with no personal money.
It didn’t cross my mind that maybe he was telling me to take an extra step of faith and ask other people to meet those needs, until my team leader told me that I’m afraid to ask God for help because I’m afraid he doesn’t want to give me good things, and I’m afraid to ask people for help because I don’t like admitting that I can’t do everything myself.
She knows me too well.
She knows me too well.
So, as much as I’d like to say “Look how I took care of myself for eleven months!” I’m swallowing my pride and admitting that I need just a teeny bit more help from all of you back home.
Total I’ve spent less than $300 in 8 months…but I’m down to $28 in the bank and still have 3 more months to go.
No matter who you are reading this, I’m asking the same thing from each of you: Will you give five dollars to help get me to the end of my trip?
Even if you are the only person that gives, YOUR five dollars makes a difference to me all on its own! To prove it, for each of you who gives just that much, I’m planning on taking a picture of how I spent your specific donation and sending it to you.
Examples:
Five dollars will buy me a snack in the afternoon(probably every day for a week) on the days when we have 7 hours between the meals our hosts provide.(If you’ve ever been around me when I’m hungry, you know how much I’ll thank you for this!)
Five dollars will buy me a snack in the afternoon(probably every day for a week) on the days when we have 7 hours between the meals our hosts provide.(If you’ve ever been around me when I’m hungry, you know how much I’ll thank you for this!)
It buys me a couple hours of reliable internet so I can Skype my mom(which she’ll thank you for as much as I will).
It buys me a Starbucks drink when all I need is a quick taste of home(ask my teammates, I’ll be smiling for the next three days).
It buys me a real meal on a travel day when I’m sick of living off of Oreos and Pringles.
Then there are three bigger things(two needs and one want) that your five dollars can go towards.
1)I need $35 to pay back my recent doctor bill from getting typhoid fever.
2)I need about $200 for my plane ticket home at the end of May. The money I raised for AIM covers my flight with my whole squad from South Africa to the US, but from wherever we land(most likely NYC, DC or Chicago) to home I have to pay out of my pocket. And there isn’t much in my pocket.
3)I’ve spent about $30 a month for things like food and internet, sometimes a bit more(like in Japan where things are more expensive than America) or a bit less(like in Colombia where we weren’t allowed to leave our house).
And while I’ve said no to most fun tourist-y things in all my other countries to save money, I really don’t want to have to say no to a safari in Botswana(which I’ve heard are around $100ish, no more than $200).
2)I need about $200 for my plane ticket home at the end of May. The money I raised for AIM covers my flight with my whole squad from South Africa to the US, but from wherever we land(most likely NYC, DC or Chicago) to home I have to pay out of my pocket. And there isn’t much in my pocket.
3)I’ve spent about $30 a month for things like food and internet, sometimes a bit more(like in Japan where things are more expensive than America) or a bit less(like in Colombia where we weren’t allowed to leave our house).
And while I’ve said no to most fun tourist-y things in all my other countries to save money, I really don’t want to have to say no to a safari in Botswana(which I’ve heard are around $100ish, no more than $200).
So:
$235 is what I definitely, desperately need(for my doctor bills and flight home). $500 would provide for that plus all of the above big and small needs, and for me to not go home totally broke. Close to it, but not totally. 🙂
As much as I appreciated $5 donations when I needed $3,000, they make an even bigger difference when I’m only asking for $500, so I mean this more than ever when I say I’m only asking for a little bit!
$235 is what I definitely, desperately need(for my doctor bills and flight home). $500 would provide for that plus all of the above big and small needs, and for me to not go home totally broke. Close to it, but not totally. 🙂
As much as I appreciated $5 donations when I needed $3,000, they make an even bigger difference when I’m only asking for $500, so I mean this more than ever when I say I’m only asking for a little bit!
And if you donate $11 or more, I’ll send you a postcard from either Swaziland, Botswana or South Africa; if you have a preference, let me know! Otherwise I’ll send it from the country where I spend your money.
How to donate:
-To give through Paypal, just log into your account, click “send money to family or friends” and enter [email protected].
-To give through Paypal, just log into your account, click “send money to family or friends” and enter [email protected].
-If you do not have a Paypal account or just would rather not give online, you can make a check out to me and email me to ask for my home address. My mom will deposit it to my bank from there.
——-
