“I’m running away! Nobody loves me,” I yelled at my father.
I was only about 6 or 7 years old and convinced that neither he or anyone else in my family loved me. I marched to my dresser drawers and started stuffing a plastic grocery sack with clothes and the $2 I had.
As I walked into the living room, my dad asked me a painful question…”Do you want a ride?”
He was calling me out on my bluff, but it only made the tears come harder. I walked out of the house with plans to never return. That is, until I hit the driveway and the neighbors said, “Hey Marissa!” as they barbecued some kind of meat. I was halfway down the driveway, I waved while holding my grocery bag, lowered my head and walked back into our house.
I was too embarrassed to run away.
I still can’t decide whether what my father told me that day was good or bad, since I’m pretty sure it scarred me. As an adult I believe he meant no harm, but I’ve always believed that running away was never the answer.
Life’s tough? Be tough and face it.
You don’t know what to do next? Be tough and face it.
I’ve been back in the U.S. for almost five months now and I’ll be honest. I don’t know how to be tough and face it. Life, that is.
I was at a conference with some women from my church a couple of weeks ago and I had to leave after the World Vision presentation. I started crying as soon as they showed an African road. I couldn’t stop throughout the entire video. Those hungry kids? Those streets? Those mud huts?
They are no longer in some far away, almost imaginary land. I know those places. The people have names. Names like Grace, Hope and Gloria.
And I don’t know what to do.
So I’m running away and doing the only thing I know to do–I’m going to make sure their stories keep being told.
I’ve been working at a temporary job since August and it ends in December. In January, I’ll be starting a new chapter in life when I re-join Adventures in Missions through a six month apprenticeship. The program is designed to help ex-World Racers figure out what to do in the “I have all of this information, where can I go from here?” stage of life.
For me, that involves promoting this cause that I believe in with all of my heart. The World Race changed me and I believe it can change others, too. But first they have to find out about it. So I’ll be working as a writer with the World Race marketing department.
In Turkey last year, God revealed to me that he can use me with the gifts and talents I already have. That being a missionary doesn’t necessarily mean living in another country, perhaps in a mud hut, wearing a missionary skirt, preaching from the pulpit and baptizing thousands. Those are all great things, but this is what moves me. This is what I was made for.
I’ll be moving to Gainesville, Georgia in January to begin this new chapter and I continue to need your support. I’m looking for people who are willing to partner with me over these next six months. My salary will need to be provided by people like you, who believe in not only me, but in what God has done and will continue to do through the World Race.
I need to raise $10,000 overall so am looking for both monthly supporters and one time donors.This will cover my living expenses (which, unfortunately, will be higher than the $5 a night room and board and $1.25 per meal budget we had on the World Race) and a small portion will go to program costs. As always, anything helps. If you’re interested in becoming a monthly donor, know that even giving $10, $20, $30, etc. a month for the next six months goes a long way. All you have to do is click on the “support me” tab on the upper left hand side of this site and follow the steps.
Would you be willing to partner with me in this? You already were a part of my transformation. Let’s take it one step further and help as God transforms others.
