Hello Friends & Family!
So I figured I was LONG overdue for a support update. I’ve touched on this a little in my monthly newsletters, but it has been since May that I’ve done a full-blown blog about how fundraising is going. Sooo….here it is 🙂
First things first…My Chick-fil-A fundraiser was so much fun, thanks so much to everyone who came out! I still don’t have my totals yet, but I had a good stack of receipts when I left and a few donations :). God is so good! The evening was truly a blessing in that I got to speak with a lot of people and share what I am doing through the World Race…One of my favorite things to do! I also felt so loved and encouraged by friends and family who showed up to support me. It was a great evening, truly a blessing!My 22nd birthday was two days ago, and I have been so blessed to be showered with financial contributions for my trip in honor of this day. I can truly say that all I want for my birthday is to be able to go on the World Race!! My heart has never yearned for something greater, and I know the Lord would not have placed this desire there if He was not going to see me through this fundraising process. He always finishes what He starts!!
Right now I am sitting at $6,367, and have another $1,100 coming in from monthly pledges….praise Jesus! I have to have $8,500 in my World Race account by August 18th to be able to leave with my team in September, and then an additional $5,800 to stay in the field throughout the course of the year.
Ultimately my goal right now is to just be able to launch with my team in September, but ideally I would like to be fully funded by the time I leave. I know this is a HUGE goal, but hey, I’ve heard of what Jesus can do with a few fishes & loaves :). One of the reasons I would like to be fully funded before I leave is because there are additional expenses that I am also having to raise support for, like traveler’s health insurance, vaccines, gear, travel expenses to/from training camp, money for toiletries/extra expenses on the field, and a plane ticket to the city where my team will be launching from. Adventures in Missions allows us to raise an extra $1,000 (for reimbursement) on top of the $14,300 we are required to have in order to cover these expenses.
SO, that being said, here are some ways you can help:
Buy a bracelet from Threads of Hope! I still have about 300 of these left, so let me know if you would like one. They really are for a great cause (look at my July newsletter for more info about the organization). For every bracelet sold, $1 goes to Threads of Hope and the other dollar goes to support me on the World Race! One dollar doesn’t sound like much, but I can promise it adds up 🙂
I am having another garage sale the second week of August, so please begin cleaning out your houses! I will literally drive just about anywhere to pick up a load :). My last garage sale raised over $1,000, so I know this can be a successful fundraiser! Also, if you are interested in helping organize/set up/work the sale, I would love your help. Donations of your time & unwanted stuff may not seem like a lot…but to me it is!
Since my 22nd birthday just passed, I figured I could set up some support goals revolving around the number 22 :). If 22 people give a one-time donation of $310 I will be fully funded.
If 28 people sponsor me by donating $22 per month, I will be fully funded.
If 40 people give a one-time donation of $220, I will be fully funded.
It would truly be the biggest birthday blessing EVER if I could leave for the Philippines and have all my support taken care of!
Last, but certainly not least, I want to say a huge THANK YOU to all who have decided to partner with me in this ministry. I have been blown away by the outpouring of love I have received from friends, family, and complete strangers. Many of you have sacrificed greatly to support me out of obedience to Christ. A dear friend who recently sacrificed much to give generously towards the World Race wrote me a card that touched my heart so greatly, I thought I would share it with you:
“Sweet friend,
You have been called to sacrifice the comforts & securities of home to share Christ’s love with the people in 11 different countries but I think more amazing than the call is the obedience. I have not been called to travel around the world to share the Gospel, but God has called me to support you in as many ways as possible. So this money–though not much–is my love offering to you, my friend, in obedience to the God who will go with you on your world journey & who will still be here with me. May you share God’s love boldly and confidently.
‘This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed His life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing. What happens to God’s love? It disappears, and you made it disappear.’ -1 John 3:16-17″
It makes my heart so excited seeing other believers living in obedience to God’s call in their lives through my obedience to God’s call in mine. Not everyone is called to go on the mission field. Some go, some send, some pray. All 3 are equally important, and I believe that all Christians are called to at least one of these 3 categories. So thank you to those who have chosen to GIVE and PRAY so I can GO. It is my desire to go as your representative of Jesus Christ, and I know that together we can literally be His hands and feet in some of the darkest places on this earth.
I went cliff diving and camping this past weekend with some friends for my birthday :). It was quite a “leap of faith” jumping off those cliffs (pun intended). But, in all seriousness, I am getting some of the same feelings of nervousness and apprehension that I did before I stepped off the edge of the cliff the closer I get to training camp. On Friday I will be meeting up with one of my Texas teammates and driving all the way to White, Georgia, to spend a little over a week with the September and October World Race teams. I am so excited to finally meet everyone, but I am also nervous! Pray for safe travels to and from camp, and that the Lord would do great things in all of our hearts during the time we are together. Like the World Race staff is always reminding us, “You can’t change the world until you’ve been changed yourself.”
Thanks again for reading, sorry this post was so long!! I will update again after camp…so get ready :). Also, feel free to subscribe for Update Alerts (tab on the left), that way you will receive an email every time I post. See you in August!
