Fundraising Update
Hey everyone! As of today (11/17/19) I have raised a total of $2,249 towards my trip. I am half-way there!!! I want to thank everyone that has helped me get to this point.
Open House – Saturday
This weekend has been pretty amazing. On Saturday, I had the opportunity to attend an open house for Adventures In Missions (AIM). For those that don’t know, AIM is the nonprofit organization that hosts The World Race Semesters, which is the type of trip that I am going on. I had an opportunity to meet several staff (including my advisor), meet future, current, and past racers, meet one of my teammates, learn more about life on the field, and understand the logistical side of things. It was an amazing time. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to go! Below is a photo I took before our lunch.
After lots of laughs, learning, candy, and team building, we had a little bit of fellowship time around the campfire before we all headed back home. Below is a photo of our campfire.
Sunday
God never ceases to amaze me. He knows what’s best for us. Tonight after writing a research paper and doing loads of other homework, I decided to sit down after dinner and spend some time doing a devotion. Today’s devotion was titled “Aiming for the Prize” and was focused around 1 Corinthians 9:24 (run in such a way as to get the prize) and reads as follows:
In the 1994 fictional movie Forrest Gump, Forrest becomes famous for running. What began as a jog “to the end of the road” continued for three years, two months, fourteen days, and sixteen hours. Each time he arrived at his destination, he set another one and continued to run, zig-zagging across the United States, until one day when he no longer felt like it. “Feeling like it” was the way his running began. Forrest says “That day for no particular reason, I decided to go for a little run.”
In contrast to Forrest’s seemingly whimsical running, the apostle Paul asks his readers to follow his example and “run in such a way as to get the prize.” Like discipled athletes, our running-the way we live our lives-might mean saying no to some of our pleasures. Being willing to forgo our rights might help us reach others with the good news of our rescue from sin and death.
With our hearts and minds trained on the goal of inviting others to run the race alongside us, we are also assured of the ultimate prize – eternal fellowship with God. The victor’s crown God bestows will last forever; we win it by running our lives with the aim of making Him known while relying on His strength to do so. What is your “aim” in life?
For the last few months, I have often wondered what God has had in store for me and why I answered the call to go on The World Race. I have often asked myself “Is this really what I am suppose to be doing?” Tonight I can truly say that this is right where God needs me to be. My “aim” in life is Adventures In Missions. I have committed to running the race and I will run in such a way to get the prize and make God known to others by relying on his strength do to so. I am beyond excited to spend a month in the Philippines doing whatever God is wanting me to do.
I would like to thank everyone who has donated and prayed for me and my team. Thank you for partnering with me financially and prayerfully. By doing so, you are committing to run the race alongside me.
