Hello wonderful people!
I have started and started over on this letter a thousand times (slight exaggeration) trying to figure out the right way to convey my heart behind choosing to join The World Race. That got a little frustrating as I’m sure you can imagine so I am just going to be real and pray that you get me!
To give you a bit of the history behind this whole World Race thing, I’ll go back to about a year and a half ago sitting at Panera Bread with my lovely friend, Meeghan. Panera Bread is a delightful place where I tend to have a lot of meaningful talks and life discussions with Jesus, family, and friends. Maybe it’s the cinnamon scones with a dark roast coffee, maybe it’s the somewhat delightful elevator type music, maybe it’s the cozy booths…whatever it is, I just really like Panera. Almost every Saturday morning, Meeghan and I would head on over and talk for hours about Jesus, worship, life, and what the heck we were doing. It was around that time that we started talking about how I felt the nudge to go on a missions trip of some kind. We talked about how sick of the “comfortable Christian walk” we were and how there has to be MORE to following Jesus than what we were doing. Naturally, we enlisted the help of Google to see what was out there as far as long (ish) term missions trips go. My mom had mentioned that I should look up The World Race; she knew someone that was doing it at the time. As I read about it, I thought wow, that would be crazy. 11 months, 11 countries, serving the least of these, all the while living out of a backpack. Hm, not for me….I think.
Time continued to pass and it turned into quite the crazy year. My beautiful little sister (and roommate at the time) got engaged, left for YWAM, then came back and got married this past November, I moved from an adorable apartment in downtown Lancaster that I shared with my sister to a hole-in-the-wall one bedroom by myself, then my parents moved from Iowa back here to Pennsylvania (hallelujah) which resulted in my moving once again to live with them, which brings us to now. I’ll admit, it was a tough year in some ways. I stayed extremely busy and put my desires to “go” on the back burner. The Lord was (is) so faithful. He held me and loved me so well and now here we are, the same desires that I had over a year ago still burning, but finally coming to fruition.
Some friends and family have asked me why The World Race, after looking at what kind of trip it is and what it will entail. Truthfully, you don’t have to know me that well to figure out that I am not very outdoorsy or into camping or anything…yet here I am, asking for your support as I step into a season of living out of a tent with nothing but a backpack along for the ride. It’s almost laughable if we’re being honest. To answer simply, I have woken up to the fact that there is a world out there beyond my little bubble, a world in desperate need of the gospel. I can’t stay silent, I can’t be stagnant, I simply have to go!
With ALL of that being said (it was supposed to be a lot shorter), I am asking you to prayerfully consider partnering with me on this adventure. Starting in January, we will be sharing hope with the people of The Phillippines, befriending prostitues in Thailand, fighting sex trafficking in Cambodia, encouraging and inspiring believers in Vietnam, sharing the love of God with the people of Malawi, encouraging and serving people living in poverty in Zambia, equipping believers in Zimbabwe, sharing the life-giving gospel to a people widely affected by rampant alcoholism and high suicide rates in Ireland, bringing life and hope to the people of Bulgaria, fighting human trafficking in Moldova, and teaching english and leading sports camps while living with the gypsies in Romania.
My fundraising goal is $17,000 which will include airfare and any other travel costs, food, lodging, and will contribute to the purchase of my home (a tent), my suitcase (a BIG backpack) and my bed (sleeping mat, sleeping bag). To break it down a little bit and make it seem less crazy and more attainable, here is my idea:
40 people to donate $200
50 people to donate $100
20 people to donate $75
50 people to donate $50
Of course, donations of ANY amount would be greatly appreciated and that breakdown is just my little way to tell myself “yeah, this can happen!” To donate with a credit card, go to www.adventures.org/give/donate/McKennaWhisler. When you get the page, there is also a link to click on that says Donate By Mail which will give you some other options. You could also just talk to me in person if that would be easier! In addition to this letter and my own personal contribution, I will be doing a Chick-Fil-A Spirit Night, my parents are planning a “cut-a-thon” (they are both hairdressers if you didn’t know), we will be doing a bake sale, and I’m praying about doing some kind of concert type event, but I’m just not sure yet. Whatever happens, I ask that you would just join me in prayer along this journey; prayer for our team (there are about 65 on my route so far), for safety while traveling, safety in general, endurance as I know there will be tough times along the way, and most of all that the Lord would be glorified in everything we say and do and that His Kingdom would increase!
THANK YOU times a billion for reading this letter and hopefully just hearing my heart. If you would like to follow along with my team and I, please feel free subscribe to this blog!
Matthew 28:19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Praise the Lord for that truth. He is with us always and EVERYONE needs to know!
Thank you again so much for reading, I hope your day is great!
McKenna 🙂
