Adventures WorldRace SethBarnes Sponsorship Giving

| by archiveworldraceblogs

Hello all,

I've decided to put together this quick list of important information for the curious of mind and spirit as to the details of the next year or so of my life (as far as they are known to me – we all know God has a way of being sneaky).

Travel Plans
December 11-18
I will be flying with my parents to see my BFF4L/lifelong partner-in-crime Anna in Dakar, Senegal, where she is living and working as a United Methodist missionary. 

December 19-January 3 
are full of Christmas celebrations, fun with family and friends, and what I'm assuming will be Hallmark-movie-worthy goodbyes.

January 4-7 
Mom, Dad, and I take Washington, D.C. by storm to see the sights a few days before Launch.

January 8-10? 11? 12? 
Meet up with N-Squad in D.C. for Launch, our final few days of preparation together as a squad before we fly out on one of those dates with a question mark to South America to begin the World Race!

January 12-December 2013
 …. presumably Ecuador Peru Bolivia Romania Ukraine South Africa Swaziland Mozambique Cambodia Thailand and Malaysia.

Some of you may know that flying and I do not have the warmest of relationships. If you will review my above itinerary, you may notice that intercontinental flying will become a fairly regular part of my reality in 2013. If you can spare a moment please pray for my sanity, little turbulence, NO superstorms, and the people in the seats beside me. Thank you.

Fundraising Update
Though not listed officially in my account yet, I have the money in my hands right now to announce that I am
FULLY FUNDED FOR THE WORLD RACE!
*insert rejoicing, dancing, and merry-making here*
 

this is the actual face I'm making right now
 
The fundraising process itself has been a lesson on grace and learning how to receive blessings, one that I will certainly always remember. I cannot understate my gratitude to everyone who has come beside me and helped walk me through the door God has opened. Without the church this trip could not happen, and I am grateful for every penny each of you has donated. Your generosity — financially, verbally, through smiles and hugs and Facebook messages — has truly overwhelmed me to the point of tears. What a magnificient God we serve! Thank you for making Him an unmistakable reality in my life over the last six months.
 
 
Before you pocket that $50 bill you were hoping to send me, I have great news! I have many squadmates who are in need of support (money and gear) before our next deadline on December 15. If you had hoped to support me but not yet done so, please contact me and I will be happy to direct you to another N-Squader who could use your help! My contact information is on the home page of my blog.

Travel Buddies
At training camp each squad is divided into smaller teams (One N Squad, 8 N Squad teams). Each team is together each month, though they may work with one or two other teams at a ministry certain months. It all depends on the ministry's needs. Teams also follow the number one rule of the World Race – everything is subject to change at any time.

My team is made of six girls and two guys, ages 20-26, and you can find out all about them on the "Meet my Team – Doulos" link to the left. We decided on the team name doulos, Greek for "slave, servant, bondservant," a term Paul often used to describe himself in terms of his relationship to Christ and the term used to describe the form which Christ took on earth in Philippians 2. Doulos refers to a person who gives up his or her personal interests to work for the interests of another. One Greek Lexicon put it this way: 

  1. – those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men
  2. – devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interests

We liked that, and we hope to be a team that works to advance the cause of Christ among those we meet and that devotes ourselves to one another's interests as we live in community together. 


L to R – Jesse, me, Julie (a.k.a. Jurie), Molly, Kyle, Abby, Eric, Brianna
 

That's the most pressing information I can think to dole out as of now. Hopefully this will quell some of your fears and uncertainty about my future, though it hasn't done much for me other than make me antsier! I am overwhelmingly excited about the next year, though I do hope it isn't the best year of my life. 

I hope it's the start of the best years of my life.
I hope they keep getting better. 

grace and peace and many thanks.
m