11-months, 11 countries, so many different people, a lot of love, and 18,100 dollars.
Yikes! $18,100? Yep, $18,000! This blog will be spent assessing by far the most dreaded topic in missions, fundraising and the details of where all the money goes.
My World Race year launches in August 2018 but my journey actually started immediately. I will intensely be stretched in my faith, taught to further trust and rely on God, and challenged to pursue holiness over comfort, which means being uncomfortable, and this began the moment I got accepted and committed to raising the funds to go.
As you can imagine there is no way I could do this on my own.
While it is about money, it’s not all about the money, it’s ministry. Fundraising is about connecting the Body of Christ to equip and send out people to minister to all nations. It’s about joining together to proclaim God’s good works to the ends of the earth.
This isn’t just my World Race journey, it’s ours. God designed us for community, and even when I’ll be living all around the world, I still consider you my community.
Will you join and be apart of my network, my team, and my community to see God’s Kingdom come?
Will you help send me as an ambassador to declare the love, the hope, and the joy that is available in Jesus Christ, all of the world?
Fundraising is hard, y’all. It’s hard, it’s awkward, and it’s uncomfortable.
The moment money is the topic; things certainly get real awkward real fast. Believe me, it’s uncomfortable for you and for me. It’s personally a struggle of mine to ask for help, and certainly to ask people for their hard-earned money. I’m learning that asking for support is a way to invite others to be apart of something bigger than yourself. I believe fundraising is biblical and will teach me more about trusting God and the ways He loves and will provide for me. It doesn’t always have to be awkward and uncomfortable.
I’m hoping this blog will bring light to where your money will be used and how it impacts not only me, but the world, bringing you some peace in your consideration to donate.
So, lets talk more about the $18,100 now.
Where does the money go?
- 2% ($362) – Training Camp – 11-day cultural training before departure, I’ll meet my team and begin to prepare for what the World Race will look like.
- 4% ($724) – Field Support – Goes to getting us supplies while international, supporting hosts and local contacts, etc.
- 12% ($2,172) – WR Development Program – Improvements and developments towards Adventures in Missions to help progress program for future racers.
- 17% ($3,077) – Administration Fees – Funds processing process, wages of the staff who literally take care of every detail of our travel, food, lodging, etc.
- 65% ($11,765) – World Racer Budget – See below for further breakdown
- International Health Insurance
Breakdown of that big 65% World Race Budget for all 11-months:
- 45% ($5,294) – Intercontinental Travel – Flights from North America (North America (Central America) to Africa, Africa to Asia, and Asia back to North America)
- 13% ($1,529) – Food
- 19% ($2,235) – Lodging
- 11% ($1,294) – Transportation
- 12% ($1,411) – Long Distance Travel & Misc. Supplies – Travel between countries on same continent. Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. (Subject to change)
Not included:
- Daily expenses while on the field (about $5 daily)
- Souvenirs, coffee, restock of toiletries, any local attractions like bungee jumping, waterfalls, or other touristy things.
- Gear and equipment for trip
- Hiking backpack, tent, sleeping bag, the list goes on and on.
- Travel to training camp and launch
- Vaccinations
Deadlines:
- $5,000 due 5/18/2018
- $10,000 due 7/20/2018
- $13,000 due 9/30/2018
- 18,100 due 11/30/2018
My initial deadline is still a little ways out but once the first deadline arrives they all follow close behind.
Support isn’t just a money sign or a quick prayer, it’s holding hands and walking together, sharing the vision God’s placed in my heart to go and his vision for you to donate either prayerfully or financially, and the mission as a whole these next two years as I prepare to leave and while I’m on the field.
Support comes in many shapes, sizes, and amounts. A few possibilities of how it could look are:
- Share. If something you read in my blogs encourages you, I urge you to share it with others. Helping me share my journey is one of the most significant ways you can take part, not to mention means so much to me. I would feel honored if you’d pass my message on.
- Subscribe. In order to better keep up with how the Lord is working in me and for me, hit the “Subscribe for Updates” button located at the top left of the page. You will receive emails when I post blogs now and when I’m traveling around the world.
- Pray. This journey is not possible on my own strength or power. I invite you to join me in relentless prayer. I am completely dependent on God working in me, through me, and around me. This will be stretching and challenging in ways I can’t even begin to imagine, but we know the prayers going before me will pave a way.
- Financial. A large need of mine is financial, as the rest of the blog has laid out. Please prayerfully consider contributing to the mission God has laid on my heart. I recognize money might not be of abundance but any amount is so incredibly appreciated and nothing will go without purpose. Donations are monthly or one-time, and can be made by clicking the orange ‘Donate!” button above.
- Keep a lookout for future fundraising opportunities you can partake in. For now, I am still selling T-shirts for a few more weeks. The prices are S-XL: $20 and 2XL-3XL: $22, plus $5 if you need it shipped directly to you. Please email me at [email protected] if you’d like to order one or a few. For more information on the message behind my shirt refer to my last blog, Take Me Where Love Is Needed.
If my story captures your heart in any way, I would absolutely love for you to join me on this journey.
