I am a fighter. I fight for the things I want and for the things I believe in. I fight for myself and for others. This is how I have gathered wonderful experiences in life. This is how I survived college and was able to graduate. This is how I am still on the World Race, which has been one of the most challenging and stretching things I have ever done. If I didn’t believe in this, I wouldn’t be fighting the everyday discomforts, and I would have gone home somewhere around Month Three.
But six months into the World Race, I am still here.
One of my biggest passions in life is people. I love people and I love helping people. Whether it’s being there for a friend, or letting someone know that their life matters and that they should stay alive, my passion is helping people. In high school I volunteered for an orphanage as well as for an organization that helps build houses for homeless people. I loved every second of it. In college I continued having a passion for helping people, which eventually led me to intern for To Write Love on Her Arms (a mental health non-profit) in the fall of 2011 –one of the most fulfilling things I’ve done in my life.
The other reason, of course, is God. My faith is the most important part of my life, and Jesus is the only person I follow blindly. If I didn’t have God in my life I would probably not be alive today. I am the person that I am because God has molded and guided me, even when I refused to see His goodness. Even when I yelled at Him and denied Him, and when I thought He didn’t care about me, He was right there with me all along.
My passion for people and my passion for Christ come together on The World Race. What I like about The World Race (other than the traveling aspect of it) is that it is a mission trip in ACTION. Because words are dead if they’re not followed by actions. On this trip, we go out into the world and LOVE people. We don’t try to tell them that they’re wrong; we love them exactly where they’re at. Because they all deserve the same kind of love we’ve received, and a lot of people have not experienced that kind of love. We also help them with what they need –not with what WE think they need. They might need a wall built, and we may see no point to it, but we do it because it’s what THEY need. This is a trip where we are focused on the needs of others, whether that’s the people in the country we’re in, or our own teammates.
Personally, it has been a challenging six months because I’ve been tossed so absolutely far away from my comfort zone, and I’ve been stretched and grown in ways that I didn’t even think I could handle. But it’s made me stronger, and it’s made me focus on the bigger picture of why I am here. It’s made me learn about handling both inner and interpersonal conflict, and it’s made me learn how to serve others in a way I have never served others before. I cannot even imagine how much more I’m going to grow in the next five months, and I am excited for that.
As my final financial deadline approaches, I need to ask for your help so that I can stay on the field and not go home early. There is a lot of grace, and if I’m not fully funded by July 1st it doesn’t mean I have to go home the very next day –it doesn’t work that way. But I still need to be fully funded as soon as possible.
I need about $5,000 in order for me to finish the World Race. However, I’m not asking you for thousands; I’m asking for the change in your pocket. I’m asking for the money you saved by not going to Starbucks today (what’s that, like $3.75?). I’m asking for the margarita you plan on drinking this weekend (not the actual margarita… although, well, that would be nice too). I’m asking for whatever you can give. I’ve received donations as small as $5, and they all add up and help me in the fundraising process. I used to be ashamed to donate when people asked me for support, because I couldn’t give more than $10 and I thought that wasn’t a “good enough” donation. That is a lie. Don’t be ashamed to give a small amount if it’s in your heart to give and it’s all you can afford. No donation is too small. God sees your heart. Read the verse in Mark 12:41-44 and be encouraged. Read this blog too.
However, I understand if donating financially is not a possibility right now for you, and if that is the case I ask that you please pray for me! Really pray. Even as you are reading this blog, pray. Please pray that I would reach the deadline and be fully-funded, that I would be filled with godly strength to continue putting in all I have into this year of service, and that the hearts of the people we meet would be filled with love.
There are two ways to support me with one-time donations. The first one is online, which is easiest, but there’s a 3% credit card transaction fee. Just click here: https://www.adventures.org/give/donate.asp?giveto=worldrace&desc=Raquel%20Stewart. The second option is to mail a check to Adventures In Missions, PO Box 742570 Atlanta, GA 30374, payable to Adventures In Missions, with “Appealed by Stewart Raquel” on the memo line (that last part is really important so that it actually gets credited to my account!!).
If you want to dig deeper and ask more questions, PLEASE let me know.
Thank you so much for reading. You are immensely loved.
Raquel
