Dearest Family and Friends,
First off, I want to thank you all for the wonderfully loving, encouraging and edifying community that you are. Many of you have known me from before I was a believer and you welcomed me with open arms and have walked alongside me through it all. I truly appreciate the family that you are, one that most importantly truly points me to Christ.
I came to Los Angeles for my own dreams and aspirations. Though I always believed in God, I saw Jesus as one of a multitude of moral teachers. Boy, how things have changed! This truly has become my City of Angels. Not only am I now redeemed and adopted as God’s child, I now feel Him calling me to surrender, follow, and serve Him in a fresh, new way. This is something I absolutely never in a million years would have ever thought I would be doing. Through much prayer, counsel and scriptural confirmation I believe this new journey has become my future and I haven’t been this excited or felt this purposeful or peaceful about anything in many, many years. I can’t wait to share it with you all!
Starting in January of 2015 I will be participating in The World Race, an 11 month mission to 11 different countries spreading throughout South America, Asia, and Africa – specifically Bolivia, Chile, Peru, India, Nepal, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Malawi and Zambia. During this time I will be working in orphanages, with the sick and elderly, and those trapped in the sex industry, teaching English, building homes and schools, partnering with and supporting church plants, ministering and spreading the Good News to local communities in need of it (just like us) all around the world and much more! What makes the World Race unique is it is not only a mission trip, but an intensive discipleship program designed to launch and ignite this generation for our specific kingdom callings in our Great Commission.
I can see how the Lord has prepared my entire life journey for this moment – having grown up in three different continents myself, losing my car (and almost my life) this year in a terrible accident, coming to the bottom of myself in so many ways which has given me a deeper understanding of my brokenness and my need for His everlasting Hope. I am by no means perfect nor do I feel fully equipped, but I do know that God has given me a deep love for the nations and for sharing His love personally and relationally with others.
What else am I most excited about?
Seeing God work in new ways and in a new place, allowing Him to grow in my heart in a deeper way, making Him my home, living in 24/7 Christian community, letting go of many of the comforts of life, taking the focus off my own life and putting it on loving others, surrendering my dreams and seeing what God may do with and through me, and the woman I may become! By no means do I feel that these things cannot happen in LA, I just believe this is the call on my life right now. I know that I am in a unique position right now in life where I am able to do something like this and I am saying yes to the call.
Currently I am taking a course called “Perspectives on the World Christian Movement” which has just further ignited my passion. Do you know that many believe this is the century where every nation, creed and tongue will hear the Gospel? I want to personally invite you all into the work that God is doing in whatever capacity He lays on your heart and I would be so humbly honored for your support in any way.
Without prayer none of this will be possible. Would you partner in prayer with me? That God would use me as a vessel for His love and truth? For Him to increase through me? For strength, guidance, trust and protection as I prepare to leave? For Him to mightily and miraculously provide?
Besides my baptism day this is the biggest step of faith I have ever taken and I know that God wants to grow me in understanding and trust – emotionally, financially, spiritually, relationally. Part of this discipleship program is support raising and asking you all to partner with me in the fundraising, without which I can’t possibly go.
The total cost of the trip is $16,243. Though there are a still a couple other things like gear and vaccines, this money covers all my expenses while on the mission field, including health insurance and flights.
My first deadline is $3500 by September 27th, the end of next week, and I still have a little more than $3000 to go!
Would you please consider supporting with any amount that you feel called to? If you can donate big please do, but it truly all counts!
I would also be so immensely blessed if you would forward and send this information to your church community and everyone you know.
Practical info:
You can follow along on my journey and support me at rose.theworldrace.org
I will be updating the blog while on my journey (please subscribe on the left side!). Further ways to partner in prayer will be shared this way as well as featuring different videos about and on the Race! Since many of you are visiting the blog for the first time I am reposting the sneak peak video that brought me to tears and confirmed God’s path for me just a few moons ago.
On the left side you can make an online tax-deductible donation by clicking “Support Me” and/or become monthly supporters (though only what is actually in my account is counted for the initial deadline). You are also welcome to send checks or hand them to me personally. Be sure to indicate the purpose of your gift on your check: Rose Sirna
You can send tax-deductible checks to:
Adventures In Missions
P.O. Box 742570
Atlanta, GA 30374-2570
I truly thank you for reading this. I pray I adequately expressed my heart to you all. We serve a big God. I would love to share more about this journey with each and every one of you and am happy to answer any questions you may have – phone, email, coffee, whatever! You can contact me at [email protected] Thank you for supporting me in making my dream in Christ come true! May the Lord bless and guide you mightily each and every day.
Finally and most importantly, a Word from our Lord and our Father:
The Year of The Lord’s Favor: “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” – Isaiah 61
Sincerely, Humbly, and with Much Love
Your Sister in Christ,
Rose
