March 2011- I learned about the World Race.
May 2011- I seriously considered applying for the World Race.
June 2011- I applied and was accepted for the World Race.
August, 2011- I arrived back in the US from China and could finally start fundraising for the World Race.
10 months later sitting at an Internet café in Mbeya, Tanzania, I checked all of my accounts and realized that I was fully funded.
$15,500.
That number is so scary at the beginning. Seriously. When you first start fundraising, everyone raises their eyebrows at that number. Some people even say, “I would love to do the WR but I can’t imagine raising all that money. I don’t know if I could do it.”
Let me tell you, when I knew that God was calling me to do the WR and I jumped into raising over 15k, I didn’t know if I could do it either.
It was really scary. But you know what?
Since then God has brought in not only $15,500, but money for the gear I needed before the race as well as money to live while out on the field. And it’s been so cool to see Him work through dozens of people I have met throughout my life.
Even though it was hard, I am so grateful to have had this opportunity to see the family of support that God has blessed me with. I received donations from people all over the States, and even internationally. People I met once on a plane to people I am related to have helped make the events of this year possible.
I want to give a special shout out to the members of Prairie Creek Christian Church and my friends and family in Vinton and all over Iowa.
Earlier this month we were talking with our host mom, Grace, about community. One of my teammates commented on the intensity of the community that she sees here in Kenya- people dropping by on another’s house to say hi, talking over tea, saying hello to people on the street, lending a helping hand to a neighbor, being supported by those that live close to you and having the comfort of their care in times of need….my teammate expressed that she didn’t see that in the States much, and that our culture is different.
I thought to myself- This sounds just like my home.
This sounds like my parents’ friends getting together to just play cards and spend time with each other. It sounds like friends taking over chores or getting one another’s mail when someone is on vacation. It sounds like dropping in to a store just to say hi to the owner, bringing a friend (or a friend’s kid) to a practice or meet, dropping your schedule to watch a movie with a friend when they’ve had a bad day, helping to shovel a neighbor’s driveway, buying candy bars you may never eat for a kid’s fundraiser, searching house for unwanted items for a benefit garage sale, paying quadruple a meal’s value at a fundraiser dinner, supporting your community at events, plays, games, concerts, recitals…
You do that. You are community. You are support, you are love, and you are letting God shine through you every day.
Thank you for being a vessel for the Kingdom. Thank you for letting God work in my life through you. Thank you for letting God work in your life through me.
Thank you.
My team, Amani Warriors in Maasailand, Kenya.
Misty, Emily, Sammie Jo, Katie, me, Kate
