Well, here it is! Feel free to contact me if you'd like a hard copy of my support letter (it's much more colorful than this! 🙂 )
Dearest reader,
As you may know, I graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2011 and have been working in the pharmaceutical research industry ever since. What you may not know, though, is that the past year has completely turned my world upside down. I was once a girl who chased a buzzing social life, material possessions, and most of all—relationships—to define me. After repeating the same cycle year after year, I finally realized that none of these things could truly satisfy me.
It was last year that I had my true wake-up call. For the first time, I realized that only my faith in the Lord could provide the fulfillment in my life that I so desperately sought. That wasn’t an easy realization, and it came along with a whole lot of heartache. But through my struggles, I came to know a love, peace, and joy that I’ve never experienced before. In August 2012, I was baptized in front of my church community in Pittsburgh, and my faith has been growing exponentially ever since. Each day, I wake up with an excitement deep in my soul to learn about and walk closer to our Creator.
I was recently painting my nails and eating cinnamon rolls with my girlfriends (you know… “girls night”) when I learned about The World Race for the first time. I went home and searched this mission trip online, and my heart began to rapidly beat and tears filled my eyes as I read about the program. I had a feeling in my heart that said this is what you’re supposed to do next. Sounds crazy, right? Well, I thought so too… but I figured I’d at least apply and see what happened. After interviewing, I was accepted to go on The World Race in July 2013, and I felt absolute calmness in my soul as I said “yes”. So, I’ll be taking some time off of my job and heading out to the nations.
After receiving a week of training, I’ll be traveling to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, South Africa, Mozambique, Swaziland, Nepal, India, Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania. In these countries, I will be serving “the least of these” with a team of 6-7 people in whatever way necessary. We might be playing in orphanages, constructing churches, working in rice fields, teaching, or just sharing our stories of hope with the locals. Whatever we will be doing in each community, our main mission will be to build relationships with the people we come into contact with and show them light in a world of darkness.
This trip will not only impact those who I come into contact with, but it will also have a profound impact on me… I just know that my heart will be radically changed on this journey. One of the main visions of The World Race is to develop raw and intentional community within the teams. This will challenge and mature the racers as they discover the abundant life that the Lord promised.
As Mark Twain states in his book The Innocents Abroad, “Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” I am so excited to be immersed in cultures unknown to me, and I hope to gain a deeper insight into my soul as I reach out and serve the lost. By stepping out of my comfort zone, I will have the chance to depend solely on the Lord for my strength.
I would love for nothing more than for you to come with me on this journey. There are 2 main ways that you can be a part of this ministry: by supporting me in prayer (trust me, I need all I can get!), or financially. As you can guess, it is costly to travel the world for a year, even though we will be eating for about $3/day and sleeping in tents at many times. The trip itself costs $15,500, which does not include personal costs such as vaccines, medical insurance, and camping gear.
Any amount that you are able to contribute will be an absolute blessing to me! I am responsible for raising the full cost of the trip, so I cannot take this next step in my journey without your help in sending me off. I’d love to speak with you either in person or over the phone to discuss the details and address any questions you might have. Please, join me in my ministry and send me out to the nations!
With all my love,
Sarah
Ways to Give:
Check: Make checks payable to Adventures in Missions with “BRIGGS SARAH” in the memo line. Include a fundraising card (enclosed) with your name and address.
Mail to: Adventures in Missions
PO Box 534470
Atlanta, GA 30353-4470
Credit/Debit/Bank Draft: go to my blog, click “Support Me!” and follow the directions to make this online donation. (Note: there is a small processing fee.)
DynaPay: This online system allows for recurring monthly donations to be made without a processing fee. See http://adventures.org/dynapay for more information.
