Dear friends and supporters,
I hope this letter finds you well. As you may know, I am currently in my last semester at Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, finishing up my degree in music. I spent most of this year trying to figure out what my next steps after graduation would be: grad school, the job search, or perhaps something else. There was one thing I wanted to do before jumping into full time employment – missions – but I didn’t know exactly how or where I could do that. An opportunity arose in December, and I have some exciting news. In September 2014 I will be going on the World Race!
The World Race is a ministry of Adventures in Missions, and will take me to 11 countries over the course of 11 months. My team and I will partner with ministries in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Japan, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Swaziland, Botswana, and South Africa, working alongside these ministries to serve people and needs in each country and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our missions will take place in various settings, including teaching, childcare, construction, church planting, and door-to-door/community ministry.
The World Race won’t be my first experience with international missions. As part of a student organization at my school, I was able to go on two short-term missions trips to India and Guatemala. We taught and served at an orphanage and school in each country, and although these experiences pushed me to my limits, I knew I was doing something worthwhile, something I could do for the rest of my life if given the chance. And while I was in both of these places I learned a valuable lesson: we can’t change the hearts and lives of others without changing our own first. I am praying that God will use the World Race to transform me as well as the people and places I encounter.
You may be wondering what a short-term team can do in just a month, and it is true that we can’t accomplish the same kind of projects a long-term, missionary can. But what we can do is be a beacon of the hope and promise of the gospel to everyone we encounter, loving and serving them as Jesus has asked us to, and we partner with sustainable organizations to make sure that ministry continues after we leave.
Going on the World Race is the opportunity of a lifetime, but I cannot do it alone. If you are interested in coming alongside me on my journey, there are multiple ways to do so.
- Prayer – for me as I prepare and when I am on the field, for my teammates, and the ministries we will be working without throughout our 11 months on the race
- Financial support – I have to raise over $16,000 to be fully funded for the entire Race. This will cover travel, housing, food, supplies, and insurance. I have already begun some of the fundraising, and if 150 individuals, families, or groups pledge to contribute $100, I will be 100% funded by the time I launch in September! Any amount helps, and you are not just donating money, you are partnering with me in my ministry!
- Subscribe to my blog and help share my story! Click the “update alerts” to get notifications about new posts, and you can also share it on Facebook, Twitter, or other networks. This blog will be my primary means of communication while I am on the field – so you can follow along on the Race with me.
If you are interested, there are two different ways to support me financially. (Either way, your donation will be tax-deductible, and can be a one-time contribution or monthly commitment.)
1) By mail: send checks made out to Adventures in Missions (with “for Sarah Michel” in the subject line) to:
Adventures in Missions
P.O. Box 742570
Atlanta, GA 30374-2570
2) Online: Go to the “support me” tab on my blog to donate by credit/debit card.
Thank you for reading, and I hope to hear from you soon! Please leave a comment here or email me at [email protected] if you have any question or just want to know more about the race!
Yours in Christ,
Sarah Michel
“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
-Matthew 5:14-16
