¡Alabado sea el Señor! Louve o Senhor! Laudati pe Domnul! Msifuni Bwana! Praise the Lord!
…just a few of the languages I hope to learn next year to thank and praise my Amazing Papa God!
Yes friends, WE HAVE MADE IT TO MY FIRST GOAL OF $5,000!!
T-shirt sales (which are still up for grabs), brownies, sharing about my trip, sending out support letters, and other fundraisers… those are just a handful of the many things that have been keeping me busy this summer. But thank YOU so very much for your prayers, financial support, and those who have helped with their time and energy! I know I still need to send out personal thank you cards, but know that your help does NOT go unnoticed!
Of course, I still have a ways to go before reaching $18,200 and I still have a lot of fundraising ideas. My worry right now is more in the time commitment it will take to get these going and balancing that with other priorities and the time I have available. I know God is working to stretch and strengthen me in areas I am weak (such as time management), so in the end this will all be for His Glory! However, I did choose to continue working as a full time teacher for students with special needs up until Christmas break. This, along with several other responsibilities that I have/will be taking on, is limiting my time to completely focus on fundraising for the World Race. I am, however, super excited about how this school year has begun and the blessings that God is placing in front of me! Still, your prayers are very much appreciated! In addition, if any of you would really love to support me and you just can’t do it financially right now, but you have TIME, resources, or creativity you don’t mind sharing, pleeeeease let me know! If someone wants to head up a fundraiser and help me get my ideas rolling, that would be sooo extremely helpful!
Furthermore, besides preparing financially, I also need to be preparing physically, mentally, and spiritually…
Physically, I have to prepare to hike 2.2 miles in 38 minutes to pass the fitness test at training camp this October. It doesn’t sound too bad, but when you add on a full pack and EVERYTHING I will need to carry for 11 months… phew! Could be a bit more tiring than I think. That being said, if anyone enjoys hiking and would help keep me accountable, I could use hiking buddies!
Mentally, I feel a little overwhelmed with starting back into teaching and making sure all my ducks are in order for the race in a timely manner. I have an AMAZING squad as we’ve started to get to know each other through social media, and they have been super helpful when I have questions, concerns, or prayer requests! However, as I stated, if you are willing to help me plan fundraisers or have some in mind that won’t take too much prep time, I’d love to hear!
Spiritually, I want to better train myself to hear God and grow closer to Him. I know I will never be “there,” or the point I want to be in my walk with the Lord. I guess, in a sense this is good because I want to constantly be growing and strengthening my relationship with Him. However, it can also be discouraging at times, especially when I have a goal of studying the Bible regularly or spending at least an hour with the Lord each day, and then it doesn’t happen. I am looking forward to next year, where I will be forced to turn off my “life” per say, put down my phone for a while, and be forced to rely on God every day. Nevertheless, I don’t want to wait until then to go after God with all my heart. I know I need to start preparing myself, seeking after him for direction, praying for my squad and the people we will meet, and continuing to learn to discern His voice. If you have any tips on how to best discipline myself in this area, again I would love to hear what works for you!
Once again, thank you to everyone who has been supporting and praying for my team and me! And praise be to Papa God, from whom all blessings flow!
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
– James 1:17
