Hey everybody!!
So I finsihed my fundraising letter and here it is! I pray that you will read through this and prayerfully consider everything. I would also ask that if you know anyone who you think there is even the slightest chance would be interested in donating, pass this along! Show them the link to this site or just show them the letter so they can have the opportunity to give.
Thank you so much!
Dear Friends and Family,
I hope this letter finds you well! Those of you who know me well, know I have worked at a Christian summer camp called New Life Ranch over the past few years, where my love for serving others has been nurtured and has grown extensively. I have been able to serve children, parents, families, my fellow summer staffers, and more in a multitude of ways and have loved every second of it. Well lately, the Lord has been calling me to go even further, out to the nations to share His love and truly serve as He did.
I have been extremely blessed to have the opportunity to live this out through a program called The World Race, with an organization called Adventures In Missions. The World Race is an 11 month mission trip to 11 different countries and I have been accepted to a route in January of 2014, including (tentatively) China, South Korea, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. I will be involved in all kinds of ministry in these countries such as working with orphans, teaching English, planting churches, feeding victims of natural disasters, ministering to those trapped in prostitution due to human trafficking, and many other things, all while preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ, our loving Savior. I have never done the majority of those things before, but a dear friend of mine once told me, “God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called.” And I expect Him to do just that.
I cannot express my gratitude for the Lord’s calling in this adventure and I have no doubt that when He calls He also provides. I am humbly asking if you would consider partnering with me in prayer, but of course I am in need of financial support as well. I must raise $15,500 for this ministry opportunity, which will cover all of my expenses while on the field. While that number may seem daunting, I would like to express that every little bit is a huge blessing. For example, the daily cost of living while on the field is approximately 3-5 dollars. While it will be my experience, what this money is really being raised for is so that people across the nations may be served as Christ served and loved as He loved, and by praying with me, and/or giving financially, you also become a part of this amazing work that God is doing.
I have enclosed a response card with my information and a pre-addressed envelope, inviting you to share in this ministry. There is also a second page with more specific instructions on how to give and details about the different options. Please visit my blog page as well, at taylormelchert.theworldrace.org, to see updates on my trip and posts while I’m out on the field! I will be following up with phone calls and subsequent letters to keep you all updated, but please feel free to email me with any questions you may have! My email address is [email protected], or there is a “Contact” link in the upper left hand side of my blog page as well. I would like to thank you in advance for your prayers and financial support. I hope that through this experience I may be a blessing to you, as well as to the people I will have the honor of serving directly around the world.
Prayerfully,
Taylor Melchert
“One thing I have asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple.” –Psalm 27:4 ESV
Donating Options:
Monthly Donating Options-
- With monthly donations through my blog site, you may select a start date and automatic stop date. There is a still a 3% processing fee for online monthly donations set up through the blog.
- You can also give monthly through a website called Dynapay, which you can sign up for at http://www.adventures.org/dynapay. There aren’t any processing fees when using Dynapay, but Dynapay won’t allow you to choose an automatic stop date at the time you set up donations. You have to contact Donor Relations when you want to stop the donations at [email protected] or call 1-800-881-2461 ex 251.
- Also keep in mind with monthly payments, that if you wanted to support me for all 11 months you would need to start before I actually leave, because my final deadline is six months into the Race.
Donating Online-
- By donating online, there is an additional fee of 3% of your donation total.
- To donate online, you can go to my blog page at taylormelchert.theworldrace.org, and click on the “Support Me” link in the upper left hand side of the page and then follow the donating instructions.
Sending a donation in the mail-
- By sending a gift in the mail there are no additional fees!
- Make checks payable to Adventures in Missions and you must include “World Race Taylor Melchert” in the memo line, otherwise the donation will not be directed to my account. Please mail all checks to Adventures in Missions, PO Box 534470, Atlanta, GA 30353-4470
- Please contact me when you put a check in the mail so that I can keep AIM up to date on my current support total, because sometimes checks can take weeks to process before they actually reflect in my account – Thank you!!
Tax Deduction Information-
- Adventures in Missions is registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization. Donors will receive receipts for their gifts with the understanding that the disbursement of those gifts lies completely at the discretion of Adventures in Missions and that the gifts are non-refundable and non-transferable, per IRS regulations. Gifts may be tax deductible; please consult a tax adviser.
Other giving options-
- I will have other expenses that will not be covered by the cost of the trip that I will need to raise separately (i.e. gear, flights to and from training camp in Georgia, flight to the launch point within the U.S. and the flight back to Oklahoma when I return to the U.S., medications, insurance etc.). If you would feel more comfortable donating to these expenses, I have a wish list set up at http:/www.wishpot.com/user/563025 where you can purchase equipment for me, or you can contact me directly to give to my other needed funds. This is something I am really having to trust the Lord with and I thank you for any consideration in donating in this matter!
