Dear Friends and Family,
Shortly after moving down to Jacksonville, FL in August, I started getting a strong desire to return to Thailand to do ministry. The longer I thought and prayed about it, the more I realized that the desire
was there for international ministry, but the only reason I felt lead to Thailand was because of my familiarity with it. Most of you that know me know that I cannot sit still for long. I have made it a habit to relocate every year, usually finding a new job in the process.
For the past seven months I have been working full-time at an alternative school and part-time at Best Buy. From the start I did not feel like either of these were positions God had called me into for good, but I had no idea what He intended for my future. I know I am not alone in those feelings of ambiguity, particularly at my age. I earnestly prayed that Christ would open and shut doors; guide and redirect me. I may have somewhat selfishly prayed that they would lead me to ministry, but I also felt like God placed that desire there for a reason.
It seemed daunting to commit to a long missions trip in which I was posted at one location, doing one type of ministry unless it were in Thailand, doing some sort of teaching. However, since I didn’t feel like teaching in Thailand was what God wanted me doing, but that He wanted me to commit to something more than a few weeks or months, I started to seek out other opportunities.
Roughly two months ago I came across the most amazing program. It’s called The World Race. The idea is to take a year of your life and to live like Jesus lived while traveling around the world. I can hear you asking, “How does that work?”
Well, simplicity and servanthood are the keys. When we travel, we’ll do so cheaply, and in many places, we’ll stay in tents or wherever people invite us to stay. As we go, we seek to serve partner ministries that are caring for the poorest of the poor.
I believe that by taking a year of my life and intentionally learning to live as Jesus lived, touching the poor, learning to live on little, I will become the world changer that God intended me to be. I’ve got one life to live and before I’ve taken on obligations, I want to commit to making it the radical life that Jesus himself modeled. I know I’ll learn to abandon all that has made my life comfortable and will learn to depend on Him as I’ve never had to.
What separates this from many of the other mission trips that are offered is that this is for 20-somethings like me who are serious about committing to a lifetime of radically following Jesus. This isn’t just another experience; it’s a commitment to a transformational discovery process. And, in each country that we go to, we will partner with local churches to establish long-term kingdom works that will last long after we leave.
While the cost of an average college might be $2000/month, the World Race costs just over half of that¯$1180/month. My entire one year World Race experience is $13,000, plus the cost of Visas, medical insurance, and vaccinations. My team of nearly 30 is beginning to raise the funds now, and we embark on the trip in September of this year.
My greatest desire is to learn to share the gospel with people. I’ve discovered that I have a real heart for God’s people and a love for those desiring to grow in Christ. I have longed to minister in a place where people are aching with hunger for the gospel. During this World Race, I will be discipled and trained in various areas of ministry and missions. I will have the opportunity to minister to people who need to hear of salvation through Jesus.
I thank God for this opportunity that is before me and trust He will meet my needs. Ultimately, my prayer is that He will do that through you. I would be honored if you could partner financially and prayerfully with me in this ministry. I am specifically asking for fifteen people who will commit to pray for me each day until I return.
A number of you may be in a position to financially contribute to my support. I calculated that if only five people gave $75/month each, seven people gave $45/month, fifteen gave $20/month, and twenty gave $15/month, then I would meet my goal! Will you pray about supporting me for one of these amounts?
I have enclosed a response card and pre-addressed envelope, which invites you to share in this ministry. Please make checks payable to
Adventures In Missions. You may write “appealed by” and my name in the memo section of the check if you wish. Including the enclosed card will provide AIM with all necessary information. In turn, they will send you a receipt. All gifts are tax-deductible.
You can find more info about Adventures In Missions at
http://www.adventures.org/
and more info about the World Race at
http://www.theworldrace.org/
. I will be posting on the following log
http://tracivansumeren.theworldrace.org/
throughout the coming months and during my trip where you will be able to read about and see photos of our adventure during the race.
I am very excited about how God will use me and what He will teach me through this experience. I hope not only to be a blessing to those I serve, but also to you. My desire is to go as your representative of Jesus Christ. I hope you will prayerfully consider being part of my ministry. Thank you so much!
In His Care,
Traci
