Hi y’all!

How is everyone? I am so grateful for you all! I had stated that I wanted to reach my first $5,000 deadline by September 24. Well guess what? All of you helped me reach that! Thank you!

You have been encouraging and inspiring to/ for me. You prayed for me and kept me going when I was battling shame uncertainty, and discouragement.

I have been down in the area with my sister helping her move and find a place. I have been learning more about God’s provision and God’s timing.

I have been reading through Job and I read part of Jeremiah. As I was reading Jeremiah 29:10-12, this is what I got. “Maybe you need to experience ‘captivity’ before you can experience God’s fulfilled promises. Maybe living in ‘captivity’ will help you to greater appreciate the freedom. Maybe you need to live in a land that doesn’t know God so you learn how to call on God, how to listen to Him, and how to know with all that you are of His good plans that prosper you!”

It is hard to see God through discouragement and disappointment. It is hard to keep leaning into His promises when you don’t feel like believing them. It’s difficult and tiring to push in to God when you can feel the darkness around you and the darkness is attempting to settle in your heart. But His promises are still true and He is still a good God. He is still working and I am still His. I also realize that God is still preparing me for the World Race trip. There may be times that I experience very similar situations and emotions out on the field.

I recently got assigned to a small group (called a cohort, currently with 2 other racers) to encourage and support each other until we leave next August. I was a little nervous about meeting them because I connected so well to the cohort of people that left August 2021. It won’t look exactly the same and that’s ok. But that doesn’t mean I have to stop being friends with the squad that I was previously going to leave with. It is ok to have room in my heart and life for both squads (all 15-40 of us who will all be going to the same countries at the same time).

My next deadline I want to reach is the $10,000 one by December 24.

You all mean so much to me. Thanks for being the hands as I’m the feet to tell people in other countries about Jesus.

Love you all.