Then the fun part began.
For the next few months I started the process of fundraising for The World Race. In order to do this mission trip I had to raise $18,100 by August 2018. I am a very blessed and lucky individual because when I told my family and friends about my plans they were more than supportive and jumped at every fundraising opportunity with me. In the past six months we were able to raise around $2,800 to go towards The World Race.
Recently, it has come to my attention of a couple of things that made me question my decision of going and participating in The World Race for 11 months. Foremost, I would like to clarify that I have nothing against The World Race and believe wholeheartedly that this organization is doing some great things around the world, and I have deep respect for those who serve. My decision of not participating comes from a very personal level where I have prayed, sought counsel and contemplated whether sacrificing 11 months of my life is the best thing for me to do at this time.
I know in my heart and soul that I can do a mission trip for a year and have the strength to be away from home and my loved ones that long, but when I asked myself if I truly wanted to leave for 11months, the answer, 'yes' did not immediately come to mind and my heart felt crushed just thinking of leaving. My life is in a really great place right now. I started a new job that is going incredibly well and I love the fact that I get to help children and their families. Graduate school is great, I love what I am studying and am looking forward to the chance of becoming a mental health counselor. My mental state is also so good. And leaving all of this behind in six months was going to be very difficult to do.
It has also been brought to my attention how un-Catholic the World Race is, and how difficult it would be to serve with other Christians from other religions. My decision to not do The World Race has nothing to do with the missionary organization not being Catholic. To be completely honest the fact that a bunch of Christians from different faiths coming together to travel the world and help others in need in the name of God and sharing the love of Jesus is half the reason I wanted to join. I liked the idea of different Christians working together for a year and having the opportunity to share their faith with each other. Yes, it would be 1,000 times easier to join a Catholic-based missionary organization, but I wasn't planning on doing a mission trip in the first place, The World Race just kind of fell on my lap one day.
So to make a long story short, at the end of the day my heart is not at peace in doing The World Race and with that said I have to stop my fundraising efforts. To those of you who have graciously donated funds to me I would like to first off apologize for wasting your time and thank you for supporting me in this endeavor. The $2,800 that I have raised will stay with The World Race and I have no doubt that those funds will be used for nothing more than something good and will glorify God in some way.
If you would like any of the money back that you have donated to me, please let me know and I will more than gladly and willingly return it to you. I have decided that I will donate $2,800 of my own funds in honor of you, my supporters, to someone who is need locally or to an organization that needs financial support. That way I know and you all know that we definitely have helped someone. I will keep you all informed of where that money goes to and who it helps or supports.
I truly feel called to serve others and I know God will use me for his glory. My new job offers ample opportunities to help many children in need and I am currently getting involved in youth ministry at my local church. As the great Mother Teresa once said, "Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love."
I truly feel called to serve others and I know God will use me for his glory. My new job offers ample opportunities to help many children in need and I am currently getting involved in youth ministry at my local church. As the great Mother Teresa once said, "Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love."
I hope that I have not disappointed any of you too much with my decision not to go on The World Race. If I have I am truly sorry and pray that you find it in your hearts to forgive me. Thank you all for the incredible support you have all shown me. It is so good to know that I have such amazing people in my life. Please keep me in your prayers, as I will keep all of you in mine.
This decision was incredibly difficult to make, but I truly believe it is the best thing for me to do. And I feel complete peace in my heart and soul.
"The Lord is my strength and my shield, in Him my heart trust and I am helped."
- Psalm 28:7
- Psalm 28:7
