It's week two of my fundraising and I have already seen God speak to me through the most unlikely of people. 

Someone recently asked me why the organization doesn't have a fundraising department to raise money and allocate it between racers. It would make a lot of sense and make the process easier for everyone, right?

Although that would be every racers dream, there is an unspoken beauty about each racer raising their own funds. One of the biggest beauties is it's a necessary experience to prepare the racer for the journey ahead.

#1. Trust God. 

Before attending the World Race, God is preparing our hearts for the journey we are embarking. This means we need to learn to fully trust Him from the get-go. Trusting Him to supply our fundraising needs let's us leave the seemingly impossible up to Him. We spend the months prior to our trip really embracing what it means to trust in God, so we start our 11-month trip without hesitations. 

#2. Humble yourself

Fundraising is the process of accepting humility. There will be meetings upon meetings to share my story with the community. And although everyone may be excited to hear about what's to come, not everyone will be on board with supporting you financially. Rejection is real and rejection is humbling. It's not easy asking people for money, but fundraising gives us an opportunity to ask in a way that doesn't care about the amount your willing to give, but the spirit in which you give it. 

#3. Reconnecting with old friends

Today I was pleasantly surprised to wake up seeing an old family friend had donated to my race. I haven't talked to this family in YEARS, and I'm not even sure how often my parents keep up with them. I hadn't sent them a support letter and don't think I have them on Facebook so I have NO idea how they even heard about my acceptance to the World Race. But in doing so, I was able to reconnect with an amazing family that was a big part of many childhood memories. 

#4. God speaks to you

Fundraising allows us to connect with people we otherwise would never know. I went to a church to talk about my race, and the pastor connected me with someone substituting as the director for the missions board. He sat me down and reminded me that the biggest part of meeting with people isn't about the money. It's about inspiring people, speaking God into their lives and showing your passion. I couldn't help but cry as I knew God was using this man to speak to me. Turns out, he wasn't even supposed to go into work that day. He just felt God called him to be there that day so he went in not really knowing why. Funny how God works, isn't it?

Fundraising Update:

In two weeks I have raised about $550! And although I only have five weeks to hit my $5,000 benchmark, I feel this small amount is just a nudge from God saying "this is just the beginning."

Thank you to all who have supported me through prayer, finance and enthusiasm. You keep my fire going and reaffirm that this is the right calling for me!

Much love, 

Erica Ann