Prepare For Launch: Frequently Asked Questions

1. You guys… I cannot believe it. I leave in just under ONE WEEK!!

How did that happen? Just a few days ago, it seemed like the day I leave will never come, but now, in some ways, it feels like it is coming too fast.

The closer I get to launch, the more questions I get about my trip. So, I decided to do a quick post to answer some of my favorite questions and some of the most frequently asked. If I don’t answer a question you have been curious about, feel free to comment with your questions below!

Where are you going?

Over the 11 months of travel, I will be in 6 different countries, but first I will go to training camp. (I’ll explain more about training camp later). Training camp will take place in Gainsville, Georgia, for 16 days. From there, I will go to my first country: Guatemala. Next, I will be going to the following countries, listed chronologically: Romania, Albania, Turkey, Jordan, and South Asia. Yes, I know South Asia is not a country. We have been asked not to disclose the exact country we are going to for the safety of the missionaries who work there. Within each country, my team of 25 people will be split into smaller groups of 4-6 and go to different areas of the countries, but I don’t know what cities I will be in yet.

What is training camp?

Training camp is kind of like a 16-day missionary boot camp. As I said earlier, it will be in Gainsville, Georgia, where the Adventures in Missions HQ is. While there, my team and I will be camping in our tents along with other teams who are going on different mission trips with The World Race. The purpose of camp is to help us bond together as a team before we are out on the field. There will be times of worship, bible study, prayer, team-building activities, and workshops, among other things, to ensure we are thoroughly prepared for the journey ahead. 

Are you nervous? And are you excited?

The short answer to this is yes. I am both very nervous and very excited. I have wanted to go on a mission trip like this since High School, and God has been so amazing with His perfect timing to allow me to go this year. I am excited to see how God grows and changes me. I am also excited to see how He uses my team and me to change the lives of the people we meet in each country we visit. On the flip side, however, I am very nervous to be gone for almost a full year. Even through college, I lived at my parents’ house, so this will be the first time I have been away from home for over 10 days. (Kind of a big jump, I know.) I also will be doing life with a team of people I have yet to meet. Even with the nervousness, though, I am ready to meet my team and build new, strong relationships with people who love Christ just as much as I do.

What are you going to miss the most?

This is a tricky question to answer. There are so many things I can think of that I will miss, but my life will be so different that I am actually not sure what will be missed the most. So, here’s a list of my top 10 things I think I’ll miss most, in no particular order.

1. Family
2. Friends
3. My bed and pillow
4. American food
5. My cats (Lacy and Penelope)
6. Swing Dancing
7. Air Conditioning
8. Teaching preschool
9. My home church
10. Rock climbing

Are you prepared?

Yes and no. I feel prepared as far as packing goes. I have had many months to think through what I want/need to take. I have gone through my packing list countless times and fine-tuned it to the best of my ability. What I don’t feel prepared for is saying goodbye to friends and family for so long. But I have been praying about that aspect of this journey a lot, and God has given me a massive amount of peace, far beyond what I thought was possible. I know this is what God has called me to, and I am trusting in Him for the details.

Fundraising update

To finish off this post I just wanted to give you all an update on fundraising as well as how you can be praying for me. As a reminder my fundraising goal is $19,200. So far, I have raised $15,011, which is 78% of the way there. I only need $4,189 to be fully funded. If you feel led to donate you can click the “support” link on the home page of this blog.

Prayer is also very important to the success of this trip. Some specific things you can pray for are:

• Peace
• Wisdom
• Patience (with myself, others, and God’s timing)
• Safety in travels

Thank you for your support!