2022 Recap & Forward

To my dearest and loved friends, family, and supporters…

HELLO! Oh my goodness, I hadn’t realized that it has now been eight months since I wrote my last blog. Honestly, I have been trying to bring myself to write for a good while now and so many things have changed. I think if I were to describe this past season of my life in one word it would be “chaotic”.  After coming back home I didn’t take much time to rest and reset. I jumped right back into work as I continued to pray about what the Lord was leading me into next. 

Life has been hard, to tell the truth. God has walked me through processing the 11 months I was on the field last year and the four months I was gone earlier this year. I have had to face struggles, heartbreak, distractions, missing community, and apathy. Ultimately, I felt like I was in the same exact place when I left for the World Race. I put the World Race in a “box” in my mind and placed it upon a far-off “shelf”. 

As I look back at this year in remembrance I’ve realized it has been one of the hardest, but it has brought about some of the sweetest of moments. I have met so many new close friends, visited new beautiful places, and have adventured more than anticipated. 

Enjoying my time in Goa, India.

 One of the new places I have visited most recently was India. As some of you know I went to India in October for a two-week mission trip with Rahab’s Rope. During my time in India, we worked with community leaders to reach women and children in the prevention of human and sex trafficking. Some of the ways we were able to assist were by teaching first-aid, self-defense, and a variety of Bible stories and songs. Those two weeks reminded me of the passion that the Holy Spirit has gifted me in seeking out missions. My heart, eyes, spirit, and mind were awakened again for what God has called me into. I left India filled once again with the Spirit and the love of God.

Pictured above are two of our ministry sites in India. On the left, we had just finished doing a Bible story and a song in which our time ended with a snack. On the right, we spent time with students helping with their homework before sharing a story and song.

While I was being reminded of the heart that I have for missions when I was in India, I started to pray again to where God was leading. I spent a lot of time in prayer about different opportunities and one really stuck out to me. There is an Alumni 10/40 World Race trip that is launching in January 2023. As I continued to pray into this option I felt an overwhelming presence of peace from the Lord. I finally decided to reach out to my mentor and I requested the link for the application. Soon after that, I ended up applying for the trip and within a few days I heard back that I am accepted to launch this upcoming January! How exciting?! 

What is the 10/40 window? It is the area of Northern Africa, the Middle East, and Asia that is between 10 degrees north and 40 degrees north latitude. This rectangular shape is filled with the most unreached people groups of those who have not heard the Gospel. I will be traveling to the Adventures in Missions campus once again for a month of training before launching to the Middle East for four months. My team consists of World Race Alumni and we will be visiting Jordan, Egypt, and Kyrgyzstan. I am so excited about what’s next. 

Pictured above is my team with one of the women’s groups we were working with.

This year has been a whirlwind for sure but God has been SO faithful through it all. He is steadfast, kind, gentle, patient, and so loving. I have learned so much about what it looks like to wait upon the Lord because His timing is always perfect. I have had the opportunity to witness to my coworkers and people that I meet on the street and even got to explore a new country all during a season that I have felt so inadequate. 

Now as I start to prepare for the mission field in January, can I ask that you partner with me? Will you please partner with me in prayer as my team and I begin preparations for training and launching onto the mission field? Will you please pray and consider partnering with me financially? Thank you! Your prayer, love, and support mean the world to me and it does not go unnoticed or underappreciated. You are so loved, cared for, and prayed over!

Adventures in Missions has been going through some changes and growth, much like we all do, and we have been connected to a new page for blogs and donations. 

You can find my new donation page here which is also connected with my new blog. You can also find my new blog page here. Thank you again for everything!

With all my love,

Paula