It’s funny how many things start with just one conversation.

All my life, I have wanted to help and serve others. How I did this varied widely. Putting away chairs, serving lunch, and even running around the nursing home turning the hymnals to the right page, are some of the ways I found to serve. As I got older, I also started volunteering more, doing things like scouting, helping with Eagle projects, volunteering at a local second-hand clothing shop, and helping teach Sunday school. In 2014, it was God’s plan for me to bring my willingness to serve to Italy and Greece for the summer, ministering to locals and Middle-Eastern refugees all over both countries.

When I came home, I wasn’t the same. If you know me, you know that I couldn’t stop talking about what God did to, and through, our team that summer. I began thinking of my life in terms of missions, and how God might use me, where he might bring me. I started to think that being a missionary overseas might be his plan for my life.

But that was as far as I got. I went into college, got a room, a job, and in all of the transitions and sudden changes in my life, I lost sight of where I was going, and where I had already been. I didn’t run from God, I just lost my focus. I looked away just that once, and that was all it took. He never lost sight of me though.

In all of that, he brought a good friend and coworker into my life. It turns out she had gone on a trip to Cambodia with the same organization and at the same time that I had gone to Italy! After one conversation, we had a real connection and friendship. She would give me rides home from work, since I didn’t have a car, and we would end up sitting and talking for hours in my driveway. Often we would talk about missions, and we agreed to look for trips that we might go on.

One day, she found Immersion. I emailed questions about the program, and was emailed the answers, and updates on the upcoming trips. One of them was a 6-month trip to Africa. Suddenly, I had to know about that trip. The more I learned about it, the more I felt a pull to go. So I applied, and was accepted.

In Africa, I will be living in three countries: Namibia, Lesotho, and South Africa. Throughout the trip, I will be ministering in the shanty-towns, helping at schools, farming, and participating in local life. I will be staying with a host family in each stage of the journey, and may get to serve them by watching the children, going to the market, cooking meals, or even doing laundry.

Over the next few months, I will be putting on events, doing yard work and yard sales, can drives, and other things to earn money towards this trip. I will also be cutting out coffee and fast food, and using the money I would spend on both of those to cover some of my expenses, as well as putting off school for another year.

I can’t do any of this, however, without your help.

Whether it’s prayer, some of your time, or a financial donation, I know that there’s no way I can do this by myself.

Something God has been working on with me is asking for help. I always feel as though I’m inconveniencing others when I do this.

So I’m asking for your help, in sending me to Africa. The trip cost is $9,500, but I will need to raise close to $10,500 in order to cover the expense of the gear I will need, as well as immunizations, transportation to and from training in Indiana, and various other costs.

Will you help me go?

Thank you in advance for your help. Most of all, thank you for your prayers. Check back here for updates on my progress. Thank you, and God bless!