It's taken me quite a while to make the time and set forth the effort to start this blog. Half of my hesiation to write is fear of commitment and the other half is just searching for the right words to say.
I find blogging very difficult…I always want to be as real as possible yet I'm extremely cautious of wording and how I portray myself. It's really easy to be artificial when you know that the words that you write will shape the readers impressions of not only yourself, but the topics and events that you write about.
I desire to be honest in my motives behind writing, to be as genuine in these blogs as possible and to write as if I were speaking directly to you, telling you my story firsthand!
So where does this beginning begin?
I first heard about The World Race in the fall of 2010 (yes, just a few months ago)! I was in college taking pre-nursing courses, getting a feel for the major and seeing if it is something I would want to pursue. I've struggled with picking a subject to major in and sticking with it…not because I'm not motivated or interested in anything. It's actually the opposite…I'm interested in so much, it's very difficult to narrow it down to one thing…art, design, international studies, film, history, theology, nursing… And now that I'm paying for my eduction myself, I want to be wise with my money and what I'm paying to study. I want to make it what I study count and not get a degree just to have a degree. Anyway, I was in the middle of my fifth semester of college and I didn't really know where I was going or what I was doing but there are a few things that I have been very certain of for a while…
I want to do missions. Whether it's full time, part time, whatever. I love God. I love people. I love foreign cultures, I love traveling. I desire to make a change and a real postivie, lasting impact in the world. I want to work hard. I want to live a selfless life. I don't mind living or being out of my comfort zone. In fact, I'm craving to be out of my comfort zone.
Enter The World Race.
I had coffee with a new friend…someone I didn't very well but wanted to get to know better & hear about what God's was doing in her life. She "just happened" to mention a little trip where you live out of a backpack for about a year, live off little money, and do missions work in a different country each month. I was immediately hooked. My heart leaped. I had the immediate feeling of "this is exactly what I want to do AND (more importantly) exactly what I feel like God's calling me to do." The funny thing is, when I looked online, I wasn't overwhelmed by the cost, but I was immediately reassured that if this is where God wants me, He'll provide the way. Impulsively, I went ahead and decided to apply because I knew that if I put it off, I'd begin to over analyze everything and I wouldn't ever do it.
Applied. Accepted. Ecstatic.
Then I prayerfuly made my decision before confirming.
I don't want to make it sound like this all happened very quickly, because it didn't. It happened over the course of several weeks. I went back and forth. Weighed the pros & cons of taking the trip now vs later.
Prayed. Fasted. Confirmed my position on the August 2011 squad!
I leave in August and will spend a month in each of the following countires:
Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, The Philippines, China, Ukraine, Moldova & Romania.
Now that I'm definitely going, I've started saving. I'm getting a second job. I'm going to take the exam to become a nurses assistant at the end of this month (prayers needed for that). I'm not taking any classes this semester because I want to be able to focus on preparations for the race, although, I may take one or two classes this summer before I leave. I'm also going to start fundraising (any suggestions would be great). My goal is to be fully funded by my launch day so that I don't have to worry about money or fundraising while I'm on the field.
Ways you can support me (it's not all about money):
– Words of encouragement – letter, comments, messages, etc.
– Prayers – any & many are appreciated, also, let me know what I can pray for you about!
– Monetary support – prayerfully consider donating financial support.
You can donate online HERE (5% is taken out for credit/debit processing fees) or mail a check to
Adventures in Missions @ P.O. Box 534470, Atlanta, GA 30353-4470
*be sure to put my name, Ashley Penny, in the subject line*
– Advertise – spread the word! Maybe you can't give a lot, but if you're excited about what I'm doing and want to help me go on The World Race, help me spread the word about this awesome opportunity to share the love and grace of God to the world in practical, meaningful ways!
Stay tuned. This is just the beginning!
