Support Letter

Here is my official support letter for the trip this year. Please contact me if you have any questions! 

I can officially announce, with great fanfare and much ado, that the AIA Track & Field: Belgium trip is happening this July! This year is already proving to be an exciting year. Our ten person roster is already halfway filled, and formal recruitment hasn't even started. As of right now it is myself, Jodi (AIA staff), two pole vaulters, and a hurdler. We have several other folks interested, including a student athletic trainer. As recruitment kicks off, I will be excited to see how the Lord fills our remaining spots, or if He decides to add more athletes to our roster.

Our adventure this year is lining up to be just that - an adventure. We are extending the trip to last the full month of July, as opposed to the three and a half weeks that it has been in the past. There are more meets that we are looking to compete in, including the Belgian National Championships at the end of the month. The total number of meets we are looking to compete in is now close to eight. The biggest adventure, and one of the biggest prayer requests, concerns my leadership role this summer.

First, a quick backstory: Athletes in Action holds an all-staff conference every two years. This mandatory meeting is for everyone on staff with AIA. They usually hold it at the end of July or early in August. This year, they are moving it up to the beginning of July. As a full-time staff member, Jodi is required to be there. At the moment, there are two ways this scenario can play out. The first being that Jodi puts in a special request to be allowed to not attend the conference and travel to Belgium on this project. The second way is that Jodi goes to the conference and meets up with the team when it finishes. Until she joins the team, I would be the one leading the trip. I'll be honest: that is very scary. But, also very humbling that she would think so highly of me to trust me to that degree. Our prayer is that Jodi be granted this special leave of absence from the all-staff conference, and if not, that He would prepare me to lead well in her absence.

Regardless of my position at the beginning of the trip, my role will remain the same as it has been the past two times I have traveled - team athletic trainer, team chef, team mom, co-Bible study leader, and end-of-the-trip debriefer. While 2012 was a tough year, especially tough when it came to walking away from my little flock at Northwood, I have realized how much I love and have a passion for teaching/shepherding athletes, a passion that I would not have realized had I not walked away from the trip and my old job last year. I consider myself very blessed to have another opportunity to return to the country the Lord has given me a heart for and to shepherd athletes again.

I also praise the Lord that my new job at Airrosti Rehab Centers has allowed me to take a full 31 days off from work with their full blessing and encouragement. I know that many people cannot say that about their employer, and I am very fortunate in that regard. Part of me still cannot believe it.

To wrap up, I have three prayer requests, the first regarding Jodi's permission to travel to Belgium and miss the all-staff conference. The second is for our team overall - that our roster would fill up, that everyone's support raising process would go smoothly, and that the Lord would begin to prepare us for the summer now. The third is that you would prayerfully consider partnering with me financially for the trip. I have a support goal of  $3,500 to reach by June 1st. This covers all airfare, in-country transportation, food, materials, gear, entrance fees to meets, and lodging. I would love to share more about my heart for Belgium, and for athletes, in person or via technology (Skype, phone call, ect). If the Lord does lead you to give, there are two ways:

:: Send me a check made out to Athletes in Action with my tracking number (#5571387) in the memo line.
:: Give electronically at https://give.ccci.org/give. Enter my tracking number (#5571387) and select the amount.
*Note: All gifts are tax deductible.*


Alles voor Christus,
Rachel

Lucky Number (20)13

Let's try this again...

Last year was rough. Scroll down a few posts for the recap of why Belgium didn't happen last summer. To sum up my past year, I would have to say: a CrossFit WOD (workout) involving a lot of burpees. So many burpees. Over and over and over and over again.

I also learned a lot about the concept of first fruits. Biblically, first fruits were given to the Lord as a sacrifice. They were given from the first harvest, the first livestock slaughter, and they were given with a joyful heart with thanksgiving. It was an act of trust to give back to the Lord your "firsts," trusting Him that He would provide enough to make it through the seasons. I laid down my first real job, first flock of athletes, first people group that the Lord has called me to reach, and various others. But this act of surrender is not about letting go, but of receiving. How much more can I now receive after I have obediently surrendered to the Lord? My hands were emptied, and the Lord doesn't take away for the mere act of taking. He is a good God who loves His children. He will always fill the empty space with Himself. And that is always worth the surrender.

I am excited for this summer. The trip is going to be a bit longer than in the past, running closer to a full four weeks as opposed to the three weeks that it has been. We are also pole vaulter-heavy again this year, meaning that I won't be at a loss for stories, as traveling with pole cases around Belgium provide plenty. And plenty of opportunities to make new friends.

Jesus. Sports. World travel. Cooking for friends.

The perfect July.