Hey Family and Friends,
I am a senior at Yorktown High School and in September, I will be joining the World Race gap year program. The gap year is a nine month program where kids around my age will be living in four different countries: Costa Rica, Guatemala, Thailand, and eSwatini. Every day will look different but some of the things my team and I will focus on are: children’s ministry, teaching English, manual labor, helping victims of human trafficking, working in orphanages, and watching the Lord work in both my life and the lives of many around the world. I want to use this next year to love and care for those who need it most and to watch God spread his love and beauty in the midst of lack and suffering.
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First we will travel to Costa Rica. My team and I will be working in San Jose, including the slums which have been overcome by gang violence and poverty. Here we will focus on loving, teaching and caring for the children in this country, work on community outreach projects in the slums, participate in feeding programs, do manual labor and care for victims of sex trafficking.
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Our next three months will be spent in Antigua, Guatemala. Our time will be centered around developing relationships with neighbors and surrounding underserved communities, teaching English, and spending time with local children.
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Next we will travel to Chiang Mai, Thailand. In this country we will have the rewarding opportunity of sharing the love of Jesus with people who may have never heard the gospel. We will also teach English to the local Thai people and care for the physical needs of many children living on the streets.
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Our last couple of months will be spent in Nsoko, eSwatini. In this country, our main focus is to love and care for the many orphaned children that have lost their parents due to the devastating widespread HIV/AIDS epidemic. Here we will serve alongside the Adventures in Missions base who focus on providing the children with food, clean water, education, healthcare, and discipleship.
I have never felt so relieved, excited and nervous all at once. While there is a specific plan for this gap year, I know this journey holds so much more than I can ever imagine. I am learning to give my worries to Him, and I believe that this is what I am supposed to be doing. I am so thankful to have this opportunity and am excited to watch God work not only in my life, but in the many lives I will have the privilege of meeting around the world.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
There are two ways you can help me through this journey, one is to give financially.
My goal is to raise $5,000 by June, an additional $8000 by September in order to be launched, and I must be fully funded by January 2021 ($15,600). This can be through a one time donation or through a recurring contribution. The donations go towards costs of travel, training, food, and accommodations as well as funding the ministry and humanitarian work we will be doing . You can donate using two different methods:
-Donate through my blog using the link below
https://daisysimmons.theworldrace.org/?_ga=2.112677511.243098010.1587756043-1446781872.1587756043
-Mail a check to the address below, must include my name in the memo
Adventures in Missions
P.O. Box 742570
Atlanta, GA 30374-2570
PRAYER
Another way you can help me is by following along as I share my experiences during the trip on this website, and by offering encouragement and prayer to me and my team as we take this next step in our lives.
-Please pray for strength and the ability to help and love people in these impoverished countries. And, please pray for safety and health…my mom added that 😉
COVID-19
In concern to Covid-19, if the trip gets canceled this year, my plan is to join the World Race the following year. All donations will then go toward the 2021-2022 trip. This is a very weird time to be asking for financial support and planning a 9 month trip in various countries, but I have decided to have faith and continue by taking this next step. I also completely understand if you are not able to give financial assistance during this difficult time, and I will continue to pray for those of you who have lost jobs, money and loved ones and for our world to soon find an end to this pandemic.
Thank you all so much and do not hesitate to email me, call me or shoot me a text. I will follow up no more than 2-3 days!! Here are some ways you can contact me:
703-867-1304
Love,
Daisy
