Friends, Family, Neighbors, Strangers… I’m writing to tell you of my partnership with Adventures In Missions through a program called “World Race: Gap Year.” I firmly believe in the Great Commission, and while Alabama is where God has placed me right now, I know He calling me somewhere else in this next season of life. Romans 10:13-14 says, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” My heart aches for those who have never heard the Good News of Christ and those who have never had the opportunity of being discipled. Therefore, from September 2020 to May 2021, I will be serving in Romania, India, and Costa Rica to help further the Gospel. I will be gone for an entire nine months, spending three months in each country. Since my return from Guatemala, the Lord has made it very evident that He would like for me to go serve Him on the World Race, and I am so excited to follow His call!
Romania is in need of hope as they try to escape their Communist past and look to Jesus. In Romania, I will serve alongside Hope Church, in Draganesti Olt. I am blessed to have the opportunity to pass out eyeglasses and Bibles written in the local language, and share the love of Jesus to at-risk communities. India is a nation diverse in language, culture, and religion, yet SO many have never heard the Good News of Jesus. Less than 2% of the people living in India consider themselves Christ-followers. In India, my focus will be on strategically passing out Bibles and building relationships with locals to share the Gospel through a partnership with Bibles For The World. Another opportunity I will have in India is joining in rapid growing movement of church-planting and taking the Gospel to completely unreached communities in Manipur. Costa Rica is a country growing in their love for Christ, but still devastated with poverty, prostitution, and gang violence. In Costa Rica, I will be able to teach English, share God’s Word with neighborhood kids, and do community projects in slums destroyed by gang violence. In each country, I will get to serve alongside well-established ministries and new ministries alike to form kingdom-minded relationships and spread the Good News of sweet Abba. I am utterly humbled and grateful to be called to this.
All of that said, I cannot go serve in these places without the necessary funds. The funds that I raise through Adventures In Missions ($15,800) cover all practical costs for my Race, including meals, lodging, travel, medical insurance, and ministry costs. This also covers administrative costs, set-up, coaching, leadership development, debriefs, Training Camp, etc. I will also need to raise some funds outside of that to cover gear (tent, sleeping bag, backpack fit to live out of for nine months, sleeping pad, etc.), items that I will need to buy periodically on the mission field (toothpaste, shampoo, clothing to fit in with the culture, WIFI, etc.), a plane ticket back home from a major U.S. city, vaccinations, upfront fundraising costs, etc. I want to invite you to partner with me in furthering the Gospel through giving. I know that the Lord will provide for me to go on the World Race because He called me to it; however, He needs people to use as vessels that are willing to give financially. I have more fundraisers on the way, so be on the look-out for those. The best way you can give is through simple donations, and you can that by going to my blog (this page that you are on right now), rainahenderson.theworldrace.org. Here, you can easily make a TAX-DEDUCTIBLE donation online. I am asking that several people would pray about setting up a donation that would be automatically taken out monthly for the next nine months. I am also asking that several people would pray about making a one time donation. This can be $1, $5, $100 – anything at all truly does help. Another way to give a tax-deductible donation is by writing a check to “Adventures In Missions” (make sure my name is on the memo) and mailing it to PO Box 742570, Atlanta, GA 30374-2570. You are also welcome to give cash or checks directly to me. Prayerfully consider giving. Skip a Starbucks coffee once a week and send that extra $5 to help further Jesus Christ’s name. Skip a meal out once a month and send that extra $10 to make His name known among the unknown. Pray about being apart of the Gospel going to the nations!
The Lord has already been blowing me away like crazy through all of this. Tons of money is already raised, and I already have the best squad ever!
All of that said, I could never raise all of those funds or go serve in those places without lots and lots of prayer. Please keep me and my team in your prayers as we prepare to embark on this incredible journey. It is a daunting, yet exciting task. I want to thank you in advance for the amount of love and prayers. If you have any questions or want to speak to me personally about all of this, please don’t hesitate to call or text or email me. Or, comment right here on this blog! Also, check out my fundraising Instagram account for fundraisers that are currently going on (@raina_wrgy_fundraising).
For the Lord has commanded us, saying, “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” – Acts 13:47.
Lots of love and appreciation – Raina
