Hi! I’m Ava, and I live in a small town called Shamong, New Jersey. I am graduating from high school in 2021, and instead of going to college right away, I’ll be traveling to Guatemala, Cambodia, and Eswatini in Africa for 3 months each to be the hands and feet of Jesus alongside an amazing team through The World Race Gap Year! I am beyond excited! 🙂
So why am I going on the world race? It’s all because of Him, and it’s all for Him. Missions were placed on my heart while traveling to Quito, Ecuador on a mission trip with my church a couple years back. Since then, God has been softly pulling my heart towards a gap year to serve Him and His people, but I always put it on the back burner. When COVID-19 hit the US, and quarantine was a norm, that’s when I really started to see His steadfast guidance and faithfulness. That time of isolation and stillness really lead me to the Lord more than ever, and made me truly realize that when everything is stripped away, He still remains. He is still loving me, fighting for me, and guiding me– and He is doing the same for you too. So this season in my life has truly looked like laying my life and heart at His feet, and letting Him move. All I had to do was say “yes”, and I continue to do that everyday as The Race becomes more real in my life. It’s still so tough for me to fathom that He has brought me this far, and continues to want to use my life for His Kingdom. But He’s just that good. Because of who He is, I will live my life serving and loving people the way He does, so that they can see that He wants to use them too. It’s not about me. It’s all about Him.
So as I’m going into this season of preparation, and into the next season of my gap year, I would be so grateful if you could pray for me. Pray for:
– My heart. For it to be open and willing to always say “yes” to whatever He has ahead. For it to be joyful, peaceful, hopeful, and strong in the Lord’s plan, and for me to find those fruits in him. For it to be confident in Him and reminded of His steadfast love and faithfulness when doubtful.
– My team! For us to keep God at the center of our fellowship and friendship. For us to have grateful hearts for Him bringing us together. For us to be flexible with the way God will be moving in our lives. For us to encourage each other, and lead each other back to the Lord at all times.
– Guatemala, Cambodia, and Eswatini. For each person we come in contact with to see Jesus through each of us. For each person to see that we are there to love, serve, and lead them to Jesus; pray that they have open hearts to receive us, and most importantly, Him. For each person to be touched by the Lord. For that seed to be planted, whether it grows the same day, or years later, pray that the seed is planted in good soil.
Also, if you feel led to support me financially, you can:
– Donate directly through this blog! You can just click the button that says “Donate!” on this blog page and it will direct you through it! Whether monthly, or one-time, I am thankful. Listen to what God is leading you to!
– Buy a shirt/sweatshirt! I am selling a design on bonfire.com, which is awesome because you can buy it directly from the website! You just add what you want to your cart, and checkout! https://www.bonfire.com/love-one-another-2021/
Those are the easiest ways to help support me financially, but if you need help or guidance, please let me know! You can contact me through the “Contact” button on this blog page if you don’t have my personal contact!
Finally, I want to personally thank you in advance to everyone who is choosing to walk alongside me in this journey! I cannot wait to see the way God moves. More to come soon!
love always,
Ava 🙂
P.S. You can subscribe to this blog if you want to stay updated! Just click the “Subscribe for updates” button under my profile picture 🙂
