I am writing a retroactive blog, for a huge praise that I have not formally acknowledged yet. SORRY!

Since being in Costa Rica, it has been an absolute blessing to know that I am fully fundraised. $18,700...holy smokes, but reflecting on the journey was a lot. 

When I first committed to The World Race in November of last year, the cost of the trip was by far the most intimidating portion. I knew that I was physically prepared to carry a backpack around with all my stuff, but the portion of asking and fundraising... oof! I had never done that before, and in all actuality I did not know where to start. 

Thankfully Adventures in Missions (AIM) has ample amount of information and resources to successfully launch missionaries. This is not their first rodeo, like it was mine, so I felt overly supported. (Shoutout AUSTIN!). I took favor to this book called The God Ask by Steve Shadrach; which was recommended to me by several people, and I actually passed it along to one of my youth girls at The Well Church before I left. It was SO GOOD, and disrupted my entire perspective to fundraising. 

Fundraising is not about simply raising money or meeting a goal. That is a necessary part of it, however it is not the main focus or point. The point is to invite people into His work, and what He is doing in the world. The face-to-face encounters that I have had are not about a horizontal give to me; Dana, but rather a vertical give to His kingdom!! God invites some of His children to build up and prepare missionaries, God invites some of His children to be prayerful for His missionaries, God invites some of His children to steward their finances and give, and God invites some of His children to physically GO. There are so many areas where God invites us to be apart of it, and it has been so evident for me to see those areas so clearly through this process. It is all about simply partnering with Him, and being cheerful about whatever area that may be. 

“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart – not reluctantly or under compulsion – for God loves a cheerful giver.” – 2 Corinthians 9:7

So thank you, again and again. Thank you for partnering with me as a physical body in this, but also with God. It has been incredible to partner with what He is doing in Costa Rica thus far, and I cannot wait to share continuously. (VLOG on the horizon!). 

At this point two girls from Team Bloom are still working towards their fundraising goal, so if you feel led to donate please click either of their sites below.

(https://morgancorrigan.theworldrace.org/.  https://stephtancous.theworldrace.org/ ) 

I myself am also inviting people to be monthly donors via VENMO, $20-40/month, my account is dsalesman! My heart behind monthly donors, is to continue to invite people in the day-to-day here. It is evident that people are in need, and are hurting. This monthly donation will be partner in the feet on the ground ministry; such as buying a pair of quality sandals for a young girl that has clearly outgrown and walked through the pair that she has. That's the heart behind monthly donations. <3

For now...one update at a time, plus having wifi only at the local coffee shop makes it a little more difficult to communicate than what we previously had at our other ministry host. 

xoxo 

d