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Posted in Admissions Posts: Admin by Laura Jacobs on 1/6/2010
Some of you may have seen fees showing up on your support account recently. I apologize that we did not explain this in advance... there were a few technical errors and clarifications to make. Let me explain now how you can get the most out of your donation.
1) Credit Card Donors. Our society loves the quick and efficient. Most donors will appreciate being able to click a simple link, put in their info, and be done. Donors love even more to set up an account to automatically donate on a regular basis and forget about it. However, efficiency comes with a price. Credit card companies make their money by charging fees to be able to use this service. When a donor gives via credit or debit card, you will see a 5% fee deducted from your support account for that convenience.
2) Bank Draft Donors. In order to reduce the fee for donations, we have added a Bank Draft choice to your online giving. Donors can choose this option online and then they may enter the information from the bottom of a check rather than a credit card. By choosing this option, you will only see a 3% fee deducted from your support account.
3) Written Check Donors. One of the cheapest options is to have donors write a check or money order and send that to Adventures In Missions, P.O. Box 534470, Atlanta, GA 30353-4470. This sends the check directly to our bank where it is deposited. The bank then sends an image of that check to our accounting department to apply toward your support. There are no fees for checks mailed this way. However, please allow 2 weeks from the date you mail the check before you expect to see it in your support account. Also please note that you cannot receive letters or any correspondence at this address. It is only for checks or money orders.
4) DynaPay Donors. This last option is to try and combine the convenient and cheap options as best as possible. By signing up for DynaPay, a donation is automatically deducted from a checking account each month with no fees. To sign up for DynaPay, request a form by emailing info@theworldrace.org. Have your donor fill out that form and return it signed with a voided check to Adventures in Missions, Attn: Accounting, 6000 Wellspring Trail, Gainesville, GA 30506. IMPORTANT: The downside of DynaPay is that the donor MUST contact us in the office to stop the automatic withdrawal when they no longer wish to keep giving. DynaPay will continue to deduct each month unless the donor directly says "Please cancel my donation now." Should your donor sign up for this option, please make sure they clearly understand that.
When speaking with donors, we recommend that you succinctly explain each giving option, allowing them to choose which option works best for them.
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Posted in Admissions Posts: Admin by Laura Jacobs on 9/8/2009
Hey friends!!!
Just letting you know that our database systems are going through a major overhaul tonight. If all goes smoothly you'll see a new, easier system coming live this week. We don't plan on losing any information, so there's nothing you should need to do. However, as with all computer fun-ness... anything is possible.
We are maintaining your folders with all of the paperwork you have sent in. You will not see these documents on your new profile page, but they are not lost. Your support account should stay the same and the info there should be unaffected.
Over the next few weeks when you access your support account or profile online, if you notice anything out of place or broken, please just drop me an email and let me know. We'll get things fixed as soon as possible.
Blessings!
Laura Jacobs
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Posted in Admissions Posts: Trip Preparation by Rebecca Campos on 8/7/2009
Hey Team,
I had understood at training camp we were going to be provided with first aid kits, but after calling the AIM headquarters this morning, WR is not providing us with first aid kits. If you don't have one already, I'd suggest getting one.
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Posted in Everyone: General Posts by Kristi Kaeli on 7/31/2009
These past few weeks to prepare for the race have been challenging on me and I have decided to not start the Race at this time. Although this has been a very hard choice to make - I know that God has something better in store for me. This will allow me to finish my schooling, watch my mom graduate from nursing school, pay off debt, and prepare my church better for my absence.
I look forward to reading about all your adventures and will be praying for all of you.
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Posted in Admissions Posts: Admin by Jimmy McCarty on 7/29/2009
Hey guys: We are re-posting the flight info for your departure to Dublin. This is just a reminder--please review and let us know if you have any questions. Please note you should meet BEFORE you check-in.
All team leaders...
Brian & Stacy Alonzo and Caroline are flying with all of the team leaders on August 9 from JFK. Fly into JFK and please make sure that your plane lands before 3pm. You will meet at Terminal 3 at 4pm. You
leave on a7:25pm Delta flight to Dublin. You will then spend the next
couple of days getting ready for everyone else's arrival.
J squad
Aaron Bruner will meet the rest of the J squad at JFK on August 11th. Please make sure that your flight lands before 3pm at JFK.You will need to meet at Terminal 3 at 4pm, before you check in for your 7:25pm Delta flight to Dublin! Aaron's cell is 404-933-1881.
K squad
Caitlin Woodward will be meeting the rest of the K squad at JFK on August 11th. If you are flying in, please make sure your flight lands before 1pm at JFK.You will meet at Terminal 4 at 2 pm before you check in for your 5:45pm Aer Lingus flight to Dublin! Caitlin's cell is 517-304-8741.
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Posted in Everyone: Fun Stuff by Chelsea DiPaolo on 7/25/2009
hi friends!
so i'm trying to work through the best way to communicate with home while we're gone.
obviously, we all know and love skype, right? welllll. this is a discovery that i made.
the real website is here (http://www.skype.com/allfeatures/subscriptions/uscanada/)
so anyways, unless i'm misunderstanding something, this seems like an amazing deal. sure i can only call to the US/canada, but that's really where everyone i'm going to be calling is going to be. right? it seems like we'll be using more than $3.00/month in skype credit. for example, i recently called a cell phone in zambia, and it cost me something like $4 for 11 minutes. so, i mean, that's not a crazy amount, but it seems like this is a really good deal. so, am i missing something? or are we crazy not to buy this?
love you all! can't wait to see you soon.
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Posted in Everyone: Prayer Requests by Brandy Chaffer on 7/20/2009
I recently finished a Beth Moore Bible study, Stepping Up...which eloquently began and sufficiently ended in Psalm 84...
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.
Turns out that the Valley of Baca is a valley of weeping, a place of tears. Lord knows I have spent ample time there. I wonder if you have too...
Beth ended the study with a blessing...and as we prepare to embark on this journey together...I can't help but wonder if this blessing wasn't specifically written for us...
"May God keep your heart set on pilgrimage. May He keep your eyes upon the destination and never let you forget that your Goal is a person, Jesus Christ, and He is waiting for you - in person - at your finish line. May you always remember what a great cloud of witnesses cheers you on in your journey to Mount Zion and bids you to "Be brave!" The race is not long, Beloved, so run hard! May your eyes be open to snares your enemy sets in your path and, should you tumble in the ditch, may your troubled heart be disallowed to condemn you. Jump in the air, twirl around, and buck like a bronco with repentance before your God until not a single speck of mud is left on your feet. Let God wash them in the water of His Word and plant them back on your path. When we feel heavy-laden in our journeys, may we check first to see if it's the burden of a swollen ego or the load of taking on a role that only belongs to God. May we lay down what has no place in our packs and run with the wind. When life is excruciating, may you find strength in Christ to crawl on your hands and knees, sowing the Word of God and watering it with your tears. May you never forget that you are inconceivably loved and that God will prove infinitely faithful. And, on your way to the great feast in the heavenly Jerusalem, may you glance often to your right and to your left and offer a fellow pilgrim a helping hand. May the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion."
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Posted in Admissions Posts: Listening Prayer by Josh Gross on 7/15/2009
 Matthew 7:7
Don't bargain with God. Be Direct. Ask for what you need. This isn't a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we are in.
The first time I heard of this was at Training Camp last year. To be honest at first I thought these people were kind of crazy. They believe that God responds back to the questions they asked him. I was uncomfortable with that, but my real problem was that I didn't think that this wonderful amazing God would really spend that time speaking to me! God loves us SO much. He wants to communicate with me and you. He wants to show us what we want to know, he wants to answer our prayers. He wants to know us, and us know him. He wants us to have a PERSONAL relationship with him. He wants me & you and your grandma to all have a different, special relationship with him.
Think if you could ask God what his will was for you and then hear his response? Wouldn't that be life changing! Well, he does want to speak to us, we just have to listen.
We don't have to pray these prayers with thousands of words, we don't have to think about what we need to say or worry if we are praying the correct way,
Listening Prayer is asking God a question and waiting for a response. It's not complicated, or saying the right words. It's about being willing and waiting. You might already be hearing God, but you don't want to put words in God's mouth and dishonor him if it isn't him, but have you ever stopped and thought maybe you were dishonoring him by not crediting him? So don't be afraid to give God the credit!
So, here is what I encourage, challenge, want you to do. I want you to give this a try. You might not hear anything at first but keep trying! What do you have to lose? What if you had the opportunity to hear God's voice but never tried?
Take a ½ hour a couple times this week and try!
Ÿ Quiet Yourself.
Ÿ Ask for protection from deception.
Ÿ Ask for clarity to hear & understand.
Ÿ Wait & Listen.
Journal your questions and the responses that you get so that you can record what you heard. Then you can look back on it later. Get guidance from someone more spiritually mature then you, so that you can make sure what you hear is from God. Journaling also helps you keep focused about what you are doing. Don't worry if other things pop into your head, like your English paper or that you forgot to feed the dog, just have another piece of paper to write down these things, because by writing those down you both dismiss them from your mind and remember to do them.
Don't worry if you don't hear anything the first time. Practice is the only way you will see results.
When you get an answer, clarify that it is from God by going through these steps.
Ÿ Ask: Is it Scriptural?
Ÿ Ask: Will it produce good fruit, or spiritual growth?
Ÿ Don't be afraid to ask someone (who is a mentor, or who is more spiritually mature)
Ÿ Apply it! Don't be content to hear from the Lord, but do what he tells you.
EXERCISE
Journal about this: Take your Bible, journal and two different colored pens. Use one to write what you are thinking, and another to write what God is saying to you.
Spend a few minutes thinking about this scripture:
2 Chronicles 7:14-15 "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.
Ask God these questions and wait for the Holy Spirit to respond.
1. What has kept me from you?
2. Have I humbled myself & sought your face?
3. What do you want to tell me?
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Posted in Admissions Posts: Support Raising by Josh Gross on 7/15/2009
There are several kinds of "fasts" that we can practice. Many times the intensity of the need will determine this. I hope to answer some basic questions about the practice of fasting. Remember I am not an expert on this.
What are different kinds of fast?
1) There is a limited fast. A person limits their diet for a time as a part of seeking to do the will of God. An example is found in Daniel 1:8-13, where Daniel and his three friends asked for a limited diet in order to follow God's law and God's will.
2) There is a standard fast. A person eats no food but does drink liquids. This is the most common fast in the Scriptures.
3) There is an absolute fast. A person does not eat or drink for a period of time. Esther called for a three-day fast of this kind. (4:1-17) A person normally cannot go without liquids for more than three days.
Who should fast?
1) A personal fast. A fast done by an individual.
2) A partner fast. A fast done in which two or more enter in. This could be a small group or a leadership team (Acts 13:1-13), a congregation coming together in a heart-to-heart seeking of the Lord (Ezra 8:21-23).
3) A community fast. In which A city tribe or nation all are called to fast as in Jonah 3.
When should a person or group fast?
There are no regular fast days commanded in the New Testament.
How is a fast to be done?
First of all, the heart attitude and motive must be right. Fasting is directed to the Lord not to people. (Matthew 6:16-18).
Secondly, let the Lord lead you as to the timing and length of a fast. Remember, it is the heart attitude. We cannot go on a "holy hunger strike" and expect the Lord to "give in" to our desires.
Thirdly, there are some practical guidelines:
· Keep your focus on the Lord, trusting Him in the situation and need (Hebrews 11:6)
· Stay in the attitude of prayer throughout the day. Set aside segments of time for specific prayer. Pray often.
· Read Scripture much during your time of prayer and fasting. Praying is as much listening as talking. Record any insights you gain.
· Drink plenty of juices and/or water as you fast.
· For those on medication or who have been ill, be cautious and get an OK from your doctor.
· Some are not able to fast because of a physical condition. They must have regular meals. The Lord may lead you to "fast" from certain food, etc. Remember, the important thing is the heart attitude not the calorie count.
· Sometimes, there may be a little dizziness, headache, or nausea from not eating. Do not be alarmed. Remember to drink extra liquids.
When it is all said and done, may we have the testimony of Daniel, "So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting" Daniel 9:30
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Posted in Admissions Posts: Support Raising by Josh Gross on 7/15/2009
I wanted to share with you a story that has touched my heart.
A worker in China writes: "I am a single woman working in a Chinese city alone, but God is with me in everything! When I first arrived in my city, I moved into my apartment and called my family to give them my new phone number. My mother's first statement was, "An ambulance has just picked up your sister. She will be dead by the end of the week." (She had been suffering with cancer for some time.) I didn't know what to do.
After investigating a way to get to the states, God led me to call home again. I said, "God, I can't. I know my sister is gone." However, I called and found out that my sister had just died. I talked to my mom for a while and then sat on my couch alone. I asked God, "Why am I here? I should be with my family!"
Immediately there was a knock on my window. A young lady said, "I was told that I should come and see you. May I come in?" Totally unaware of what I was going through she plopped down on the couch and said, "I have been searching for God. Can you tell me about the true God? She accepted Jesus as her Savior that day.
I thanked God for reminding me why I live overseas and that I am never alone. Even when I walk through the valley of the shadow of grief, He is with me. Those who think I am a team of one can't see the One who stands beside me."
Psalm 23:1-4, "The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside the peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me."
God has called each one of you for a specific purpose. At this time in your support raising some of you may be asking, "Will I get enough raised?" Please do not get discouraged, work at it with all your might. Get your prayer teams to pray. This is when you need them around you the most. Don't lose sight of your goal.
Don't miss the opportunity that God has placed in front of you, like the woman in China, she was obedient to God and look what God did for her. Don't get discouraged, if you are, please let us know. We want to encourage you and pray for you.
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