"Then you shall call and the Lord will answer,

you shall cry, and He will say 'Here I am.'" ~ Isaiah 58:9

"Here I am" is a phrase I've said often at the Lord's feet. In the past few years as I've been learning more of what being a disciple looks like I've drawn inspiration from all the prophets, disciples, and missionaries that have responded to Jesus' call with "here I am." It serves as a constant reminder that sometimes all God asks of me is to present, and that one of His biggest joys is allowing us to work at His side.

When I committed to the World Race in December there were a few things I knew I had to trust God would handle, and one of those things was fundraising. I expected fundraising to be an uphill battle that would require me to really strive to meet deadlines and cry out to God continually. Instead I only had to ask, and He showed me that His goodness and provision are easily there for me. In the beginning of fundraising I was completely overwhelmed with how quickly the Lord was answering my prayers asking for support. After those first few months I fell into a place where I just didn't worry about it, every time I asked the Lord to help me He brought a new connection with someone who wanted to partner with me or an anonymous donation. Something that seemed so daunting at first became such a small step to overcome because I saw how the Lord continually showed up for my needs.

As I read Isaiah today the verse above stood out to me. In this whole process of fundraising it's felt like El Shaddai just kept saying "Here I am." I am so so thankful to be fully funded, and even more thankful to have learned this characteristic of my God. I want to say thank you once again to everyone who has prayed for me, spread the word about my trip, and partnered with me financially. It means so much to me to have so many people in my corner as I enter into this new stage of my life!

My launch date is getting closer and closer (August 6th eek!!) and in the next few weeks I'll be preparing for training camp and getting myself packed up. The adventure and calling I've been waiting years to step into is so close, and as I sit here writing this that's hitting pretty hard. I am so excited and a little nervous to take this step, but so so thankful I can do it knowing how quickly the Lord answers my call and how present He is in every instance.