Hello everyone!

 

I don't really know what to put here, because when it comes to this kind of thing, I am always at a loss. I hate asking people for things because I don't like feeling like a burden. But God is not proud, so why should I be? It's time that I humble myself and ask for help. Even Jesus had support in the communities. They fed Him, clothed Him, and gave Him what He needed to do His Father's work. And now I am asking for the same generosity from my friends, family, and community.

 

I need all the help I can get. By January 2010 I will need to have raised 18,000 dollars for this trip. It seems very overwhelming but when I look at other support stories I feel comfort and at peace. I know my Savior will pull through, and He will provide, and I hope He does this through you.

 

The amount of money I need to have raised will cover airfare, food, accomodation, etc. If you would like to help me in this journey you can click the "Support Me! Please?" button to the left side of this page. You can make a one-time gift, or even pledge a monthly sum. Please know that even the smallest amount will help me reach my goal. You can also make a donation through the mail if you do not have a credit card. If you would like to do this, let me know and I can send you a support card and envelope. Aside from this, if you would like to donate any camping equipment I may need, airfare to training camp in October (Atlanta, Georgia), vaccinations I will be needing, etc, then please contact me directly at xcanadianladyx@yahoo.ca.

 

Most importantly, I need prayer. If you have seriously considered supporting me and you just feel you are not able to, I ask that you would also consider praying for me throughout this journey. I will need all the love and prayer I can get. I ask that you pray for peace of mind as I start preparing for this trip, that the support I need would come in, for my team mates as they go through the same process as me, and that God would completely be at the center of this entire thing.

 

Thanks you for your time and I hope this message finds each and every one of you well. May God continue to bless and enrich your lives.

 

In His love,

 Dallas

I didn't say anything about my family in my bio, but they are really important, so I thought I would introduce them.

 

My mum - Her name is Sandra, close friends call her Sandy. She is the BEST mum anyone could ever have. Seriously, I'm not just saying that because I know she'll read this. I go to her for everything, and she always helps me out. She is a wise woman, with a very beautiful heart. She is a "fixer" and is always doing what she can to help others. She encourages me when I am down, and never stopped praying for me when I went down the wrong path..she never gave up on me. She loves the color purple, and chocolate (I don't, she always jokes I must not be her daughter), doing home reno's, the Amazing Race, and the Wii.

 

Darryl - My mum's awesome husband. She married him in..2004? Oh no, I forgot! Help! Anyway..things weren't always so great between us but God has really worked in my heart and I love him like family now. He is pretty crazy, and hilarious, and will befriend anyone. You can tell he really loves God because he always has an open ear and is willing to help in any way he can. He wants to show Christ's love to everyone, and he is not ashamed to love Jesus. He really likes sweets, mostly ice cream and baking, and he likes war movies a lot. He also tends to randomly start talking/singing. Which is hilarious/awesome.

Eddie - My middle brother, the one I grew up with. He is 24 and has MAD guitar skills. He can play behind his back and everything, it's wicked. I'm not quite sure where his walk with God is at the moment but he is always asking questions and wanting to know the Truth. He has far too much energy and can be really funny (I say 'can be' because sometimes his jokes just fly by us :P). He is expecting a baby in October with his fiancee Heather, which is very exciting news! He really loves reptiles and owns about 8 snakes. He seriously is not afraid of anything, he's even ridden bulls!

Carson and Marshall- My step-brothers. Carson is 19, Marshall is 26, but don't quote me on these! To be honest I don't really know them that well, but they both love sports, being with friends, and hockey. They just started their own contracting business about a year ago, and I'm proud of them! They also own a place together, which is pretty cool! They are just chill dudes that like to hang out and have a good time.

 

Buddha - The puppy! Though he's really not a puppy anymore. He belonged to Marshall but he was allergic so now he's Darryl's dog. He is an absolute monster, and such a big baby. He loves his blankie and his bed, and he will cry/pout if my parents go to bed too late. I love him to bits, and I always miss him when I go away!

 

So that's my potpouri family. They are all cool people and I love them a lot. They will definately be missed while I am away.

 

Since I applied on a whim I didn't get a chance to really think about it until the past couple of weeks. After my support letters were out it kind of hit me: I'm in now, there's no going back. So what do I expect before this trip and while I'm on it? Let me tell you..

 

- I will be dragged, possibly kicking and screaming, out of my comfort zone, more than once. This includes asking people for help, and asking for prayer. I'm stubborn, but I realize it has to be done.

- I expect it to be easier to live out of a backpack then I think. Looking at my luggage for previous trips..well, lets just say there is a big difference between the 140 pounds I usually take to the 40 pounds I will be taking.

- I expect to miss western conveniences. Hot showers, quick meals, nice bed, etc. I'm what you'd call a "city girl". I don't like being dirty and will probably say "eww" a lot.

- I expect to be afraid in many situations.

- I expect to connect with my team..to open up to a group of strangers that will become my family. I also expect that there will be conflicts among us, but God is a great mediator.

- I expect to see things I have only watched on tv. But this time, I get to help, with my own hands, and show them what it means to be loved, by being God's hands, feet, and heart.

- I expect to miss my amazing family, and will probably want to give up along the way. As a human, I am weak, but through Christ, He will give me strength.

- I expect to be changed. How can you not be after something like this? I don't want to come back to Canada and keep being comfortable. If that's what being a Christian were all about, Jesus wouldn't have called it the narrow way.

 

This is what I expect, but I leave it all in the hands of God to do as He pleases with me. It's beyond my control, and I just have to put all of my faith in Him.

 

 

Well, to be honest I never wanted to do overseas missions work. I always thought people got too excited about seeing other countries and going to other places that they forgot all about the lost in their own cities. I wanted to work with the homeless. I had volunteered maybe one time to help pass out lunches, but most of the time I would just buy someone a meal or some groceries that I saw asking for money on the street. When I did this, I didnt share the gospel, since at the time I wasn't walking with God, but it felt great to help.

 

Some things changed last summer when a missionary from Guinea came to speak at church and it was then I knew I was supposed to go to Africa. I felt called to Uganda more than anywhere else. Since my mum works in a multicultural workplace she asked her boss (who is from Ghana), who is also a Christian, if she knew of any organisations I could work with. Nothing ever really happened there and I just let it sit at the back of my mind for quite a while.

 

I moved to Holland this past January to be a nanny, and while I was there I had a brief conversation with a stranger who told me about AIM and how he had gone on a trip to Kenya through them. I decided to look them up and see what kinds of trips they offered. At this point, I had realized I needed to help in a larger way then just caring for children of priveleged families. I found the World Race and thought it would be right up my alley, since I have troubles being in one place for an extended period of time. I look back and realize my heart may not have been in the right place when applying, but I do believe it wasn't an accident, and that God showed me the trip at that specific time in my life for a very important reason. I applied on a whim, and didnt think I would get in, since I have done some very negative things in my past. When I got the phone call saying I had been accepted, I was in complete shock. But here I am, about to take on an amazing, and scary, and beautiful adventure.

 

God wants me here. I know this. It isn't an accident, it isn't a mistake. I am called to bring Christ's love to this broken world.

 

"What if you were dead and seen that Christians overlooked y'all?
This is why we leave the couch
and leave the comforts of our house
to show a dying world a God they'll probably never read about.

 

Send me, I'll go!"

      - Lecrae - Send Me

I don't even know what to think! It's like my thoughts are scrambled, yet I am at peace. I've never been on a missions trip before, or done anything like this, so it's scary yet so incredibly exciting. I can't wait to get out there and help, to share amazing bonds with my teamates, and to see this beautiful, yet broken world. I know God is continually doing amazing things in my heart and He will draw me close to Him every step of the way.

 

Looking forward to this trip and all it has to offer!