As most of you know, through a ton of sound counsel, prayer, and faith, I discerned and accepted a call into cross-cultural missions with YWAM this past February. I left the comfort of my home and everything/everyone I knew to follow God's call on my life. While this was by far the toughest decision I've ever made, it's been equally fruitful and rewarding. I could spend hours giving testimony of the way God has worked in and through me since the day I handed my life over to that call.

That said, the next step in my journey is one that I'm really looking forward to. I'm going back to school! (God definitely has a sense of humor because if you know me, you know those are 5 words I thought I'd never say.) I'm attending a 9-month School of Biblical Studies in Queensland, Australia. This course consists of around 20 hours per week in a class lecture setting, deep diving into each book of the Bible as a class, as well as between 30 and 40 hours of independent reading and study using an inductive study method (studying the text in its original context with factors like geographical location, cultural context, and time period in mind). YWAM SBS is one of, if not the most intensive Bible study curriculum in the world. I picked the base in Australia for a few reasons. One, I attended this base for my DTS and got a firsthand look at the amazing community and staff that the SBS there offers. Secondly, the teaching staff is amazing and gets commissioned to teach the same courses they'll be teaching at my base all over the world. And last but not least, even with it being all the way across the world and all the other positives, it's the cheapest! Through countless hours of seeking God's heart for my life and seeking the counsel of people I love and respect, I have no doubt that this is the next step for my life and more importantly for the ministry and long-term discipleship that I want to be as well equipped for as I possibly can be.

I'm seeking financial support in the amount of $26,057.70 AUD or $16,773.54 USD. This amount includes school tuition and fees of $15,000 AUD, lodging, transportation, food budget, Overseas Health cover required by the Australian government, flights, visas, and a small emergency fund. Being that this is my first step into full-time missions, I'm also seeking bi-weekly, monthly, or quarterly sponsors in order to build a budget for life in the mission field after SBS. After dedicating my savings to the costs of DTS and my original trip to Australia, depending on God and enlisting friends and loved ones for support has been the most challenging part of the journey thus far. That said, in addition to prayerfully considering partnering with me financially, please pray for strength and discernment over this area of my life. Finally, believe me when I say that any way you choose to partner with me is pivotal in me carrying out God's call on my life and will be stewarded with extreme thought, care, and intention.

For those of you who have followed this journey up to this point and offered support, prayer, and encouragement, I can never thank you enough and there's no way I would've made it this far without you. I can't wait to see the way that God shows out through this next chapter and I can't wait to bring you all along for the ride. God bless you!