Welcome to my blog! This is a post of my original fundraising letter, to look back at the start of this journey & how far the Lord has already taken me.

Hi!! It’s Janelle Snodgrass. I am almost a graduate from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, AZ. I am studying psychology with a minor in child and family social services. I am studying this because I want to better understand people, and the different struggles that people face. The idea I always struggle with is “why do some people have so much and others have so little?” or “why does this person struggle with this and another person has never even experienced that struggle?”. My field of study has helped me to cultivate more empathy for people and the various trauma and life experiences they have gone through. While I have gained more knowledge about different neurological differences, addictions and trauma, my field of study has not helped me to cultivate an answer to this question.

This brings me to what has helped me to gain a better understanding of the world and its inhabitants. This understanding I have has come from what you may ask? Drum roll…… The answer is the Bible and God’s heart for humanity. I have had the immense privilege of growing up in a Christian household that has shaped me into who I am today. The term “Christian household” itself can mean a lot of different things, but for me it looked like both of my parents working in ministry. My father is the pastor of our church back home (shout out Pastor Ben), and my mom is a first-grade teacher at the elementary school I attended (shout out Mrs. S). I have been surrounded with God’s truth and taught it my whole life, but that doesn’t mean it always clicks. You can be in math class, be tutored in math, and live in a household run by mathematicians, but that doesn’t guarantee that you will also learn, understand and be able to do math. I think this was my life with Christianity for a while. I learned a lot about Christianity, and I could speak it all day long, and give you the “Sunday school answer” to many questions about God, but that doesn’t mean that I always understood it or that it clicked for me. I am a people-pleaser in nature, so I think my faith for a long time wasn’t truly mine, and it was something I did to please my parents, my teachers, and my fellow church-members. While I did have an understanding of who God was, and the sacrifice He made for me, I didn’t have a personal relationship with Him. I so desperately desired this personal relationship with the Lord, but I didn’t put a lot of effort into it. I just felt like I heard nothing but silence. I know now that the Lord was not silent. Going to college was such an exciting idea for me, as it is for most high-school students. It was the idea of reinventing myself, going somewhere new, and figuring out who I am apart from the people that I already knew. A big part of this for me was deciding if I was going to believe the faith-system that I have been taught my whole life, or if I would “fall away”. I decided to attend a Christian university where I knew that community would be available for me. Here I have met some of the most earnest believers that I know. Here I have experienced the Lord and His grace like never before. Here the Lord met me where I was, like He is so great at doing. He didn’t try to reason with me why I should follow Him, but He showed me the joy that came along with it. Instead of working to earn an identity and a name for myself, I was given one in Him. Instead of trying to earn my salvation by being the perfect daughter, perfect student, perfect friend, or perfect employee, I can finally relax, because that’s never what it’s been about. It’s about Christ, and his perfect life, death, and resurrection. I finally feel secure in my identity in Christ, which is the biggest blessing ever. There’s nothing I can do to make God love me more or love me less.

This brings me to why you are receiving this letter. I have accepted the exciting opportunity of going on the World Race. This is a missions organization designed for 18–30-year-olds to travel around the world sharing the joy of the gospel. I am going on the 11 in 11 expedition, which involves going to 11 countries in 11 months. CRAZY!! I am graduating college a year early, so this feels like the perfect time to devote a year of my life to serving the Lord and His kingdom. In each country, me and my team will be serving alongside a local church or missionary that is already present in that nation. We will be going to Rwanda, Vietnam, Cambodia, Columbia, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Thailand, Peru, Ecuador, Kenya and Indonesia. Here we will be serving in a variety of ways. This could look like helping run VBS style camps for kids, engaging with students trying to learn English, physically building up a church building, doing street evangelism, helping with church services, and so much more. I believe that God creates humans as equals, and the sin of this world divides us into social classes and causes some people to have more money than they know what to do with, and others who have nothing. One thing that unifies all people is the blood of Jesus Christ. This sacrifice was not done for one nation, but for all people. Jesus’s salvation is freely offered to all who believe in Him, no pre-requisites required. While this world is discouraging, the joy of the gospel is free, and this is what I want to spread to other people. While I can’t change the cards someone is dealt, I can use the gifts that God gave me to spread joy, and grow His Kingdom, and I need your help to get there. I need to fundraise $22,500. This is a lot of money, and has been overwhelming for me, but I believe in a big God. Your partnership will help reach this goal. Any amount of money you are inclined to give would be wonderful, but I would also appreciate your prayers. This will be a wonderful time of seeing the Lord move, but there will be low moments that will require perseverance. I have the ability to serve with my time and my body, and you can support me and serve through monetary support and prayer. We are in this together!!

Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or comments! Email: forjhs2023@gmail.com Text: (262) 327 - 6756 I will also be posting updates on my blog, so you are able to follow along with me at janellesnodgrass.theworldrace.org. I will be leaving at the end of August!