Dear friends and family,

Shakespeare, Big Ben, rolling hills, a busy city, a really big eye, and a lot of pounds. This September I will be leaving Canada and living in Salford, England for 9 months. Many of you know that I was originally going on the World Race with Adventures in Missions. However, after much prayer, I was not feeling at peace about this decision. AIM offers a First Year Missions program that is offered in South Africa, Mexico, New Zealand, and many more places. England has always been a love of mine and I felt that this is where God wanted me to spend the next year. I have always had a desire in my heart to travel and to travel with a purpose and I desire to be up close with God's amazing masterpiece, to meet his people. So I am looking forward to a year of learning more about who I am in Christ and to witness change in this world. So as one can see, God is now fulfilling that desire.

This past year I have really struggled with what I should be doing in the next couple of years and have really been praying that God will show me the way-his way. School will be finished in April and I will have a Bachelor of Arts Degree, a major in English and a minor in History. I am extremely excited to be finishing school, as completing University has been a goal of mine since I was little. However, I was beginning to feel restless at the idea of being finished and the thought of moving on to more schooling consumed my mind. I felt that God was calling me to missions so I began to search for one. The short term trips being offered through Northview Community Church, where I attend, conflicted with my schooling so one of the pastors suggested I "google" for one. I soon was looking at the Adventures in Missions website and the World Race quickly caught my eye. I applied right away, kind of on a whim I'll admit, because I really thought "well, why not?" I never expected it to lead to this, especially now with going to England. Ecstatic does not begin to explain how I feel about ministering in England. And so the next chapter, the next journey, of my life begins.

A big focus of this upcoming year is community. Altogether, there will be about 10-12 others who will be embarking on this journey with me. We will live together, eat together, pray together, minister together, and work as a team to reach out to the community. We will, in reality, become a family. We may minister in schools, the local churches, retirement communities, or anywhere where we feel led or where there is a need. This program is designed for us to make relationships within the community so that we can spread the word of God. I truly believe that this is a year that will change not only my life, but others who learn and hear about our Saviour.

The cost for this trip is about $10,000 US or about $12,000 Canadian (so far I am the only Canadian on our team!). I am currently working 5-6 shifts a week while finishing off my degree, but I know that many of you would like to share this next year with me and some may feel led to donate. Any amount is greatly accepted. All of the money goes towards my stay in England, plus half of my flights. Unfortunately as of now, tax receipts are not available for Canadians, but I have not been worried about finances for I know that God already has a plan.

I thank you for allowing me to share this amazing journey with you. I am so excited to learn more about Christ and to be used by him. This year is going to be full of lots of ups and downs, but no matter what, God is in control and he will provide. I would love for you to share with me in the upcoming months as I prepare to leave, as well as my England journey once we all take off. If you would like to find out more information, http://www.adventuresinmissions.org/ is a great place to start and to follow me you can go to http://www.theworldrace.org/

Thank you all and God bless!

Karla Goodridge