Support Letter

Dear Family and Friends,

I remember the first time I opened a National Geographic magazine as a second grader. It was covered with pictures of starving children in the Sudan, and those pictures broke my heart. Immediately, I wanted to help. I had to help. From that point on, I dreamed of going to Africa and serving those people. That is why I am so excited to write this letter to you today. Finally, my dream of serving in Africa has become a reality, and I have been accepted to participate this summer in an InterVarsity Global Project in AFRICA!

I am a sophomore, studying English and pre-med at Belmont University. My goal is to use this degree to help people in a medical setting. With my future career goal in mind, this past December I had an opportunity to go to an International Missions Conference called Urbana. At Urbana, I joined 20,000 other college students as we worshipped, studied scripture, and attended various seminars about missions and various ways to serve. Urbana was hosted by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, a college ministry that works with students around the world. While at the conference, God laid it on my heart to serve Him this summer on a short-term trip. I wasn’t sure what this would look like or where I should go, but He slowly began opening doors to make a trip to Kenya possible.

Kenya is in East Africa. It is a country of striking contrasts and incredible diversity. Wealth lies alongside desperate poverty, and it is a country in incredible need. Even though Kenya has increasing urbanization and technology, it is a country of widespread corruption and crime, and has a large number of refugees from neighboring countries. It has one of the highest rates of population growth in the world, a majority of its population is under the age of 15, and it has a high number of HIV/AIDS cases. All these factors combined create a country in deep physical and spiritual need.

When I think of Kenya, I see children running to meet me, longing for someone to dance with them and sing with them in the streets. I see the disabled in the hospital needing more medical caregivers to help make their treatment effective and their stay comfortable. I see children with tear-stained eyes as their mom has recently died from AIDS. I see people – God’s people – in need.

Therefore, I will follow the call. I will be traveling to Kenya with a team of college students hosted by an InterVarsity Global Project from June 5th until July 24th. During this time, I will have the opportunity to live in the home of a Kenyan pastor and serve under the pastor’s leadership for 3 weeks. I will be challenged with various ministry opportunities and will also have the opportunity to work with children in orphanages and schools. After working with the pastor, we will return to the city and spend two weeks in Nairobi, serving in a slum, doing prayer walks, and serving in orphanages.

With this said, I am fully responsible for raising my own support to fund this trip. The total cost of the trip is $4725, which I must raise between now and June. I will personally be working, fund-raising and saving toward that goal. I would like to invite you to be a part of this mission in helping me first and foremost, through prayer support, and, if led, through financial support.
Enclosed is an envelope and a response card. If you feel led to support in any way, please fill out the card and return it and your gift in the envelope. Please make checks out to InterVarsity. Any contribution is greatly appreciated. All donations are tax deductible and donors will receive a receipt from InterVarsity. Online donations can also be made at www.intervarsity.org/donate.

I am excited to see how God will use this trip and my team to serve in Kenya. It excites me to think that God is planning to use you and me in his plan for this country. Thank you for partnering with me on this journey and I will update you on every aspect of the trip.

Love,
Jenny Hamrick