These last few weeks have been a whirlwind. I’ve been busy with work and preparations for the upcoming mission, and in the midst of it all, I’ve caught myself taking my eyes off of Christ.

If I’m being honest, preparing for an 11-month mission trip feels pretty overwhelming. The only thing that was keeping me grounded was the faith and knowledge that God told me to go. But when I stopped making time with Him my biggest priority and instead made checking off boxes on my to-do list my focus, anxiety crept in and took over.

I’ve dealt with anxiety for most of my life. God has brought me a long way and has delivered me from so much, but when things feel out of my control, I tend to slip back into old patterns. And this year has been full of opportunities to practice surrendering that control to Him.

I explained this briefly in one of my Facebook posts, but the fundraising process has been the biggest stressor of this whole process. Not the travel, not the length of time away, but the feeling that things needed to come together faster than they were. So when I saw that I hadn’t hit my first fundraising goal of 15% by June 15th (a goal set by AIM), I stopped trusting and started trying to fix it on my own.

I doubted God’s ability to provide because I was looking at my capabilities, not God’s. I told myself I didn’t know enough people, that I wasn’t well connected, that I didn’t have enough time, etc. I failed to remember that the One who called me to this mission is the same One who created every person, knows every detail of this journey, and is not bound by time.

While I was stressing, trying to take matters into my own hands, God was already working behind the scenes in ways I couldn’t see...

In my last blog, I shared how I felt led to try a new church right before committing to this trip, and how the service ended up being testimonies from missionaries. Afterward, I wasn’t sure I would return. I thought maybe that moment had been the only purpose...but I felt prompted to go back again.

On that second visit, I met a man who invited me into a prayer group chat, (which was an answered prayer in itself because I had been wanting to strengthen my prayer life). After hearing more about what God has been doing in my life, he offered to share my story with others.

Since then, he has gone above and beyond anything I could have imagined, connecting me with people I would have never met otherwise. I don’t know yet what will come from those conversations, but I can already see God’s hand in bringing them about. It has been such a comforting reminder that He doesn’t leave me to figure everything out on my own when He’s called me somewhere. My job isn’t to force the outcome..it’s to follow where He leads.

https://adventuresinmissions.servicereef.com/events/adventures-in-missions-3/september-2026-world-race-11-months-26w0901/participants/madeline-boynton

Looking back, I can see God was working all along, even when my trust wasn’t steady. He hasn’t always shown up in the way I expected, but He has been faithful in ways I didn’t anticipate. Right now, I feel called to listen closely, follow His leading, and trust Him with what I cannot control.

There are a few ways you can support me!

First, please pray! Your prayers are one of the greatest ways you can support me. Not sure what to pray for? Just remember the 3 p's. Peace, provision, and protection! I’m also putting together a prayer group, so let me know if you’d like to join!

Second, please share! If God brings someone to mind, I’d love for you to share this with them. You never know how God might use it to encourage or involve someone else.

Third, if God is prompting you to support this mission financially, I’ll attach my fundraising link below. Donations made through the link or by check (made payable to Adventures in Missions), are tax-deductible. If you’d prefer, you can also give through Venmo, cash, or a personal check made out to me, though those methods are not tax-deductible. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about giving!

https://adventuresinmissions.servicereef.com/events/adventures-in-missions-3/september-2026-world-race-11-months-26w0901/participants/madeline-boynton