What is up y’all!

Hello, my name is Gabe Veth and I have decided to do the World Race 9-month program! As some of you know, this has been a long journey to this decision but ultimately, this is where I feel God has called me. Here is a little background about me. 

I am from Granite Bay, California, about 20 miles from Sacramento. I am the youngest in a family of 6 and love each of them unconditionally. I graduated high school in 2021 to then complete 2 years at Sierra College and intern at Bayside church. I grew up in a Christian household going to Bayside almost my whole life where I went to all the camps, small group nights, and events. When I say this, some people may think I have been tight with God since the beginning or have never decided to go my own path in life. This could not be further from the truth. If you told me a year ago that I would be going on a 9-month mission trip around the world, I would think you’re the craziest person I have ever met. Yet, here I am. 

 

In order to have a deeper relationship with Jesus, live in a real community, serve others, and spread the love of Jesus, you must seek first the kingdom of God. I believe this can be best achieved on a life-altering mission trip; not just during the mission trip, but for the rest of my life. In addition to my own life experience, I will be serving others in  Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, South Africa, and Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland). The mission is not only to provide basic physiological needs but to also provide the four other levels of human needs; safety and security; love and belonging; self-esteem; and self-actualization. Providing for the basic human needs includes giving them a chance to experience social stability, confidence, a sense of connection, and most of all, acceptance and purpose in Jesus Christ. 

If you know me well, you will know I absolutely hate change, but that is precisely how I know God is calling me to be a missionary for the next year; He is going against my desire to be comfortable.  I have made many important decisions in life, but this time was different. A couple of months ago, I was lost on what to do this coming August. I had voiced a desire to 

go on missions to my mentor, Hunter Emmert. What he found was more than I was expecting. Doing ministry with World Race meant serving in four different countries for nine straight months, during which I would be surrounded by all new people, sleep God knows where, eat God knows what, and leave my family and friends. My other option was to stay in the Granite Bay, California bubble in which I have lived my whole life, and serve alongside my best friends at the church I have attended for years. The decision was difficult. On one hand, I had the chance to experience my relationship with God on an entirely new level, serving people around the world who truly need hope. On the other hand, I could make awesome memories with my friends while serving God in my local church. Now, you can understand why this decision has been such a journey. In the end, I realized that God does not want to change the situation I was in, he simply wanted to shift my perspective on it. I came to realize that although my comfortability was veering me towards another year at my church, I believe God has so much more to teach me through learning about different cultures and become a helping hand to many around the world. 

 

On this mission trip, I am specifically thrilled to meet my team of all new people from around the country that have made the same decision: to serve in global ministry, to experience many different cultures, and to grow tremendously in my faith. During our time in each of the countries, we will be serving in all sorts of ways:

• Nicaragua – World Race’s community development program encompasses various activities such as Bible studies, Jail ministry, feeding programs, sports programs, kids programs, and service projects.

• The Dominican Republic –  The main focuses in this country are medical services, education, church advancement, and nutrition.

• South Africa – In this country, there will be many ministry opportunities, including feeding programs, sports ministry, and working with youth and children. Since South Africa is also a popular tourist destination, we will also have the opportunity to evangelize to travelers and backpackers who are in the world searching for more.

• Eswatini – We will work with the Swazi staff as they reach their communities through feeding programs, agriculture projects, and leadership programs to raise the next generation of Swazi leaders

Each person serving with World Race is responsible for raising a certain amount of money to get the team to each service site,  so please keep us in your prayers that we are each able to reach this goal. All I ask is that I am kept in your prayers; however, if you feel called to make donations, any amount is a huge blessing to me! You can donate directly to the trip through this link: https://gabeveth.theworldrace.org (this link is also in my Instagram bio: gabe_veth). Alternatively, if it is easier for you, I can personally take cash or checks. Or, you can make a check out to Adventures in Missions (this is the organization World Race is under), just make sure my name is in the memo section so they know to put it under my account. The address to Adventures in Missions is: P.O. Box 742570 Atlanta, GA 30374-2570. Your money will be used to provide for mobilization, field ministry, and management. More specifically, this includes training, international and local transportation (boat, taxi, airplane, bus, train, etc.), ministry supplies, meals, and ministry set up over the course of nine months. 

 

While I am on mission, I will be keeping a blog hosted on the World Race website (same link as above). As far as I know,  this blog will be my only form of communication while I am away, so if you want to see these updates, follow the link I shared above and click “Subscribe for Updates” below my name and profile picture in the top left corner. This action will ensure you receive an email each time I post. 

 

As my good friend Connor Diggs puts it, “The worst part about change is the anticipation of it.” While this is true, I find that I am more anticipative of what God will do than anxious about this coming mission trip. 

 

Thank you all so much for your prayers and donations!

God bless,

Gabe Veth