Help Send Sofia on a Mission Trip in Poland
Donation protected
In early February, I took a shot in the dark and applied for a study abroad program through the JP2 Institute in Krakow, Poland. Soon after, I received the joyous and long awaited email that I would be able to join them for the Summer of 2021 if I could raise the money to travel there. All of my expenses for flights, board, food, and mission work total $7,000, and I need to raise that money by April 1, 2021. Below is an excerpt from my application, and I hope it gives all a window into my desire to study in Poland and why any donation would be much appreciated.
I palm the smoothness of the stone, feeling the tiny knicks across its surface. My arm lifts up and dramatically releases the stone, hurtling it across the still lake that I look out upon. With a quiet “plop,” ring upon ring starts to emerge from the water, spreading rapidly across the surface. What was once a glass-like pond, is now a cascading pattern of rings that chops up the water. All I want from my life is to be able to run parallel with this image; I want to grasp all the joy and peace that Jesus promises us and hurl it into our world to churn the waters.
As I have begun to discern exactly how God wants to use me to carry out His will, I realize just how little I know. The plans that I, as a mere human, could conceive are but a speck of dust compared to the mountains Jesus has waiting for me to climb. The opportunity to apply for the JP2 project was brought up to me about a week ago, and I simply could not get it off of my mind. I knew that the pure joy I felt when thinking about living out this opportunity was Jesus’ way of telling me I needed to apply.
Up until about three years ago, I wasn’t even fully living my life, I was simply sloshing through the muck of sin. My heart was clogged completely with fear, confusion, temptation, and all of those infamous tools of the enemy. The moment that Jesus quite literally reached His hand down and picked me back up, I knew I couldn’t ever go back to living so monotonously. Although I have no idea what God needs the mission of my life to be, I do know one thing. As John Paul 2 so eloquently put it, “The human being is single, unique, and unrepeatable, someone thought of and chosen from eternity, someone called and identified by name.”
I mention all of these inner conversions because I think spending the summer walking the steps of John Paul II in Poland would be the most perfect opportunity for this season of my life right now. I have fallen absolutely in love with the gift that the human person is, and even more so, I am absolutely in love with this adventure I call my life that Jesus has called me to. I greatly look forward to possibly getting to travel with the JP2 project and forever modeling my life after his example.
With all of this being said, this is why I am asking you for any donation. Any gift would greatly help me and my efforts to continue my education in Poland. I got accepted into this program very recently, and I am scrambling to raise $7,000 by April 1st. I believe with my zeal for the program, my communication skills, and my emphatic trust in Jesus Christ, I can get the job done. However, I know this will be an uphill battle and a major strain on my academics.
With your help, I can confidently be able to toss my stone into the water, creating a continuous ripple effect in both my heart and in the lives of all that I encounter after studying at the JP2 institute. I look forward to hearing back from you all, and have a blessed day!
I palm the smoothness of the stone, feeling the tiny knicks across its surface. My arm lifts up and dramatically releases the stone, hurtling it across the still lake that I look out upon. With a quiet “plop,” ring upon ring starts to emerge from the water, spreading rapidly across the surface. What was once a glass-like pond, is now a cascading pattern of rings that chops up the water. All I want from my life is to be able to run parallel with this image; I want to grasp all the joy and peace that Jesus promises us and hurl it into our world to churn the waters.
As I have begun to discern exactly how God wants to use me to carry out His will, I realize just how little I know. The plans that I, as a mere human, could conceive are but a speck of dust compared to the mountains Jesus has waiting for me to climb. The opportunity to apply for the JP2 project was brought up to me about a week ago, and I simply could not get it off of my mind. I knew that the pure joy I felt when thinking about living out this opportunity was Jesus’ way of telling me I needed to apply.
Up until about three years ago, I wasn’t even fully living my life, I was simply sloshing through the muck of sin. My heart was clogged completely with fear, confusion, temptation, and all of those infamous tools of the enemy. The moment that Jesus quite literally reached His hand down and picked me back up, I knew I couldn’t ever go back to living so monotonously. Although I have no idea what God needs the mission of my life to be, I do know one thing. As John Paul 2 so eloquently put it, “The human being is single, unique, and unrepeatable, someone thought of and chosen from eternity, someone called and identified by name.”
I mention all of these inner conversions because I think spending the summer walking the steps of John Paul II in Poland would be the most perfect opportunity for this season of my life right now. I have fallen absolutely in love with the gift that the human person is, and even more so, I am absolutely in love with this adventure I call my life that Jesus has called me to. I greatly look forward to possibly getting to travel with the JP2 project and forever modeling my life after his example.
With all of this being said, this is why I am asking you for any donation. Any gift would greatly help me and my efforts to continue my education in Poland. I got accepted into this program very recently, and I am scrambling to raise $7,000 by April 1st. I believe with my zeal for the program, my communication skills, and my emphatic trust in Jesus Christ, I can get the job done. However, I know this will be an uphill battle and a major strain on my academics.
With your help, I can confidently be able to toss my stone into the water, creating a continuous ripple effect in both my heart and in the lives of all that I encounter after studying at the JP2 institute. I look forward to hearing back from you all, and have a blessed day!
Organizer
Sofia Felicetta
Organizer
Carthage, NC