Proclaim My Name
"Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted." — Isaiah 12:4
You may have heard the commandment in scripture time and time again to “Proclaim God’s name” and to make His name KNOWN among the peoples. God tells us His greatest commandment is to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind, and secondly, to love our neighbor as ourselves. (Matthew 22:36-39) A part of loving our neighbors is telling them about Christ and what He did for us so that they may also be able to be a part of God’s kingdom and be free from sin. Whether it be someone that lives across the street from you or someone that lives on the other side of the world, as Christians, we have a responsibility and a command to go and make disciples, proclaiming the good news of what Jesus has done!
Matthew 28:19-20 is one of my favorite verses in the Bible which says, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age". This verse has not only encouraged me to share the good news with those around me, but to also go to the other parts of the world that have never heard the name of Jesus.
If you don’t know me, my name is Hailey Stude and I am 20 years old. I love Jesus, traveling, photography, and missions and have a big heart for reaching those around the globe with the good news of Christ! I recently went on an 8-month long mission trip to 4 countries internationally to share the gospel and to show God's love: Albania, Italy, Mexico, and Guatemala. I went with a missions organization called the World Race that sends young adults to partake in global mission work. I ended up meeting some of my best friends, experienced God in different cultures, and grew in my relationship with Jesus more than I could have ever imagined. Jesus radically changed my life on this trip, making me want to surrender my entire life to Him and to be willing to do whatever He asks of me, no matter the cost, sacrifice, or difficulty.
In January, while I was in Mexico, I began praying and asking the Lord what He had for the next season of my life upon returning home. One day, one of my friends and I were watching a documentary filmed in Southern Asia, centering around a country that had recently been highlighted to me and put on my heart. This film showed a group boldly sharing the gospel in reaching the unreached peoples with the good news. While I watched, I heard the Lord speak to me clearly saying “You should go film a documentary encouraging Gen Z to go share the gospel”. As soon as I heard that voice, I knew it was from the Lord, as I felt an overwhelming sense of excitement and peace.
I prayed for two months however, asking the Lord if this was really what He wanted me to do and if He was calling me to this. During that time, doors shut to other opportunities that I had been looking at pursuing and God continued to show me signs bringing up this specific country in South Asia again and again as well as putting me in contact with people who have experience in filmmaking on missions. The more confirmation I got from the Lord through prayer, scripture, God speaking through people to me, and signs I saw highlighted to me, the more I knew in my spirit that God was calling me to this.
I asked the Lord if anyone else was meant to come on this journey with me and one of my friends Austin came to mind. We met up one day and he, knowing I was already thinking of doing this, offered to help me film wherever I would be if I needed help before I could even ask if he would be willing to join. After much praying and pressing in with the Lord, Austin decided that he would come along to embark on this calling. When praying for a 3rd person to come along with us in helping film, Tammy, a leader for our World Race trip and a mentor of mine mentioned her niece Laney to me. We all prayed for a few weeks for the Lord to bring clarity on if she should come and after much pressing in with the Lord, she has committed to coming with!
After asking God what He wanted me to name the film, I heard Proclaim My Name. I pray that what we capture may be able to inspire those in my generation to also follow God faithfully and obediently in what He calls them to do, no matter what the task is. This is not just a film, but ultimately a mission, to reach the unreached people in South Asia with the gospel and to love them like Jesus does. In filming our journey, we hope to document how God moves in us and in the people in the region of South Asia we are reaching, sharing powerful stories, testimonies, and moments that grow us closer to God, and through the film, being able to bridge the gap between missions and the Western world.
The Plan
We will leave and stay in this country for a month throughout the month of January and return in early February. We are partnering with a local church, where we will participate in ministry within the church and outside of the central city, hoping to reach a few indigenous and unreached communities with the gospel. Please pray that we may be able to reach them, communicate with them through translators, and are able to share with them who Jesus is.
The Religion
The people of South Asia believe in a mix of both Hinduism and Buddhism. They primarily believe in teachings of Buddha centering around karma, reincarnation, rebirth, and nirvana as well as certain deities and dharma: a code of living that emphasizes moral duty, righteousness, and good conduct.
Partnering with us
We would love it if you would be willing to partner with us in making this mission possible. We are hoping to raise $22,000 which will go towards flights, transportation within the country, food, lodging, gear, camera equipment, and a small emergency fund. The remaining funds not spent will go either towards the production of the film and/or the church & ministry we are working with in South Asia! Follow along on our fundraising updates, prayer requests, and God stories by signing up to receive emails through our newsletter that we will send out every week!
This week's newsletter link down below:
https://proclaimmynamenewsletter.beehiiv.com/p/pmn-newsletter-week-1?draft=true
