Monthly Newsletter : March 

Hey friends and fam!

Sorry for the late newsletter. March was a month of a little bit of everything work projects, life changes, some really fun events, and of course, the wedding planning (which is taking up the bulk of my work load). Here’s a recap of what I’ve been up to:

Tents, Tents, Tents

So, let’s talk about tents because I’m now a tent expert.  This was definitely one of the bigger projects I tackled in March. Lemme break it down for ya:

So we have this awesome chance to send racers overseas for missions trips, and they will have a training camp at the beginning where most Squads will stay at our base for no longer than 2 months. However, some of them are on shorter trips, or they’re training in summer camps (which is only 1 week), and they just don’t need to lug around a massive tent to end up not even using it. So we provide them tents for their training camps. These tents are these HUGE community tents (usually 8 - 12 person tents). BUT if you are on a longer trip or if you have a longer training camp you will be staying in your own tent.

So you’re probably asking “Nick what did you do then?”. Well I was given the task of taking inventory of all our community tents we use for small training camps and summer trips. And remember these are big tents, so you can imagine the sheer amount of fabric and poles I had to sort through. So here’s what I had to do: First: I had to make sure each tent was accounted for: I went through every tent, checked the size, and made sure they were all properly stored. Second: I inspected the contents of each tent set. Not only did I need to ensure we had the correct number of tents, but I had to check that the actual tent sets had all the materials needed to, you know, put up the tent. And then I obviously had to check for any holes or damages in the tents themselves.🌬️

It took a lot of attention to detail, but it was SO satisfying knowing that all of them had everything they needed.

Launch Boxes

Next up, Launch Boxes. So context, our teams that go overseas are split into various roles: worship leaders, hospitality, storytellers, etc. Well some roles require specific gear that’s vital for their team. We’re talking medkits, portable Wi-Fi routers, emergency cash, and even checkbooks. You’re probably thing “so what’s so hard giving people these items”. Well, not everyone gets the same gear. Some team members get one set of items, while others get completely different ones. And of course, the gear needs to be organized into individual launch boxes that make sense to what their team needs.

It felt like building an entire launch box logic tree. I had to consider all the possible roles and their associated items, making sure each box had everything the team member needed. The challenge is that some people on teams receive 2 roles. So not every launch box is the same. AND we have different types of trips that receive different items. If you’re still confused, I don’t blame you. So am I. The last time people tried to do this it took them 6 hours to assemble everything so I wanted to help. The last thing I want is for someone to be stranded overseas without a water filter when they need it most.

Trip to North Carolina:

The World Race staff got a really cool chance to go serve at a disaster relief site in Black Mountain, North Carolina, after Hurricane Helene. It was super rewarding to serve and give back in such a tangible way and for our department to spend time with other departments!

Well during the week we were divided into teams. Well my team that went out worked on a house that was being donated to a family who had been helping others after the hurricane, and they needed sprucing up The job? Flooring. YAY! I spent the day putting in the flooring, hammering away, and really digging into the project. There were slip ups and mess ups but the teams were encouraged to take it slow. The word that stayed with us for the week was “Place of Peace”. This wasn’t just for us while we were working on the house but it was also a prayer that we prayed over the house when we were leaving.

One of the best parts of this trip was getting to work alongside people from other branches of AIM. We don’t always get the chance to connect with people from other departments of the organization, so it was awesome to talk with everyone while working together on the flooring.

So, there you have it, three very different but equally important projects I’ve been working on in March! From organizing tents, to assembling launch boxes, to putting in flooring for a family in need, it’s been a month of rolling up my sleeves and serving.

Life Updates:

Now, onto some personal updates!

My roommate Jackson finally came home after being in Swaziland for a month. It's great to have him back in the house,I missed my friend. AND if that wasn’t exciting enough my amazing girlfriend (now FIANCÉ) moved back to Georgia!  She’s fulltime nannying for the founder of AIM’s son’s kids and living with them. After I proposed to her in February, we were separated for a bit, but now she’s back and we can finally see each other without all the long-distance stuff. BYE BYE LONG DISTANCE!

Culture Nights

Some friends and I have been super into this new tradition of Culture Nights. To preface, Lily found this cookbook at an estate sale that was written by foreign exchange students at Yale. These students wrote down recipes from their home countries and each took turns making meals according to where they were from as a way of sharing their backgrounds with their friends from all over the world. So, every Thursday, we’ve been cooking meals from different cultures! So far we’ve done two, an Arab night and British night. We’ve made baba ganoush, hummus and pita, dates and cottage cheese, english stew, some homemade raisin bread, and trifle cake!

Honestly, it’s such a fun way to try new foods and just be in really good company. Can’t wait for next week’s Chinese night!

Wedding Planning

Yup, it’s official. Lily and I are planning our wedding! We’re pretty far in too. Venue hunting, choosing bridesmaids and groomsmen, and deciding on invitations. It’s a lot of work, but it’s so much fun to do it together. We’re getting closer to the big day, and it’s making me feel all the feels but the one emotion that is standing out is just the excitement of marrying my best friend.

I’ve also been spending some serious time on Letterboxd. Okay, hear me out, hear me out. Let me explain. Literally writing reviews about the movies I watch genuinely is so fun to me. Sharing my thoughts on films and giving my 5 star reviews are a BLAST. I wouldn’t have brought this up but I’ve literally been spending some long hours on it. If you're into movies and want to check out my reviews, look me up: "TheMuffinMannnn" .

Testimonies & Prayers!

I wanted to take a moment to share a really special experience I’ve been a part of. A few months ago, I started texting with a guy I met while I was in Swaziland. He was feeling really discouraged and confused in his relationship with the Lord. Over the past 3-4 months, I’ve been part of a group chat with him and a friend who’s on the World Race right now, just pressing into him and encouraging him. Seeing his relationship with God grow has been so encouraging for me.

Today, he shared this message with us:

"Hi guys! Today I opened the book of Psalm 4:8. It says, 'I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep; for thou, LORD, only makes me dwell in safety.' This verse to me is God telling me that He is protecting me."

How amazing is that? It’s been so incredible to see him find peace and assurance in God’s protection. This is why I’m so passionate about connecting with others and sharing encouragement—sometimes, we need to remind each other of God’s faithfulness.

Secondly:

In recent years, my future mother inlaw (Rashelle), was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer that had metastasized in her bones. The prognosis was grim, and doctors told her it would eventually be fatal. Physically, it took a toll on her as she needed a cane or a wheelchair to get around. Emotionally, it was even harder. She wondered if she’d ever walk normally again, or if she’d even live long enough to meet her future grandkids.

Not long after, my home church in WA hosted a night of worship and prayer, with a focus on healing. Rashelle went with her family and close friends, and that night, she was prayed over. At first, she didn’t feel any different. But a few days later, during a routine checkup, the doctors noticed something unusual—they couldn’t find the cancer. The tests came back negative!

While the medical team couldn’t officially say she was “healed,” they told her the cancer was no longer there without a trace. God, the Great Physician, healed her. Rashelle now walks confidently and fully, and I’ll never forget the sound of her voice when she called me with a huge smile on her face, saying, “He did it, He did it.”

He truly did. And we’re so thankful. Love you Rashelle!

Looking Ahead

So, what’s next? April’s looking like a busy but exciting month ahead! More wedding planning, more movie reviews, and hopefully some time for more culture nights. 

I am also in my last few months of my internship. As of today (April 10th, 2025) I have 50 days left. It’s the end of a chapter but it’s not the end yet!

Lastly, I’m incredibly grateful to be serving with Adventures in Missions, where I get to be apart of equipping and sending missionaries across the world, loving on people and spreading the good news, fulfilling the Great Commission. This journey isn’t one I walk alone. It's made possible through the generosity and partnership of people like you. If you feel called in any way to come alongside me financially, you're not just supporting me, but playing a vital role in sending laborers into the harvest. Thank you for being part of this mission with me! Even if you’re not supporting me financially you can be praying for me and where God is leading me!

That’s it for March. Thanks for reading! I’ll catch y'all later.

Until then, stay blessed,

Nick Furtado