Please send me to WYD 2016! I'm ready, I just need your help to get there.

You have a chance to be part of history in the making, through supporting me. As cliché as it sounds, we are all making history - the question is, what part are you making?

My part this year is to go to the largest gathering of young Christians in the world, in order to learn and grow from the experience and return to boost the positive growth in: my school, the wider community of Greymouth and the West Coast as a whole, with a positive flow-on to New Zealand.

What is World Youth Day about, you might be wondering? From the official website: "WYD is open to all young people who want to take part in a festive encounter with their contemporaries centered on Jesus Christ. This event is an opportunity to experience in first person the universality of the Church; to share with the whole world the hope of many young people who want to commit themselves to Christ and others." So WYD is actually for any "young people" who want to be part of a movement for Christ.

Why send me? In this chapter of my life, as a Science teacher at John Paul II High School, I am in a position where I can directly benefit the lives of children every day I go to work and (another cliché, I know) the children are our future. My heart is to help them grow holistically, to be thoughtful and proactive citizens of NZ, empowered to make a difference in their world. I try to inspire them, living a life of faith in action and leading by example as an active member of my community and NZ, e.g. Red Cross volunteer and New & Establishing Teachers regional rep and national committee member. I want to provide further opportunities for our youth to experience the goodness of life, caring for others and our world, and I believe God has brought me to this place and time for this purpose.

There are several reasons I believe I am meant to go to WYD this year, the circumstances are uncanny, but in the interests of time and space I won't go into detail here - please feel free to ask me for further details through the Q&A feature, I am happy to provide - suffice to say there is enough evidence to urge me to apply and make plans to go, despite it being beyond my own financial means to get there. This is where you have the chance to play a significant role in the present, to make a significant difference in the near future, please consider this. I also welcome suggestions from you as to how I could further the positive developments in my community and region; perhaps you have a project in mind and your funding of my cause could be seen as an investment in that project.

I have already invested heavily in this cause too. I applied, was screened and then accepted to be part of the CYT contingent. Out of the 37 of us, I am the only person going from the West Coast so I will be representing many people! This is a responsibility I take seriously. While I am excited about this opportunity, I know there will be much work leading up to it and even more so when I return. I have already taken it upon myself to organise my own flights to and from Europe, saving nearly $500, and I will be returning as soon as is practicable after it finishes (not staying on to sight-see) to get back and put that fire and inspiration into action. I have scrimped and saved to pay the deposit and will be paying all the other admin (passport, immunisations, etc.) myself, as well as any incidentals and any meals that are not covered in our groups' booking.

While I enjoy donating my time and other resources to others, I find it difficult to ask for assistance for myself so please understand how genuine my request is, that I need you. All I ask is that you contribute as much as you feel in your heart is right. You will be providing my transport to and from WYD, my accommodation, the experience of a few holy sites in Italy, France and Poland, and enabling me to take part in about half a week of mission work (caring for the poor and vulnerable in Poland) in the lead up to World Youth Day. Rest assured that this will be money well spent and is an investment in the future of the children and staff of John Paul II High School, the Greymouth community, the West Coast region and all the positive difference these impacted people will make for our country.

Please do feel free to get in touch if you have any questions, would like further detail or clarification (I try to always be open and honest) or would like to contribute by some alternate means.

Thank you so much for your time (this description is pretty long...) and any "little" that you give.