Fully Funded–words I’ve been waiting a year to say and they
sound as sweet as ever! I really
can’t say thank you enough to everyone who has supported me financially,
prayerfully and through so many encouraging words over the past year.
Fundraising has been an eye-opening experience. It was a true lesson in trusting the
Lord and His good provision to the works He’s established. So many times I looked at my support
account, wondering where the rest of the money would come from, and each time
God came through, providing more than enough funds before every deadline so
that I could concentrate on the work Hed set before me. At first it was finishing grad school
well; then it was loving people all over the world in a manner that was worthy
of the calling I’ve received.
***
As it has been throughout my entire race, no good thing has
come without a lesson from the Lord.
This was no exception. I
was basking in the joy that comes with being a World Racer who is fully funded Sunday
at church when the Lord brought the story of the widow’s offering in Mark
12:41-44 to my mind:
And he (Jesus) sat
down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the
offering box. Many rich people put
in large sums. And a poor widow
came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny. And he called his disciples to him and
said to them, Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all
those who are contributing to the offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out
of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.
The church I attend in Nsoko (one of the poorest areas of a
struggling country) is directly across the street from the house where I live. I’ve been there before. The people and the building are no
longer new but this week the offering hit me in a fresh way. The treasurer gave a word to the
congregation (I have no clue what she said, it was in SiSwati) but it caused
the room to praise God, rise to their feet, and put whatever they had in the
offering–even the children.
Children who regularly go without basic necessities of life
put their last coins in the offering basket just like the widow.
I can only imagine the joy of the Lord in these moments when
His beloved children trust His provision enough to give back to the Kingdom out
of their poverty. Completely
relying on God to provide food and clothing and shelter in the days ahead.
***
This five minutes of my Sunday made me all the more grateful
for the ways God is providing for these same needs in my life right now through
all of you who have supported me on the Race.
Then just as I started to become comfortable in my
gratefulness, God hit me with the challenge. The true lesson. It wasn’t just that I needed to be
grateful for all that I’ve been given.
It wasn’t just a deeper understanding of the joy and peace I’m
experiencing with the words fully funded.
No, it’s a challenge for my own giving. A challenge to evaluate my priorities
when it comes to money, both on the Race and back home.
The Holy Spirit deeply convicted me in this moment to really
stop and consider where is it that God is asking me to give more? Where have I become okay with comfort
and unchecked abundance? Where do
I need to extend myself to the point of giving until it hurts? Until I am giving up worldly treasures
in order to invest in the Kingdom of God, in the works God is doing around me?
Living in new places.
Seeing different ways of life.
Experiencing poverty in a whole new way is changing my heart. It’s not simply for this season of my
life. It is a change that is
shifting the way I will live forever.
It’s brought me to a place of no return.
It is from this place that I send each of you reading this a
huge, heartfelt Thank You for
investing in the kingdom all across the globe through me. It is only by your support that any of
this is possible. I am able to
grow deeper with the Lord, share the love of Christ with the nations, and see
God work in new ways each day because of your obedience to the call of the Lord
to support the work He is doing in and through me.
I am so thankful to continue on this journey through Month
11. I can’t wait to see what Jesus
has in store for the next 5 months and I’m excited to share it all with you!
Thank you. THANK
YOU. THANK YOU!
I pray God will bless you for your obedience and fill your heart
with peace and joy that only come from following a God who is so worthy of our
praise this Christmas season!
Now a little bit of business…
If you are one of my
monthly supporters…first such a special thank you for your faithful giving
over the last year, 6 months, 3 months, whatever its been. It was always an encouragement to know
that you believed in my journey each month!
But now that I will be fully funded after your December
donations, I need you to end your monthly giving if you did not put an end date
on your gift when you began the process.
You will have to contact Adventures in Missions directly to
notify them to stop withdrawing the money from your account each month. The donor email is [email protected] and
the phone number is 1-800-881-2461 ext 251.
Please notify me at [email protected]
if you have any questions and I will do my best to get you all the answers you
need as quickly as possible.
Merry Christmas!
Love, Cara
