Forgive me. GOD gave me the heart to share this story while I was in Lesotho. But my faith is too small to share it.
Today, I want to share about my fundraising.
Yes, I’m fully funded. Comparing with others, my fundraising was so smoother than them. I have a group of people who helped my fundraising and pray for me. Which is a really unusual thing in Korea. In Korea, there isn’t a personal fundraising / donation culture. Even my church just started to get donations from church members when a group of young adults plans to go on a mission trip. If a person plans there own mission trip, he/she prepares him/her-self and people, who know him/her, personally give some help for him/her. Everyone agrees that’s work for GOD. And STILL it’s his/her personal thing.
One of the biggest challenges for preparing my Race was fundraising.
The amount is too big to handle by myself. Actually, it’s too big to ask my parent for help and I decided not to ask them for help by myself which looked the easiest way to solve the problem. I didn’t want to on my parents. I wanted to see ONLY GOD fully at work for the Race. I thought if I get help from my parents, I couldn’t be free from them and their help. I wanted to become independent from my parents who are still important in my life.
I knew I had to fundraise for my Race, but I didn’t know where I should start or how to. In my point of view, I’m not good at anything. Everything, I made, is not enough to sell. I’m not an artistic person. I can sell products but not for my own. I’m so used to working for somebody else, and to me fundraising was FOR ME!
I didn’t want to beg. Well, I was scared to be refused from someone who I asked. ‘GOD already provided something for me. But how could I get those?’ This question was always in my head.
The answer was simple. This fundraising ISN’T for ME. The entire process is for GOD. “What I should do” was “just be bold and trust that GOD is working on it.” When I was bold and shared that I decided to go on Race, people who heard my story willingly helped me. GOD already prepared someone who would help me.
My sweet church friend, Designer, Bang, designed the awesome card which introduced World Race, my route, and my prayer request. My adorable church sister, Mi-shee Gang art major, drew a cute caricature of me and designed other fundraising briskets. My smart church friend, Ph.D Lim her major is Korean, she always fixes my Korean writing. Another two, who takes part of Im-Ji trio, was surprising me with their faith and help, when I was pressed by HUGE amount. Also, GOD prepared surprise one! I didn’t’ know her before, but she said “YES!” when I asked my church group for help. They made my fundraising group, worked till my fundraising was done, and still gather together to pray for me.
Not only them, GOD used poor widow’s two very small copper coins. I know most all of my spencer’s story. There was no-one who donated to me from their wellness. They said “YES!” to GOD, while they were still in need.
Through all the “YES!”, GOD keep showing me what he prepared for me, encouraging me through toughness, and convincing me to overcome the hardships.
When I started to prepare for my Race, I surrendered my weakness. I had to surrender. There was no way without doing that. And when I did that, GOD told me a secret. Because of my weakness, he decided to use me. Because I have lots of help from other people, GOD decided to use me. If he wants to use me, lots of people have to help me for letting GOD use me. And those people, who help me, join to his work.
I’m still clumsy. I’m still weak. I’m still not smart enough. I’m still not rich. I’m still needed lots of help. To be used by GOD.
The other day, when my squad had meeting, for people who need more donations, GOD’s favourite girl Jen shared this phrase “Believing “GOD CAN do!” And believing “GOD WILL do!” are so different. We all believe “GOD CAN!” Check one’s heart and pray “HE WILL do it.” We still believe in “He WILL do it” and pray for it.
If GOD gives you heart to join his work, don’t hesitate!
Through your “YES!” he works!
*My squad still has people who need your “YES!”
