It’s time to cut the flowery nonsense and have some real talk about what it’s like to live off of fundraising.
Myself and my fellow missionaries have a tendency to sugar coat, drop subtle hints, and sometimes – Father forgive me – be downright passive aggressive.
All of this comes from the crippling fear of asking people to give money to the work we’re giving our lives to. It is terrifying and painfully humbling. It isn’t even necessarily the fear of the answer “no” but how the asking itself might be perceived. Furthermore, when a promised donation doesn’t happen, you have the gut-wrenching realization that you either have to ask again or hope that other donations come in to fill the gap.
Then there’s the waiting game wracked with anxiety and disappointment. Checking your email after weeks without wifi, hoping and praying that you’re a little closer to your goal, only to find junk mail and the occaisional family update.
We never want to seem pushy, needy, or entitled so we suffer in silence with a painted on smile saying things like, “Yeah, it’s going okay. It’s such a beauitful growing experience. The Lord will provide.”
The Lord will provide. That is true, but He provides through His people. And so now, I need to ask the people, will you give a donation?
On November 30th, I am supposed to be fully funded and I still need to raise $2,441.
Where is your money going? That’s a very fair question. These are some of the things our raised funds have made possible:
-All of our meals for 11 months
-Lodging costs
-Taxis, buses, trains, planes, and boats to get us to where we need to be
-Supplies to clean our living space and our smelly selves
-Clean water to keep us parasite free
but even more importantly…
-Free English lessons in the most dangerous neighborhood in Cartagena
-The laughter of small children in the joy of having someone to play with
-Bringing church to a man who is too weak from his cancer treatments to worship with his community and holding his hand while we cry together and pray for healing
-Creating contacts to send hundreds more missionaries all along the Amazon
-A man choosing to not commit suicide the next day after hearing 30 random Americans singing in the square
These and so many other moments are what the money is truly for. The point has always been and will always be bringing light to the darkness, bringing love to the people.
Fundraising is a beautifully growing and humbling experience but that doesn’t make it any easier. In a way, that makes it even more difficult.
But I have seen faith move mountains and I have seen generosity overflow throughout this journey as people have supported me. We are almost there. Help me cross the finishline.
