Alright, check it out, I am quite a long way away from the goal, $15,500. I realize I am also quite a long way from the deadline, but I believe God is going to meet these needs before the deadlines are here. That being said, I want to share some ideas with you all.
1.) I want to encourage everyone to ask the Lord if my cause is a cause to which He is asking you to give. Ask Him if He wants you to join me on this journey by financially supporting me. Whether you feel like He is or is not convicting you to give, please pray for me consistently. I need lots and lots of prayer.
2.) Ask your Church Leaders if they would consider supporting me either with a monthly donation or a 1-time donation. Also, ask that they consider inviting me to come speak about God’s calling in my life. I would be thoroughly honored.
3.) Okay, so if I have learned anything from doing youth ministry, it’s that people will do just about anything to see you humiliate yourself. So, I will be doing random challenges where I will ask for a specific donation amount to be made in a specific time frame. If the requirements are met, I will do something terribly embarrassing, video it, and post it for all of you lovely people to see. For example, I may say something like, If I get $500 in the next 24 hours I will put on an Easter Bunny costume and hop around the mall…and You all get to enjoy my stupidity!
4.) I am planning a garage sale. I have been considering selling a huge portion of my personal belongings, but it is quite a challenge. I mean, how does one go about selling all their possessions? Anyway, I am beginning by a having garage sale. It will be happening soon. And all the money I earn will be going to fund this trip.
5.) I am not very great, but I dabble in photography. I would be willing to shoot some pictures for anyone who asks, on the one condition that there be some sort of donation made to this trip. Simple as that. I’ll shoot and edit the photos for you and all you have to do is support my mission trip.
6.) Beards. I have seen a few campus ministries do quite well by auctioning off beards…The way this works, some guys grow out their beards for a while. On the night of the auction, the right to shave their beards is auctioned off. The highest bidder gets to shave the beard however they see fit. So, if I could get a few more fellows on board with this, I am thinking about doing a beard auction in the future, but it all depends on you guys’ willingness to participate by both growing out beards and purchasing them.
7.) Change for Change is a fundraising idea I have been kicking around for a while now. I’m not sure how many of you know it, but I collect change. Hardcore. I mean, if there is a hairy, dusty, rusty penny lying on the ground and I can get to it, I will pick it up and put it into one of the three change jars I have. If I pay for something in cash and I receive coins in change, I put them in one of those jars. I never spend coin change—only save it. So my idea is for everyone who is willing to also save their change. If you need or would like, I will provide you with a jar to keep it in, and when its full or when you’re tired of collecting change, just bring it to me, and I will put it into the race account! You can see your pocket change effect worldly change.
8.) Some friends of mine (Evangeline Aldrich and Cherie Tredeau) have made awesome promotional items, and will be selling them in an effort to support my race. Also, the band, Alive By Sunrise, has some promotional items they are selling to support me.
I really thank each and every one of you for your support not only financially, but also prayerfully. I literally could not do it without you guys. You’re what makes all the difference, and any and all of your contributions are extremely helpful, because, lets face it, $15,500 is a LOT of money. A whole dang lot. And even though we are about 1/30th of the way there right now, I have faith in God and you guys. We will see this done. I will praise Him expectantly in the mean time.
