I remember looking at the donation bar day one seeing:
CURRENT AMOUNT: $150
GOAL AMOUNT: $17,617
I sat there thinking “How do I even start raising this money, I don’t really have a financial support system.” As time went on and deadlines came and went the Lord continued to show his goodness through fundraising, no matter how much I did not like doing it!
Surprisingly, through this process I had very few times of doubt that it could be done (that example being the first). The second time I started to doubt that the funding would come was when I had planned a garage sale. I asked for donations, since my mom doesn’t keep ANYTHING that we don’t use, and I was receiving very little. I started to panic and I looked at my parents one day and said “Maybe this is God’s way of saying this isn’t what I’m suppose to be doing.” The next few days God showed me quickly that he wanted me to do this as donations came in so quickly we almost ran out of room in our garage. After the sale we had sold so many items and still had many left over.
As I got onto the field I knew fundraising would be very difficult being away from home but I never had a moment of panic. As our third donation deadline of $13,000 was approaching and I was about $1,300 away from meeting my deadline (and in a time I would usually panic) I felt complete peace that everything would be fine. The next day my mom called and said someone had made a $1,200 donation. I almost LOST it.
There are so many stories about how he continued to provide in the craziest ways, especially lately when i got $1,100 of donations in ONE DAY! Fundraising has been difficult, but it has shown me so much about who the Lord is and how he provides in his way and his timing. I never expected a majority of my supporters to be my supporters and it makes my heart so happy knowing that you guys care, read my blogs, and support me more then I could ever Imagined.
I learned through this process that fundraising isn’t just about the money, it’s my way of being obedient to the Lord and believing that he will provide. The best part is that I didn’t do it alone, it’s also your way of walking alongside me and believing that the Lord will do great things through your obedience as well. ‘Cause lets be real, in the end it isn’t going towards me, it has always been and always will be his money.
To those of you that donated and have been praying, thank you so much for believing in what the Lord has called us to do. For buying shirts, necklaces, postcards, and just donating!
Because of each of you I am able to spend a year doing something I absolutely love, caring for people I love, for the God I love more then anything else! Thank you X a million.
