Guys, fundraising is hard.
In 2015 I fundraised to be able to go to Italy on a mission trip. I raised exactly half ($875) and paid for the rest myself. I remember thinking, what a large amount of money to raise! It was so difficult, reaching out to people and asking them for money.
Fast forward to three years later where the amount I needed to raise was 10 times that amount. I really had no idea how on earth I was possibly going to raise $18,200! I procrastinated for a few months after being accepted to go on the World Race, unwilling to begin the process of asking people to support me. Eventually I could procrastinate no longer and began the process of collecting the names, emails, and phone numbers of anyone I could think of. Whenever I sent an email or text I would cringe, thinking of the bother and inconvenience each person would experience by having me ask them for money. When people told me no, it wasn’t hard to accept, because at least I had an answer. But receiving no response at all was the hardest. How many times do I try to see if I will get a response? When do I cross the line and become a nuisance? Will people begin to think negatively of me because I keep asking something of them?
Of course, I should have realized back then that I need to stop trying to read people’s minds. Because I don’t have that ability. If I keep trying to anticipate what people are going to say or think, all that does is hinder me from action.
Fundraising was not my favorite thing. But I look at the result and am amazed. Besides selling a few t-shirts, all the other money was raised by people giving it to me without receiving anything in return. Here are some of those stories:
On one of my last days at work, my coworkers presented me with a donation they had raised among themselves, and I had never asked them for anything. I was so touched that they would do that for me.
In the Philippines I had a major deadline that would determine whether I would be able to stay on the field or be sent home. I hadn’t had access to the internet on the day my deadline fell, but when I went to church the following day and connected to WiFi, I could not stop crying because of how many people had given to help me stay. I had not only met my deadline amount but surpassed it.
After a super long and stressful travel day(s) to Bolivia I checked my email and saw that one of my teammate’s parents had given me the largest amount any person had given me.
This month I decided to message literally anyone on Facebook, even if I hadn’t spoken to them in years and was sure that they probably didn’t even remember who I was anymore. And people that I had the most tenuous connection to gave!
My church supported me. My family members have been some of my biggest supporters. Throughout the year there have been many people that have given to me multiple times. Many of my squad mates have given to me or shared my need with others. Over 100 people have raised money for me to be able to travel the world, sharing the love of Jesus in so many different ways.
To all my supporters: thank you thank you thank you! I want you all to know that you have blessed me so much. I could not have had the experience of this year without you. And those who supported me through prayer or just being there while I was preparing, thank you so much! Prayer really is a powerful thing. May God bless you all so so much!
Jessica
