I’ve been on this amazing journey lately, and it’s so incredible. However, it comes at a cost. Honestly this journey really called for me to abandon a lot, but even that aside it costs money.
Over the past two weeks my team has been raising money to help a clean water campaign in Cajamarca. It has been incredible to see how God provides. In the case of our water project God provided abundantly and we actually passed the goal we originally set. That’s so awesome! God has provided so much and we get to turn around and bless the people of Cajamarca so much. I actually will be on a bus this time tomorrow on my way to Cajamarca. That has me so excited and I will definitely have updates coming up soon, but that’s not what I want to write about right now.
When we were fundraising for Cajamarca I reflected a lot on the crazy ways God provided in my initial fundraising for this trip. I wanted to share a few stories, and testify to God’s faithfulness.
In fundraising I have gotten an idea of how God provides, and it’s not often in the way we expect. When I went about fundraising I wanted to make it an act of faith. I felt like I could easily make money working and save up for this, but I wanted to see God provided in new and unexpected ways. It meant a lot of prayer and trusting in God. This wasn’t always super easy.
One of the most memorable moments fundraising came while talking about this idea with a family member. To be honest they weren’t a huge fan. They wanted me to be filling out letters, and making calls, and trying to run an actual fundraiser. I wanted to pray and wait in faith. This conversation got a little heated. Then they said the words, “well checks don’t just come in the mail.”
Within the hour we got that days mail, and to both of our surprises there was a check in the mail and neither of us knew who it was from.
Eventually we found out it was a distant friend my Dad had worked with years back. It still wasn’t anyone I would have expected to give. It just reassured me that God works in mysterious, and unexpected ways.
Another thing I learned is God is willing to move massively but he often waits long enough for us to worry a little, because that’s when our faith grows. When I was fundraising for this trip, I struggled. I didn’t raise money as fast as I thought I needed to. I had a lot of people I expected to give who decided not to. I got inside the last week of the deadline and still needed about $2000.
I remember getting to a point where I didn’t know how I was going to afford to go on this missions trip. I went to the Lord in prayer. I also emailed some close friends and asked them to pray. The next day was a day I don’t think I’ll forget.
The day started pretty typically. However I had some lunch plans. A gentleman I had never meet wanted to meet me for lunch. I had been tutoring his child who happened to be sharing about my trip with him, but had never meet him before. He meet me for lunch and asked me a ton of questions about my aspirations to do missions. It was a cool lunch and he just generously dropped $1000.
That was so awesome, but if I’m being honest I wasn’t happy. I remember praying, ” if he could give that why couldn’t he give $2000. I don’t know where I’m going to get another $1000.” I had exhausted all my options, but wasn’t done.
I went back and called an old boss who had talked about giving, but never followed up. He ended up giving me $500. My mother had also called my aunt who had already donated, and asked if she would ask more friends for support. Her response was, “I’ll share this, but I can give more.” She also happened to drop $250 on me unexpectedly. To wrap up the day a family friend dropped by and gave me a check for $100. In one day God provided $1850 in ways I would never have expected.
It definitely tested my faith, but was so amazing be a part of. God really moves in ways we could never expect. That way he gets the glory and our faith grows. It was crazy of me to think I needed to go to another country to see God move when he was already ready to move wherever I trusted him.
I hope these stories encourage your faith. I also want to thank everybody who has given both so I could be here in Peru serving God, and so that my team can go provide years of clean water to poor communities in Cajamarca. You’re guys support and prayers are changing the world in Jesus name.
