Eleven days ago, I made the 5 hour drive across the Cascade mountains here in Washington to go visit my second home one last time… Lemme tell you about it.
For the last 5-6 years I’ve called Arlington Washington and Jakes House church ‘home’. In truth, I don’t think this place will ever not be home to me even if I don’t end up living here again. Some of my most wonderful memories have been spent here, along with some cringe worthy memories, and some downright painful ones. Life has happened here. Growth has happened here. Community has happened here. Genuinely, I wouldn’t be who I am today without God, and the people here who have loved me so so well. For that I am forever thankful.
For a few weeks now, I’ve felt stuck in fundraising. The finances have been coming in, but just slowly like molasses thats been sitting outside in the middle of January. This doesn’t particularly worry me because I have experienced God move so powerfully in the area of fundraising in the past that I can help but just KNOW deep within me that he is going to provide. But this stuck feeling was in the back of my mind nonetheless. I had it on my heart to set a personal goal of having $8,400 raised by November 12th, so I got to work on the idea I had for helping meet that goal; asking people to donate $11.00 on 11/11 toward my 11 month trip. But I had no idea that God was about to absolutely wreck me in the best possible way.
Over the course of about 3 days, I was gifted with nearly $3,300. With the addition of those donations, my fundraising total is $11,000. It really feels like the floodgates of heaven (and of my tear ducts) have busted open and theres just no containing it. God took my personal goal and completely blew it out of the water. I’m overwhelmed with his goodness and faithfulness, and I am overwhelmed with the generosity of the people in my life. Words just don’t cover how blessed, honored, supported, and championed I feel after this week.
Eleven days in Arlington, November 11th, $11,000, eleven months of ministry… wow God. Thanks.
Much love,
Laina
