Fundraising is hard.
$17,700 is a big number. The only other time I’ve even had to consider a number this big was when I purchased my truck, and for that I had been sequestering away funds for years into a savings account. This time, things are different. Instead of having a paycheck large enough to save huge chunks of it at a time after monthly expenses, and a few years to acquire the requisite amount, I have little to no money left over from month to month and just under a year to come up with the total funds. All this means is that it’s impossible for me to accomplish this task on my own.
I knew this would be a challenge, though not insurmountable. I knew there would be no way to rely on my own abilities to come up with the money and would instead force me to trust in God’s provision and the generosity of others. Don’t get me wrong, I know this doesn’t mean I can just sit back and watch the money roll in, I still have to responsibly play my part in donning humility and spreading the word and awareness of this awesome opportunity to partner alongside God in accomplishing His works, but I also know that ultimately I can’t meet my fundraising goals by my own strength or powers of persuasion. That’s where you come in.
To you who’s reading this, thank you. Thank you for even taking the time to show interest in my story and caring enough to want to know what’s on my heart. If you’re someone who has already donated, THANK YOU. It honestly does mean so much for you to invest in me and my spiritual growth by helping contribute to my ability to embark on this journey. If you haven’t donated yet, don’t let me guilt you into it, seriously. As much as I would love to be fully funded, I never want to coerce anyone into giving against their will and know God isn’t a fan of that, either. Instead, do what you’ve decided to do in your heart! And I truly do appreciate everyone who stands as a witness or holds me accountable by following along throughout this next year and a half, and certainly cherish every prayer prayed on my behalf as well.
Fundraising is certainly a humbling experience. It’s daunting dialing up numbers of people you haven’t seen in ages in order to ask them for support. You hope they don’t see you as just another person trying to solicit money from them, and struggle to find the words to convey that while still allowing them the opportunity to give. I know it can be awkward saying no, and believe me it’s awkward to ask, but if you’ve gotten a phone call from me, or receive one in the future, I hope you will extend me some grace and can see through to my heart and know my true intentions: I hope only to offer you an opportunity to store up for yourselves treasure in heaven by investing in His Kingdom work here on the earth.
Thank you for your time, and attention (Carmike Cinemas, anybody? haha), and until the next one,
