Have you heard the good news? I’m fully funded for the World Race!!! The $18,200 cost of this mission trip seemed daunting at first, but the Lord made it happen through the support of so many generous people. While this is such a praise and a relief, there are still other expenses associated with this trip of which I am personally responsible for. Some of these include the gear I have to purchase, flights for training camp and launch, vaccinations and medications, taking care of bills back home, and any personal expenses while on the road (toiletries, medications, any off-day activities, Wi-Fi or data for communication with my family). But this isn’t a fundraising post. It’s a story of how God is still providing for me and showing me that I am fully loved even after becoming fully funded.
The cost of airfare to Atlanta, GA for launch has proven to be more expensive than I hoped. You’d think a one-way flight down the east coast wouldn’t be bad, but apparently flying anywhere out of Bangor, ME is pricy in January. I’ve been trolling booking sights and scoping out the options for a few weeks now. Unfortunately, my choices are limited. Initially, it was looking like I would have to spend nearly $500 not including my baggage check. Crazy right?!?!?! After watching the prices fluctuate very little, I decided l would finally bite the bullet. I was happy to see that one of my options dropped significantly but disappointed that it was at 5:30 am with a super long layover. The later flight (7:30 am) was about $100 more expensive. I didn’t have clear direction about what to do… spend the extra money for a better flight or go with the cheaper option that would make for a rough travel day. I changed my mind and decided to wait a little longer and pray about it.
Last Saturday morning, I woke up and spent some time in prayer to start my day. During that time, I felt a nudge from the Lord that reminded me to check the travel site again. I was amazed at what I saw. The 7:30 am flight had reduced in price by $75, and there was only ONE seat left!!! I booked that sucker faster than you can say “I’m leaving on a jet plane.” The total was $395 including my checked bag, well under what I originally thought I was going to have to pay. Isn’t it amazing that the Lord knows not only what our needs are but the details of those needs? He uses meeting them as a way to show how much He loves us. Already amazed and encouraged? Well, read on. He wasn’t finished with this story yet.
A week ago Sunday we celebrated Thanksgiving at church. I was given the opportunity to share a quick fundraising update announcing that I am fully funded. Knowing I still have and will have other financial needs while on the race, I considered mentioning that fact during this announcement. I ultimately decided not to because I didn’t want to take away from what the Lord had already done. I didn’t want to seem ungrateful for the huge blessings I had already been given. Even though I wasn’t certain HOW He would continue to provide, I had peace that He WOULD.
I shared with my church family the exciting news and they celebrated with me in a round of applause and shouts of praise. After the service, a friend handed me a folded check and said, “we still want to give you this for your trip.” I said, “thank you so much. This will help pay for my flight to launch.” When I later opened the check, I saw it was for $400, and would completely cover my ticket. Isn’t God amazing!?!?!? He is so faithful to provide and faithful to remind us He cares about the details of our needs.
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