Fundraising is hard, very intimidating and also very out of my comfort zone. After sending out 140 support letters at the beginning of June and only getting one response I have learned two things. One God is going to make me work a lot harder then I had thought and two the enemy is going to do everything he can to try and stop me. This past weekend I had my first fundraising event which was only a little bit successful. When I woke up Saturday morning I was very positive thinking many people would come and buy my bracelets I am selling though threads of hope, but in reality only 13 people came to my little tent in front of the Frazeysburg dairy queen. As I sat there many negative thoughts went in and out of my head as I was contradicting myself thinking “maybe I shouldn’t be doing this” or “maybe this isn’t part of the plan God has for me.” I realized though that this was only the enemy trying to bring me down.
This is something I have felt a calling for….for a very long time but I never really listened to God and always did my own thing. I had other thoughts that I couldn’t possibly leave my home, it would cut into my schooling and I would listen to everyone else who thought leaving the country for a year was absolutely absurd. In Jeremiah 29:11 it says For I know the plans I have for you “declares the lord, ” plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Many of us make plans for ourselves but are they the right ones. Its hard to hear Gods voice in our busy world today, but I am learning to listen in this case God said go so I am going! I would like to invite you on my 11 month mission trip to 11 different countries which will be in October. I will be traveling to Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Swaziland, Lesotho, South Africa, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia and the Philippines. In these countries we will be working with the local churches and organizations to meet the needs of each community while spreading the gospel. We will be preaching in churches, door to door ministry, visiting orphanages, construction work, minister to sex trafficking victims, teaching English and whatever else it may take to bring Gods kingdom to earth and share his love. Although this is very exciting it is also very expensive…..just a little over 18,000 dollars expensive. I would like to invite you to prayerfully consider weather God has called you to partner with me financially or in prayer I guarantee it will be one or the other or both. Seriously though there is no pressure and if you want to learn more about my favorite thing I would love the chance to talk to you about it personally. Thank you for those who take the time to read this, prayers are greatly appreciated as I embark on this crazy journey.
