The short answer to the question is: “We sold it.”
Raising support for this trip has been so different than what it had been for all our other trips. This time around we:
- sent out 150 letters (typical, but kinda a lot)
- had fundraisers (faith building, to say the least)
- did yard sales (hard)
- sold our car (REALLY hard)
I knew that this trip would cost more, but I don’t think I realized that it would cost ME more. I mean it is costing me the things that I actually treasure. We knew this was going to be a sacrifice, who wouldn’t think it was when you signed up, but I think I am now seeing the extent of that sacrifice. I know that all of the things we have sold so far are just things, but they were MY things. I loved the shirt I wore on a really good date that one of my friends now has, I loved the paintings I did and put up in my kitchen (they were actually pretty good), I loved my cute apartment, and my car has been my car for the last 5 years. Of course it will all be fine, but it is hard to watch someone leave a yard sale with your stuff for almost no cost to them at all.
But we put on our happy face, and ask God for a lot of strength and keep doing it.
There are a few reasons why selling the car is going to be hard:
- It has been mine for the last 5 years
- It gives me a sense of freedom and independence, which I so desperately hold on to (that’s going to be interesting on the Race)
- It means I need to have faith that God will provide for us while we don’t have a car in the next few weeks before we leave, and then even more so when we get back and have no idea what we are doing, and doing it with one car.
I was laying in bed this morning thinking, “Wow, I only have 18 more days here.” and, “Oh my gosh we have to raise $13,000 in those 18 days….whoa.” And then I thought, “Eh, I’m hungry and God will provide.” But that is a lot of money. That is the amount of money that Cory and I use in about 3 months and we only have 2 1/2 weeks to bring it in. So I am brought back to the fact that I still have to sell more of my stuff.
If I am being completely honest the hardest things to leave behind right now are: my blanket (which I don’t usually sleep with just to clarify, but my grandmother made it and I have never left without it), my teddy bear (also equally sentimental), my best friends and family, and my car.
So you all now know what has been hard for me to leave behind, what would be hard for you to sell or leave behind?
