TRAINING CAMP: A STRANGER GAVE ME $20???
From August 8-18 I got to spend some time in Gainesville, Georgia at training camp for the World Race. Essentially, it was a time of physical, spiritual, and emotional preparation for the World Race (which is just 4 weeks away – AH). You’ll hear more about those topics in other blogs, but here I would like to just focus on the all the random, amazing provision that God provided!!
About halfway through the week, our leaders sent us out for the afternoon to share some Jesus-love with the Gainesville community. We got to pray for people, give them a bottle of water (vital at 2pm in Georgia summers), and just encourage those we got to meet (don’t worry – you’ll here alllll about this in my next blog).
At one point though, that encouragement came right back to us.
Two of my squadmates, Ryan and Shiloh, had knocked on a stranger’s door to pray for them. The lady who answered the door was named Donna, and she very quickly became much more than a stranger. Donna was a Christian and was SO excited about what Ryan and Shiloh were doing – taking this year of their lives to so intentionally love Christ and love His people. The three of them got to talk and pray for one another before the boys left.
A little while later after our team had met up again, Donna came driving by and stopped next to us – she had been driving around the neighbourhood looking for Ryan and Shiloh just to give them snacks!!
At this point I was just coming back and saw that our team was enjoying these snacks. I, having forgotten to bring cash for food with me and realizing that I probably wasn’t going to eat the rest of the day, was HYPED over these snacks. Now I wouldn’t have to be so hungry for the rest of the day – thanks Donna!!
As I was feasting on almonds and crackers, Donna drove back AGAIN, this time with her sweet granddaughter, and handed the guys $120.
WHAT?
This sweet woman was so excited about what we were doing that she drove home and came back just to bless us. She gave us six $20 bills – one for each member of our team.
I couldn’t believe it. This woman didn’t even know us! And yet her love for God and her excitement to see His kingdom on earth just caused her to want to love us in this extremely practical way.
I couldn’t get over the fact that I wasn’t supposed to eat dinner that day, and yet Donna had provided the money for me to get some. I honestly thought to myself, who cares if I miss one measly meal? And yet I knew my Papa did. I knew that this was just God saying to me “Farrah, just like I’ve provided here, I’ll provide on the race”. I couldn’t believe it. My Papa loves me so much that He cared even for my one meal.
It was insane. I literally was (and still am) in disbelief.
I couldn’t help but think of Matthew 6.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? … But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
It’s crazy, because even now as I read these verses I realize that we were seeking the kingdom and His righteousness first. I wasn’t worried about my eating supper that day, I was focused on showing people that God loves them exactly where they’re at. And as I sought this, the Lord provided.
This sweet lady named Donna was such an example to me of what it means to love God and love people. She was willing to share not just her finances with us, but also a little bit of her life – we got to talk with her and we got to hang out with her sweet 6-year-old granddaughter.
I couldn’t help but think to myself “This is what the kingdom of God looks like – brothers and sisters in Christ sending each other to make His love known all around the world, even in the suburbs of Gainesville, Georgia”.
P.S. Donna’s the sweet lady in a car in this video:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N7xlK2Naqx6UUkG20iWA7u89EYgxw7du/view
_________________________
With all of that being said, I am so encouraged and so sure that the Lord is providing for me to go on the World Race.
We have to raise about $18,000USD, but because I’m Canadian I actually have to raise about $22,000. But as the USD increases and CAN decreases, I now actually have to raise ~$24,000. But with that being said…
I CURRENTLY HAVE ALMOST 80% RAISED AND PLEDGED!!
I cannot believe how good God is and how GENEROUS ALL OF YOU ARE! People have messaged me excited about what Christ is going to do all around the world, asking how to give. It blows my mind that you guys are so willing to send me to the nations (because it’s not just me going – I’m taking all of you with me!), but it’s also just another opportunity for me to see that my community (YOU) are seeking first the kingdom and bringing it to earth.
With that being said, I’ve still got to raise about $5,000 by January, and to be honest it would be AWESOME if we could raise it before I launch in a month! So please consider praying about if you’re able to give. If all of you reading this gave $20 (think of it as 3 Starbucks drinks) I would be FULLY FUNDED!
If you’ve already partnered with me in prayer, from the bottom of my heart, thank you – it’s changing the world.
If you’ve partnered with me financially, I still can’t get over it, thank you – it’s teaching me what the kingdom of God looks like.
