Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. – Ephesians 3:20-21
Nine months ago when I said “Yes” to the call that God placed in my life, I asked Him to move in a way where He will be glorified. I never doubted, that God would be able to provide the $18,100 I needed to fundraise in order to experience the full 11 months of this missionary trip.
Unsurprisingly, God showed up in Grand Style answering my request; reaching and exceeding every fundraising deadline.
- He used my hands to paint (so far) 72 art pieces to sell for donations.
- He gave me the strength to complete about 330 Burpees in exchange for donations. (If you don’t know, burpees are the best exercise ever!! Lol!)
- He gave thoughtful inspiration for two shirt designs to sell for fundraising through Fund the Nations and Bonfire.
- He used the God given talents of five businesses; Britney Writes, WanderLove Essentials, Veronica Leigh Designs, CRUZ by Sheena Whitlock, and London and Granger to make beautiful clothing, crafts, and jewelry to sell for donations.
- He moved the hearts of about 226 people to give towards this Kingdom Purpose whether it was one-time, monthly, or anonymous donations.
And, as if this wasn’t enough, God promises to bless exceedingly and abundantly above all that I can ever ask or think.
He is GOOD to fulfill His promise.
Ministering to me is not big enough for our Almighty God. He continues to minister to the hundreds of people that have stayed connected with this missionary trip. Not a day has gone by where I don’t hear of a good report from people whose hearts are being opened, lives being changed, or salvation and healing power brought to them, whether it’s from my own support group or the support group of my Squad Mates. God is moving in amazing ways, and we haven’t even left the country yet!
Praise Jehovah Jireh! The Lord will provide!
Currently, once all the donations have been processed, I will only need to raise $2,487 dollars. Being fully funded at least by November 20th will allow us to go on this journey with God for 11 months. This means, that with all the funds raised so far, I am set to launch in August and have the opportunity to stay on the missionary trip until November. However, I know God is calling for more time. After all that God has done, I am still believing that this goal can be reached by launch on August 3rd. There’s a reason why He led me to an 11 month missionary trip and I know that He who began a good work in me will finish it to completion.
As I was praying today, I was led to the scripture Ephesians 3:20-21 and there’s a part of it that says; to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus…
Church resonated in my Spirit.
One of the most incredible things I’ve witnessed during this journey so far is the living Church. Romans 12 says that WE, believers of Christ form ONE Body and are given different gifts; one of the gifts listed down are those who give generously. Ephesians 4 explains how to live as functioning parts of this Body. We are called to help each other grow and build each other up in love. So, a church is more than a building. It’s actually US. People who love Jesus and live lives that can reflect the Love of Jesus to those around us.
During these nine months I’ve been blessed to know some amazing people who make up the J-Squad aka The Blue Jays. There’s 31 of us who answered YES to the call. I can’t begin to explain in this one blog how much my squad mates have touched my life. They are passionate, genuine, and loving. They bear the Fruit of the Spirit. And, when I met them all during training camp in June, I saw first hand how the Body of Christ moves to lift each other up. We’re all in need of Our Savior. We’re not by any means perfect, but Our Savior bonded us in ways that can bring Glory to the living Church. I can’t imagine this journey without them.
BUT, not all my Squad Mates are funded to launch in August. And, my heart behind this blog is to share with you how GOOD God is, how well He provides, and how capable He is to do what we ask for according to His will. There is a reason why all 31 of us were brought to this missionary trip. I believe that with God and the gift of God in you to give generously, my Squad Mates who are not yet funded for August, will reach the remaining funds they need by the July 20th deadline.
On Sunday, my Pastor Kenneth preached on the importance to pray for BOLD prayers. I’m praying humbly, but boldly that your heart be moved to give towards some of my Squad Mates who need an overflow of provision so that they can launch with us in August. Below, I’ve attached their individual Blog pages. I encourage you to take some time to get to know them and donate to whom your heart is being moved to.
I don’t have enough words to express how thankful I am for the seeds you’ve sown into my journey! I feel saying “thank you” is not enough to cover the generosity, prayers, and encouragement that has been poured out to me.
My prayer is that, as you bless me and as you bless others, you in return be blessed by God who meets all your needs according to the riches of His Glory in Christ Jesus! Amen.
My Squad Mates:
Cimone Ortega: cimoneortega.theworldrace.org
Tyler Lebeau: tylerlebeau.theworldrace.org
Levi Corbett: levicorbett.theworldrace.org
Sarah Hickman: sarahhickman.theworldrace.org
Victoria Borgela: victoriaborgela.theworldrace.org
Katie Schroeder: katieschroeder.theworldrace.org
Hannah Ernsthausen: hannahernsthausen.theworldrace.org
Amanda Blakley: amandablakley.theworldrace.org
Elle Luly: elleluly.theworldrace.org
