Warning: This is a long blog filled with lots of heartfelt thought in hopes that you, my readers, will be able to grasp what I'm doing and what I'm asking of you. I realize that it looks scary and endless, but I do hope that you'll push past the initial fear and dive in to see how God could use you in partnering with me on this "Race". Thanks in advance for reading along 🙂
Support
[Suh-pohrt]
-verb
1. Assist, help.
2. To bear or hold up; serve as a foundation for.
3. To keep from fainting, yielding, or losing courage.
4. To keep something going.
5. To sustain or withstand without giving way.
6. To sustain (a person [Hannah], the mind, spirits, courage, etc.) under trial or affliction.
-Noun
1. a person that gives aid or assistance
2. a person that supports, as financially
-Synonyms
MAINTAIN (to support so as to remain intact), SUSTAIN (suggests completeness and adequacy in supporting), UPHOLD (implies extended support given to something attacked).
To my current (and future) SUPPORTers:
Recently I have informed you of how God is leading in my life and what I intend to do over the next several months. (If you don't know, please check out the previous blogs or email me!) I'll be traveling to 11 different countries in only 11 months. Training camp is in May, and July will be here before I know it — hello, Romania! As I carry all of my possessions in a 45 pound pack, eat new foods, walk through crowded streets filled with a language unlike my own to take the Name of Jesus with me as I go, I'm sure there will be days of immense joy, freedom and awe. I also know there will be days of heartache, homesickness, confusion and discouragement. Here's where you come in.
As a supporter, I'm going to ask a lot of you. Now don't quit reading just yet. Instead, please hear the ways that God can use YOU to encourage me and partner with me to reach the world with the Love of Christ. Financially, I need to raise $15,500 total for this trip. This is not too much for my God. He's faithful and I'm trusting in Him to provide, but wait, I'm getting ahead of myself… Going back to the expectation of great things and of bad days, the biggest thing that I can ask from you is a commitment to PRAY. By no means am I saying that financial support is not important, but sometimes it's easier to give finances than to commit regularly to pray. I know this because I have been there. I've given money to causes and people to do great things, then found myself lacking in the department of covering them with prayer. As I'm growing, I'm learning the awesome power of prayer and the great need for it. God wants us to meet with Him, to ask for and expect GREAT things in His Name! I believe that miracles can happen, freedom can come for the oppressed and salvation can reach those who have bitter, hard hearts. Nothing is impossible for our God, so why don't we pray boldly? Will you join me?
Here's the deal; I feel like I can be straightforward with you. I'm going in to this trip expecting hardship and persecution (but the Word says: "If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you" – 1 Peter 4:14). I know that your prayers make a difference in my life, in your life and to the heart of God. I'm so thankfully encouraged by many of you who have already committed to pray. You can pray for me, my team, and the people we will be touching with the love of Christ. Pray for all the people groups in countries around the world who need Jesus. Also pray as Jesus told his disciples: "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." – Matt. 9:37-38. Pray that the Lord would send people to the bush in Africa, the forests of South America, the booming metropolises of India, the wealthy and impoverished cities of Europe, the farms and great cities of Asia, the slums and trailer parks of America and to the middle class of the United States as well. It doesn't matter where you go, there will always be someone who needs to hear of Jesus. Pray that His fame would be known!
Along with prayer, I am in need of $15,500 financial support. I've got a few fundraising ideas, like selling t-shirts for $20 (this is a great tangible reminder to pray!) as well as bracelets for $2 (these provide $1 toward my trip and $1 towards an honorable income for the families who make them by hand in the Philippines). Also, I'm asking financial support from you, because we are all a part of the Body of Christ. This isn't about a mere "trip" where I'll be hopping around the world and experiencing new things. This is about me partnering with you, my family in Christ Jesus, to change the world for His Glory! I can be a little shy about asking for support, then I realize that what I am asking of you is the same that God is asking of me — to GIVE what He would have us to give (whether that's 11 months of my time or a portion of your paycheck) so that He might be glorified.
Please take some time and talk to the Lord about what He's asking you to give. This could be money or prayer support (or both) for my World Race. This could be Him asking you to give your life to serve for ministry and missions. He could ask you to give your love, time and prayers to the one at your work or school that you know is not a believer. I know that God has asked some of you to give of yourselves and partner with me. For those that He has not, He definitely has a place for you and your resources. Ask Him about it and go to serve in those areas!
As I'm wrapping it up now you may need to stop and take a breather…told you this was a long one! Let me update you on where I am right now. I checked my support account this morning and was blown away at God's faithfulness — $3,845.50! Praise Him!! That means I have $11, 654.50 left to go.
That looks like a huge number, so let's break it down. Think of it like this:
- 3 people commit to give $100 per month. That's $1,100 per person and $3,300 total.
- 7 people commit to give $50 per month. That's $550 per person and $3,850 total.
- 12 people commit to give $25 per month. That's $275 per person and $3,300 total.
- Any number of people combine to give $1,204.50 in one time gifts.
This is so encouraging to me! It is totally possible 🙂 You know what else would be encouraging? If you would drop me a note, comment or email. I love hearing from people that I know and those I don't. Please know that your comments and your prayers mean so much to me. If one of these amounts looks like what God would have you give, let me know. If you want to commit to pray, let me know. I appreciate and love you and look forward to how God is going to use you for His Glory.
In Christ,
Hannah K. Dagenhart
P.S. You can give by mailing a check made out to Adventures In Missions with my name on
the memo line (I'm on the July 2011 #2 route) to:
Adventures In Missions
PO Box 534470
Atlanta, GA 30353-4470
or you can click "Support Me!" on the left in the column above. Thank you!
Here are the bracelets and t-shirt if you want to take a look!
www.threadsofhope.com.ph
