I am honestly overwhelmed by this. This is the 3rd trip in 2.5 years that I have support raised for, and each time God teaches me something new. Back in 2009 I was raising $13,800 for the World Race. During that time EVERY fundraiser I had planned fell through. The only thing I had to fall back on were support letters. And God brought the money in. He showed me that there is nothing I can do to make the money get there. I was trying to take control and God wouldn’t let me. He blocked every fundraiser I could think of. A HUGE lesson in giving CONTROL over to our Father!
Last summer I began support raising for my Real Life trip to Kenya. I needed about $3000. I felt so confident that He would provide that I did nothing. The only kind of support raising I did was through Facebook statuses, word of mouth, and blogging. Yet, once again, I raised the amount I needed. I rarely, if ever, had doubts when support raising for Kenya. I just KNEW God would bring it in. I had FULL CONFIDENCE in God and His abilities. It was so freeing to realize that and to let go of anxiety and stress that often comes hand in hand with finances.
This time around has been a completely different journey. I have doubted almost since day 1 of committing to lead. It was the end of January when I decided I wanted to be part of Real Life again. And as soon as that decision was made, I found myself often discouraged and in doubt. I began support raising as I did for Kenya- Facebook and an occasional blog, yet the money just wasn’t coming in. As of a month ago, I had about $350 in my support account. Yet, this past month, God has revealed to me how incredibly BLESSED I am. Not only because He has provided the money, but because I am a LOVED DAUGHTER. I don’t deserve what God has given me, I don’t deserve this provision,
this blessing. Yet He has given it to me. I am completely unworthy,
yet He has called me Daughter. Through these past 5 months of preparing for Uganda and raising money, God has reminded me of His GOODNESS and FAITHFULNESS more then ever before. He has shown me that I am still called to have faith even when nothing is changing. That is faith- believing, trusting, going forward, even when there is nothing but uncertainty, even when nothing seems to be happening. Almost every donation came in when I was desperate, doubting and discouraged. The PERFECTION of God’s timing!
Thank you to all who have supported me these past months through financial donations and in prayer! I can’t express enough how thankful I am, how much of a blessing each of you are to me. You have demonstrated the consistency and love of Christ to me by being part of my mission, my calling, my passion, my dreams. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
I hate posting blogs without pictures these days so please enjoy a few from my time in Kenya and Mozambique!
