Fundraising. I feel like there are so many bad connotations that go along with that word, mostly because money is quite the touchy subject. It is for me at least, and I have my own bad memories of “fundraising”. Fundraising in high school meant I had to try to sell overpriced cookie dough that no one wanted to help our volleyball team buy jerseys. Maybe you’re one of those people who excels in that kind of fundraising and actually enjoys it, but that is NOT me. Not even a little bit. Please please please don’t make me guilt trip people into buying something they don’t want, even if it’s ultimately for a good cause. The thought just makes me cringe. So my version of fundraising was selling a tub of cookie dough to my parents and then coming up with the other necessary funds on my own.
I hate asking people for money or favors because I grew up in a family where working hard is highly valued. If you want something, you work for it and do it yourself. If you can’t afford it, you can’t have it. Entitlement is definitely not a value that was taught in our home, and I am so thankful that it wasn’t. The push to work hard growing up has helped me in so many ways as an adult, but I also think sometimes I’m hindered by wanting to do everything myself as I talked about in my last blog. I also hate asking people for money because I hate the thought of being a burden to someone else. I try to ask people for as few favors as possible because I don’t want anyone to have to do something for me they don’t want to do. It comes with the territory when you’re a people pleaser, but my people pleasing is really another story for another day, and for now, I will just be thankful for God’s grace for all of us people pleasers (I know you’re out there!)
When I realized how much money I would need to go on the World Race, I immediately started calculating how much money I could make by the end of the year to pay for it myself. And don’t worry, my Type A, nerdy, accounting self has a beautiful spreadsheet that is meticulously tracking all income and expenses for the rest of the year. Though I will be able to pay for some of it on my own, I for sure won’t have enough income to pay for all of it! If I would’ve known I was going to commit to the World Race even a year ago, I probably would have been able to pay for the whole thing on my own. But I didn’t know, and surprisingly enough, I am sort of thankful I didn’t have enough money saved up to pay for it all. As I’ve continued in my relationship with the Lord, I have realized asking people to give can be such a blessing to both parties involved. Though I’m tempted to think of what a huge imposition it is to ask, I have to remember that asking is not always as awful as I make it out to be. There is JOY in asking because I get to constantly be amazed by the different ways God provides rather than just making enough money to pay for it all myself!
Asking for help gives me the opportunity to fully trust in the Lord for his provision and to stop trusting in my own strength to provide for myself. (**Please know that I don’t condone just sitting around doing absolutely nothing and hoping God will provide without an ounce of effort on my part. Though God doesn’t want us to think striving to do everything ourselves is going to get us anywhere (because it won’t), sitting around and never taking any action is an equally bad option called laziness.)
I just want to share with you how incredibly much God has already blessed me by the people who have given towards my trip so far. I have been blown away by God’s provision and the cool ways in which he provides. A few months ago, someone at work approached me and wanted to know if I was raising support for my trip to the Dominican Republic (a week-long trip through The Ransom Church and Casas por Cristo that I am going on in October). I still to this day have no idea how this person even found out I was going because I had not advertised it at work or asked anyone for donations, yet here this person was, asking to give. Maybe that sounds like nothing to you, but that was such a shock to me, and the beginning of a change in my perspective. People actually want to donate? Like, without me guilt-tripping them into it? Or without me even asking? Mind. Blown. This has happened multiple times since then, and every single time, I can’t be anything but thankful and overwhelmed because God shows me over and over again that he loves me and will provide. This last week, I had a good little cry before work (the good kind of cry) because just when I had started to stress again about the money, there He was providing for me through yet another person who was faithful to do what God asked. These experiences have shown me it is okay to ask because it is a joy for people to give!
After reading through the first few books of the Bible, I often wonder how in the world the Israelites continued to lack faith that God would pull them through their difficulties when it was so obvious that he was more than able to carry them through whatever they were facing. He saved them time after time in the most amazing ways, but they still didn’t trust! Yet, here I am, doing the same thing. “Why hasn’t anyone donated for such a long time? What happens if the people I thought would donate decide not to? What if I have to leave my job earlier than I want to and don’t have the income I thought I would?” Those doubts have plagued me throughout this fundraising process, more than I even care to admit, but my good little cry before work last week was a result of God proving to me he is worthy of my trust for his provision. Not to say I won’t ever have another doubt about the money coming in on time because unfortunately I’m sure I will, but each time another person is faithful in giving, I gain more and more confidence that God really does hold the whole world in His hands, and He will be faithful in getting me to wherever He has called me.
Not only does asking for help strengthen my trust in God, but it also gives the person I am asking the opportunity to practice generosity and faithfulness in their own relationship with Christ along with the opportunity to invest in God’s work around the world and in his people whom he loves so extravagantly. I used to think the person asking for money was the only one who really benefitted from the transaction because they get the money and the experience while the one giving is left a little poorer and maybe even a little bitter if they felt obligated to give. Maybe that does happen in some instances, but I am coming to realize that is often not the case at all. If you consider yourself a follower of Christ, we are called to be generous. Our money and our resources are not really ours, but God’s. Money is to be used for His work and is not to be what we are placing our sole trust and hope in. When we give to something other than our own desires, it helps us grow closer to Christ as we realize that he is the only one who satisfies us, in ways that money never can.
I understand God leads people to give and be a part of his work in different ways. Perhaps donating in support of my going on the World Race is not something you feel God’s leading to do. If you don’t feel like it is, then please don’t donate to my trip! The last thing I want is for people who give in support of my trip to feel like they had to or that I would think less of them for not doing so. If your motive in giving is obligation or looking good to others, I think you need to ask God to change your heart. I don’t want your money if your intention in giving it is not honoring to the Lord. I challenge you to ask God if you are being obedient through the act of generosity, and I pray you may be blessed through being obedient to God, whether that means giving to my trip or giving to something completely unrelated. And I truly encourage your giving, even if it is not to my trip. There are so many worthy, God-honoring things you can be a part of through your finances!
All of that being said, this blog was really not written with the intention of securing more donations, but as uncomfortable as it is, money is currently a huge part of my journey, so it’s something that has obviously been on my mind a lot. God has been teaching me patience through all of this, and I’ve already been overwhelmed by His goodness to me. I can’t even begin to imagine how much more I will see of His faithfulness and provision while I am actually on the World Race!!
Since this blog is all about fundraising, I do want to provide information on how you can donate since I know I have not given this information to everyone. But remember, I don’t want your money if it’s out of obligation, but I do want you to question and ask God about your role in helping me with this journey. Options are as follows:
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Donate online by clicking the “Donate” link at the top of my blog or on the side panel.
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Mail a check made out to “Adventures in Missions” with “Jessica Akland” in the memo line to the following address:
Adventures in Missions
PO Box 742570
Atlanta, GA 30374-2570
**You are technically supposed to mail in a Fundraising ID card along with your check. I can’t seem to attach a PDF to my blog for you to print, so it may be easier to donate online or contact me so I can give you or email you a card. If you send in your check without this, be SURE that my name is on the check or they will have no way of knowing where the funds are supposed to go.
- Donate to me directly (if you don’t care about the tax deduction)
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I will have other costs, such as gear for the Race (tent, sleeping gear, backpack, etc.), vaccinations, and spending money while on the Race, so please contact me directly if you would like to give towards some of those expenses.
A very big thank you to all of you who have already donated towards my trip! For those of you who know that you will be donating, please consider making that donation now or within the next month or two rather than in November or December. There are certain fundraising deadlines I need to meet, and it is a huge help to have a general idea of how much more I need to raise!
