“I want to tell you a story. I spent an hour telling her that I, like her, didn’t know where the money would come from. I didn’t know what else I could do to get fully funded. I was $1779 away from being fully funded, living 12 hours in the future of the people who I’ve counted on to support me and let me continue to live in the mission field. “
I wrote this as the first part of an email that I sent to the people who I owe much to: the ones who prayed, gave financial support, and the one’s encouragement kept me on the mission field. They were the emails I got after the earthquake, and the myriad of posts on Facebook asking if I was okay after the 7.3 earthquake in Nepal. They were the ones concerned about me in a moment where the eyes of the world were on a country, and their concern was about my squad and me. The rest of the letter included a final plea, if you will, to meet my deadline. Every step along the way, I’ve met every deadline I had with time to spare. Sometimes, just a few days before the deadline, some times a week before, but before the date on the paperwork that I signed and agreed to before I started the process of fundraising. And I was trusting God to finish what He started, and let me reach my last deadline with time to spare.
I remember starting the fundraising process, looking at my account at the beginning of the process and begging God to just let someone donate the rest that I needed. I didn’t want to fundraise; I really didn’t want to ask people for financial support. The truth of it was this: I didn’t want to have to trust God to give me money. I didn’t want to have to ask my friends to give me the money they earned so I could go on the Race. I didn’t want to have to trust Him to be one of his names: Provider.
But fundraising for the race has taught me more about Jesus than I ever dreamed it would. Fundraising taught me arguably more than any other experience of my life. Asking my friends, family, and basically anyone I could if they would consider giving me their hard earned dollars was one of the most humbling things I have ever done.
It taught me to see people where they were; it taught me that some people will give you something more than money can buy. It also taught me fundraising invited people into my story; it invited them into the mess I call my life. It invited them to the beautiful parts of the world race, but it also invited them into the messy parts. Everyone who is reading this has somehow, someway, became a part of my story. Fundraising invited people into an area of my life that I struggled to give to God: finances. Asking people for their money made me question how I used my own.
I use the word “was” humbly because I might have to fundraise again; I might have to ask people to support more time on the mission field in the future. But TODAY, I get to tell you news that I have waited over a year to tell you:
I AM FULLY FUNDED.
Done. Complete. My bar across the top of my blog is finally at 100% BECAUSE OF YOU.
Because of your prayers, your love, your support, and your sacrificial giving.
Because of you, I am going into month 7 in full confidence that I will finish the Race.
Because of you, I am praising God for the process of fundraising.
Because of you, I am SO incredibly thankful for you.
Because of you, I no longer need financial support to finish this journey.
If you want to continue to give financially, I have a few teammates who are still short of our July 1st deadline:
Click the links that are attached to their names to visit their blogs to give to them!
Jenn Cashman http://www.jenncashman.theworldrace.org ($3133 away from being fully funded)
Emily Trudell http://www.emilytrudell.theworldrace.org ($2008 away from being fully funded)
Naz Hagos http://www.nazhagos.theworldrace.org (Naz is actually a good friend of mine who is on a different squad; she’s been a lifeline to me this year! She is $3400 away from being fully funded.)
I would love to see your giving shift instead of stop and invite you to be a part of the stories that God is writing in my teammates.
More than anything, I am incredibly humbled and thankful that Jesus brought each of you into my story. Thank you for your love; I am incredibly thankful for each of you.
Until He Comes,
Kristy
