As some of you have read in my last blog, my teammate, Maya, and I had the pleasure of meeting and befriending Pastor Mulenga Chella. We had the opportunity to hear his story and share it with all of you. We had the opportunity to stand inside the framework of the church that he planted in mid-March of this year and pray over it. We were moved by his vision and our hearts were stirred by his dreams.
So we decided to help. Maya sent in the application for our crowdfunding platform soon after we made the decision to be a part of Mulenga’s fundraising team. A few days ago, it was accepted and the campaign went live yesterday.
Our end goal is $18,975.
That number is huge. It’s bigger than me. It’s bigger than anything I have control over. It’s bigger than my best effort to fundraise every last penny of it. That number sends a rush of anxiety through me.
However, I know that number does not get the power to run my life. It doesn’t get the power to pull me under. Just like the number $13,805 didn’t get the power to drown me back in February of 2016, when I started fundraising for this trip over a year ago. The Lord provided. He put at my feet every last bit of it.
And I believe that He will do the same for this church. He will do the same for the pastor with the incredible story. He will do the same for the physically hungry children of the slums down the road and the spiritually hungry men in the prison that is visited by the church every Monday. He may give it all to us now or He may wait to use other vessels later on.
But I believe with every fiber of my being that the squad that is a part of this fundraiser are the vessels chosen to raise money for these people right now.
Why should you donate?
- These people are a part of the body and a part of your family. By donating to the construction of this church, you’re contributing to a building that will serve as a safe place and a holy ground for the families in the slums of Lusaka. Your blessing is being put in this church, a church the Lord is using to bring His Spirit to these families and children, who will in turn, be able to raise up their own families in the Word later on. You can help start a life-changing chain reaction in this city.
- When I was fundraising, my pride got in the way of me asking for money. I was embarrassed to ask for “help”. At training camp, during our fundraising session, the speaker looked at us and said, “The Lord has chosen every single person in the body of Christ to be a part of building the Kingdom. He chose you to come on this trip. There are people in this world that don’t have the opportunity you have to uproot their lives and move overseas to witness to the people on the other side of the planet, but they are still people who have a calling to build the Kingdom. Some of these people have been financially blessed and the way the Lord calls them to build the Kingdom is to support people like you.” Some of you reading this are people who have a calling on your life to support the Kingdom by donations. Many of you have supported me in this way. Some of you have been waiting for another opportunity to give to the Kingdom builders on the mission field. If this is you, Christ Life Church could be an answer to a prayer. Mulenga Chella and the people of Lusaka are the Kingdom builders of Zambia.
- Christ Life Church does prison ministry once a week in the area. By donating to the church, you’re helping grow this ministry, reaching more prisoners with gospel of Christ. Maybe the Lord has placed a passion for prison ministry in your heart. By supporting Christ Life Church, you can be a part of the story the Lord is writing and the work He’s doing in Lusaka prisons.
I will continue to post updates on the fundraising status and as they come, I ask you to please be in prayer about this opportunity to help bring life and light to this part of Lusaka. This church has a mighty faith and the Lord dwells in this place. If you are not able to donate financially, I urge you to be in prayer for the Lord to send people who are able. To put the right post in the right line of vision. To soften the hearts of future donors and move in them, reminding them of their passions and their calling to be givers. You can also help by sharing this campaign on Facebook and Instagram as well. I’ve included some links below that may be helpful when assembling posts.
What is Christ Life Church’s website? http://www.christlifechurchzambia.com/
What is the Facebook page for the campaign? https://www.facebook.com/Christ-Life-Church-Fundraiser-1520891324608645/?notif_t=page_fan¬if_id=1496431834815006
Who is Gap J? https://www.worldrace.org/?tab=participants&group=16G1002
Who is your storyteller? http://mayakuipers.theworldrace.org/
Where can I see Pastor Mulenga’s testimony? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYzUXgTKKFY
Where can I donate to the church? http://give.adventures.org/campaign.asp?campaignid=4123
Where is the money going?
1. Electrical Fixtures – $3,000
2. Windows – $2,500
3. 2 large Doors and Window Frames – $1,500
4. Toilets – $3,100
5. Children’s Play park – $6,000
6. Paintwork – $2,500
A major thank you to every one of you that has supported me both financially and prayerfully steadily throughout this journey. I am so grateful to have each of you in my corner.
Cheers to month nine and God’s provision in this place!!
Love,
Lauren
