Sometimes I think that God must wonder why it must take so long for me to get it. He is in control. This is something that I have really struggled with when it has come to our finances. As I have shared in the past, we originally set out to do this trip on our own. We really didn't want to ask for money, so we were in the process of putting our marriage, families, and time at church on the back burner to make this trip happen. Well, God had other plans for us.
The funny part of it is, I don't think we could do this if we had not asked for financial support. And I am not just talking about the money that we received. I am talking mentally and emotionally, I don't know that we could have handled it all. It has been more of a blessing than I could have ever imagined to raise money for this trip. Had you told me that a year ago I would have thought you were crazy, but it is the absolute truth. The interesting thing about this whole thing is that people financially backing you not only means that you have more money, but it means you have somebody that has investing in you. They have an interest in what you are doing, they care about you, and they will be praying for you.
Over the last several months Michael and I have learned about what an amazing church family we have. Unless you have felt the love that we have felt, I don't think you can even comprehend what it is like to be fully embraced by a group of 200+ people. To feel fully loved and supported by these people. To know that you have a community that is invested in you and is willing to do whatever it takes to make this happen. I mean, seriously, who has somebody ask if it is okay to hold not just 1, but 8 fundraisers for you. And not only that, you don't even need to be present for 6 of them. Why would they do this? Just because they want us to “feel loved and supported” while we are gone, and to know that people are thinking of us. Who has somebody turn their big event into our event, giving us an opportunity to be known by people that we otherwise would never meet? And not only that, but not even make back the money they invested into it solely because they were more interested in making sure we had a good payday than covering expenses! How many people can say that they were given an entire month to get up and tell about our trip and ask for donations at the church? Who else has the opportunity to go into the deacon board meeting every month and watch them as the try to figure out what more they can do for us and providing ideas for other fundraisers?
I am glad that our original plan of paying for this on our own failed. We have been blessed in the strangest circumstances by unexpected people. We have been shown love by people that we never would have guessed, some of whom we didn't even know their name when they offered to help. And in all of it we have seen God's hand at work in our lives showing us that this really is what He wants for us.
When we set out to raise funds we though we might get a couple thousand dollars and then we would do our best to come up with the rest. I am amazed to say that we have currently been given $16,825. We are not yet fully funded, and we remain unsure what our expenses will be at home while we are gone, but I know now, more than ever, that we are loved, we are supported, and God is behind us.
So for those of you who think the idea of fundraising sounds awful, think again. Only God knows what blessings He will give you through it. And I know that the love we have felt will carry us through the toughest times of our preparation as well as our trip.
Thank you to all that have loved us and supported us so far, and we look forward to seeing what else God has in store.
