Hey everyone! A lot has happened since my last blog post and I wanted to give everyone an update. God has been so good. I’ve sent out roughly 150 support letters, I’ve almost completed my WRGY presentation, with the help of my little sister I have learned how to create a video for my missions and I have started on that, I’ve been partnering with Keys for the Journey in support of my mission which has been going well (and by the way there’s still 4 days left to support me by this by buying a key if you’d like – description on how to do this below), and many other good things. God has blessed me abundantly and I am so thankful. 

However, there has been this nagging thing on my conscience lately. Even after all the good God has done there has still been this sense of fear and doubt weighing me down. Before I actually started fundraising, I thought “$16,000.00 HA! No biggy. Gods got that completely. No worries.”, but then I let my human nature take over and I started worrying about this huge number I was going to have to raise to go on this trip. Its pretty big. I’ve gotten the word out. People know what I’m doing. I’ve sent roughly 150 letters asking for support and yet I’ve barely raised a thing. “What’s going on God?” 

Just the other day, my parents and I went to an Urban Promise fundraiser. It was a very nice dinner in an old building. We dinned in the ballroom and then went into a magnificent auditorium to watch a performance they had put together for us. After the presentation was the time where they asked for support. In a way it was like a bidding. Everyone had a paddle and you would raise it when he called out a suggested support amount; then there would be applause and thank you’s. (A pic of the paddle is at the bottom) This is where I found out the world actually has rich people and my mouth dropped. I was astonished. The support amount started at $15,000.00 and people actually gave at this amount. Then it went to &10,000.00, $5,000.00, $3,000.00, $1,000.00 and so on to lower numbers. It was amazing! Many people actually gave at those higher numbers and honestly I was thinking “Let me have some of this!” They raised $180,000.00 within minutes. MINUTES! “Do that for me please.” 

That’s what I though was going to happen for me. I though once I got out the word a bit God would provide and money would magically come streaming in, but it didn’t. I struggled with God about this and he spoke to me through a song written by Vertical Worship – Yes I Will. It goes like this: 

I count on one thing
The same God that never fails
Will not fail me now
You won’t fail me now
In the waiting
The same God who’s never late
Is working all things out
You’re working all things out
 
Yes I will, lift You high in the lowest valley
Yes I will, bless Your name
Oh, yes I will, sing for joy when my heart is heavy
All my days, oh yes I will
 
And I choose to praise
To glorify, glorify
The Name of all names
That nothing can stand against
And I choose to praise
To glorify, glorify
The Name of all names
That nothing can stand against
 
This basically sums it up. I count on one thing – my God – who never fails and is never late to work all things out. In his time, not my own. In his plan. It says in his word that his ways are higher than our ways and his thoughts higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). It says that he is working all things good for those who love him and trust in him, for those called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28). And so even when I am in the lowest valley, even when my heart is heavy, I will choose to say “Yes I Will”. I will choose to praise and glorify and bless the name above all names and whom nothing can stand against. 
 
He showed me if I got all that money instantly, I wouldn’t grow my faith and trust in him. I wouldn’t learn to rely on him completely. I know the Lord has given me a heart for missions. I know he has called me to love. I know that he has called me to the World Race and that he will raise that money when it needs to be raised. $16,000.00 may be a big number to me, but it’s nothing to God. I am thankful to know that Gods got it and that I don’t need to worry and that it doesn’t need to come fast – but I can rest on my God in the waiting. 
 
Thanks for caring to read, 
 
Alex/Paige 😀 
 
P.S. If you want to support me through Keys for the Journey – Go to the website – choose the key you want – and in the check out section it will ask ‘Whose journey would you like to support with your purchase?’ – click on my name – Alex Paige Henrickson – this fundraiser ends Oct 31 – Bracelets are coming soon – Thanks!