It was Friday, September 27th, and my first deadline approached. My fundraising account read $1,995 and my deadline required $1,505 more. I was heartbroken.
Earlier that week I had e-mailed my squad mobilizer telling her my support-raising wasn’t going so well, and we arranged to talk on the phone Monday the 30th to discuss my options.
Friends who had done support-raising in the past had told me God would provide in crazy ways, and I was praying He would, but when I checked my account that morning, afternoon, evening, and night I began to ask Him questions. Why had he not provided? Was I not supposed to go? I was so sure God had called me to go on the Race… had He changed His mind? Maybe He had just decided to switch the schedule around a little bit and wanted me to leave with the next routes… but that was… July?!?!?! Leaving in January just seemed to work out so perfectly, because I had insurance until December, two jobs until December, a place to live until December… What was I going to do until July???
As I sat on the couch pondering these questions and talking to my roommate, she began singing to me. “Ohhh, you’re halfway there. Ohhhh, living on a prayer! This is Jesus talking to you,” she said, “Take my hand, we’ll make it, I swear, ohhh, living on a prayer!” (Yeah, my roommate is pretty cool). She made me laugh and for a few seconds on that couch I had a little bit of hope restored.
The next day I was visiting my mom, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the World Race. I sat on her bed with my computer on my lap, typing up ideas and messaging people, asking for prayer and trying to do all the support-raising work I felt like I had completely failed at doing during the previous six months. I felt comforted in knowing that my squad was praying for me, and although some people were completely confident that God would provide, I had a hard time believing. But my mom likes to have the radio on all day –it keeps her company– and that morning on Saturday as I sat on her bed, a familiar song came on: “Ohhh, you’re halfway there. Ohhhh, living on a prayer! Take my hand and we’ll make it I swear; ohhh, living on a prayer!” I started laughing, closed my computer shut and in that moment I knew God was going to somehow make those additional $1,505 appear in my account.
Monday morning rolled around and my account was still at $1,995. I had been praying about switching to a July route the entire weekend, but still didn’t know what God wanted me to do. I knew for sure He was calling me to go on the Race, but He hadn’t really specified when He wanted me to leave. I had been looking at the July routes online and even found one that looked appealing enough to switch to if I had to. However, as soon as I started becoming more comfortable with the idea of leaving in July, my mind immediately started to plan, almost month-to-month,what I was going to be doing during those first six months of 2014. But God called me out: “Why do you always have to have a plan? Can’t you just trust Me? Can’t you just trust in MY plan?” I realized I had to be okay with God changing my plans, because my life was not about my plans but about His. I had to be okay with saying YES to God even if that meant uncertainty for me –because in His eyes everything was planned anyway, and I didn’t have to worry.
So Monday afternoon I called my mobilizer and talked about my options. She said I absolutely had to have the $3,500 in by October 11th (the day before Training Camp) in order to be able to attend Training Camp. My heart sunk when I remembered I had already paid $500 for my plane ticket and had asked for work off way in advance so that I could actually go to Training Camp, but my roommate reminded me that even if I didn’t make my deadline by October 11th I could use that ticket to take a short vacation to Tennessee and Georgia for a week. Besides, leaving in July would give me enough time to keep working and save up again.
I went to bed that night with a sense of peace. Deep down I knew God would provide before Training Camp, but I also knew that there were unknown adventures ahead if I had to switch to a July route. Tuesday morning, October 1st, my alarm went off at 7:30am, and as I lay in bed sleepily scrolling through Instagram to wake myself up a little, I felt the urge to check my fundraising balance again.
I logged into my account and had to turn myself around to catch my breath when I saw it: $3,540. My balance read $3,540. I blinked. $3,540. I blinked twice and sat up to make sure this was actually real life: $3,540!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I jumped out of bed and realized that in my house of 11 girls chances were slim that somebody was actually awake before 8:00am. But in my excitement I wasn’t too quiet opening the door and my roommate opened an eye. I couldn’t contain my excitement and told her what had happened. She hugged me and exclaimed, “GOD LOVES YOU!!!!”
Turns out a number of online donations from the weekend had finished processing the same day, including a sizable anonymous donation. Yes, another one. To this day, I have four anonymous donations totaling a little over $1,500. I wish I could personally thank those four people, but their quiet selflessness is making my heart burst with love and awe. If any of you are reading this: THANK YOU, from the depths of my heart.
To everyone who has donated so far, totaling $3,582 as of October 28th: THANK YOU. Your contributions, whether big or small, are all enormous in my eyes and I hope you know how grateful I am to have your support.
Words cannot even express my gratitude. Thank you for believing in a greater mission, and for loving God’s people all over the world. Thank you for allowing me to go to Training Camp, thank you for not idolizing money and trusting God with what you have. Thank you for your loving sacrifice.
I am still in much need of financial support though. I have to have $7,500 by December 18th, and I am still about $4,000 away from that second deadline, so if you want to support me with a tax-deductible donation, please click the “Support Me” link at the top of this page, or send a check to Adventures In Missions, PO Box 742570, Atlanta GA 30374, with “Appealed by StewartRaquel” on the memo line (checks should be made out to Adventures In Missions as well).
Thank you, thank you, thank you a million times. GOD LOVES YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!! And He is lovingly gazing at you with arms wide open. Run to them 🙂
Much love and gratitude,
Raquel
