During our first month in Eastern Europe I kept asking the Lord to provide and I kept fundraising. When I would get a hold of people they would tell me no and wished me the best of luck. I was reading Joshua that month and a verse was being repeated in my head. “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Reminded me something the Lord told the Israelites, “The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still.” These words I was longing to hear cause I was getting discouraged. I had no idea (other than relying fully on the Lord) how I was going to get fully funded. I had an opportunity to talk with a youth pastor back home named Jon Shaw. Telling him how life has been and he gave me encouragement that I needed to hear. Crazy thing is a few days after that conversation I check my account and got another $1,000 anonymous donation! What in the world is happening here!!! I was now about $3,500 away from being fully funded and the deadline as March 1st. That was my goal. Kosovo was over and month 7 was starting. On March 1st I get an email from world race office it said…
Hi Ryan!!
I work in the Donor Relations department here at Adventures in Missions and wanted to give you some good news 🙂 We had an anonymous donor call today that is wanting to fully fund you for your World Race– they are going to donate $1000 today and $2000 for the next couple of months. They asked to remain anonymous, but also wanted me to let you know that you have all of your support pledged!! Congrats!!! Have a good day!!
Let that email sink in after all I went through for fundraising. What a great thing! It was exciting but then yet hard at the same time. Hard being I had a difficult time accepting this huge gift. How could a single person who does not know me do this? I felt I did not deserve this, I felt I had to earn it or work for it. This was not working for it. Then it hit me “Johnson, what are you doing? The Lord fully funded you to keep doing what you are doing cause you asked him to. He always keeps his word.”
With all that I went through to be fully funded, the Lord knew what he was doing the entire time. To give God glory I decided to look how much I got in anonymous donations. Little more than half my trip was from anonymous people! When the Lord calls you to something and to you if feels impossible, remember that the Lord is with you and will provide everything. So, put everything you got in the Lord cause who knows where it will take you! I want to thank everyone who has partnered with me financially been on my prayer team or just prayed for me. I am ever so grateful for all you have done for me & the Lord.
