Sometimes support raising can be a daunting, looming cloud of $14,800 that hovers over your entire daily existence. Other times, support raising is absurd and just plain hilarious. This past Saturday was a prime example of the latter.
It began with a carefully devised plan to show up to a swim meet (for the team from the pool I work at) and sell Threads of Hope bracelets. It was simple enough, minus the predicament that this was an away meet and it was unlikely that anyone would recognize me or naturally welcome me with open arms. I decided to go anyway, dressed in the attitude that regardless of whether or not they kicked me out, it was at least worth a shot.
So my sister, Colleen, and I roll up to this place pushing an old TV stand & two lawn chairs down the sidewalk looking for a place to make settlement and make some bank. On the way down the main road, the TV stand started rolling out of control and crashed in a crack causing all my supplies on the cart to crash on the sidewalk. Colleen and I thought it was hilarious, while the man casually strolling his children down the sidewalk behind us certainly did not.
After gathering up my support raising supplies off the sidewalk, we got inside, and set up in a great location. At first, a peeved swim-mom was having thoughts about shutting us down, but eventually she just plain forgot about us and I was more than okay with being forgotten. Soon enough, little swimmer after little swimmer came to over and bought the bracelets. I have to give a shout out to the Ninja Swimmer Girl, who leapt out of the bushes, clad in a towel cape and swim cap. She bought a bunch of bracelets and came back numerous times, bringing more & more friends each time. I should probably take her on staff as my field rep or marketing coordinator.
All in all, we sold 113 bracelets at $2 each in 2 hours! $113 will go to the women who have worked to make these bracelets and $113 dollars and the additional $33 donated toward my Race makes for $146 to my account. Not bad for sitting around a TV stand at a random pool on a Saturday morning. Plus, we made out with free nachos in the end. You can’t tell me that doesn’t define success.
But wait, our support raising wasn’t over quite yet, even though we thought it was. Colleen & I packed up and headed up to the pool at her apartment complex to relax for the rest of the afternoon. We arrived to discover that there was a community party going on at the pool. At some point while we were lying around getting our tan on, a woman announces that there will be a $100 coin dive. She proceeds to chuck all sorts of nickels, quarters, and dimes into the pool. My sister and I met eyes, knowing this was our moment: we were going to dive to the depths of 3 ½ feet, and gather every last coin for the glory of Jesus. When the time came for people aged 14 years and older to enter, we went at it and we probably looked ridiculous. It was obvious the other 30 some people in the pool didn’t care that much, likely because they weren’t trying to gather every last coin for the World Race. But we were on a mission and came out with $24 in coins, nearly 25% of all the money that was in the pool. For two people without goggles, I have to admit I was pretty impressed at our work.
$170 is only a small dent, but times like this prove that support raising can truly be hilarious, ridiculous, and unexpected in the best ways possible. In the end, "money ain't no thang" to God, so it's worth it to enjoy the process, count everything for what it is worth, and believe Him for the need.
Currently, I need $2601.85 to reach reach my next goal ($6000 in my account by August 18th), so if you would like to partner with me for what God is already doing (read here or here) and is yet to do, you can send checks "For Sarah Graley" to:
Adventures In Missions
P.O. Box 534470
Atlanta, GA 30353-4470
or, if it is more convenient for you, you can give online here.
Also, I'll have just under 1000 Threads of Hope bracelets left, so if you would like a few, let me know!
