I’M GOING TO LAUNCH!!! Thank you so much to everyone who has helped me reach my 2nd fundraising goal!
After I returned home from training camp, I hit a very low spot. I had about $5,000 to raise in less than four weeks and it seemed impossible. I doubted if I was even supposed to go on this trip and was frankly upset with God. In my journal I wrote out Psalms like “How long, O LORD? Will you hide yourself forever? Lord, where is your steadfast love of old?” (Psalm 89:46, 49). I was despairing over an imagined reality (me not reaching my fundraising goal) that hadn’t even happened. I realized that I had no reason to not trust God because He hasn’t left me. I decided to trust Him: if I was supposed to do the World Race, He would provide somehow. “But for you, O Lord, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer” (Psalm 38:15). Every day was a battle, mostly a battle to trust God. I could almost hear Him saying “I have some amazing things in store for you, Zach. Will you trust me?”
I somehow fit all of this…
into 2 backpacks. What would you pack for 11 months if you only had 2 backpacks?
Over the next weeks I prayed – many times – over fundraising, that God would blow my expectations away and that He would bless my efforts: “I trust you Jesus; I have faith in you even when I can’t see you acting or preparing hearts to be generous. Please come to my rescue – open up your flood gates of blessings.” (On a side note, why would God, if He exists, bother to listen to our prayers? ‘If He is all-wise, doesn’t He already know what is best? If He is all-good, won’t He do it whether we pray or not?’ C.S. Lewis provides a good discussion on this topic here). And somehow He did it!
Quick story:
Several Sundays ago I spent the afternoon selling water bottles off hole #13 at the Memorial Golf Tournament. When I first arrived, there were three young boys already there selling not only water but Gatorade and Arnold Palmers also. I briefly chatted with one of the boys and then went to sit on my cooler and hold my sign: “Water $1 for 11 mo. Mission Trip.” Ten minutes later, before I even sold a single bottle, the same boy came up to me and said that he and his friends wanted to give me all of the money they’d raised so far that afternoon. What?! I couldn’t believe it, but thanked them and told them a little more about the World Race (I was struck by the first question they asked: ‘Will you be gone for Christmas?’).
The rest of the day went exceedingly well and I learned something too: God works in incredible ways when we take a risk for Him. I am intrinsically uncomfortable putting myself out there and selling water at a golf tournament, but I wanted to raise some money and get the word out about my trip, so I went for it. And somehow God put it on the boys’ hearts to give all of their money to the trip. This was immeasurably more than I imagined possible (Ephesians 3:20) and I believe a gift from above (James 1:17).
Where I’m at:
I arrived in Atlanta Sunday for some final training and I depart for Albania on July 1. How am I feeling? So many different emotions, but over everything I am at peace – confident this is where I’m supposed to be for the next year.
My brother dropped us off at the airport at 5 am
My mom and dad sent me off in Atlanta
Thank you so much for all of the support you’ve been sending my way – it means so much to have your thoughts and prayers with me as I go.
WOOHOO!!
