Final Thoughts on Fundraising

I was going to be so good and write every month at least! Ha! Three months later….. Summer was crazy, as I’m sure is the case for most people. I just honestly couldn’t be bothered to slow down and write more than a very short update email maybe twice in those summer months. 

I was though going to write about the garage sale my parents did as a fundraiser for me, and how really amazing that was. Like for example these neighbors I met for the first time, that bought our canoe from us, and the total God moment that inspired when they found out all the money made from the garage sale was going to getting me to Ireland. 

Or I was going to write about….. I can't even remember, but I'm sure it was going to be profound! That's what I get for not blogging. 

I didn’t even bother to write about actually making 100% with both my one time and also with my monthly. (Kind of a big deal!) The really amazing part with that was my deadline for reaching 100% with my monthly was August 1st. I was like at 98%… not there, but close enough that I wasn’t worried about not being able to leave the 1st of September. I happened to be talking to my brother the evening of the 1st, and he asked where I was support wise, I told him I was about $40 a month from reaching my goal. He immediately responded that he could do that. 100% on the 1st!! Someone once encouraged me with “God loves a cliff hanger”. Seriously, it’s true. 

The past 3 months I think have been my favorite months of the support raising journey. The first month, June, was working through why God had not opened the door for me to go to Ireland by June 1. Then figuring out what I was supposed to be doing for the summer. And struggling with would I even make the new support deadline in 3 months! But the end of June, beginning of July I’d really gotten in the swing of support raising, close enough that it was easier to tell (/ask) people “Just 8 people at $100/month!” then “just 8 people at $50/month!” 

About the beginning of June, I started officially transitioning out of my church's youth group that I had been heavily involved in for the past 3 years. Strangely during those months of weaning off of youth ministry I got totally sucked into volunteering at Manna House (a soup kitchen/ clothing closet/ who knows what else) and into rowing! I also learned how to swing dance! 

Confession, by the middle of July when I started closing in on my deadline, I started freaking out a little about what if I didn’t want to actually go?! What was so wrong with staying in Huntsville? Living a normal life…. Then just as strangely as that was; by the middle of August, I was totally ready to go! Had checked out, mentally. Packing my room, I thought I’d get super emotional and sentimental. I was so excited!! I’ve seen all 4 of my siblings leave. Every fall, all these college freshman leave…. Finally it’s my turn to leave!! Through the whole crazy month of August of wrapping things up, talking to the bank, talking to the insurance, getting a will and a POA, going to the doctor’s, getting a new laptop and figuring out my phone situation, I was never once stressed! Someone explained to me that was called peace. As soon as she said that I realized that was exactly what it was! I can’t really explain it, this peace that surpasses all understanding just engulfing me! Knowing this was exactly where God wanted me, doing exactly what He wanted me to be doing. With that came such joy!! I was probably the most annoying person to be around that last month. Beaming like an idiot! Almost literally almost bouncing off the walls! 

Final reflection on support raising. Even though my goal was to reach 100% by the 1st of May, and I did all that I could, and still didn't  make it. With that came confusion. But then when I did make it, it was very obvious that it was God’s timing, and His timing is perfect! His plans are not mans plans, His ways, not mans ways…. 

Hidden Blessings

I think I've written about this before, hidden blessings. Sometimes I'm a slow learner, or sometimes I just need to learn something multiple times. What I'm learning (slowly apparently) is that the more desperate I am for God, the more I need Him, so the more I look for Him.... And the more I find Him. So... just maybe coming to that place where we "need" God, isn't a bad thing. I just make it out to be, because it hurts the pride a bit that I might have had to come to the end of myself.... "We are built for the valley, for the ordinary stuff we are in, and that is where we have to prove our mettle." -Oswald Chambers

Rambling!!

When all I was going to do was share 2 experiences from today of hidden blessings.

I called a local non-denominational church this afternoon, to find out about their partnering with me as I go to Ireland. In about a 30 second conversation the receptionist was able to establish that I was not a member of their church and thus was able to tell me that they only supported members going to the mission field. Hanging up, the first thought was "Thank you for not wasting any more of my time or hope". (One more church to check of the list!) Second thought... "seriously though, I'd really like to get the field, how is that going to happen?!". There's another church that I've been trying to get a hold of for the past 3 weeks. To no avail. Almost scratched them off the list, (how many times do I have to call and leave a message before someone either answers or calls back??). But in a moment of desperation I totally pulled a Gideon's Fleece. Which I know you're really not supposed to do.... Almost in tears, I said a very off handed prayer "if You want me in Ireland this fall, they're actually going to answer the phone this time". Dialed. 3 rings and a "hello, this is Blank church." Speechless. It literately took me several seconds to collect my thoughts and say "hi! This is...".

Ok, God!! Ireland in the fall is it??

Naturally, I didn't pray in that off handed prayer that this church would not only answer their phone, but that they would partner with me... So as excited as I am that I actually talked to someone, they may never get in touch with me. The point for me is God's (re)confirmation that He wants me in Ireland. Regardless of how it happens, I just need to trust Him.

The second little thing that happened was getting a random call to babysit Friday night. Those of you that know me, probably wonder why this is a big deal, because I'm "always" babysitting. The big deal for me was the who it was and the timing. Just when I had again flippantly prayed that God would provide me with some form of work for this summer. The who was someone I'd babysat for once last summer. I see them every now and then, and just presumed that they didn't like me..... I'm just humbled by how the God that cares for even the sparrows, cares about me, and my petty problems of work.... (Matthew 10.29-31)

See? Hidden blessings. But I have to be at that point when I'm desperate, to be looking for them. Why is that?? 

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for it's leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit. -Jeremiah 17.7-8

Contra Fundraiser

I have to say, I have never really been a fan of fundraisers. Do you actually make enough of a profit from them to justify the work gone into doing it?? (Me being cynical). So when Serge told not to do one till I was "desperate", I was relieved. Presuming I'd get all support raised really fast, and there'd be no reason to do a fundraiser. Right. That didn't happen and Serge told me it was time to do a fundraiser. Well.... I'm not really sure how the idea came about, (if it was my idea or someones else's), I just ran with it! I decided to do a Contra Dancing fundraiser. I've contra danced for almost 10 years and even organized a dance for my church youth group, (so I guess I felt like this was something I could do, that was actually within my comfort zone!) The youth group at my church had talked about doing another contra dance, since it'd been such a big hit. I decided to ask if we couldn't kill two birds with one stone, and asked the youth leaders if the youth group would host a "let's help Jes get to Ireland dance!", opened to the whole church, (child care provided), they surprisingly loved the idea!

As I stated so bluntly at the beginning of this, I wasn't a fan of fundraisers. I've been invited to swing dance fundraisers in the past. For people I don't know. And I'm always like... "I don't know you, I don't really like swing dancing (i.e. don't know how) and it's for some third world country...." and never gone. So I was very surprised and humbled by how many people came to this dance that I didn't know. It was such an encouraging time to see how many people came, excited about sending me to Ireland!!

Looking back over the past couple of months of support raising, there are some things I would have done differently. (Actually, I think I would have done just about everything differently). One of them being, I would have done a fundraiser back in January or March, just to let more people know sooner, and get them excited about what I'm doing. Serge, discouraged it because I really need monthly support, and fundraisers are really only good the one time support. Agreed. But, they let that many more people know. So like I said, I would have done one earlier in the support raising journey and then done another one closer to the deadline. All this to say, thank you to everyone that came, it seriously meant the world to me!! And if I ever get invited to another swing dance fundraiser, I'm most definitely going!

REJOICE!!

I started this train of thought back in March. I was at Barnes & Noble, enjoying some hot coffee and reading the "Peace Maker", by Ken Sande, and a commentary on 1 Samuel, by Dale Ralf Davis. I was having a hard time reading "Peace Maker", because it didn't seem applicable to me, and surprisingly compared to the commentary on 1 Sam., it was was dry. But it was required reading for Serge. One of those books that may not be applicable now, but would be good to have just in the back of the brain for a "some day". So there I was reading it when this train of thought it me... that had really nothing to do with "peace making".

REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS; AGAIN I WILL SAY, REJOICE. (Philippians 4.4-9) 

Why don't we rejoice? Why aren't we happy? Why do we have to "paint" a smile on it? If we're Christians; we have a future and a hope. And yet Paul has to tell us through all of the book of Philippians to rejoice.... In verse 4 Paul says rejoice. ALWAYS. Always. Even when I don't want to? Even when I'm hurting or confused? Even when I'm stressed? Or broke?

ABSOLUTELY!!

I can't help but wonder... if we're burying ourselves in the Word, maybe we will rejoice. Always. And maybe even somewhere in the middle we'll discover that the negative we thought was eating us up, is no more. Maybe.

Mind you I wrote this back in March. The big struggle for me in March was to rejoice through the process of raising support. Stressed with the unknowns of whether or not I was going to be leaving in June or in September (or NEXT summer)!! The unknowns with what doors I needed to be knocking on, to get to the field by June.....

Almost 2 months later.... Some of those unknowns are "known's". I am not leaving in June. I only reached 65% of my support by my beginning of May deadline. Sadly the excitement of reaching 65% was lost on not making the deadline. My departure date has been bumped to September, if I can get 100% of my support by the beginning of August.

I have to confess, I did not rejoice when all this came about a week ago. In fact, I felt God had done me wrong. Even though I know that's impossible. Wasn't He the one that called me to go to Ireland? Wasn't He the one that was making me walk this path?? Why in the world wouldn't He bring in the support?? Unless of course there's something here I still need to be here for... Like for example, learning His timing, not mine... Weird. A week or so later, I'm ok with the new deadline. Thinking big picture picture: there's a bigger picture happening right now. And it's not time for me to go over there yet... That peace of God that Paul talks about in Phil 4.7, (...and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.) I have some of that happening! I'm excited about having 3 more months to raise support! For the first time since December I feel like I can breath, (which I didn't even know I wasn't doing!). I have roughly 35% more monthly support to raise, so that's roughly about 10% a month more to raise. As I rejoice now, I pray that someday my first response to disappointment will be rejoicing, not hurt and anger.

Surprise Blessings

This past Sunday, I was blessed to share at a little Presbyterian church in Madison AL. Now, I've visited quite a few churches, many of them small. But this was the first one that I really felt the expression "welcomed me with open arms!" fits. I don't know, maybe it was because of the missionary thing and you're supposed to be nice to the missionary. Regardless, I left feeling like I was half a member already! Such a blessing to hear them tell me they'd be praying for me and to know that they would be.

Just a couple days after this beautiful experience, I was in need of a God moment again. (Because I have spiritual amnesia, and need God moments...)  I'd read in an email from my team leader, Tom, that his son was in Huntsville for spring break, and he wanted us to meet, (he's at school in Virginia, but his grandparents live here in Huntsville, random?). Seriously though, what college student would want to meet some random person that they have no connection too, on their break non-the-less?? Wednesday, (when I'd come to the end of myself again), I get a random text from this guy. So naturally I met up with him and his cousin (whom I had been told by several people I needed to meet, that also lives here in Huntsville). It's all so random... or is it?? It's in little moments like this I know that God does care and is a personal God. "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." -Matt 10:29-31

"How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God." Psalm 84:1-2

Halfway out the Door

Halfway out the door!! Half way to Ireland!!! That's how I feel anyway. I'm not half way with my support, but if I just get 30 more people to pledge $100 monthly or 60 people to pledge $50 monthly I'll make it!!! As I only have 2 months left to have 100% pledged by, to make it to Ireland by June, I'm excited to see how God's going to work and bring the money in, or not.... Because the timing of my getting to Ireland is completely God's.

This past Sunday, I had to have a 15 year old remind me that money is no object to God. I knew that, but someone telling me that....(especially coming from one of the high school girls I mentor!) I needed that reminder. It was surprisingly very encouraging to hear. Something that we put such a high value on, has no effect on God. He knows that we "need" it... He also knows that we need Him more... so?? Which will it be? Trust Him and let Him do His thing in your life or let something else control your life?? Personally I'm all about tying the suspenders of my life to His car and letting Him take me where He will, whatever that may look like. Or taking the baton of this life that was handed me by the people that got me to this place and running the race set before me....

My thoughts are rambling because I have such a confidence in God!! I'm so excited. See? Halfway out the door. My thoughts and heart are big picture, let's go to Ireland!!! But wait... I'm still in Huntsville, AL. I'm still part of a church, part of a family.... How do I continue to be in community with people that I'm about to say good-bye to?? Is it really important that I be connected to them when I've been called to serve overseas and they've been called to serve their family's in Huntsville? YES!!! Especially for me, because this connected thing and being in community is new... so I'm not good at it. How in the world do I expect to be able to connect with people in Ireland, or just be in community anywhere else if I don't even know how, or what that looks like...?? If I'm not doing it right now.

The phrase "Already and not Yet" comes to mind. This is typically used in regards to Christ coming again, the age with which we live in. I so feel like that is where I am, just on a smaller scale. Knowing that God has redeemed me, called me by names, knows me.... and is calling me to serve Him in Ireland. But not yet. Still being here, and being here fully. So, putting myself aside, and listening with both ears as people talk about problems I can't relate to, (don't care about). I guess it's all part of loving The Church, the Bride of Christ, regardless of where it is.

Thanks for letting me ramble!! :)  

Why Ireland?

A country where 98% of the people in North Ireland are Protestant and 90% of the people in The Republic are 90% Catholic... It seems like they've got "religion" down! ....Yet less than 1% are evangelic Christians. Making Ireland the smallest percentage of evangelic Christians of any English speaking nation. Which actually means that they are an unreached people group.How can a country that has "religion" down so well have such a small percentage of Christians? The disconnect comes in with the difference between "religion" and "faith". Just going to church Sunday, checking the box, and actually having a personal relationship with Jesus.

For example, I live in the Bible Belt. I'm not sure of the percentage, but probably the vast majority of us are at church Sunday, but how many of us are just checking that box and how many of us actually know Jesus personally??

This is all just a product of years of religious and political wars. (And when I say "years", I mean centuries!) So, what does ministry look like in a country that already has all the answers? Relationships. Everything is relationship driven. Discipling and evangelism; all relational. This is a long and slow process of just living your life with them, meeting them where they are.