I am truly shocked as I am writing this post. In a little under a month after posting about my trip, I became FULLY FUNDED! Thank You Jesus! This is truly the biggest blessing; I do not even know what to say. To those of you who donated, thank you! Your generosity and graciousness have touched me greatly. To those of you who have supported or prayed for me, thank you! I know God hears every single prayer, and none of it is wasted. I have been blown away by the kindness of my friends and family as well as the goodness of God. His hand has been so evident through the entire process, and I am just in awe!
Right now, if I had to name one trait about God that He has caused me to become more aware of in the past month, it would be His faithfulness. I have seen God move in ways I did not expect and could not have imagined! But isn’t that just who He is? He is always up to something special, and He is working out all things for our good and His glory.
At the beginning of January, fundraising seemed like a daunting task. I viewed it as just another thing to do in order to go on the trip, and to be honest, I was DREADING it. It seemed like I was just asking people for money, and that did not sit right with me. However, as I was going through a devotion on the topic, I began to realize that fundraising is so much more than “asking people for money”.
The fundraising process was a time to lay down my pride and my own abilities to trust God to provide. He has led me to this point so far; won’t He surely see it through to completion? His hand has been in the fundraising process from the very beginning! I had to make an initial deposit to secure my spot on the trip, and I was planning on going to the bank to transfer money in order to do so. That morning, I was written a check for the EXACT amount I needed! Thank You Jesus!
Fast forward a few weeks and I posted my first blog! People kindly donated, and it is so so appreciated! (Also, I GREATLY appreciate the support I have received; you are all so kind. Whether it was a comment on my blog or posts, or a prayer for my trip… THANK YOU). The same day, I received a message from my cousin (Logan Mitchell) saying he bought a gun as a raffle, and that he was going to donate the money to my trip. I was SHOCKED when I read this. By the next day (I believe), he had raised $2,500. That still blows my mind. The kindness I have seen so far is just unbelievable. Last week, I had the opportunity to speak at Hawkins Ridge, and they not only gave me the amount I needed, but they gave extra. Their kindness and generosity were more than anything I could have imagined!
To everyone who has donated, thank you! I have been praying, and I truly believe that God will bless each of you for taking a step to donate. We are now ministry partners 🙂 Truly, I would not be going on the trip without your generosity! If the way you are supporting me is not monetary, that does not make it any less important! I am grateful for all of the prayers; they matter!
God has shown me His faithfulness through the kindness of others. He is showing me that His plans are FAR better than my own, and He can accomplish much more than I ever could in my own power. Any wisdom or great idea I have is complete foolishness compared to what He knows and can do! I am so grateful to have Him as a guide. He has never given me a reason to doubt Him, and I know He will not start now.
I am fully funded! That feels so good to say 🙂
