posted by Ted on Apr 15
Some days, fundraising feels like this:
If you’re like me, you’ll want to hear the bad news first in the hopes that the good news will redeem things.
So I’ll start there. Yesterday we finally got our 2007 financial requirements from the mission and the difference is huge. It was probably the most discouraging moment we’ve experienced in quite some time. The ugly reality is that we’re now back to 62% raised, as we struggle to overcome a stronger Euro, and increasing ministry costs. I won’t lie to you. It is unbelievably disheartening. We need help. We have been living life in limbo for a long time, living by faith and doing our best to follow the path God has laid before us. We have seen so many times how God has delivered, but in every case He has done it through people, many of whom have shared with us their reluctance and the distractions that have held them back from coming to us sooner. We truly believe that this is the moment for action.
Some questions arise: What do we do about the house? As you know, we’re in the process of packing and putting it on the market. Do we stop because of this set back? After some discussion, Brandy and I feel strongly that the answer is no. We press forward. This is scary, but it is the right thing to do. So our house will go on the market this month as planned, and we will move.
How are we going to make up the support? This is a tough question. We’ve been asking ourselves for months where the remaining support will come from. There is an interesting dynamic. Brandy and I are not as extroverted as many other missionaries we know, and that means that we don’t actually know as many people, and it means we’re probably not as effective in making connections with those people we know. In many ways, I think that’s good. I struggle enough with the belief that I can do it all. If I really could, I might be in serious trouble.
The good news, is that God has been telling me for a long time, that I just need to trust Him. I’ve really been struggling to figure out what that means and what that looks like. Yesterday’s news, that our support had gone down was like a punch in the gut. It knocked the wind out of me and left me reeling. Satan stepped in and filled my heart with despair, started me questioning God’s faithfulness, and trying to figure out how I was going to fix this. But today, as I walked among the cherry blossoms in bloom, and saw God’s creation in all it’s marvel and majesty, as I felt the longing God has placed in my heart to reach out to the people here, I heard Him saying “Trust me.”
That isn’t a license to sit back and do nothing, waiting for God to deliver. But I think it is a reminder that I need to stop trying to make a plan, or find some new way to reach people. My job is to step back, take a deep breath, and open myself up to the opportunities God is providing. Those are where my efforts need to be focused.
I wonder if any of you are having this struggle. Are you so caught up in all the stuff of life that you’re missing God’s voice whispering to you that you just need to trust Him and follow the plan He’s laying out for you. If that’s where you are, we’d love to hear from you and pray for you.
