Can I have yo money? Can I have it?

Ok. I express myself best through the written word. I'm going to school to be a writer. But there are no words I could write to express how I excited I was this morning.

Sidenote: I never really intended for this blog to be about missions, and it won't be, but that's primarily what I'm focused on right now. (Aside from the projects and papers sitting right to me....*cough*)

I've never had financial issues, so I've never seen God work miracles with my finances like He has so many other people. At the end of February, I signed up for the missions trip to Scotland on pure faith. I didn't even have the money for the deposit. Through a series of events, I raised the deposit money right on time. I figured this would be another by the book fundraising experience, but it totally has not been.

I know this phrase is often tossed around, but God really has been coming through for me. Last year, when I went on the trip to Baja, Mexico, I got all of the money I needed, but not by any jaw-dropping means. This year has been different. I'm raising about three times as much money with less people to go to for support and less money of my own to give.

Last week, I was looking at my supporters this year and realized that well over half of my money is from people I never asked for support. These are people who have come to me and offered to help me. How crazy is that?! Only God can prompt that kind of giving. For example: I was late on a deadline last week, and I needed $125. Needed it right then. I spent days in prayer and brainstorming. That particular morning at church, a friend handed me a $75 check. That was awesome, but I had no idea where to get the next $50. More prayers and brainstorming. This morning I got an email from the director of the trip with updates on online giving, and I saw a mysterious $50 deposit that took place last week, right when I needed it. Apparently a family friend saw my facebook group, about my trip with donation directions, and gave $50 on the spot even though I haven't been in contact with this person in years. I can't make this stuff up!

I haven't even mentioned the out-of-the-blue $200 check from my grandma, who I never told about the trip. God does things in His own way and His own time. I haven't met all the deadlines right on time, but through the grace of God deadlines have been extended and I've gotten all my money there. I have an additional $500 due in two weeks, and I don't have a penny of it yet, and after all of this I'm not a bit worried. Ask me in a week, and I will probably be panicking :) I also have thousands more to raise for plane tickets. That terrifies me a bit, but all the money in the world is God's, and He'll give to me in His own time and way. Just so you know, I'm writing this all out to convince remind myself of this as well. It's so easy to forget. Oh, and I was also supposed to go on this trip with a couple friends of mine, but due to unforseen circumstances.....it's just me. Me and fiftyish (I think?!) other people from the US. That means chances are good that I could be traveling by myself and braving a lot of this trip by myself. Funny how God calls us out of our shells. Yes, I am the only person from my not-so-small church going on this trip. The only one. Sometimes I feel like I need a swift roundhouse kick to the face to remind me what I'm actually doing. I can't even talk about this without laughing, because I have no idea how I'm going to be able to handle that. But I'm really, really excited.

If you've ever wanted to go on a missions trip, you need to. It's scary. It's fun. It's scary fun. And you'll probably kick yourself for it at times, but you will never regret it.

Also, I'm really hungry.

Faithful Provider

Living for God has to be the sweetest thing ever. I remember once hearing that following after God would be an insane rollercoaster adventure, and you would never know what's going to happen next. I totally experienced those crazy, never-saw-that-coming moments, but nothing like this.

Saturday morning I was flipping through my Bible before lunch with my small group, and I started reading in Matthew 21. I read about the part where Jesus saw a fig tree, it didn't have fruit, so He cursed it to death. I had never fully grasped the meaning behind that, so I looked down at the commentary in my big momma study Bible. It talked about how the tree looked pretty and delicious from afar, but it bore no fruit. It went on to talk about genuine faith resulting in bearing fruit that advances the kingdom of God. BAM! It just confirmed something God was speaking to me the entire week. "Step out in faith. Do things you never thought you could do, because all things are possible with Me."

So with that said, I have stepped out in faith. I know God has been calling me back to Baja, Mexico this summer, so that wasn't a difficult decision even though the money will literally have to fall from heaven. All year I had a stirring for two mission trips this summer, even though I only knew of the trip to Baja. Well, my roommate and I were casually chatting about life, and somehow she mentioned a trip to Scotland. This summer. Something, aside from my desires to go to Europe, lit up in me. I felt this intense need to go, and I didn't know one detail about the trip. Not one. But God has called me and confirmed it countless mini-miracles all weekend.

Anywho, I have a nice chunk of change due for Scotland in a few days. I have no money, and no prospects of getting any. I have to change my fundraising tactics from last year, and I'm still waiting for clearance from the parentals. But I'm stepping out in faith and what I believe I'm called to.

Here's the cool part: I got the email from the Scotland dude this morning about the finances, and I have never felt such tangible peace in my life. I could literally feel God telling me that He's providing for me. I flipped over to facebook [my morning ritual], and everywhere I looked I saw "God will provide," and "Faithful Provider." It was crazy. God did something similar to that when I was raising money last year for Baja. And I got every penny that I needed.

So, long story short, I'm trusting God for approximately $4,000. A disgusting amount. But I know God has already provided...I just have to find the money. If you want to donate, contact me =) ....I'm dead serious.