Fundraising has been going well. With a few speaking engagements, a big community fundraiser thrown by my work, and many wonderful, faithful, and giving people, we were right at $15,000. Not too bad for only 6 months. The reason I say we WERE at $15,000 is because of the events that conspired today.
I was checking my e-mail today at work....sifting through mostly junk mail and annoying e-mails you get because you didn't want to be a jerk to the lady checking you out at the retail store asking for your e-mail and phone number in order to receive "special offers". Check the boxes and delete. It has almost become an involuntary movement in my daily routine. But today, something caught my eye. It wasn't the excitement of seeing that my Amazon order had shipped....it was different. The e-mail was from PayPal and the subject read "Notification of Donation Received." When I set up our webpage, I added a "Donate" button through PayPal that was linked to our missions account. In the 5 months we've had it, nobody has used it. With everyone doing so much online these days, I was beginning to wonder if it even worked. Apparently it did. A name popped up that I did not recognize from a state that was far away. In all of our networking, I couldn't recall speaking or sharing our story with anyone in this particular location. (The donor wishes to remain anonymous, so I won't be giving further details concerning name or location.) The donation amount? $12,500. A red flag went up. This couldn't be right. Somebody either typed in one to many digits or they've been hacked. Tears welled up in my eyes and I began to shake. My co-workers couldn't help but hear me say, "No way. This can't be real." I looked over every last detail of the e-mail. It was a legit e-mail from PayPal. I logged in and checked the balance. The money was there. I called PayPal and checked my balance. Again, the money was there. Everyone in my office, knowing our journey, was just as curious as I was. We all wanted to know who this person was and if they meant to give this large of a donation. My flesh wanted to question it, but there was something in my spirit that said this was real. In that moment, I heard the Lord speak, "I am Jehovah Jireh. Did I not promise that I would provide?" Trying to hide my emotion, I felt such an overwhelming peace. Having an e-mail address for this individual, I sent a message immediately. I expressed thanks for the generous donation and quickly said if it was done in error, we would do our part to ensure that the money was refunded. I waited. And waited. I checked my e-mail every 10 minutes. Nothing. Finally, after eating dinner, putting Colt to bed, and washing dishes, I decided to check one last time. There it was. This person went on to assure me that the donation was correct and that missions was something they were passionate about. Since the door for missions had not yet been opened for them, they felt that they needed to help support someone who was going out into the mission field. I won't give all the details, but the sincerity of the e-mail leapt off of the screen and into my heart. It was as if I could feel their heart's desire to give to us. I've said this before, but when you come across people like that, the words "thank you" seem to fall short. I have never met this person, yet they are choosing to be a HUGE contributor to the ministry we desire to do in Honduras. What faith!! I could tell through the e-mail that they knew they were giving to something that was bigger than just sending our family to another country. It was about building the Kingdom. It was about bringing glory to God. It may be going to benefit the ministry of Heart for Honduras, but it was an act of worship for them. Worship that comes through obedience.
There are many reasons that people give money to ministries. Some give out of guilt. Some give out of sympathy. Some give, simply because they have so much money, that they know they won't miss it. But there are some who give out of faith....the kind of faith that calls them to obedience. Obeying God when he tells you to give large sums of money can hurt. It can hurt real bad. Steven and I have been there. God tells us to give, and our flesh is scrambling to remember all of the bills that will be auto-drafted the next week and wondering if we will have enough to make ends meet. We may have those thoughts, but it's always while the check is being written, without questioning the amount. Time and time again, God has provided through our obedience. There was even an incident where we gave $250 to something in a Sunday morning service and the following day, we received a refund check of $252 from an overpaid doctors bill. I don't say that to boast about how awesome we are, but I say that to boast in the Lord. You can't tell me God doesn't take care of His people. He is truly JEHOVAH JIREH, OUR PROVIDER!
I pray that is encouragement for you today. God may not be calling you to the foreign mission field. He may be simply calling you to trust in Him. In my walk, I have found that the more I trust in Him, the more He reveals His plans for my life and how that plan will bring Him glory and build His Kingdom. If you need to experience God as Jehovah Jireh, whether it be in health, finances, or anything else that life throws your way, just say OUT LOUD, "God I trust you." There's power in the spoken word, especially when you begin to declare something over your life. Speak it out loud and believe it in your heart. He WILL NOT fail you. Abraham was the first to recognize God as Jehovah Jireh. If you read Genesis 22:1-19, you will find a prime example of God's provision. Abraham had a difficult task ahead of him, but God showed up after He recognized that Abraham trusted Him without hesitation or doubt.
Needless to say, our hearts are FULL! Through every step of this journey, we are experiencing Jehovah Jireh up close and personal. He's confirming through His Word and through those that are choosing to support us, that He is ordaining every step. He's called us to this, and we refuse to doubt His ability to make it all come together.
NEXT WEEK, Steven and I will be traveling to Honduras for a week with a team from our church. This team will be building our home and building chicken coops for the community to begin establishing a way to bring in a sustainable income. This trip is also an opportunity for Steven and I to really scope out what our surroundings will be as we prepare to move in January. We will visit the Spanish school in Copan that we will attend and we will be meeting with Pastor Manuel, as he will be our pastor and leader in our time there. Please pray for safety for our team and that God would do BIG things through this group. Also, pray that I do not go into labor while we are gone. I have been cleared by all of my healthcare professionals to travel, so I'm not worried. Whatever happens, I better practice what I preach and trust God!
Until next time, may God bless you!
Just for fun....
Here's a photo of our family at our church's Royal Celebration last night for the kid's ministry. We are one hot mess of random Medieval garb found in the costume closet! Although Colt's face may suggest otherwise, it was a fun night!!
