Raising Funds

Hello everyone,

Now that I have the trip itinerary, it's time to start preparing for my journey. I've got a little over 10 months to get ready. I've got to visit the travel clinic for preventive treatment for malaria, yellow fever, hepatitis, and a new tetanus shot; I've got to get a passport and prepare to get my visa; and perhaps most dreaded of all, I've got to ask for donations.

I do NOT like fundraising. Asking people for money makes me so uncomfortable. However, I know that there's no way I can afford a trip like this on my own. I simply have to make money. If, at the end of my preparations, I am still short, I can ask for some money from our church's endowment fund. I'd like to be able to raise all of it myself, but $4,000 sounds like a huge amount.

So even though it makes me uncomfortable, I've just got to do it. I've got a great friend who's been on mission trips to foreign countries and has had to raise money, so she's been helping me think through creating a donation letter. Another SOZ-in-Training has sent me the letter she uses to allow donors to receive a tax credit on their donations. I'm prepared to start sending out letters and praying that people feel led to help me on this mission.

Like I said, I really didn't like the idea of asking for money. I'm a Google kind of gal, meaning that when I have any kind of problem, I start googling for solutions. I found a great website that talks a lot about out of country missions, and one blogger said something to this effect: If God has called me on this mission, would He really call me and then not provide the funding?

This may sound trivial, but this part of the journey is requiring me to get out of my comfort zone and put my trust in God. I've prayed over the letter I wrote, and I've prayed over ways to raise funds. I'm not a crafter, I'm not a baker, and I'm not a handy kind of lady. I do love technology, though, and have had a few friends offer in the past to pay me to help them get some new technology set up in their classrooms. As I was thinking (and worrying) about fundraising, the idea came to me to offer these services and donate all the money I earn to my mission fund! So I took a chance, made a flyer, and put myself out there to see if anything would come of it. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have any doubts about it, but I prayed that God would use this as an opportunity to get me started on my way.

I will tell you with certainty - God works! I put the flyer up yesterday, and I've already had two "appointments" and raised over $100 for the trip - just within two days! That just amazes me! I have another appointment scheduled, and I pray that God will continue to bless this endeavor.

I've also had a few friends who said that they'd donate to my mission fund. I'm looking forward to sending out my letters this weekend, and I thank God for friends who want to see this mission succeed.

Of course, I'd love to raise more than the $4,000 in expenses and leave behind a donation at one (or more) of the homes in Zambia. I'm confident that God will provide for this mission!

I also know that not everyone can donate funds, so I will also continue to ask people to pray for me, the other Sisters, and the people in Zambia that we seek to serve. I hope that if you are reading this blog, you will add this mission to your prayer list.

Thank you for reading!

Blessings in Christ,
Dallas
SOZ-in-Training