It’s no secret that my fundraising journey has looked a little different from what I had anticipated when I left GoWeek back in September of 2024. It has held countless exciting and encouraging moments, but also many filled with longing and tear-filled questions before the Father. However, looking back on this past year and a half, I can say that there is a unique beauty to be found within the process of fundraising.
Fundraising in this capacity has been one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done, but also one of the most rewarding and insightful. It’s invited me into experiencing a deeper level of vulnerability, taught me what it truly means to humble myself before the Lord, and tangibly showed me that He is capable of far more than I could ever imagine on my own.
Here’s what I would say my biggest takeaway is, though: allow the Lord to surprise you. When we take God out of the box we tend to place Him in, give Him room to move, and present a willing heart to the surprises He holds, He does the unimaginable.
About halfway through fundraising, I found myself discouraged and genuinely questioning whether serving overseas was really God’s calling for my future. As I sat with those doubts for a few weeks, the Lord graciously reminded me over and over how specifically He has called and led me. The peace in that calling ebbed and flowed a bit, but whenever I reached a crossroads and didn’t know my next step, the Lord met me with another surprise. It became clear that whenever I tried to push forward in my own strength, He would gently step back and wait for me to re-surrender.
Whenever I sensed I needed that humble re-surrender, I would sit, pray, and listen to “Take a Moment” by Will Reagan. It begins with these lyrics:
Take a moment to remember
Who God is and who I am
There You go, lifting my load again
These lines remind me just how big our Father is in comparison to what I think I can carry on my own. They remind me that whatever burden or stress tries to settle on my shoulders never has to be borne alone because the Lord is willing and ready to lift the load from those who seek Him. A deep sense of peace has consistently met me through this simple reminder in moments of stress.
Even though fundraising is finished, I know this is only the beginning of what the Lord is doing and teaching. I’m deeply expectant and excited to see how He uses these lessons and testimonies for the glory of His kingdom over the next two years of cross-cultural ministry.