I wanted to share some thoughts and reflections from my fundraising journey. I know that the thought of fundraising can be intimidating and a potential barrier to saying yes to going overseas. I was nervous to begin fundraising, but now that I'm on the other side of it I wanted to share some encouragement!
First, I surprisingly enjoyed the fundraising process. It was encouraging to connect with people from so many different areas of my life, and I found that it brought a lot of closure in my transition from college and living in America to life overseas. For example: I met with my middle school and high school youth group leaders, former dance studio director, extended family members, close friends, coworkers, college professors, former and current bosses, and others. It was encouraging for me to realize how blessed I have been in so many different circles of my life, and to receive encouragement from so many different people. When else do you have a reason to revisit relationships from so many different parts of your life?
There were also many people I met with that I had never had a one-on-one conversation with prior to our meeting. It was a good opportunity to get to know everyone better, and I also got to connect with people I hadn't met before! We are all brothers and sisters in Christ, and I felt that fundraising gave me a broader perspective on the body of Christ.
Fundraising also taught me dependence on God and showed me that He provides for us. I became more confident in my decision to say yes to moving overseas - both from seeing how God provided the funding, and from receiving encouragement from people I met with. Additionally, I grew in confidence and boldness from being stretched out of my comfort zone, which was helpful preparation for moving overseas! And on a practical level, I learned a lot about the "how-to"s of fundraising, which could be a transferable skill to a job in the future.
Yes, there were some awkward moments, and some weeks where I was nervous about meeting my end goal. I also struggled a bit with having a less structured schedule than I am used to (especially coming from a highly structured/busy college schedule). However, God is faithful in all things. I'm grateful to have seen His provision for me, and for all that I learned from fundraising!
My encouragement would be to not let fear of fundraising hold you back from tithing your career. You will be well-supported from GoCorps and your sending organization, and more importantly, God is faithful to provide! He is over all things, including your fundraising journey.