When I saw that I finally met my initial fundraising goal, I felt quite emotional. Not only was this super huge part of my preparation process completed to help me be able to actually leave for the field, but I began to think more about what all of this meant.
This meant that so many people had sacrificially given to support my living and ministry expenses while serving. I was overwhelmed thinking about the people who opened their schedules to meet with me. Who turned to prayer to seek the Lord in discerning how to use their gifts and resources. Who rearranged parts of their budget in order to give to me and the work I will be doing. These will always be such humbling and amazing things for me to remember.
My reflection has also led to several observations and thoughts about this support raising process. Maybe others can relate or be encouraged by these thoughts as well.
God will not just provide. He will amaze.
At the beginning of this process, and throughout, I prayed that the Lord would make it a season of wonder and joy. The Lord showed up in this way so many times. He provided and amazed me through the generosity of people. He provided and amazed me through the giving of his peace through the entirety of this process.
Your support team will almost certainly not look exactly like you envisioned it at the beginning.
Prior to support raising, two people shared comments with me about support raising that I still remember and think about often. The first person was someone at the top of my list of people to have a support meeting with prior to them saying something discouraging about fundraising and implying that I should just “get a job,” and it honestly fueled any doubts or shame I still had at that time about support raising. The second person affirmed the season I was stepping into as one that would be full of hard work and trust in the Lord.
I never ended up setting up a support meeting with the first person prior to meeting my initial goal, though I know I still could have reached out. I met the second person a week before I started fundraising, and they ended up being one of my first monthly donors, excitedly invited me to speak at her small group, and has been one of my greatest cheerleaders while support-raising - and I did not know her 5 months ago.
I highlight these comments not to tag one person as “bad” and one as “good,” but to show that some people who I thought would for sure support me in this process may not in all the same ways I thought they would and that there are other people on my support team that I did not even know going into support raising. Your team will continue to grow and change as people may need to adjust their giving or others join. How cool it is to see the body of Christ come alongside me in this way.
Support-raising is not all about raising money.
I had no idea how life-giving and spiritually encouraging this support-raising season would be for me.
Was it absolutely exhausting at times? Yes. Did I ever want to cancel or reschedule meetings because I wasn’t “feeling it” that day or because doubts crept back in? Yes. Did I make mistakes or fall behind on things? Yes.
Did the Lord meet me in every meeting to give me peace and anything else I needed? Yes.
During Go Week training I began praying that during this season (and beyond), the Lord would grow my affection for Him, for the Church, and for His mission. I prayed this before my meetings and am so thankful for how the Lord has already answered this prayer over and over.
This season was about raising finances, but it was also about finding prayer partners and encouragers. It was about thanking people for the impact they have had on my life and the decision to take this step. It was about reminding people of the Great Commission and helping them see what ways they can continue to live that out.
The Lord has provided abundantly more than I could ever ask for or imagine, and I am so excited to see how He will continue to provide as I step into the next part of this journey by heading to the field!