Faithful.

5/9

Itʼs May 9th, the day Iʼve been counting down to since December. Currently Iʼm sitting in the Chicago airport, one hour into our seven hour layover. We left at 6 this morning, flew from Nashville to Chicago. We will leave Chicago tonight at fly to Belgium; from Belgium to Rwanda, from Rwanda to Uganda. My biggest concerns today include stuffing my oversized carry-on into the overhead bin, taking melatonin to adjust my sleep schedule on the plane, and where to eat airport meals less than twenty dollars.

I think back to all the details leading up to this trip. Applying to be on the team, trying to find boys to go with the seven girls, getting four shots, two prescriptions, and raising $2,650. I remember looking at that total and freaking out, not knowing how I would raise it all. I did know, however, that because how the trip came about, and feeling confident it was an opportunity God wanted me to take, that he would provide until completion. As I wrote in my letter, “One quality I love about our God is that He doesnʼt give us a revelation and then stop. He doesnʼt design us with a passion and then say, “ you take it from here!” He provides opportunities to pursue these passions! My first meeting with the Uganda trip coordinator, I knew this was an opportunity.” When I wrote the letter I knew one day, probably a day far from December, that I would wake up and all of the money would be raised.

I sent out letters in March, and by the beginning of April and only had a few hundred dollars. When I calculated how many letters I sent out, I knew each letter would have to yield $30 for me to reach my goal, while also realizing that many letters would create no return. A letter yielding nothing was not a defeat however, because I wanted to share with how God has been working in my life, the opportunity He had provided me, and prayers, lots and lots of prayers. No yield was ok, but I still needed almost $3,000.

One day near the end of school, I checked my funding. $900 had come in since I had last checked! $900! A third of my trip! My jaw literally dropped. I was incredibly humbled and surprised. Then I remembered what I had wrote the letter, I was confident this very thing would happen. I thought to myself, “Why am I surprised God? You are faithful. You are always faithful.” This was furthered as the money kept pouring in, every little bit was bringing me closer to my goal. One week out from the trip I was $100 short. I was told not to stress, I could always do fundraising after we got back. I kept checking my funding, but the spreadsheet hadnʼt been updated. The day before the trip I checked one last time. A new donation had come in, $100. Exactly what I needed! Not a dollar less or a dollar more! $2,650 raised, exactly. “Of course God, of course.” In which I picture God smirking to himself and chuckling in response. In which I am reminded yet again, faithful is our God.

An excerpt from my letter: 

“The past year, God has shown me so much! He has taught me new things about myself, about His heart for me and for others, and has revealed to me something I am deeply passionate about; instilling worth into the His people, or reminding them of their worth. One quality I love about our God is that He doesnʼt give us a revelation and then stop. He doesnʼt design us with a passion and then say, “you take it from here!” He provides opportunities to pursue these passions! My first meeting with the Uganda trip coordinator, I knew this was an opportunity!

This May I am so blessed with the opportunity to be able to go to Uganda, Africa with Lipscomb University on a mission trip. The dates we will be there are May 10th-27th. We will be working with Cornerstone Development who focuses on “developing the cornerstones of Africaʼs next generation. That is, to raise up future leaders with a shared vision of positively transforming their communities and nations – as an outgrowth of their own personal transformation.” We will mainly be working with girls and boys leadership academies. These academies take teens who were at a place of feeling no worth, and remind them of their worth. These academies then provide personal transformations and growth so that these teens can transform their communities.

I am writing to you to ask you to partner with me in this opportunity. First and foremost, I truly desire your prayers. Prayers for the people of Uganda, and specifically for the boys and girls in the academies. Also, prayers for our team as we are continually seeking what God wants for us to do during our time in Uganda so that He can use us to the full potential that He desires...

...We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all Godʼs people— the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood Godʼs grace. Colossians 1:3-6”