So I have a huge check list of things to do in order to get ready for this trip. Some of the things are fun and exciting (i.e. meeting with the team, praying together, brain storming about the trip activities,) some are not as fun (i.e. filling out forms, figuring out calendars and flight, and other tedious tasks,) and some are just flat-out dreadful.
In fact, there are 2 things on my list that fit in that dreadful category: The first is to go to the health department and get all my required shots before leaving for Kenya (I'm such a chicken when it comes down to needles!) The other is to send out fundraising solicitation letters.
Fundraising solicitation letter....there I said it.
So why write/send one? Well, other than the obvious "raising funds" part. It was one of the things our International Missions Pastor at the church STRONGLY recommended us to do. She said, "It's one of the most humbling experiences..." and I thought, " yeah, right, sign me up for that...because we're all standing in line for a humbling experience." Did you catch my sarcasm?
I mean we're doing other stuff to raise funds for this trip as well. Other things that we actually "work" for the money, not just ask people for it. We're a church in the heart of Atlanta, as a matter of fact, we're one block south of the Fabulous Fox Theater. One of the ways we raise money for missions is to "work" the parking lot on show nights. All the money we get from working the parking lot goes to our mission trip. It should be a breeze to come up with enough money for our team...after all, we're a small team. I've heard of nights that we could raise like $2,000 a night!! Splitting that between the team members, if we work a few events, we'd be set! Pride intact and no humbling experience necessary.
Well, to make a long story short, things don't work out as we'd hoped. After 3 parking lot events, we have made only a few hundred bucks for the whole team. All our other fundraising ideas were either taken (there is another group going to Africa this summer as well) or shot down (due to insurance reasons, etc.) By the way, we still have a few more parking events to work so if you're coming to any of the shows at the Fox theater, please come park at North Avenue! Even, if it isn't our night to work the parking lot, the proceeds still go to support the mission trip cost for whoever is working that night (very likely the youth group's Africa trip.)
After 3 relatively unsuccessful events I spent some time thinking and praying about raising money for the trip. And after another really strong encouragement from our Missions Pastor, I wrote the letter and picked the first 20 friends and families who came to mind and whom I had their addresses on hand and sent the letters. Dropping the letters in the mailbox left me feeling weird and awkward. I knew that in a few days, my friends and family will be receiving this letter from me. I didn't like the feeling that I can't do this on my own...and I think that was precisely the reason I had to go through this "humbling experience."
Through this experience, God's taught me so much about how I am a part of the body of Christ. I must confess that I am a prideful person. I often think that I got it all under control and I don't really need anyone else's help. In fact, sending out the letters isn't really only about raising financial support although it's one of the objectives..... the other objective is about raising spiritual support! Raising spiritual support is, in a way, asking people to come alongside me in my spiritual journey. This act is soliciting my friends and family to pray for me and gives them the authority to speak truth into my life and to hold me accountable! In my recent time with God I was quite convicted when reading excerpts from John Wesley,
"Always remember, much grace does not imply much enlightenment. We may be wise but have little love, or we may have love with little wisdom. God has wisely joined us all together as the parts of a body so that we cannot say to another, "I have no need of you."
So here I am. It's been a week since I dropped those letters in the mail. God's already shown his faithfulness through the support and generosity of His people. I am so encouraged and forever grateful.
