Challenges of getting to the Mission field

Proverbs 3:5-6:  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”

Trust, it’s when you live on faith in what you know God wants you to do.  You put in your all.  You don’t really want anything in return, except to be able to do what He wants you to do. Even when you don’t know how it will work out, you know trusting in God makes it the right way.

As I prepare for Italy, I have been facing many challenges just trying to get there.  So, I live by trusting in Him.

Some of the challenges:

Sorting though my house in the same way my sisters and I did with our parents’ house after they died.  This time, however, it’s my own house and my own things.  What do I give to my girls?  What do I keep for when I retire?  What do I try to sell?  What do I give to a second hand shop?  What do I just throw in the trash?   What do I really want to take with me?

Putting a house on the market in a town where the poor economy made national news a few years ago.  Trying to know when is the right time to put it officially on the market … if it sells before I have all my support – where do I live?  If I wait until I have my support – will it sell then?

My dogs.  They have been wonderful companions for me as my girls have grown up and left home.  I’ve had them for over 7 and 8 years.  I thought about taking them with me.  They are good dogs, but would not like apartment life.  My girls would take them, but none can have them yet.  Will I be able to find someone to take them?  …at least for the first year or two?  Maybe one of my girls would be able to then.

The language learning is another challenge.  I’m ½ way through level 4 of Rosetta Stone.

The start up fund … A year ago I thought that would be the hard part to raise … $26,347!! That is a large amount of money to have just to get ready to go.  Yet, God is so faithful.  Nearly 84% has already been raised!  It has allowed me to go to the trainings required of me. 

The harder fund is the financial base of monthly supporters.  The monthly amount I have to have committed before I can buy a plane ticket is $5,935.  I’ve tried to ‘fight’ the amount.  I tried to explain I could do it for less.  But, in reality, I don’t know that.  The amount stands.  I have 16.4% of that support committed now.  I need $4,959 more a month. 

This amount seems huge.  Yet my daughter, Catie, helped me see it is not that much in the big picture.  If all CCU students would commit to $5 a month it would be more than enough!  I don’t know every CCU student, nor do they know me.  But, that is all it would take.

So, I started playing with numbers and what they could represent:

4959 people tossing in $1/month   (a soft drink at McDonalds)

992 people helping at $5/month (a foot long sub at Subway)

708 people giving $7/month   (a medium cup of coffee at Starbucks)

495 people sharing at $10/month   (a movie ticket)

198 being uncomfortable at $25/month (a dinner for 2 at Bob Evans)

99 serving to further His kingdom at $50/month  (a fill up of a mid size car)

49 sacrificing at $100/month.  (A week's groceries - Wow! I’m humbled)

You might have another thing that you would be willing to give up once a month to be able to share God’s love and grace with those who don’t know.

I love how God has been putting it on the hearts of people to come on board with this mission.  It’s all about Him. To Him be the glory forever and ever!  Amen!