Fundraising Update

Hi Friends!

I just wanted to update you all on my fundraising progress for my upcoming commitment in Bolivia. My departure date is set for July 19, just over 2 weeks from now. It was exciting to hear today that a family in El Alto, Bolivia has invited me into their home for the duration of my stay! It still feels surreal that I will be back in Bolivia in a matter of weeks. It still feels like there is much to do before my departure. And there is still much to do in the way of fundraising. But within all of this I am doing my best to hang onto hope and trust the Lord to provide for all of my needs, even the seemingly insignificant ones.

As far as fundraising goes... I am up to about 25% of my total goal. It's easy to look at this number and get a little discouraged. But what do I have to fear? God has always proven to be faithful and has provided for my needs in good times and bad. Perhaps this lack of funds is a continuation of the lessons God brought up for me over and over again during the internship in LA. There was definitely a theme throughout the internship of giving up control to Him and learning not to rely on my own skills, talents, and privilege to get by in life. It's a tough lesson. I've never been without, never experienced great need. And this seems to be part of the problem... my track record in life makes it easy to be tempted to believe that all the abundance in my life is my own doing. This can result in an attitude of selfishness and an individualistic outlook on finances.

I pray that the Lord will rid me of this brokenness. It's not going to happen overnight, but I'm hoping that my faith will grow little by little until lacking a few thousand dollars won't seem like a big deal at all because I know that God will care for me in one way or another and is capable of great miracles, beyond my imagination.

I have also begun to pray about whether or not God is asking me to provide a significant chunk of the finances for this trip. Even after a couple years of unemployment/underemployment, I am holding onto a few thousand dollars in my savings account. It feels good to have this safety net. It seems smart to have something to fall back on. But can it be called faith if I rely so much on my own riches? I don't think that God calls all of us to live with $0 in our bank accounts, but I am convicted to re-examine and re-prioritize my finances as I continue to pursue a call to the poorest of the poor. Please pray with me for clarity and humility in this season.

If you would like to partner with me financially to help me reach my goal of $3800, your gifts would be a great blessing to me. You can contact me for more information or see the previous post for instructions on how to donate. Thank you so much, friends. I love you and cherish you greatly.