Brasil Part 2: Make it Rain

Okay, fine. "Make It Rain" wasn't the phrase our team leaders, Stephanie and Tucker, used when they told us that we were each individually responsible for raising $2,900 for our Brasil mission trip. To make matters more complicated, we didn't have any fun chocolate bars, magazines, or other paraphernalia to incent people to make a donation. Instead, we were encouraged to write letters to friends and family members simply asking for money, eeeek.

At first, I considered the old fashion trick of sending a letter in the mail, along with a pre-addressed stamp envelope. The stamp is the key, because really, who would do nothing and let an ENTIRE stamp go to waste, when the price has been increasing exponentially over the years and is at an all time high of $0.44??  However, due to time restraints, I instead opted for the go-to mass email. One blind carbon copy email later to 235 of my closest friends, I was confident my time spent fundraising was done. WRONG. My fundraising journey was extremely long, and I soon found out that only seven people had responded and donated a total of $460. (Note, I was extremely appreciative of all these donations!!!)

I knew I had to step it up, especially since I had only a month left to raise this money, and some of my team members had already raised half if not all of the $2,900. On November 5, 2011,  two weeks after the mass email, I decided to individually email 30 of the people on my original list, hoping that my last attempt would be a success. I got several responses almost instantly and was so excited, until I opened the emails....

 "I would love to support you financially; however I'm unable to do so at this time.  I've already exceeded my giving budget for the year." 

 "We are currently committing all of our tithing to XYZ at the moment, good luck!"

"We'd love to support team Brasil. In fact, we already donated to several others on the team."

" We'd love to pray for your trip."

Shoot. My team leaders had recommended to not reach out to people more than 2 times max for donations... what on earth was I to do? The only options I had left were gain new friends, reach out to relatives who I never normally contact, or possibly give some money myself. I decided to go with the give money myself, and wrote a check for $250 which was my parents' early Christmas present to me. In addition, I posted a G-chat status stating the real-time amount I had left to raise, hoping this would non-aggressively encourage people to donate. 

There was one thing I was forgetting though, and that's God. The Bible tells us repeatedly that God is in control, and that if it's in His will He can make anything happen. As such, we are to be bold and ASK for whatever we need, and have confidence that God is capable of delivering:

 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!  Matthew 7:7-12

Not only is he capable of giving us anything, we have to be patient and wait sometimes...which is very difficult for a type A person who likes to be in control.

"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord" - Psalm 27:13-15

Once I remembered this key ingredient missing from my plan, I began praying and waiting. So what was the result of all of this? As of December 2, the day I left for my trip, to my knowledge, I had raised $2,970, $70 more than I had ever needed! What's even more crazy is the fact that when I returned, I found out that I had actually raised $4,150....$1,350 more than was even required!!!! WOW. Below is the slow and gradual process by which the dough rolled in.

The funny thing is, I never would have even considered to pray for God to give me MORE than I needed to raise.... but I guess that just shows how limited I am in my thinking. This was a great reminder that He is able to do ANYTHING beyond our wildest dreams. 

 "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

What's even crazier, is that my team as a WHOLE raised $4K more than we needed to!!! Don't worry, the money will be put to good use. We have been told that the money will first be used towards helping other Global Impact trips that are underfunded, but most likely be given to Open Arms, the organization our team worked with in Brasil. We should know for certain where the money goes within the next six months.

So what is the morale of this story? Is it that God is just a genie in a bottle at the disposal of Christians who are in need of wishes to be granted? ABSOLUTELY NOT!  The point is that we should be BOLD in our prayers, come before God and ask Him anything that is on our heart! Does he have the capability to make it happen plus 10 fold? Absolutely. But does that mean he always will make it happen? No. We must remember that God wants our desires to become His. The more time we spend with Him, the more we will want what God wants for us, and it's at this point that He will give us our hearts desires. "Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4 

That's all I've got. Thank you to the many financial donors and prayer warriors who supported me in this process :). I couldn't have done it without your help!