I know you are not supposed to apologize for not blogging, but I am sorry that I haven't been around. Things are really hectic right now and I am a bit discouraged. It is hard to want to blog when you are feeling discouraged too. You don't want to put all your business online, but you know if you blog you will.
I have been busy for a few weeks now trying to raise money for four of our youth, including my daughter, to go to Belgium on a mission trip. Due to circumstances beyond anyone's control ... most of the fundraising has fallen on my shoulders and it has left me with very little time.
That is also one of the areas in which I am feeling a bit discouraged. We have a lot of money to raise and it has been slow going. We were hoping to do our fundraisers ... plus get a few offerings in as well. Only one offering happened and it was a lot less than we were hoping for.
I have been busy for a few weeks now trying to raise money for four of our youth, including my daughter, to go to Belgium on a mission trip. Due to circumstances beyond anyone's control ... most of the fundraising has fallen on my shoulders and it has left me with very little time.
That is also one of the areas in which I am feeling a bit discouraged. We have a lot of money to raise and it has been slow going. We were hoping to do our fundraisers ... plus get a few offerings in as well. Only one offering happened and it was a lot less than we were hoping for.
We need $6800 by March 15th. With the offering today and what we made
with our
canteen this morning ... I think we may have a total of about $2100.
That is after running a Sunday morning canteen for a few weeks now, a
chili dinner and a dessert auction, and a bagged lunch sale. We still
have a BBQ Potato Dinner planned and we will continue to do the canteen
through March ... but I don't think we will raise another $4700 off of
that.
If something doesn't give ... I don't know if these kids will be able to even go on this trip and that is discouraging too. I have worked hard ... real hard ... and I am not even done. I have a lot more to do and if it isn't good enough ... if it isn't enough to get them there ... I am going to be really disappointed in myself and my church. We are a missions church. If we can't get these kids to Belgium than something is seriously wrong with us.
Another discouragement has been the lack of enthusiasm that has been expressed about this mission trip. You would think that just the thought of some of our kids going to minister to other kids in another country ... an awesome opportunity to say the least ... would have us excited and willing to help. Unfortunately, that has not been the case.
It seems like the enemy has stepped in to do everything in his power to keep this from happening. With all the obstacles he has thrown at us ... I am thinking this trip is going to be more than awesome. I am thinking God is really going to do something in the lives of our group or in the lives of the people they will share the Gospel with. But, if the enemy succeeds ... we will never know.
This is such an awesome opportunity for them. For most ... it is probably the trip of a lifetime ... something they will never get the chance to do again. If you have a heart for youth or missions or both ... would you please join us in prayer that we will find a way to get the funds we need so that these kids can go on this trip? We really need prayer on this. A lot of prayer.
Update 3/3/09: I was wrong. We didn't have $2100. We just hit $2125 yesterday after a couple in our church put $200 on one of the team members. Our offering was less than we though it was. Someone had included their tithe and that had to be subtracted.
If something doesn't give ... I don't know if these kids will be able to even go on this trip and that is discouraging too. I have worked hard ... real hard ... and I am not even done. I have a lot more to do and if it isn't good enough ... if it isn't enough to get them there ... I am going to be really disappointed in myself and my church. We are a missions church. If we can't get these kids to Belgium than something is seriously wrong with us.
Another discouragement has been the lack of enthusiasm that has been expressed about this mission trip. You would think that just the thought of some of our kids going to minister to other kids in another country ... an awesome opportunity to say the least ... would have us excited and willing to help. Unfortunately, that has not been the case.
It seems like the enemy has stepped in to do everything in his power to keep this from happening. With all the obstacles he has thrown at us ... I am thinking this trip is going to be more than awesome. I am thinking God is really going to do something in the lives of our group or in the lives of the people they will share the Gospel with. But, if the enemy succeeds ... we will never know.
This is such an awesome opportunity for them. For most ... it is probably the trip of a lifetime ... something they will never get the chance to do again. If you have a heart for youth or missions or both ... would you please join us in prayer that we will find a way to get the funds we need so that these kids can go on this trip? We really need prayer on this. A lot of prayer.
Update 3/3/09: I was wrong. We didn't have $2100. We just hit $2125 yesterday after a couple in our church put $200 on one of the team members. Our offering was less than we though it was. Someone had included their tithe and that had to be subtracted.
Hopefully your church will rally and get the funds they need. I am in prayer with you Angel. You can count on me.
With God all things are possible and 4 thousand dollars is nothing to God. Keep your head up and you will get there. :-)