Now, I didn't say that God wouldn't ask you to do uncomfortable things. He will. I also didn't say that life was easy. It isn't. I simply said that if you are called to do something, there is a logical way for it to happen. God does not call you into situations that He does not prepare you for first.
For instance, my mission work in Haiti comes at a cost. Yes, I have to leave my comfort zone and my kids, but that is not what I mean. It comes at a cost-a monetary cost. It costs a lot of money to do the work we do. Each time I travel, flights cost anywhere from $600-1200 per person. We then must spend about $100 to get from the airport to the orphanage. Last time our accommodations ran about $75 per day per person. On estimate, that is about $1350 per person just to be there-not counting the money it takes to actually do the work we are there to do. When we visited in September, our mission was to build play areas for the children. This required wood, paint and other building supplies. These DO NOT come cheap in Haiti. They are almost unheard of. We bought all the wood Montrouis (our village) had to offer. We then traveled to the two neighboring towns and bought from them. Expect to pay double to triple the prices of the US for half the quality. Every little thing adds up to be quite expensive.
Paul and I are not rich. The Lord has blessed us and we are comfortable, but we do not have hundreds and thousands of dollars lying around to fund our work. However, that never stopped us. For my first trip, I relied on fundraising letters sent to my friends and family. This small number of people stepped up and took care of all my expenses without hesitation. However, for the second trip we had to get creative with our fundraising. I tried online fundraising sites which helped some, but not much. I did send those letters which again proved to be a blessing. We sold shirts which actually put us in the hole. We even hosted an open house shopping day, but again, the money raised was not enough in itself. Thanks to the combination of all our efforts, we did raise plenty to accomplish our mission in September.
While we were there in September, Heather, the director, asked me to become a part of the leadership board for Giving Hope. I gladly accepted but knew what this meant. Paul and I would be traveling more frequently. This meant time away from my children. This meant hassle for my parents in watching the kids. This meant God would have to provide funds from unknown avenues. I didn't know how we were going to pull this off.
Fast forward to planning our next trip. I knew we needed to go back to Haiti. It was time. I started looking at my calendar and thought that April would be a good time. I began the preliminary plans for travel, but something was not right. I was uneasy. It was difficult. Something wasn't right. I held off. Then one day while in the shower (all my best ideas come while I am in the shower), it hit me! We need to go in June. The kids will be at church camp so they won't even miss us. That also helps my parents because they won't have to transport them daily to school or a babysitter. How brilliant! The Lord knew we needed to go in June. But this didn't give me answers about the funds.
I was still uneasy about the money. Would our friends and family be financially able to continue to fund our trips? I began to seek Him and seek other ways to raise money. I thought about many things-garage sales, car washes, Scentsy fundraisers. Then I realized I had a God-given gift that I could use to raise money. You see, I am kinda crafty. Not a skilled seamstress, but crafty. I had made a few things for our open house last fall and made pretty good money selling those items. Why don't I just continue to do that.
Well, I have continued to make small items and sell them. I now have friends and family that are sending me items they have made. It is their way of contributing and I couldn't be more thankful. It is clear to me that God gives us talents to use in unconventional ways. Who knew that my craftiness would help orphans in Haiti.
I do still work a full time job as a Scentsy director while taking care of my family, but I find time here and there to work on my projects. I found the best way to sell them is through facebook and word of mouth through my friends.
Would you please take the time to visit my fundraising album here and see if you find anything you can't live without. I would really appreciate it!
So-back to the beginning: God will always provide a logical solution!
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