A Summer of Support-Raising

This has been a busy summer for Sam and I. If you’re reading for the first time, I’ll do a quick recap for you…

May 30^th- we got married!

June 1-8^th- my little brother’s graduation/family events

June 9-16^th- HONEYMOON in Hawaii!

June 17-19^th- Moved everything we owned into our new, tiny little apartment. Completely furnished that little apartment through a million trips to thrift stores, Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, and World Market.

June 20-now. Support Raising.

We’ve spent most of our time support raising in Fort Worth or Waco (where I grew up and have a strong church family). However, if you read my last post, you’ll see that we also spent the last week and a half of July traveling and meeting with friends and contacts in Louisiana, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Our road trip was speedy, fun, eventful, stressful, exciting, new, and adventurous.

So, it’s been 55 days support raising, and we have communicated in some respect with over 60 people, the majority of those being face-to-face meetings. There’s a lot of emotions that come to mind as I think back over the past month and a half of support raising, but the best description I have for you is that I am GRATEFUL.

And here’s why.

1-I’m grateful for all of the incredible people that we have gotten to interact with. One of our missionary friends told us early on that we should view support raising as friendship building. That is probably the best perspective and the best description there is for it. I have loved getting to share meals with so many incredible followers of Christ. Sam and I get to share our story, our mission, and our vision, but we also get to hear about the people we’re talking with. We get to hear about their families, their jobs, their heart for and obedience to the Lord, their involvement in the local church, their stories. It’s made me realize that Christians come in all different shapes and sizes, with all different kinds of gifts and passions, and with all different kinds of callings. Over the past month and a half, Sam and I have had the privilege to interact with the body of Christ as never before.

2-I’m grateful for all the lessons the Lord has taught us. All you have to do is scroll through the previous entries on this blog to see that God has been teaching us a whole lot through this whole process. And let me tell you, it hasn’t always been comfortable. To be honest, support raising challenges me in all the things that I really suck at! Add on the fact that we just got married, and I don’t think I’ve ever been this aware of my sinfulness, selfishness, and pridefulness. But in my awareness of my sin and how short I fall, I have been overcome by grace and by the sovereignty and faithfulness of our God.

3- I’m grateful for the fact that God works in, through, and around me ALL the time. Despite my faithlessness, my selfishness, and my negative attitude on most days, God has used Sam and I and what we’re doing for His purposes countless times. Sometimes it’s directly through us raising support and our encounters with others through that process. But more often it’s other things. Like a woman from my church being encouraged and challenged by a blog post I didn’t even think was very good. Or a conversation with a very old church friend that deeply encouraged both of us. These random little encounters leave no doubt in our minds that the Lord’s hand has been and is over this entire process.

I want to say thank you. To the Lord for providing in huge and unexpected ways for us; He, as always, deserves all the glory. And to each and every one of you. The people that we met with, the people who are reading our blog and keeping up with us, and the people who are faithfully praying for us as we follow and serve the Lord. Thank you for taking the time to know us and to join us in how the Lord is using us for His Kingdom.
We couldn’t do it without the Lord or without you, and we are incredibly grateful for you.