Thank You and a Request

First of all, I wanted to say thank you to everyone who has prayed so diligently over the last 6 weeks since my mom’s car accident! Also, to those who gave money to help with our travel expenses going back and forth to Huntsville and towards the fund for my mom’s transport costs back to Georgia, our family is forever grateful! It has been a difficult time, but I have seen the Lord’s faithfulness over and over again. I would appreciate your continued prayers as we walk alongside her on the long road of recovery. 

Now that things have stabilized somewhat in that situation, I wanted to ask if you all would please pray with me about something else. As you may know, I have a support goal that I am required to raise as part of my job at Adventures in Missions. I have the privilege and responsibility of developing leaders who serve short-term teams and missionaries all over the United States and around the world. Our teams venture into places where many are unable to go, to serve as the hands and feet of Jesus to the least of these. I am so passionate about the work that I do and can’t imagine not being able to continue.

September 30 is the final deadline for my 2019 financial support and I am currently only at about 50% of my goal. With everything that has been going on the last couple of months, I have not been able to put the time into fundraising that I should have.

About a week ago, I woke up around 4:30 am, worried about how I was going to finish raising the support I need before the deadline. The Lord took me that morning to Philippians 4:6-7.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (NLT)

I’ve probably read these verses 100 times, but this time they really struck me! This is not just an encouraging passage about God’s peace. It literally gives us step-by-step instructions about what to do when we feel worried or anxious:

1. Don’t worry about ANYthing

2. Pray about EVERYthing

3. Tell GOD what you need

4. Thank Him for ALL He has done

After reading the passage that morning, I took a few minutes to pray and intentionally cast aside worry and fear. Then I took out my journal and wrote the verses at the top of a page before making a list of what I still need in regards to my financial support and another list of what God has already done to meet those needs. 

There is something powerful about seeing God’s faithfulness in our circumstances spelled out in print! As I listed out the ways God has provided for my support, suddenly the list of what I still need didn’t seem so insurmountable. God has already provided almost half of what I need! It would be crazy to think the God who created the universe couldn’t provide the remaining half.

However, I also know that God has provided a wonderful community of people who care about me and are diligent to intercede for me, as I have seen so beautifully demonstrated since my mom’s accident. While my nature is to shoulder things on my own, God has taught me a lot in the last couple of months about leaning on others. 

So I would like to ask you to please join me in celebrating God’s provision so far and praying for God to meet the remaining need. Also, would you ask the Lord if He has a part for you to play in meeting this need? 

As you can see from the picture above, I still need $2800 in financial gifts by September 30 so that I can reach 100% of my support requirements for this fiscal year. If you would like to help meet this need, you can give online at http://bit.ly/Give4BV. 

I am also asking the Lord to provide 6-7 more people who feel called to partner with me on an on-going basis at an average of $50 per month. If you feel like God may be nudging you about this, I would love to tell you more about the work that I do and the vision God has given me for my team of partners! Send me an email at [email protected]. 

I’m so thankful for each and every one of you! The Lord has blessed me abundantly with a tribe who loves me and diligently prays for me. Thanks for being Jesus’ hands and feet in my life!