The fundraising process has been an adventure in itself. Raising the $36,000 to commit to a life of full-time ministry was a mountain to overcome in our minds – it’s $36,000! Neither one of us is particularly “experienced” in fundraising and that has made the adventure all the more exciting. We are constantly reminding ourselves through prayer that we worship a Father who does not set his children up for failure and instead delights in fulfilling His promises. We are already seeing proof of Jesus using our ministry to touch lives in unbelievable ways!
Here is the story of our first donation…
December 2016 – Almost immediately after we had officially decided to commit to the World Race, the weight of fundraising began to set in. I (RJ) decided to ask some friends who had experience in fundraising and ministry to grab lunch so I could learn more about what it really looks like. Both friends were eager to help, both wanted to talk over lunch, and each picked back to back days – Wednesday and Thursday.
My first friend Eric had a last minute conflict come up and asked if we could move our lunch to the next day. Worried my other friend, Tom, wouldn’t be able to swap days, I hurried over to his desk. Tom had recently joined our team after spending 14 years working as a missionary with Wycliffe Bible Translators. Luckily, Tom said he’d love to change plans and grab lunch that day – we decided on a place nearby – Scotty’s Brewhouse (which is a restaurant that I am secretly not the biggest fan of).
We walked in and encountered the usual busy downtown Indianapolis lunch crowd. They sat us in the only available booth by the window. After we ordered, I remember Tom asking such good questions – Do you feel like Jesus has been highlighting missions for a while? What worries you about this? What gets you excited? How did you decide to fully commit? I shared about Kayla and I’s vision for “building communities” and how we were excited to learn from the 11+ different communities were going to experience on the World Race.
Then Tom asked the heavy question… “Well, how are you feeling about fundraising?”
The truth was… worried, nervous, lost… I felt like I needed a handbook, guidance, or a script to follow that would make it all seem easier. I was looking for a secret path or plan that I could “work real hard at” that would supply all of the resources we needed. While these thoughts were sprinting through my mind, Jesus had a different idea for a plan.
I briefly shared about how $36,000 seemed like such a large amount of money to raise. Tom asked about our church and if they would be willing to help sponsor us. We love our church so much; however, their focus is on project-based local Indianapolis ministry. Our conversation continued as Tom suggested other groups and people to begin to reach out to.
A few minutes later a woman in the booth behind Tom turned around and interrupted our conversation. She looked at me and asked, “How long have you been going to Itown?” She said she had been going for about two years – to the same campus as Kayla and me. She explained how she had overheard our conversation about what Kayla and I had decided to do. What she said next left me absolutely floored…
“Who should I make this check out to?”
I’m sure she could tell I was shaken by her question. I took me a few moments to gather myself – I definitely teared up. In that single brief moment – her decision to listen to the Spirit’s conviction, to turn, and to act on it – all of the worry and doubt just fell off my shoulders. It was such a clear message of “RJ, let me handle this”.
Our first support check came on a day that Tom and I hadn’t originally planned on going to lunch, in a restaurant that I would have never purposefully chosen, during a busy lunch hour with such limited seating options, from a stranger who goes to our church, after I had just shared about how I thought Itown wouldn’t be able to support our ministry. In essence, our first support came totally out of our control and without any of our effort – all His design.
Since this day, the support stories have continued to be overwhelming and we are so thankful for the unbelievable generosity of friends, family, and strangers. We would not be able to go and serve without the support of our community. To every person who has reached out, donated, prayed for us, shared our story – You continue to remind us of His goodness and faithfulness. We are so blessed to be surrounded by friends and family who love us, love God, and want to see an impact in the Kingdom of Heaven!
And – Thank You, Jesus! – For reminding us that you are good, that your promises are true, and that you’ve got this! Faith, trust, and making room for Jesus to show up in the way that only He can – that is the foundation of our fundraising plan.
