Well folks.....we DID it! Actually God did. He came through and we are fully funded for the Mardi Gras mission trip!
We are so blessed by this entire thing that we don't even have words to explain it.
We wish we could give shout outs to every single person that donated, but some people will just not let us even mention their names.
We had $200 on Wednesday night. The pledge drive started on Thursday and ended on Friday night. We were able to get $400 in pledges - and that got doubled to $800! So our total of $1000 was reached in a span of 3 days.
Unfortunately, this wonderful miracle has not put a stop on Satan's attacks. They have already started and may continue up until we leave for the trip. Please, please, please pray for our team.
Please pray for our matching pledge donor. Immediately after this person pledged the funds, a big unexpected financial blow hit. I immediately let them know that we wouldn't take their money, but would continue to raise funds, but they know that God told them to give it to us, and they are trusting Him to provide what is needed. We came in agreement to not let Satan put a stop to the Lord's work.
Our other team members have funds to raise so we will be working on fundraisers very soon. I have an awesomely amazing pumpkin bread recipe and will be selling loaves. We can do mini loaves or large loaves. So go ahead and place your order NOW! We will take orders for 1 week and will then schedule a time to bake and deliver.
We will also be doing a spaghetti dinner fundraiser very soon....probably February 1st if we can find a host space (with a kitchen) in Durham.
We are also considering a Valentine's Night babysitting service for all you love birds who'd like to take your sweetie out.
Keep on the lookout for new updates! And again, thank you so very much for praying and donating!
Loving Radically Through Christ,
Melissa
Monday, January 13, 2014
Monday, January 6, 2014
Mardi Gras 2014 - UPDATED INFO
**SEE BOTTOM FOR UPDATED INFORMATION**
The annual Mardi Gras outreach is fast approaching! We will going to New Orleans again this year, for the week leading up to Mardi Gras. We are planning to go with the team from Bull City Outreach Ministries, leaving out on Wednesday February 26th and returning on Tuesday, March 4th.
We had an awesome time last year and had some wonderful times of ministry. Moreover, we had some great bonding and fellowship time with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and grew immensely in our faith.
Just like last year, Courtney is going with us, and I do believe that she is more excited that anyone else. The trip last year was really a life changing experience for her. It allowed her to put her faith into action. She was able to see depths of both worldly and spiritual kingdoms, and she discovered a passion for ministering the Gospel to a bound and searching world.
Praise to God that her funds have already been provided through some great friends!
Dean and I will need to raise our portion of the funds, especially since I am homeschooling Courtney and not working any longer. We have estimated the costs to go with the group: to cover lodging, the van and gas, the parking, and food costs. We should be able to cover everything for $1000. That's $500 per person.
I plan on doing fundraisers very soon to help with this....selling some wonderful pumpkin bread loaves and possibly a spaghetti dinner. I'm still brainstorming for this, but hope to have some definite plans very soon.
In addition to the funds, we ask that you please pray for us and this trip. Please come into agreement with us for souls and lives to be touched....to be reached for Jesus....to be changed and set free. Pray that the Spirit rises up in us, and prepares us daily....that we are able to walk with Him, and hear His voice clearly....that His wisdom grows in our hearts and minds.
Because we can't do this without Him. It's His work anyway....not ours. We're just the ones that have said "Here I am Lord - send me!"
Specifically please pray that our health would be good. Usually during mission trip preparations like this, Satan attacks, and team members begin to get sick. Or lose jobs. Or come up against other attacks.
Also please pray that Dean will be able to take the time off work with ease. At this point we are not sure that he will be able to go, but if you join us in praying for this, we know that God can work it out if it's His will.
Thanks so much for reading, praying, joining with us, sponsoring us, etc. I will post updates to our trip and fundraisers as they come in.
Loving Radically Through Christ,
Melissa
**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE**
What a wonderful adventure this has already shaped up to be! We have received a $100 donation in the mail, a $75 paypal donation and pledges for $100, $50, $25 and $50. And to top it off we got a facebook message from a sister in Christ who felt like God was really leading her to match any pledges we could receive for the next two days - up to $500! WOW! If I'm doing my math right (on the matching pledges that have come in today) - we are at $600!
I mean.....who just does that randomly???
God does. Because when it's His work, He provides.
Jehovah-Jireh. The Lord Will Provide.
This sister will not allow me to reveal her name, as most of our donors request. She has been asking the Lord to show her 'what and where' for the past 6 months. Things have popped up that were great causes, but the Lord did not lead her to those. When she saw our request, the Lord spoke clearly to her that this was the ministry she needed to bless (with mission trip funds and brand new Bibles).
And blessed we have been!!
We only have $400 more to raise.
But there are other team members that needs funds. So if God continues to open up the storehouse and we receive more than what we need, we will give the excess funds to other team members who are also fundraising.
Thank you again to everyone. Every little bit helps and is much appreciated.
***
The annual Mardi Gras outreach is fast approaching! We will going to New Orleans again this year, for the week leading up to Mardi Gras. We are planning to go with the team from Bull City Outreach Ministries, leaving out on Wednesday February 26th and returning on Tuesday, March 4th.
We had an awesome time last year and had some wonderful times of ministry. Moreover, we had some great bonding and fellowship time with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and grew immensely in our faith.
Just like last year, Courtney is going with us, and I do believe that she is more excited that anyone else. The trip last year was really a life changing experience for her. It allowed her to put her faith into action. She was able to see depths of both worldly and spiritual kingdoms, and she discovered a passion for ministering the Gospel to a bound and searching world.
Praise to God that her funds have already been provided through some great friends!
Dean and I will need to raise our portion of the funds, especially since I am homeschooling Courtney and not working any longer. We have estimated the costs to go with the group: to cover lodging, the van and gas, the parking, and food costs. We should be able to cover everything for $1000. That's $500 per person.
I plan on doing fundraisers very soon to help with this....selling some wonderful pumpkin bread loaves and possibly a spaghetti dinner. I'm still brainstorming for this, but hope to have some definite plans very soon.
In addition to the funds, we ask that you please pray for us and this trip. Please come into agreement with us for souls and lives to be touched....to be reached for Jesus....to be changed and set free. Pray that the Spirit rises up in us, and prepares us daily....that we are able to walk with Him, and hear His voice clearly....that His wisdom grows in our hearts and minds.
Because we can't do this without Him. It's His work anyway....not ours. We're just the ones that have said "Here I am Lord - send me!"
Specifically please pray that our health would be good. Usually during mission trip preparations like this, Satan attacks, and team members begin to get sick. Or lose jobs. Or come up against other attacks.
Also please pray that Dean will be able to take the time off work with ease. At this point we are not sure that he will be able to go, but if you join us in praying for this, we know that God can work it out if it's His will.
Thanks so much for reading, praying, joining with us, sponsoring us, etc. I will post updates to our trip and fundraisers as they come in.
Loving Radically Through Christ,
Melissa
**UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE**
What a wonderful adventure this has already shaped up to be! We have received a $100 donation in the mail, a $75 paypal donation and pledges for $100, $50, $25 and $50. And to top it off we got a facebook message from a sister in Christ who felt like God was really leading her to match any pledges we could receive for the next two days - up to $500! WOW! If I'm doing my math right (on the matching pledges that have come in today) - we are at $600!
I mean.....who just does that randomly???
God does. Because when it's His work, He provides.
Jehovah-Jireh. The Lord Will Provide.
This sister will not allow me to reveal her name, as most of our donors request. She has been asking the Lord to show her 'what and where' for the past 6 months. Things have popped up that were great causes, but the Lord did not lead her to those. When she saw our request, the Lord spoke clearly to her that this was the ministry she needed to bless (with mission trip funds and brand new Bibles).
And blessed we have been!!
We only have $400 more to raise.
But there are other team members that needs funds. So if God continues to open up the storehouse and we receive more than what we need, we will give the excess funds to other team members who are also fundraising.
Thank you again to everyone. Every little bit helps and is much appreciated.
***
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