Fundraising

Note:  (This blog is going to be a little longer than normal.  Please don't bail out before the end.  It takes a little setting up to get there, but it's important that you read to the end.  Thanks in advance.)



Last year Benay did a blog and she got a very encouraging comment from someone named Deanna.  It was the first time we had ever gotten anything from her. You can go here and read Benay's blog if you like .


Deanna wrote the following:


"Thank you so much for this post and especially the link to your 2007 post. I am on a team training with ACU to go to Concepcion, Chile and we are currently wrestling with the issue of church models. All we hear is that churches in South America need a building, so it is encouraging to hear of a house church network that is thriving. What ever direction our church plant goes, this inspires me to think out of the box and not do things they way they have always been...while being culturally sensitive of course.

Thanks for your thoughts. Blessings to you, your family, your team and your church!"


I'm not even sure how she found our blog but God used her greatly to encourage Benay and myself and our team through her comments.  Not that we need continuous pats on the back to continue on but, as we've shared before, being real church through house churches is not exactly an easy thing to do.  One comment like that can really lift your spirits as well as negate negative (is that a double negative?) comments or actions.  Thanks Deanna. 


Anyway, we became friends with Deanna through Facebook.  We also traded emails and stayed in touch.  Through those emails we have found out a little bit more about where her team is going:


"This is a town of a little over a milllion and it is about a 6 hour car drive south of the capitol, Santiago. We have all visited the city and love it and feel strongly that God is already at work there and we are exited to join him. We plan to arrive in Santiago January 2011 for a maximum of 6 months language training before transition to Concepcion."


She found out that we would be coming to their city on our last furlough.  She said the team would love to talk to Benay and myself about our experiences if we had the time.   


While we were in Abilene, Texas we were blessed to spend a night with some from their team.  We loved their hearts and their willingness to be open to whatever the Spirit leads them do, irregardless of what it looks like. 

I don't share all of this just to be sharing.  This team, like any mission team, has a need.  They all have differing levels of financial needs that need to be met for them to be able to move to Chile next year. 


Benay and I understand how hard fundraising is. We've been here almost 8 years and because of changes (inflation, devaluing of the dollar, etc.) that we can't control, we've had to fundraise a few times.  I don't know if it's pride that makes it so tough but, for some reason, it's hard for us sometimes to ask for financial support.  It's good to be reminded that a group of women even provided financially for Jesus' ministry (Luke 8:2-3). 


God has been very faithful to our family.  As you can imagine, the financial needs of a family of eight are quite large.  Our family has actually grown by two since we moved here in 2002 and yet we have never had a financial need that has not been met.  It has been hard at times but God has always provided for our family.  God has blessed us with so many different people (small groups, individuals, families, churches, businesses and church classes) who faithfully give sacrificially so that our family can be here.  We understand how much it means to have people support you.  It's a humbling thing and a powerful faith builder of God's goodness.  


Even though we only spent a brief evening with some of these guys, we love their hearts and how they are confident that God will provide.  We would love to see their faith-filled walk be blessed and encouraged by financial supporters.  


We told them we would do a blog about them to see what God might want to do through this website.  So, we just wanted to ask that you prayerfully consider helping these guys in any way possible.  


Maybe you support our ministry financially, but your church family isn't currently supporting anyone and is looking.  Maybe you don't support our ministry financially but you've been praying about helping in some way on a more personal way than just tithing on Sunday.  Maybe you do both and still want to do more.  


If just one of these guys get some or all of the support they need through this blog then it will, obviously, have been worth it.  


Here is a picture of the entire team:

Their names from left to right are Wes and Ellen Shutt, Meriden and Reid Overall, Deanna Meredith, and Sara and Chad Lukkason. 


Okay, we ask that you pray about it.  If you then feel led to support them in some way or if you have questions you can contact us and we'll get you in touch with them personally, or you can also go directly to them . The team has an email.  The address is: conceteam@gmail.com  If you go to their email they can then put you in touch with who has the most pressing financial need or to a specific couple or Deanna if you feel led to someone specific after praying.   


As I looked at their team picture I realized they had the same number of people that arrived here with us in 2002 (minus all the kids).  We also arrived with three couples and one single person.  It's a hard thing to leave family and friends and everything comfortable and move to  another country and culture and learn a new language.  Those things are enough to create a little anxiety in your life as you prepare to move.  Lack of funds, as you can imagine, doesn't help that situation.  


As always, thank you for praying about this.  We believe that God is going to bless these guys.