11 Weeks!

Yeah. I fought a mini panic attack yesterday as I looked at how long I have till I leave for Nepal. 11 weeks. That's 77 days! or 2.5 months! or....well, you get the point. It's not very long! The first thought in my mind was how short an amount of time it is to raise $5000. (Oh, me of little faith.) I got my first gift this last week! It was so exciting to no longer see a "zero" in my account funds balance. Unfortunately, though, as exciting as that is, I'm still having a really hard time trusting God about the whole thing. I've decided to check my account balance every Saturday to see how much money has come in (rather than drive myself crazy checking every 2 hours, like I want to.)  To reach my goal, I need about $450 a week. That, my friends, feels...well, it feels impossible. Good thing we serve a God who makes the impossible possible!

Now, I'm gonna be honest here. Asking for money is scary. And humbling. And self-denying. Every time I walk up to hand someone a letter about my trip, the Devil jumps on my back with what they "must think".
Oh, here she comes again. They're always asking for money for trips. OR Yeah, yeah, she says she needs my prayers, but what she really wants is my money. OR, I wonder... Do they think I'm just going on a vacation? I shared these thoughts and fears with a dear friend of mine, and she reminded me of some very important truths. She told me that I was doing God's work. That God had called me to do this thing. Therefore, I'm not asking for money for me, I'm asking for money for God to do what He will through me. Wow. Realizing the fundraising isn't about me is even MORE humbling!

So this is me, humbling myself (and being humbled.) Please pray about supporting me this summer. And if God lays it on your heart to do so, please don't wait! One of my biggest fears is that people will do exactly what *I* would do. What would I do, you ask? I could just see myself getting a support letter from a friend, and being super excited for them, and having every intention of supporting them....and then sticking the letter in the-black-hole-otherwise-known-as-my-purse. I am super busy, and I would easily forget about the whole thing.

I'm not asking you to give if God doesn't lay it on your heart. What I am asking is that you actively pray about what kind of involvement God is calling you to. If you're in a hard spot and can't give, PRAY! Prayer moves mountains, breaks down barriers, and is so precious to me. Knowing I have a prayer team behind me will help keep me going.

I hope that you are excited with me, as I share my heart with you. Here are a couple current prayer requests:

• Pray for nerves! I am so excited and so nervous at the same time. 
• Pray for finances! My first financial deadline is May 7th. At this time I will need around $1500 in my support account in order for Reign Ministries to book my international flight. 
• Pray for faith against fear! I don't want to be a doubting Thomas, who has to see and feel before I can believe. Pray that God fills my heart with faith to trust in him! 

Thanks for your love and support, and for letting me share my heart with you!

-Theresa