Back at the end of July there was a sermon by Josh Mann that rocked my world, and many others who heard it as well. I took a lot of notes and got a lot out of it..there were about 3-4 things that hit me the most, but the one I'm going to write about is when he said we can put our hope in the fundraisers, in the support letters but overall, our trust needs to be on God. I felt like that was directly for me because I had been discouraged with the way fundraising had been going with my trip. I had been super busy, and working as much as I could, we did a garage sale and I had just sent my support letters out. I knew I wanted to trust God, but for some reason I was thinking that what I was doing is how God was going to bring in the money for me.
What Josh said changed where I put my trust a bit. Yes, I was still going to work as much as I could and if people felt lead to support me, I believe it was a tug on their hearts from the Lord...But I had to believe that it was going to be GOD that provided me with the finances to this Calling. Gods will is Gods bill...right? So, I kept trusting!
August went by and combining finished up. Now I would just be working at Jamba unless I could find more work, but it was near impossible for someone to want to hire me for just a month. In this economy, businesses want to hire the best of the best, and someone they know that will be able to stick around for a while so that they don't have to pay so much to re-train someone. So I worked at Jamba Juice as much as they needed me, and picked up others shifts as I could. Then I got a call from Hot off the Press in Canby, OR. My friend Kayla works there and it is a scrapbooking ware house. They just realized their new catalog so business was very busy for them. Kayla knew I was looking for temporary work so she gave them my number! I was able to work there and at Jamba, putting in about 12 hour days for a little over 2 weeks! God provided for me there.
Then, I was thinking one day, what if the money doesnt come in? Should I look into a cheaper YWAM closer to home? Keep working and do YWAM or Capernwray in the winter? I didn't want to think about it to much because everyone I had talked to believed that ABS was what I was supposed to do, but satan tried to attack me many many times and what was about to happen next is something Satan doesnt life at all! I felt God had told me to remember how I got accepted and that it was because of him I got into the fall school..this is what He wanted me to do so it'll happen, in the fall, like he said.
About an hour after I was thinking of a different option, my sister called and said that Mom and got an e-mail from the school saying there was an anonymous donor that will pay the remaining of what I dont earn for the program! I was so happy! God totally came through and provided. It wasn't my letter, it wasn't my garage sale or pop can drive, it was completely the Lord who put it on someones heart to help me out!
It's difficult for me because I don't know who it is, but I know thats the whole point right? I want to give them A huge hug and thank them over and over and over again and let them know how grateful I am that they are paying such a hefty price to help me out! I wish words described how thankful I am, for their donation, but also for everyone else's donations!
Then a couple days later I was booking my flight-this is also a long story, but to sum it up....The first fllight i booked was wrong, the next flight i was about to book was $2,400!! but it was the cheapest I could find. then somehow my friend Kalia got online right at the right time and had found one for $1,400 and we booked it through her ASAP and I saved all that money!! Wow, God is good.
Then another couple people knew I didnt have much spending money, and they donated a hefty amount so that I could have a good time. I put some of that towards school, have all my gear and I'm Soo happy the ways God has provided for me. The verse that keeps popping up everywhere I go this weekend is Matthew 6:25-34 Do Not Worry
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Yahweh Jireh. Thank you for being my provider. I will never forget this time in my life where you have provided for what you called me todo! Thank you very much, and please bless those who have helped me out so much.
http://salemalliance.org/574262.ihtml (josh's Sermon)
-sacred places and then Breakthrough by Josh Mann.
WOW Jodi.....how great is our God?? I wonder why we doubt Him sometimes??? I felt all tingley and fuzzy reading this entry!!! Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteTears . . . overflowing the edges of my eyes! God is so good, all the time! Never late, always on time! Praise God for His provision and abundance! Praying for you all the while - Love, All Us Wards.
ReplyDeleteJodi, I was with you through this process and yet reading it and picturing you and your wonderfully beautiful heart brought tears to my eyes. You are so doing what God has called you to do. GOD BLESS YOU SWEET SISTER!!
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