Thanks to all of you who were praying over yesterday’s banquet. It was an amazingly encouraging event.

When all was said and done we raised over $33,000! Praise God for his goodness.

I’m not just excited about the funds (which go towards scholarships, operating budgets, getting a van and more), I was also so impressed with the people that attended. It was great to fellowship with such fine folks.

And that’s not all. Many people that attended are still interested in giving, it just takes time to pray and think it over, so our goal of raising$36,000 is very much attainable over the next few weeks.

I am very thankful for all those who helped, attended, and prayed over this event. Thank you all!

Today we are hosting our annual YD (Youth Dynamics) fund-raising banquet. It is our major fundraiser for the year that provides for scholarships, ministry support and program costs. It has been a tremendous journey leading up to this event. We’ve really felt God’s hand upon us as we’ve seen the community rally around. My heart is to see people come, enjoy the fellowship and learn more about our ministry. We are praying for financial and prayer partners.

I am asking for your prayers to cover this event and the people involved.

It’s been an amazing journey to put this together, and I’ll be excited to report tomorrow on how it went.

I know this event can have great significance towards reaching youth for the Lord and it will be opposed by the enemy - so lift us up in prayer today!  

Arggh! It’s 3:58 in the afternoon and I’ve got this coffee headache that either means I’m low on the caffeine or had too much. Not really sure which one it is. The dilemma!

It made me think of the aches I have in the road I’m currently walking. I’ve been a missionary out here in the great (unchurched) state of Washington for about a year. I’ve had highs and lows over that time, both personally and spiritually. It’s been one challenge after the next, but that’s the way I choose to live. I enjoy the challenge.

What I don’t enjoy is the challenge with a coffee headache. It slows the mind to a snails pace. But let me tell you about my ministry and what lead me here.  I’ll Pulp Fictionize it and tell it out of sync and hopefully by the end it will all make sense and John Travolta will be dead. Hopefully.

I work for a ministry called Youth Dynamics and our mission is to invite and challenge youth ot a lifelong journehy in relationship with Christ and His church. We basically find the dirty kids, share Christ with them and then plug them into churches [this being the over simplified dumbed down version].

Being in ministry for 5 years, I had never seen myself entering into a support based ministry. Support based meaning that I raise all of my funding (ie. salary and ministry supplies).  I have some amazing faithful folks that support me monthly keeping me here. Because of them I am able to work, investing myself in the lives of youth in this area.

Support raising has been for me a rollercoaster ride. I’ve had highs and lows. It’s definitely been an area for me to see God’s continual provision. It’s also been an area for the enemy to attack me with discouragement and despair. But then again, no one ever said that ministry was mean to be easy. Heck the Christian life isn’t meant to be easy.

So I find myself here, with the coffee headache, thinking about my current low support levels. Which is not a good thing. Headache + trials = me leaning on my flesh and not on my Savior. I am reminded that I have been called here to serve and that where God calls, he also provides. I also know that I have to do my part as well, hitting the phones and setting up meetings with folks to see if they would be interested in begin apart of my ministry.

Well, I cross one hurdle in this life only to find that there’s another one. I should probally get out of the high hurdle race and pick up the discus or shotput. My last hurdle? Oh, well that’s another story… (to be continued).