The night I went to our weekly sorority business meeting and announced the internship I was going to take for the next fall and how much money I had to raise, I asked my sisters if anyone of them would like to give towards my support raising. This meeting was the first time I had spoke about my trip and asked for support. I passed around an empty envelope, should anyone like to give at that moment, along with a paper to write mailing addresses on if they would like to receive my support letter. The paper came back rather full which was a heart-warming feeling. But that envelope came back to me with a lone five dollars in it, and to this day I don’t know who gave that bill. All I know is that when that could have been a rather depressing start to my support raising, I knew straight away that this five dollar bill would be just like the five loaves of bread that Jesus turned into food for five thousand people. Three months later that five dollars, God has multiplied into 10,000. Many of my ASA Zeta Phi sisters have helped me out financially, and I am so grateful to them, and thank you especially to the anonymous giver of my first five dollars of support! If it were not for those who offer what they have, however small the amount, God would have nothing to work with in the first place.
Yet another excitement is that this $10,000 was based on an estimate of having to stay in a sort of glorified hostel which cost quite a bit. I have now been blessed with a host family in London to stay with; thus, the estimated total cost is back down to about $8,000! Whatever I don’t end up needing for myself I will be donating to eMi to distribute to whatever project cost is most needed! Thank you once again to everyone who has supported me in this mission!
Luke 9:12-17
Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, "Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here." He replied, "You give them something to eat." They answered, "We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd." (About five thousand men were there.) But he said to his disciples, "Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each." The disciples did so, and everybody sat down. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to set before the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
A Test of Faith
At the beginning of the month of May, I was a fifth year architect just about ready to graduate with no job prospect due to the unfortunate fallout that the economy had with the working class of the US. With no hope of securing a summer job of any significant pay, I had just accepted an internship with eMi. This organization is a Christian non-profit organization which sends architects and engineers overseas to design projects for developing communities across the world. This decision to join up on such an organization probably does not come as such a large shock to those who know me; however, the part that came as quite a shock to even me was the amount of money I would need to raise in order to serve with them. Not only was I going to be unpaid for seven months including the preceding summer, I had to raise $8,000 in the next three before leaving the States in August! I called for my interview and then again shortly afterward to confirm that I was up to the challenge only to find out that the expected price had increased to closer to $10,000!?! Now for an introverted, reserved, and independent girl such as me, asking for money from anyone is completely outside of my vocabulary. As you can imagine I was utterly worried about this daunting task.
One evening shortly after this point, I was out with a group of friends in Chicago for a friend’s birthday. We were dancing the night away naturally. When it came time to leave, I came to the realization that my coat and purse had been taken from the middle of the pile of about 20 of our friends’ coats- and that mine were the only ones taken. Along with this coat that I loved and had bought in Spain the year before, my camera, phone, and wallet were also taken. Directly before arriving at the dance club, I had just taken out and placed in my wallet $60 cash to pay for the night’s fun and for a road trip the following day to Iowa for a wedding. You can imagine my distress then when I was already doubting the fund-raising prospects and my lack of job to assist in any financial way, when I discovered that my valuables had been taken. It was so unbelievable that my things alone would be taken so I believed that perhaps I had overlooked them and thus, waited for everyone else’s things to disappear as they left the club. When it was quite certain that my things were missing, I freaked out in silence for a moment. I went downstairs to ask the security guards if they had found anything turned in and asked them to keep an eye out. There was nothing more to do but wait until the club emptied out in case someone found anything or turned anything in. So while I was waiting I prayed. Right away I found God saying to me that I had not turned this internship and the support raising process over to Him. He had called me to serve in this way and He would provide the necessary funds in order for me to go. Nothing that I did or did not do could sway this decision of His. At this moment, I confessed that I was preparing to raise these funds on my own behalf and that I would certainly fail if I tried to take things into my own hands. I turned this season of my life over to Him and fell into the beautiful state of peace that comes from faith in knowing Christ’s love and His promise to provide us with our needs.
1 Timothy 6: 17-18
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
Immediately after I had finished praying and had come to this realization, I remember thinking, if only just my phone and credit cards would show up. Just then, a friend of mine came around the corner holding a dark blue pleather jacket. “Is this yours?” He asked. It was! It was! He had found it in a random corner on the floor. I then asked him to call my phone to see if perhaps someone may answer it, not expecting anything of course. But to both of our surprise- someone answered! It was someone working in the office of the club. We ran to the front office and guess what had been just turned in? We found that someone had turned in my phone and my wallet- without the cash- but all the credit cards were there.
It was a very convincing confirmation the God wanted me to serve with eMi and that I need not worry about how to get there. God had taken care of that years before I even knew of the organization and had been preparing me for this season of my life.
Oh and a month later God provided an opportunity to volunteer for a study of team-work psychology at Columbia College in Chicago. The compensation? $60.
silly Peter, why do you doubt?
One evening shortly after this point, I was out with a group of friends in Chicago for a friend’s birthday. We were dancing the night away naturally. When it came time to leave, I came to the realization that my coat and purse had been taken from the middle of the pile of about 20 of our friends’ coats- and that mine were the only ones taken. Along with this coat that I loved and had bought in Spain the year before, my camera, phone, and wallet were also taken. Directly before arriving at the dance club, I had just taken out and placed in my wallet $60 cash to pay for the night’s fun and for a road trip the following day to Iowa for a wedding. You can imagine my distress then when I was already doubting the fund-raising prospects and my lack of job to assist in any financial way, when I discovered that my valuables had been taken. It was so unbelievable that my things alone would be taken so I believed that perhaps I had overlooked them and thus, waited for everyone else’s things to disappear as they left the club. When it was quite certain that my things were missing, I freaked out in silence for a moment. I went downstairs to ask the security guards if they had found anything turned in and asked them to keep an eye out. There was nothing more to do but wait until the club emptied out in case someone found anything or turned anything in. So while I was waiting I prayed. Right away I found God saying to me that I had not turned this internship and the support raising process over to Him. He had called me to serve in this way and He would provide the necessary funds in order for me to go. Nothing that I did or did not do could sway this decision of His. At this moment, I confessed that I was preparing to raise these funds on my own behalf and that I would certainly fail if I tried to take things into my own hands. I turned this season of my life over to Him and fell into the beautiful state of peace that comes from faith in knowing Christ’s love and His promise to provide us with our needs.
1 Timothy 6: 17-18
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.
Immediately after I had finished praying and had come to this realization, I remember thinking, if only just my phone and credit cards would show up. Just then, a friend of mine came around the corner holding a dark blue pleather jacket. “Is this yours?” He asked. It was! It was! He had found it in a random corner on the floor. I then asked him to call my phone to see if perhaps someone may answer it, not expecting anything of course. But to both of our surprise- someone answered! It was someone working in the office of the club. We ran to the front office and guess what had been just turned in? We found that someone had turned in my phone and my wallet- without the cash- but all the credit cards were there.
It was a very convincing confirmation the God wanted me to serve with eMi and that I need not worry about how to get there. God had taken care of that years before I even knew of the organization and had been preparing me for this season of my life.
Oh and a month later God provided an opportunity to volunteer for a study of team-work psychology at Columbia College in Chicago. The compensation? $60.
silly Peter, why do you doubt?
Monday, August 24, 2009
Orientation- Colorado Springs
A beautiful scene during a hike in Colorado Springs, Co
My small group at orientation! eMi UK + eMi Canada = mostly the same person (we discovered that we all have very similar personalities and spiritual gifts and strengths!) I'm going to miss you guys!
Michele + Carissa = eMi UK
Talented Engineer and Architecture Interns from all over the USA, South Korea, & Canada!Monday, August 17, 2009
Special Thanks!
I want to thank everyone so much who has supported me, and especially financially! I would not be able to be serving God and His people in this way if it were not for your help, gifts, and prayers.
I am praying for each of you that has helped me out in this endeavor and I pray that you will be immensely blessed where you are at because of your willingness to give to EMI's vision and partnering in helping bring hope and the word of Christ to people in a very practical way!
Thanks to...
Family, friends, ASA sisters, First Presbyterian Church, Casper, WY family, and Near West Vineyard Church, Chicago family
I am praying for each of you that has helped me out in this endeavor and I pray that you will be immensely blessed where you are at because of your willingness to give to EMI's vision and partnering in helping bring hope and the word of Christ to people in a very practical way!
Thanks to...
Family, friends, ASA sisters, First Presbyterian Church, Casper, WY family, and Near West Vineyard Church, Chicago family
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
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