I'm going on another Spring Break mission trip to West Virginia. There I will be rebuilding homes and establishing relationships with the locals and churches.
As for every mission trip we have to raise money which is something that I don't really like doing. I mean, it's like saying, "Hey, I would like to go serve Jesus and bring heaven to earth but I can only do that if you send money."
Jesus didn't send out support letters before He started His ministry but sadly, times have changed. I don't think people would be as willing to take in 13 people overnight. Of course, I feel that we are always on a "mission field" and should always bring heaven to earth but these trips are a little different.
In my little dream world, money has no value and everybody does the jobs that make the world go round with joy for free.
Anyways, below is a letter that was pre-typed for me to send out. Things I have removed: my email address, my phone number, the part where it says you can send me a check
Dear Family and Friends:
As you may know, I’m preparing for a mission trip to Appalachia. We’ll be sent out from Bethel University over Spring Break 2011 (the third week of March). Our team has been meeting already and we look forward to this opportunity to partner with God’s people and God’s work in West Virginia. If you’d like to read more information about our ministry there, just click on this link and scroll down until you see my team.
I’m writing you this email(blog) because our team needs your prayer support. We will keep you updated as we prepare (and hopefully while we’re gone), but please begin supporting us in prayer. Just like we can’t do this without our local ministry partners, we truly cannot do this without you. Pray that the power of God would be unleashed as we participate with the Holy Spirit in ministry!
I’m also writing because our team needs your financial support. We are raising financial support as a team. Our team of 13 has a fundraising goal of $9,000. While I will continue to invest in this trip with my own money, we are also trusting God to provide some of the funds through a network of supportive friends and family. Right now, as a team we are grateful to have received 73% of our team goal.
Some of you have given to my team already and for that I’m very thankful. I’m not primarily asking for a second donation. If you have not yet sent financial support, I wanted to provide you a simple and secure way to give online. If you feel prompted to support my team in this way, simply click on the following link then select “Appalachia” from the dropdown menu of teams . (You will also see a button titled “Make a Donation” on the SMP homepage above. Either way, we are asking for donations by February 11, 2010. I appreciate your support of my team and the Bethel University Missions program. All donations are tax-deductible.
Thank you for your support of me through prayer and finances. We are so pleased with how God is developing this trip for his glory. Thanks for sharing in that excitement! Because we serve a faithful God, I look forward to keeping you updated on how I experience his faithfulness through this ministry opportunity!
Sincerely,
Matt Pautsch
No comments:
Post a Comment