No Limits

I had my bonfire fundraiser last night, and I can't even begin to tell you about the ways the Lord blessed me.  The weather last night was perfect.  We had a nice, cool night, and it didn't rain at all (even though the weather channel said there was a 60% chance of rain).  A few of my friends came early to help set up, so that was really great.  Overall I think there were 5 people (excluding my helpers) that came and paid.  So I was a bit concerned that I put too much work into an event that didn't yield much money.  When everyone left and I opened my donation jar, I discovered that the Lord had really blessed me beyond my expectations...


A few days ago I got a message on Facebook from one of my friend's friends.  I didn't know him, but we went to high school together.  Anyway, he and my friend had had lunch together recently and my GAP year somehow came up in conversation.  His friend thought that what I was going to do in Ireland sounded really cool, so he sent me a message on Facebook saying that he was going to send some money to the bonfire with my friend.  He said that he knew that fundraising could be difficult and he wanted to help me out.  When my friend showed up to the bonfire, he had two envelopes...one from him and one from his friend.  After the bonfire I discovered that not only did my friend give me a generous donation, but his friend did as well.  I won't say how much he gave me, but I will say that I was simply speechless that someone I didn't know could be so generous with his money.  He sent a nice note, too, which I would like to include here:


"Rachel,
I want to wish you a safe and wonderful trip.  I think God is going to use you to impact thousands of people.  I want to encourage you to be constantly praying because you will see results.  If you are doing a blog it would be great to see pictures of your experience.  Also don't be discouraged about money, because He will provide for you.  :) "


Isn't that nice?  I am so blessed and excited to have received such generous support!

My help team.  :)  Thanks girls!

The fire, thanks to Joel (and Steve!)

My friend Lauren and I

My friend Jordan

Steve the fire-stirrer and log-adder

If there's one thing I learned from doing this bonfire fundraiser, it's this:  do not put limits on God.  In the planning stages for this bonfire, my dad mentioned something like "You should be putting more time and effort into the fundraisers where you're going to make a little bit more money."  This kind of put a damper on my heart and went along with the conflicting words I had been getting from the devil (about putting too much work into this event).  I was really trying to be excited about the bonfire.  I had gotten little prizes to give out, I had a bunch of food, and I was ready for a great night.  Not too many people RSVP'd to the Facebook event, which was discouraging, but I still went into it with a positive attitude...trusting that God would indeed provide.  I had fun getting the food ready...I had a fruit tray, chips and dip, smores with different kinds of graham crackers and chocolate, and a couple different drinks.  I also enjoyed the help that my friends offered so generously...both with set up and clean up.  In the end, I had a great time catching up with some friends I hadn't seen in a while, and I got far more than what I expected to receive as far as donations go.  This was such a great lesson of trust in a limitless God.  I enjoyed telling my parents about this experience, too, because I think it increased their faith as well as mine.


Today is Father's Day and I'd like to lift up my one true Father.  Let His name be glorified.  To Him be the praise and the honor.

Update on Fundraising

I had a really great day today.  I had the day off from work, so I really enjoyed my schedule-less today.  I got up late, did some laundry, cleaned out my closet and dresser, and then went shopping.  Tonight I got to play guitar and sing with the worship group at Solid Rock Bible Church in Plymouth (my friend Hannah's church), so that was really fun.  I get such an amazing feeling when I sing and play for worship.  God just gives me such calmness and confidence.  It's almost like He's telling me "this is exactly why I wanted you to learn to play the guitar.  Thank you for using your talents to glorify me."


I haven't been getting much support in the mail these last couple of days, but I did talk to a woman from my church today who wants to do a fundraising event for me.  She owns a salon in Westland called "Set Apart Salon" and she is willing to do some kind of party for me and give me all the proceeds.  I'm not sure when this party will be, exactly, but I can already tell it's going to be awesome.  She offers all kinds of services...haircuts, split-end removal, hair repair treatments, scalp treatments, eyebrow waxing...and is going to give me everything she makes from an afternoon of that stuff.  :)  I just need to make some fliers and find people to go.  I can't wait to see how everything turns out.


I'm having a bonfire fundraiser on Saturday night with some friends (mostly from high school), so I'm hoping for a good turnout.  And good weather!  Please keep me in your prayers on Saturday.


Thank you all of you who have contributed in any way to my GAP year.  I would not be where I am today without your financial support and prayers.

My Heart

I went through a little bit of a dry time in my spiritual life these past couple of weeks.  It was a strange feeling...because I was getting support for Ireland, and I knew that was only by the grace of God...but I just wasn't praying as much and reading the Word.  I felt really apathetic toward the whole "having a good prayer life" thing.  This brought me down and I wasn't experiencing much peace.  I honestly had to force myself to start talking to God again.  I went to dinner with a couple of friends from UCO this week and it was really great to be around them.  We went to UCO after dinner and I felt a whole mix of feelings.  I felt nervous because there were a lot of people I didn't know at the meeting and, well, that's just how I get in big groups of people.  This kind of distracted me from having a good time at the beginning, but I think I got over it.  I introduced myself to a couple new people and it wasn't so bad.  :)  I was also uplifted because I hadn't praised God like that in a long time.  I was encouraged after the meeting not only because I enjoyed the talk, but because of something the Lord spoke to me that night.  There was a moment in the prayer meeting where the MC asked us to listen to the Lord and see if He might have a word for us.  This was kind of hard for me to do, as I hadn't taken much time to listen to the Lord lately, but this is what He told me:  "No matter how far you feel you may have fallen, I am right here.  Just come back to Me."  Wow.  That was exactly what I needed to hear.  How comforting...how reassuring...how true!  A few of the UCO staff came up to be after the meeting and said they'd like to meet with me soon to chat.  Just what I needed!  I thank the Lord for each and every person that wanted to meet with me.  What perfect timing!


While I was driving home from Ann Arbor after UCO on Tuesday, I felt the Lord calling me to stop at the adoration chapel at Christ the King.  I felt like He wanted more of me.  I obeyed His calling and got off the expressway at Plymouth Road.  As soon as I walked into that chapel I felt relieved.  There were a few other people in there, but I honestly felt as though it were just me and God.  When I sat down to pray, I felt led to read a "Sequence for Pentecost" in which I found complete peace.  This prayer was in a little journal(?) called The Word Among Us.  I'd like to share it with you:


"Come, Holy Spirit, Come!
And from Your celestial home
Shed a ray of light divine!
Come, Father of the poor!
Come, source of all our store!
Come, within our bosoms shine.
You, of comforters the best;
You, the soul's most welcome guest;
Sweet refreshment here below;
In our labor, rest most sweet;
Grateful coolness in the heat;
Solace in the midst of woe.
O most blessed Light divine,
Shine within these hearts of yours,
And our inmost being fill!
Where you are not, we have naught,
Nothing good in deed or thought,
Nothing free from taint of ill.
Heal our wounds, our strength renew;
On our dryness pour your dew;
Wash the stains of guilt away:
Bend the stubborn heart and will;
Melt the frozen, warm the chill;
Guide the steps that go astray.
On the faithful, who adore
And confess you, evermore
In your sevenfold gift descend;
Give them virtue's sure reward;
Give them your salvation, Lord;
Give them joys that never end.  Amen.  Alleluia."


I had to read it very slowly to really let it sink in, but I just felt so comforted after I read that.  It's so beautiful! Let me know what you guys think.


I want to share one more thing before I close...another thing that brought me back up in my spiritual life.  I went to Solid Rock Bible Church (where my good friend Hannah goes to church) last night for the college group meeting.  I always feel encouraged after the talks there, but this one was especially interesting.  We did an exercise where we all lined up across from one another in a big line across the room.  We started with our eyes closed, but when we opened them we had to stare directly into the eyes of the person across from us.  For an uncomfortably long period of time.  While we were looking into eachothers eyes, the pastor was saying things like, "Who is this person?  What made you want to get to know them well?  Or what made you not want to get to know them?  Do you believe that God loves this person as much as He loves you?  How do you think God wants you to reach out to this person?"  It was so hard to just look into all of those people's eyes and think such things.  I didn't know most of the people there, but I felt that by just looking into their eyes I got a small glimpse of their heart.  It's hard to explain, but I am glad I got to experience something like that.  After the meeting last night we all went out to Applebees (as it is tradition), and the guy that leads worship for the college group asked me if I'd like to play guitar sometime with them!  It was such an answer to prayer that he asked me that, because during the meeting I thought, "Hmm...it'd be fun to get up there and play with them sometime."  Of course I was too shy to ask, but I didn't have to worry about that!  God had other plans.  And now I'm playing and singing next Wednesday night for the meeting.  :)


That's all for now.  I wanted to share a little bit of my heart with you, and I also wanted to include this stuff here as a record for myself that this fundraising journey hasn't just been rainbows and sunshine.  It's been hard.  I want to thank you all again for your support and prayers.  It means the world to me, and without you I wouldn't be at 60% of my goal.

Sixty Percent

Support has been slowing down a little bit.  There were two days this week in which I didn't get any support checks in the mail.  Today I checked the mail and it was just the usual stuff...some magazines, some coupons, and some junk mail for my parents.  No support checks.  I started feeling a little discouraged.  I thought that maybe this was almost the end of receiving checks in the mail.  I went out tonight with some friends from work, and when I came home there was an envelope on the counter for me.  I know it wasn't there before when I checked the mail, because I looked through it pretty well.  Sure enough, though, there was an envelope addressed to me from one of my best friend's parents.  I opened it up to find not one, but two very generous checks.  One check was for graduation, and one was for my GAP year.  I am so very blessed to have received this support today, especially after I was feeling slightly discouraged this week.  What perfect timing God has!  I am now at $6,700 out of $11,000.  That's about 60%!  :)  Praise God from whom all blessings flow!  


I am planning a bonfire fundraiser for the evening of June 18th, and I am getting pretty excited about that.  While considering different fundraising events to do, I talked with my mom to get some ideas/advice.  She recommended targeting different groups of friends for each fundraiser.  I thought that sounded like a pretty good idea, and I'm sure my friends will appreciate it as well.  The whole idea is not to keep bugging the same group of people for money.  With that in mind, my bonfire fundraiser is aimed mostly at my high school friends that either I still keep in touch with or who I think will support me.  Please keep me in your prayers as I continue to plan this event.  I am praying and hoping that God will bless the hearts of my friends and that I will have a good turnout for the fundraiser.


I wholeheartedly thank my family and friends who have supported me!  If you have not contributed towards my trip (either financially, through prayer, or both) and would like to, please let me know and I can send you a support letter with more information.  I pray that God will place a deep desire in your heart to support me on this mission to build His kingdom in Ireland.  I also pray that you are open to whatever gift He may be calling you to give.  Thank you again!