Belize Part 4- God Provides!

It was almost exactly 4 weeks ago that I signed up for this trip and began trying to raise the money. In those 4 weeks I have seen God work in amazing ways! I began raising money by telling everybody I needed babysitting jobs and Mary Kay orders to raise money for my trip to Belize. I got a few babysitting jobs in the first couple of weeks and a couple MK orders and my grandma also donated some money for my trip. 2 weeks into it and I had a little more than 1/7 of what I needed for my trip. One afternoon right around that time, I was starting to feel a little discouraged. I talked to my mom about it and she reminded me that God is "seldom early and never late" and that if I trusted Him to provide, then He would-but in HIS timing, not mine. A few minutes later I went to my room and I picked up one of my old purses that I hadn't cleaned out yet (I'm really bad about that...) looking for something random-I don't even remember what it was. Looking through that purse I found a little envelope with $84 marked "Belize Fund". It was money that I had started saving up in the spring when I thought I was going on the first summer trip. I truly believe that God led me to that money right when I needed it!

A week or so later, a sweet lady that I know from bible study classes that my family attends ordered some Mary Kay and wanted to meet up to give me the money. I met her and she paid me for the Mary Kay and then told me that she was going on a mission trip and had raised more money than she needed and wanted to donate to my trip as well! Her donation was an wonderful blessing! Once again, God had shown up and provided right when I needed it!

Several other people have since donated money for my trip and it was all out of the blue-things that I could only look at and say "God provides!" Then, about 3 days ago, I was counting up my money and saw that I only had $45 more that I needed to raise for my trip to be completely funded!!! I posted on facebook that I was almost to my goal. Less than 10 minutes after posting to fb, a very sweet lady that I call "Mama Peeps" (long story...) called me and said  that she and her husband saw my fb post and wanted to help me finish out what I needed. She asked me how much I needed and I told her. She said she would send it to me, and I hung up the phone thanking God!!!

A few hours later after work, I came home and checked my facebook. There was a message from my "Mama Peeps". This is what it said: "ok...so you know...We saved up "x" amount of cash to pay for [my daughter's] wedding...after everything was said and done and everyone was paid for, there was $45 left in the money envelope. Just happened to go look after you gave me what you needed. So we are sending you that cash. Isn't God pretty good!!!!! Yep, I think so!!!" I read this message, and I was literally speechless. I had tears in my eyes, I was so in awe of what God had done - for me!!! I still am!

That same day (before this message), I was super excited about having all the money, but then I started thinking about all of the extra money I would need (Belize charges an exit tax of $40, and there are 2 meals that we have to pay for on our own, and I would love to get some souveneirs for some of my friends and family though that's not a must!). But I caught myself thinking this and told myself that I needed to continue trusting God. That's when I got home and checked my facebook and saw that message. In addition to that message, I also had a Mary Kay order, someone who wanted to donate money, AND a card that had come in the mail with another donation in it. God is good, my friends!!!

And THAT is why I am excited for this trip!! I can see in the way that God has provided that He has big plans for this trip, and I can't wait to be a part of them!



P.S. At last count, I had almost $200 more than I needed for the trip!!! Praise God!! Soli Deo Gloria!! I'm reminded of this passage from Ephesians 3:
"¹⁴ For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
 ²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

Amen.