The three things I learned while raising support
Jimena* recently packed a moving van and headed out on a roadtrip to a new culture. Or, rather, to 100 new cultures.
Jimena now lives in one of the most diverse communities in North America, a place where so many refugees have been resettled that her neighbors will represent more than 100 nationalities. Jimena immigrated to the US as a child, so she relates to the challenges of learning English and often not fully understanding what’s going on around you.
Though Jimena grew up in the church, took on leadership roles at a young age, and is mature in ministry beyond her years, her knowledge of missions was quite limited when she first connected with SEND. Here’s what she learned in the months between joining SEND and packing that moving van:
1. Dependence on the Lord’s provision
“This was my first time being exposed to a faith mission. I didn’t realize I was going to be raising personal support! I couldn’t even start to do it. God was humbling me. Those first few months were rough! But I can see the difference in my character and personality since I stepped out in faith and the Lord provided.”
2. Necessity of prayer
“I started posting daily prayers in a private group on social media. People feel really connected to this group. I need this prayer for direction because, where I’m serving, there’s so much to do. You need to seek out what God has for you.”
3. Trust in the Lord’s timing
“I set a goal to reach 100 percent support by the end of March, but when March 31 rolled around, I was at 90 percent. I wrote down a prayer: ‘Lord, if I don’t raise the support today, still glory to you. But if I do, I pray that it exalts and glorifies you and people can see your power through it.’ Less than 24 hours later—I was at 100 percent. What should have been done in 2-3 months was done in less than a day. God’s timing was perfect.”
Missionary life offers many opportunities to practice dependence, trust, and prayer, so these three lessons will serve Jimena well as she serves her new community.
*Name changed to protect her ministry.
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