Today, I undertook a huge step in fundraising that I’ve never attempted on my own before. And the truth is I still didn’t do this on my own. A support dinner.  Honestly I was blown away.  In the beginning I was overwhelmed with the work.  And the help came just in time to have everything set up before people arrived.

Donations for auctions were a success, decorations simple, but sharp.  Food, (thanks mom and dad) was AMAZING!  It’s really amazing how a body can do so many things, becase we each have our own gift sets and priorities.  I was overwhelmed with worry about 1 hour before (when I felt like I was doing it alone… see last blog post! to confirm that our feeling are not always the truth!!!) the dinner, and 40 minutes into the dinner overwhelmed with thanksgiving, because I struggled to find a seat at my own dinner!!!  It’s amazing how the exact same feeling can overcome you in both a positive and negative light.

Having people from so many different walks of life in the same room is always such a joy.  I  bought 80 name tags for people to get to know each other, and I RAN OUT OF TAGS!  WE HAD TO SET UP ANOTHER TABLE, we stopped attempting to count around that 85 mark… I feel so loved, supported and thankful.  (here’s some iPhone pictures for you!)

Thanks to Nathanael for helping with an living room/interview sharing.  I am convinced that for me, this was the best way to “dump” information to a large amount of people, and I was thankful for the interaction between the “audience” and myself… I giggled at the question, “how many people work at the organization you’ll be with, and what’s the guy to girl ratio” It really felt like a big family discussion.

And now the great reveal… This fundraising dinner raised a total of $3,510, that’s over 1/3 of the total amount of needed for the journey. I would say a smashing success, and a major confirmation for this trip.  (Thanks Rachel for the sweet bucket!  You had the foresight to make it large enough to fit every penny!)

So, now the event is done, the word is out, and it’s time to keep going!   THIS IS REAL!  (I have to keep telling myself that.)

Thanks ladies for posting this picture on your Facebook!

Currently, I am at $7,083 of my $10,000 goal.  (Including my personal contribution).  God is so good.  He truly does provide for the path He leads us down.

If you would like to help raise that number, feel free to visit this site for more information:

THANK YOU.