When Micah and I were engaged we decided to take a Dave
Ramsey: Financial Peace course. We had
heard that a lot of marital spats stemmed from finances so we wanted to start
as strong as possible, especially knowing (well thinking anyway) we would be
living on teacher salaries our whole lives.
Little did we know we would actually be living on donor support as
missionaries for three years and counting.
We have tried our best to follow our Financial Peace plan, envelopes and
all. We have tried to save up an
emergency fund. We have tried to be good stewards of what God has blessed us
with. But to be honest, it is really really hard. Yes, I could write for hours about the ways
God has provided for us but even so it is still difficult to live month to
month hoping and praying your supporters don't forget about you. Making every decision hoping you don't offend
a supporter. Only slightly more
difficult is asking for the support in the first place. The thought always runs through my head,
"Who am I to be asking anyone for money.
It was our choice to adopt, not theirs, and now I am asking them to pay
for it?" In America when we needed
more money we would just work more for it.
Micah would take on extra hours at the golf course, I would do different
jobs at school. But here, that is not an
option, although I did try to sell my cakes for a while… I sold three. Here we have to ask our family and friends
when we need extra funds and that is hard! So hard and humbling.
It seems like every time we have some money saved up (the
money that family and friends have so generously given to us) and we are in a
comfortable situation, something happens and we need more for this reason or
that. So, once again I face my pride and
ask. I write my blog about why we need
money this time and think "When are they going to get tired of
me?" But I bite the bullet and do
it anyway, and I pray. I pray that God
will bless my writing, I pray that He would call someone to give, I pray that
someone will be obedient to His calling just one more time. And He always comes through! In our three years in Cambodia we have not
ever missed a meal, yes, there has been a few weeks that we lived on eggs and
Mama Mei (Ramen Noodles) but God always provides for us.
So, here I am again… asking God to bless this writing,
asking for Him to speak to your hearts, asking that someone be obedient to His
calling.
Last week Micah met with our adoption lawyer and settled on
a price ($4000), we were pretty excited because we were only a little short of
that in our savings account and we still had some supporters in America waiting
on the word to give their "Change for Adoptions." Then Saturday happened… Micah woke up with
appendicitis and needed emergency surgery (Blog Link). In going back and forth from home to the
clinic I had to dip into our savings to pay the tuktuks and to buy quick and
easy food because I just didn't have time or energy to cook the meals I had
planned for the week. And of course
today we got the bill for his surgery and hospital stay…$747 (still a lot
cheaper than America) and that leaves us needing help once again. At this point we still need $1300 for the
lawyer (this still doesn't cover visas and such but we will cross that bridge
after adoptions are final) and our doctor bill of $747. We know that everything happens in God's
perfect timing and that He will work everything out for His good but we also
know that in order to receive we have to ask.
So I am asking you, reader, family member, friend, whoever you
may be to ask God what He would have you do.
Is He asking you to give? Is He
asking you to pray for us? Is He asking
you to send an encouraging word?
Whatever your case may be all I ask is that you be obedient to God.
Thanks,
Kelsi
No comments:
Post a Comment