Pride, humility, and $5000 March 14, 2010

Today marks the end of the two week period for our project. Last night we tallied all the donations received to date. We were just shy of $3600. A great effort. One that we are very excited about, but we’d just been so sure that God was telling us to raise $5000 in two weeks to build a well for Just Hope International that, in the honest places in our hearts, we were a little disappointed. What’s that saying about pride being the root of all sin?  We reminded ourselves that this story was not ours to begin with. The purpose was to invite others to participate in something bigger than any of us and to see where the Holy Spirit could take our $5.  So we prayed that God would take whatever we had– all the donations that friends and family and strangers had given to us, all the enthusiasm we have had for this project, and the great need for this well to be build in Sierra Leone…

We weren’t sure exactly what next steps to take… do we go ahead and give Just Hope International an uncompleted well fund of $3600?  Do we continue our project for a longer period of time in order to get to $5000? My prayer last night was for God to take what we had and make it fit the need–just as Christ and the disciples did as they fed the 5000 from 5 fish and loaves of bread.

The weekend that we received our $5 in the “Living a Better Story” project, there were 2500 envelopes passed out. Unknown to us as we were deciding to build a well with Just Hope International, a group of junior and senior guys from our youth ministry was also deciding that they would combine the money each of them had received and try to raise enough money to build a well with… JUST HOPE INTERNATIONAL.  Initially, neither of us knew about the other’s efforts and by the time we realized it, both of our projects were well underway. (ha!)

This morning, Travis spoke to one of the senior guys leading the project.  We’ve had rainy, gross weather in the last few weeks, but last Saturday we ended up with an uncharacteristically warm and sunny day. That happened to be the day that these guys had planned a car wash to raise money for their well. They’d pooled their money to buy supplies and on that Saturday were able to raise just over $1400– pretty good for a car wash fundraiser, but not quite enough for a well.

Does anyone see where this is going? We raised almost $3600. They raised just over $1400. Neither of our groups could do this alone; however, each of our groups raised the EXACT amount of money that the other one needed to complete a well.  I suppose this could be nothing more than coincidence, but it seems Travis and I have been experiencing a lot of coincidences lately surrounding this project. So, this morning, our groups decided to combine our efforts and bring clean water to an area of Sierra Leone, Africa!

As I write this, I realize how crazy this story sounds. Almost unbelievable. In fact, if it had not happened to me, my skepticism would probably make me doubt that parts of it are true. I don’t think all stories can be tied up neatly at the end as we want them to be or that we can always see the fruit of our efforts, but I am confident in this:  “In  all things, God works together with those who love him to bring about what is good—with those who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28.

And so, this chapter of our story comes to an end…incredibly. Five to five thousand… it actually happened. I’ve often wondered if I recognize the miracles that I am sure happen around me all the time. Reflecting on this, I can only say I think I may have witnessed a miracle in this community effort and seeing it,  I am in awe, a little unsettled, and overwhelmingly grateful to have seen and believed. Thank you for being a part of this adventure with us. Thank you for your compassion, your enthusiasm, and your willingness.

We can’t wait to see where the next chapter of our story takes us!

Tally to Date March 14, 2010

Hello, friends!

Sorry for the delay in updating the last couple of days. The update for tonight is $3529. After nearly 2 weeks, we are feeling so good about this project and can hardly believe how this has happened. WOW! We can’t wait to hear more tomorrow about the other projects that have grown out of the “Living a Better Story” challenge.

Lucky Thirteen and then some March 12, 2010

We are having some special family time to celebrate Amanda’s Grandmother’s 82nd birthday with her extended family. Updates and totals will be slow. We continue to be AMAZED at the progress of this project and grateful for all those who are donating, praying, and encouraging us in it. Thank you for being a part. We’ll keep you posted soon!

Day Twelve March 11, 2010

Great day! We are just over $3100!

Thanks for continuing to share our efforts and this story with others. We are on our way to $5000!

Just Hope March 10, 2010

I love the name of the organization that we are partnering with to build this well. Just Hope.  Simply hope? Hope for justice? I don’t know, but the more I learn about this organization, the more excited I am that so many of you have helped to support it through this well project.  After speaking to the founder of Just Hope last week, I believe the well that we will be sponsoring will be in Sierra Leone. Below are some pictures from the JHI website and some information about the organization that YOU are supporting when you donate to this well. THANK YOU! We can’t wait to see what the next few days bring!

When it comes to helping people in need, we have two choices. We can continue enabling to the point of dependence – or we can move beyond charity and embrace empowering to the point of independence. Our philosophy is simple. We empower people to break through the cycle of poverty and brokenness.

Our philosophy is simple. We empower people to break through the cycle of poverty and brokenness.

Our mission: to meet basic human needs in places where people have been exploited, neglected, or forgotten and to empower them to hope for a brighter future.

Our vision is to change the world, one child and one community at a time.

Our strategy is proven. To begin we address the basic needs that are lacking in areas throughout the world. These may include water, food, or shelter. When life’s basic needs have been addressed, we work with people, helping them build their own micro-businesses and improving their access to education. This instills the dignity so desperately needed to make real progress toward self-reliance and independence. Our ultimate goal is to break the cycle of poverty by empowering people to take responsibility for their own lives.

JHI has completed projects in the United States, Central America, South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. The seeds of hope are being planted around the world and will be nurtured to ensure the proper environment for growth.

Day Eleven March 10, 2010

Slow day on day eleven, but we are so close to another milestone! Hope we get there by tonight! Total=$2978!

Day Ten March 9, 2010

Headed to bed a bit early tonight…grand total for Day 10: $2938. That’s right, we are just $62 shy of $3000! We have promises of more donations on the way and word of this project and the community effort to make it happen continues to spread.

Day Nine March 8, 2010

We are at $2638 collected and more pledged via messages that just hasn’t made it to us yet. Officially past the 1/2 way point!

My favorite Twenty-One for Water story of the day:

The same nursery worker (who is a high school student) that handed me $20 when I dropped off our son in the nursery last week at church, handed me an additional $20 when I dropped him off this week. When I picked him up, I found an additional $40 tucked in his bag with a note that said “21 for Water Thank you…”. This high school student had already contributed, but she and her sister just wanted to do a little more. I love the way that this is touching hearts.

Sharing our stories March 7, 2010

We got this letter in the mail and had to share it:

Travis and Amanda,

I love how connected people have become and how fast great ideas spread. I have no idea how, but 5to5thousand started following me on Twitter and so of course I looked at the blog and was blown away by your idea and the challenge from your church. I am so encouraged by your vision and desire to multiply your gift.

I am helping plant a church in Los Angeles where I live and last night I met with a team to discuss marketing for our public launch in April. No one liked the idea of a mailer or advertising, but we wanted to reach out to the local community. I had just learned about your idea yesterday, so I shared with the team about how we could get creative and spend the marketing budget by giving it to the church and letting them make the most of it. And they ran with it! We began brainstorming what this might look like in our community and we hope to make it happen in just a few weeks.

I love the idea of the church giving people the resources to go out and BE the church. Active participation. Thanks for your story and your work- such an inspiring idea!

Reflecting… March 7, 2010

Travis and I are having so much fun with this challenge. Each day, we eagerly anticipate the mailman and the end of the day when we tally our PayPal donations.  It can be a rush to be a part of something bigger than yourself  and get swept up in it for a week or two. We want to build a well, but that is only a chapter in the story we are writing with our lives. A special person reminded us this week that “the issues surrounding poverty are… SO BIG… and I am glad that you are becoming part of it. But here’s your warning: the more you know, and the more you learn– the less you can back away. And now that you’ve committed your hearts to this project, I anticipate that you can expect to hear God’s calling even more.“

The money you donate is important in order to build this clean water well, but Travis and I  hope you will be a part of a bigger story than this one. This is not a contest or simply seeing if we can reach a seemingly unattainable goal. This story is about real people with real families dealing with real poverty.  A few years ago, while on a medical mission trip in Honduras, I remember watching some women scrub their laundry in what appeared to be a dirty stream of water.  Some children were playing and bathing in the water as they did. As our van traveled up the rocky road, we saw animals standing and drinking just upstream of women in the same water.  Later that day, we treated some of those very women and children for parasites, infections, and skin diseases that were caused by their drinking and use of that dirty water.  I remember thinking to myself as we handed out the medication,  what water will they use to take this medicine or clean the skin infections?

I love a long, hot shower. I drink water from the filter on my fridge.  I do at least one load of laundry and run the dishwasher daily. I make sure our DOGS have fresh clean drinking water several times a day. I have a toilet that flushes- in fact I have two. I wash my hands after I’ve been in the bathroom and before I eat. I go to a swimming pool in the summer. I happen to have access to clean water and it rarely crosses my mind as I am using it.

More often than not, I am unsure of where or how to respond to the BIG needs of the world in the midst of my own hectic life, so sometimes I just don’t. What I am learning in this journey is that it doesn’t matter. Just try. Just start. Just hope. We hope you will hear God’s calling in your own lives. As that special friend told us, “Thanks for listening to <God’s calling>. Thanks for answering. Thanks for doing more than writing a check (although writing checks truly does help!).

And I hope you realize that, to use a water analogy, your drop in the bucket, ripples outward and outward and outward.“

Amen.