Life on the Plateau

Our monthly support is at 40%. We need to be at 100% by November to leave in January, and I find myself having to pray out the anxiousness brought on by waiting. About 10 years ago, when I was in high school, my mom was going through medical testing, and the waiting was wearing us out. It was so intense, in fact, that it inspired our senior pastor to write a series of sermons on "waiting" and what God can do during those times. Each week he'd end his sermon with an interesting question, and then he'd say, "and for the answer, you'll have to wait until next week." I wish I could remember those sermons now. We are in a definite season of waiting...but it's the busiest waiting I've ever encountered. First support rushed in, and now it's slowed. So we're working hard to put plans into action, mail out more letters, make some calls, set up some events, sell the house, sell our stuff, and get ourselves ready to go.
Yeah, this is a tough process, but I never question whether we're meant to go anymore, like I did 2 years ago in the beginning. Now it makes so much sense that I can honestly say I've only been this certain of four other things in my life 1. Marrying Justin, 2. Having Alex, 3. Having Nathan, 4. Finishing college...and now, 5. Serving in Peru with Food for the Hungry.
So why do I question the rate at which the support comes in? Because I like to have control, and I don't get to have it right now...Little Gillian, Big God. We praise God HUGE for the funds that have come in already b/c it's evidence that prayer is working, and we're now at the first milestone just in time to go through training in Thailand in August. It's hard not to get discouraged anyway because 40% means we're not done yet. It'd be easier if we could just work for a regular company to do our dream job in Peru, but this type of work just doesn't happen that way. In fact, I've come to realize what a faith-building element support raising is, and how critical it is for our training for the field. This is not just our dream job in Peru...we're leading a group of supporters who are now part of God's great work on the poverty issue in Peru. If we were just employees we'd never have the strength in our jobs as we will with all of our supporters back at home praying for us and the people we work with as well as funding the programs that will change the world one person at a time. All that to say - we made the first milestone to go to Thailand for training in August, WE WILL MAKE THE NEXT ONE...I'll just have to wait until then for God's answer.

God grant me the serenity....

Gillian