First Big Distraction

What is the one thing that discourages us more than anything to not do something? MONEY! Whenever an expensive idea is presented to a typical person, the first response is: “I can’t afford to do that” or “I don’t have enough money.” As with any big trip, my first hurdle was earning enough money. The trip to Tanzania was estimated to cost $5,000. Since we were going in July, the highest tourism month, plane tickets alone were around $3,000. If you are anything like me, I don’t have much extra money lying around. I was faced with the reality that I had less than six months to earn the money needed.

Right away I took advantage of any opportunities to make money that came my way. I began with options to earn money at work. I subbed during my prep time, scored basketball games after school, and applied to teach summer school. I knew this would not be enough, so I had to start thinking outside the box. What else could I do? I started to use past skills acquired over 20 years ago by giving haircuts to friends, mostly kids since I was out of practice.


Gus Fesemyer

 I took advantage of my husband’s skills and our current market to sell items on E-Bay. Jim found items at garage sales, flea markets, and auctions to sell for a profit. I used some of my free weekends to babysit for family and friends.

But it didn’t take long for discouragement to take over. After two months, I barely made a dent into the total amount I needed. Right away, I started to think that this trip was a bad idea. There was no way I could come up with this much money in such a short time. I was put to the test when volunteering at a youth retreat. I set my purse on a counter in the kitchen.  I had $200 in an envelope marked Africa that I had earned subbing at school. When I left, the purse was open, and the envelope was gone.  My first reaction was total frustration.  But after talking to the youth leaders about the situation, I realized that someone in that building needed the money more than I did. So we actually prayed for the person, asking God’s blessing over them and that the money would help overcome the challenges they were facing. I realized if I do my part and keep my eyes on the bigger picture, God will pull through.  A quote from Joel Osteen,"When you do the right thing when the wrong thing is happening, God sees it and He rewards it."

The next weekend at church, a friend from my growth group handed me an envelope before service and said she wanted to support my trip. "That’s cool," I thought. I put the envelope in my purse and didn’t open it until later.  To my surprise the check was a significant amount. When I saw the check I just began to cry. How could just the week before my faith be challenged and now I received a check that surpassed that money by a long shot? I couldn’t believe someone would invest so much money in me. I went and talked to the donor to see if they were sure. They reassured me that they believed in me and wanted to support local people doing mission work. I believe God honored me, when I honored him. I could have gotten mad at the person who stole my money and held a grudge against them. But instead I made a choice to stay focused on my wall and move forward.  So I had a complete attitude change that day and I knew I would be able to raise the money.