Isn’t it funny how God’s plans are always better than ours? Most of the people on this trip didn’t know they were going on a mission trip to Chicago 2 months ago. I certainly wasn’t planning on going, let alone leading a mission trip anytime soon. Yet here I am. It’s been a wild and crazy ride so far, but it’s been great.
With our shortened time frame, I sought to make this trip as easy as possible to for people to join. I worked with Global Outreach to try and make the budget as slim as possible, so fundraising wouldn’t be a huge challenge. We decided to rent a minivan and drive instead of fly, to keep costs low. And we decided to brave the 14 hour drive without stopping for the night. I can be such a cheapskate sometimes…
Growing up poor, money has always been the thing I worried about. I am very conscious of how much things cost. But for some reason, I never worried about raising enough funds for this trip. I knew God would provide. And with your support, He definitely has provided, in more ways than one.
When searching for minivan rentals, most of the places we checked were either too expensive or didn’t have any minivans in stock. But we were able to find a great deal on a premium minivan for the price of a standard minivan rental. Let’s just say that God hooked us up!
Through the gracious offer of a dear couple, we were able to stay at a nice house in Marion, North Carolina (Thanks Bud & Carol!). This has allowed us to have a nice break in our long drive to Chicago. Although we are comfortable in our minivan, we would probably go insane being cooped up for 14+ hours together on a seemingly endless ride.
My main concern when planning this trip was finding enough people. When I became leader, 3 people were signed up, myself included. My challenge was to find at least 3 more people who could raise enough support in 30 days. Everyone I asked couldn’t go for one reason or another. In God’s timing, the team members presented themselves. And let me say, I couldn’t hand picked a better team than I have right now.
I am amazed at how quickly these 6 people have become a team. Watching the team grow from 3 to 6, from strangers to family has been a huge blessing for me. I am really excited about what God has in store for us in Chicago.
Our first leg of our journey is complete. Today, we head toward Chicago, Rich and Dori’s open arms, the Edgewater community, and a collision with Christ. Please keep us in your prayers, they are definitely affecting this trip in tangible ways.
– Ernesto
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