To HIM be all the glory...
I arrived at the airport in Denver at 11:30am. Andy dropped my mom and I off curbside so we could unload the two over-sized pieces of luggage I was checking. There were no lines to speak of so checking-in was relatively painless. Bags being checked were not allowed to exceed 50lbs, anything over that would be charged a $200 fee. I plopped my 1st bag up on the scale and that ginormous thing- filled wiht clothes and candy for the orphans, gifts for the family were going to stay with, and a multitude of othere necessities (and non-necessities )- weighed 62lbs. We pulled it off the scale and took out a few pounds of chacolate; figured we could just buy it when we arrived in Brazil with the $200 we'd save by not exceeding the max weight limit. I grabbed the 2nd bad, and anxiously set it on the scale... 49.5lbs.... "Sweet, thanks God."
Moments later Kelli and her family arrived. Seeing my best friends, travel partner, and sister in Christ who I'd be sharing the next 2 months with amplified the excitement pounding inside my chest. She went and checked her bags and the keyboard we are bringing for KiKi (one of the boys we are staying with who is a music major at the college in Natal). Soon after my aunt Diane and my youth pastor, along with his beautiful family, arrived to pray over us and our trip. After a few minutes of chit-chat Matt, doing what he does best, gathered everybody around to pray.We called on the name of Jesus to guide and protect us, teach us and use us, and then we had our final good-bye hugs, a few last minute pictures, and a couple of tears. As we turned to leave our parents, family, and friends I was in shock that the day I had been waiting for, for almost a year was finally here. Kelli and I headed straight for the bathroom, into the large handicap stall to take care of some ubber important business.
Thursday I went to the bank to withdrawl the $7,600 from the account that was opened for all money raised from the $10,000 Challenge. Later that day and into Friday a few hundred in donations came in. I divided the money evenly into the 2 "top-secret" money belts and took off to the airport this morning with a total of $8,600. A few super last minute donations came in and Kelli and I went to the bathrooom to strap these money-belts to our bodies. We sat on the tile floor in the handicap stall overwhelmed with excitement and God's goodness to us. We counted the money one last time.
"Okay, here is one belt with $4,100 and heres the other with the same amount. Oh yeah and here is $200 more."
"Here is another $150 I got in the mail..."
On and on it went for a few minutes. Stunned, speechless, awe-stuck, and reminded of God's power we sat on that tile floor next to the toliet and counted $10,261!!!
PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME!
He laid this challenge on my heart 5 months ago and called Kelli to be apart of this 4 weeks ago and all it took was simple obedience. Saying "yes" to the Lords calling. Saying "yes Father I will go after this goal. I may look like a fool and people may think I'm crazy but I choose to trust in you."
Wow we serve a BIG God. NOt only did he come through, he exceeded the goals, far exceeded it! He provided $10,261 in cash for us to take. However, after doing some math, it became apparent that the Lord provided a total of over $17,000 for this mission. From the actually cash we brought, to a multitude of items and gifts for the family were staying with and the people in the villages, to our personal travel expenses the Lord came through in HUGE ways. We are literally in shock!!!
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