I realized that it has been a few days since my last blog so I am trying to play catch up. I want to at least finish the amazing stories that finalized the realization that I was going to Rwanda.

Our 2nd BIG payment was due March 16th ($1200). I was facing the dilemma of either paying the bills or making the payment for Rwanda. I did receive $300 from an aunt and funding also started coming in from others.

Our last payment ($650) was originally due April 1st and again I was faced with what to pay - the bills or the trip. I was talking about the upcoming trip with a friend in a local bookstore one day when a stranger joined in our conversation, took my name, and said that she was going to pray for me. I thanked her and didn't think much more of it at the time. Then, a few days later, I received a phone call from my friend at the bookstore inquiring about whether or not I was still gathering funds for the trip. When I informed him that yes I was and what my deadline was, he told me he would call me back. He called me back to inform me that that stranger (Capri) had just dropped off an envelope for me to use towards my trip. The envelope had $305 in it. That, with $100 I received from a couple at my church gave me just what I needed to pay my last payment and pay all the bills on time.

Because of our church wanting to commission our team for the trip the weekend of the 4th and 5th, we asked that our due date be moved to the 6th. On that Sunday morning, when I was sharing the story about this donation to the team leader, she had me also tell the pastor. During the second service, he decided to retell the story to the entire congregation (much to my surprise). At that time, I had had other people come up to me asking me if I still needed any funds for the trip. I had informed them that I was taken care of but I knew of two other members that were really struggling to meet the last two payments, so if they still felt led to give, then make the checks out to the ministry and it would help them finish the funding for their trip. After the service, we had people coming out of the woodwork wanting to give something towards our trip. I found out two hours later that we took in so much money during that second service, probably prompted by my story, that everyone's trip was now paid for.

This process has definitely been testing my faith and patience when it comes to God's provisions in His Timing, and not my own. He has really been revealing Himself mightily among our group and at that point we still had almost 3 weeks to go before the trip started.