Support raising

Money came in from all parts of the US. People I didn't expect, people I didn't even send letters too!!

The most interesting was when I was a week away from needing to turn in all of my money. I was still around 1500 dollars short of the goal. I sent a message via facebook to friends asking them to pray for gifts, and was immediately responded to from someone who had been in none other than my Russian class. But let me explain further. This young man had graduated after my first year of Russian. I knew he is a Christian, but I also didn't really know him. Sure we sat next together for a lot of the year, but we didn't necessarily talk. Much.

I knew too, that he had gone to Russia for awhile post-grad, so perhaps there was a vested interest. But again, we hadn't talked since winter quarter even. After all, he was not taking the class for a grade, and didn't even show several days of the week (it was a 4 times a week class).

All this to say, he responded to my facebook message explaining that he sent a check in the mail. "Sweet," I think, "a little closer to my goal!" Until the letter, nor any letter for that matter, did not come. Not in three days. Not in four...

My parents had come in town this week, and after I had hung out with them for the day, I decided to come home to sleep. Again, there was no mail on the table. Frustration.

I had some belated thank you notes I needed to put in the mail the next day, and when I opened the mailbox, I realized the Banichs hadn't even checked the mail! "That explains it," I thought. And sure enough, my Russian friend's envelope, which I immediately opened when I had gotten into my car.

"Fifty." Dramatic pause. "No wait, there's another zero." Dramatic pause number two. "Five hundred dollars. Five hundr--!!!!" If I were standing, I think it would have been the first time for me to faint.

Should I mention that the very next day, God provided the rest of the funds through my church? Within two days, I collected over the expected amount (add in a couple other friends who sent money in). And as I type this, I believe that God does this all the time. It's proving that He is the one doing the work. As Louie Giglio had once put it (roughly), "I pick the little guy to do the God-sized task, so that no one can possibly mistake the little guy for God."

I must tell you, so that you may be encouraged. Because maybe you also haven't heard these stories enough, even though they do happen all the time.