Yesterday was the second Kingdom Builder Sunday at my home church in Napa, CA. I have always loved Kingdom Builder Sunday's where we get to here from missionaries around the world and here in our home city about what they are doing in the Kingdom. We sign our giving pledges for the next year and cover the wonderful men and women in prayer as they go.

This year however was different and not because of COVID (thank goodness!), it was different because I was now a Kingdom Builder being supported. Me. Marissa, a missionary. Some might say I am a...Marissionary! I have to give credit where credit it due and I did not make that up, my good friend and mentor Jordan Abina did. Seeing my name on the list of Kingdom Builders was a special moment. Although, I was always a Kingdom Builder I have now just changed roles in HOW I am building the Kingdom.

I am so thankful for my home city, church, and church family that have supported, encouraged and prayed me through this journey thus far. I could not have made it here without them.

I have had a few people ask me over the few years about fundraising. It can feel like the fundraising is taboo. If you know, you know but if you don't, forget it. Fundraising can be so frustrating.

I really don't understand why the word "fun" resides within the word fundraising because honestly I have never had much fun with it. The ideas of cold calling semi-strangers to explain why I need them to give me money yet I have not responded to their Facebook requests can be a tricky conversation to navigate. I might be acting slightly dramatic but whose paying attention! I really don't enjoy fundraising at all, but I do love being a part of a God miracle. 

Fundraising is an absolute necessary part of missions. In order to put all money, resources, energy we have towards the call of missions I don't take a paycheck so I fundraise what I need to live in order to devote myself to this work. I was aware that I would become my own fundraiser, but in a truer sense I knew this would set me up to need Gods provision in a new way. A true piece of truth and wisdom is to remember God is always working even when I am unaware. He has not only called me to go but He has specifically called and anointed people to give and send. Each call are sacred and needed. Not one over the other. This is why the #1 strategy we have in fundraising is prayer. If you over look prayer, you will always be frustrated because you are trying to do a God thing without God- it's fruitless. Prayer partners us with God, with His Spirit, His Favor, His Authority, and His Heart. Don't diminish taking time to partner with The One who called you.

Have you ever heard, "it's easier to direct and moving car rather than a dead one" well it's true. As I move to seek God for provision through odd jobs, sharing my story, selling art, babysitting, AND making the phone calls, making the asks, and most importantly staying in prayer.

If you are a missionary or called yet fundraising has kept you from walking it out, I want to say if God can provide for me- He can provide for you. 

Currently I am writing this still in need of meeting my fundraising goal but I understand as I am faithful in work God certainly is ALWAYS faithful in His work.
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Life feels like these puzzle pieces right now. I don't know how they fit together and it's a bit overwhelming. Slowly but surely they are coming together. I wonder if you have ever felt like this or perhaps you DO feel like this because...2020 has been that kind of year. We all probably started off the year with some "puzzle pieces" and had a vision of how some of those would begin to fit together. Then, well you know what happened. We still have those same pieces but they may not make as much sense right now.

I am anchored by the faithful history I have with my Heavenly Father. He has brought my puzzle pieces together time after time. When I thought I knew the timeline but ended up waiting two more years to go to India it proved to be the perfect time because I met new friends who would turn out to be my greatest source of encouragement. When I got laid off from a wonderful non-profit because of a lack of funding I found a new position at missions non-profit that would propel me into my future as a missionary. And when I heard God tell me to go to Spain as a missionary but the ENTIRE world shut down, I have been approved and found abundant financial support to send me.
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All of this to remind you and myself again that God does know what He is doing with the puzzle pieces in our lives.