Italy Update – September 2010
Italy Update – August 2010
Top Money FAQ – Italy
In the process of getting ready for our next mission project, there are TONS of questions that we get asked quite frequently. So I decided to write a little blurb answering some of the most common questions regarding our finances:
1- How are you Paying the Bills?
This is a 100% legit question. Specially if you are a partner in our ministry or are just plain curious. Unfortunately there isn’t an easy answer to this question. Technically I am a Young Life employee. However we do not start collecting a paycheck until we raise our full support. Kinda tricky I know. So, once we raise our full support we will be deployed, payed and live ever after. Until then we are suppose to fundraise.
You might wonder, But what happens if it takes you 1/3/6/12 months to raise your budget? another excellent question. We are discussing this somber possibility with YL as we speak. It seems as if I will need to pick up a transient job while we fund-raise and one that we can just drop once we are ready for deployment.
2- So, are you going to get a job in the meantime?
It seems like it. I think I will keep shooting weddings and do some translation work as well. Photography allows me to pay some bills, keep up with my education, tithe and enough time to keep support-raising.
3- Realistically when do you think you’ll raise your Full support?
Our goal was to raise it by this September. However we quickly learned that most churches do not put together their budgets until late in the year and therefore they cannot commit to partner with us until then. Therefore we have to change our time table. It is looking more like around January.
4- What happens with all the money you raise from now until your deployment day?
It “piles up” towards our Moving Expenses and our Annual Budget.
5- So does it makes sense to give now or would it be better to give once you get deployed?
Now. The longer we take to raise our support the longer our deployment.
6- What can I do during this process?
First this is what I do not want you to do: panik. Everything is in God’s hand and this is a similar context to the apostle Paul when he wrote in Phillipians 4:13 “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” Our mission starts now, not once we get deployed. Granted we do not cut a check until then, but that’s okay. God is in control.
Now this is what I want you to do: faith. That’s right. Do faith. Do faith in your own context, with your family, work, finances, relationships, with everything you got. Our biggest appeal is for people to join us in our faith track. Stop looking at us from the stands and come on down and get dirty in the roads of faith. It’s not always pretty, but is life-full.
Why isn’t this Blog titled “When it Rome?”
Simply because the domain “when in Rome” was already taken. This blog is 100% linked to our mission to Rome, Italy. It is here to document our highs, lows, awkward and real moments getting ready to arrive to Italy. In fact I thought to call this blog RomeBound instead of FaithTrack. However I felt like the title RomeBound was too constraining and limiting.
First, while it its true that as of 2010 our faith journey seems to be taking us to Rome, the reality is that the focus should be in FAITH not in ROME. Rome is the result of our 2010 Faith. Rome is a destination whereas Faith is a catalyst. Faith is what is taking us to Rome, and not the other way around.
It was by Faith that we served in the Dominican Republic, came to Florida, departed from Young Life, moved to Dublin GA, begun my Masters studies, left my secured job, re-join Young Life, moved in a two bedroom with 5 kids and a dog with my in-laws (until God knows when) and have absolutely NO IDEA what the future holds. But I know the ONE who holds it.
Update Newsletter July
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