I realize that Christmas isn’t always an easy time emotionally for everyone. Perhaps this is your first Christmas without a loved one because of death or great distance (I’m missing my son for sure). Maybe your finances aren’t what they used to be and you feel the societal pressure to “keep up with the Jones.” However, it may be an exciting time. Perhaps you’re newly in love, newly married (like yours truly), or have a child celebrating Christmas for the first time. Whatever you are experiencing, let me remind you of what the angel said to the shepherds.

“And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”‭‭ (Luke‬ ‭2:10-11‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

It’s good news of great joy for ALL people. Regardless of what you’re currently experiencing. A savior has been born, but that’s not the best part. The best part is that he died! Jesus died for our sins and paid a ransom for all of us and that anyone who would believe might have everlasting life! What an awesome time to be alive because it’s already been done. All we have to do is believe! Whatever your experience is this Christmas, I pray the Greatest Gift, The Good News of the Gospel is your Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love!

If you’ve followed my life at all over the past few years, you most likely know that I work as a missionary. Primarily in urban settings with the poor and ostracized, and who are often homeless. You probably also know that I raise my salary via donations from others for income. I apologize if it has ever seemed annoying or nagging as that’s never been my intention. I’m only looking to share the need and invite you to be a part of the journey. So what I’ve been thinking about, is maybe I haven’t been clear as to why I choose to live like this and its significance. So here it is in a “nutshell.”  I made a personal choice to live my life for God by following the example He gave us through Jesus, and there are three key aspects of this I want to share.

Since the beginning, God has shown us that He is a pursuing God and that He wants to share His Love and Glory. He wanted to share the garden and all its splendor with Adam and Eve, but even after they had sinned, because of His Love, he pursued them. God has demonstrated this again and again throughout the Bible, and especially through Jesus.

God sent Jesus to be “Emmanuel” or “God with us,” and gave us many examples of His pursuing nature. Throughout his ministry, Jesus didn’t just stay in one place and wait for people to come to him, but rather he traveled to the people, including to his disciples as he recruited them. In the Great Commission, after his death and resurrection, Jesus tells us to do the same. This is why I’m committed to going to the people, and meet them where there at.

(The next two points should help make the support raising make more sense.)

Being fully God, Jesus could have done anything he wanted, yet during his ministry on earth he lived on the financial support of others and he instructed his disciples to do so as well. Yes, even though he performed countless miracles of healing, multiplied food to feed the masses, and even though he could make money “show up” just as he made money appear in the mouth of a fish to pay a tax, he still chose to allow others to support him for his own earthly needs. Why? It gave the cheerful giver a chance to take part in God’s Kingdom building work and they were blessed in return for doing so.

Most importantly, while being fully God, Jesus was also fully human. He allowed himself to experience the pain, the emotions, and even the shame we all go through. He showed us that He knows what it’s like to be us, completely redefining our relationship with God, and how important it is for us to be in relationship with others. By living on support, it allows me to experience what it means to be fully dependent on others for help and assistance, and to even struggle when necessary.

The people we serve, often can’t rub two pennies together. Being in this position gives me a greater opportunity to show empathy and understanding and more genuinely relate to the need to ask others for help. It also allows me to understand why so often people don’t ask others for help because of pride and trust issues. In addition, it gives me a greater voice when it comes to encouraging those we serve to ask for help. I can share with them how I cannot do anything on my own, but only because of my relationship with Jesus and others, am I able to commit to this work and be blessed enough to have a place to call home.

Personally, raising support has been a real challenge for me. I have dealt with pride my entire life. I always want to be the one who takes care of people. I never want to be the “one who asks for help.” Through this process of trusting God and relying on others, I have grown so much, and it has allowed me to see the importance and benefits of being transparent and vulnerable to others. So it boils down to this:

It’s been an incredible journey so far and I’m so grateful that I get to do it. I truly would not want to live another way. I hope this gives a better perspective on why I as a missionary, I raise support. While I don’t want to speak on behalf of my fellow missionaries without their consent, I think many of them will agree with me. It’s one of the most challenging things we get to do, but it’s also one of the most rewarding things we get to do.

• Pursue those in need. 

• Allow others to take part through their gifts. 

• Be relatable to folks going through trying times by living a life fully dependent on a relationships with Jesus and others.

The worst thing that happens when we missionaries ask for support, is the message of how God is moving in our lives get shared. So if you don’t mind me sharing what I’m doing, I don’t mind you saying no.

For those of you that have been supporting me all this time, I can’t thank you enough, and I hope you’ve been blessed through the process. For those of you who that have been thinking about it, I would be thrilled to have you on my financial team.

You can click here to get started:

God has always called for us to tithe or give to Him. Not because He needs it, but as an act of worship. While my family and I may be the obvious and immediate earthly beneficiary of anyone’s gift, it is my sincere hope that you feel it’s a gift to God for something greater and that you only cheerfully give and are blessed by it.