We looked up this world renowned humanitarian aid group that didn't have a single negative review. After thinking on it a few days and praying about it we made the decision to work through them for this Humanitarian Aid Mission. The program required that we fundraise $4,800.00 along with purchasing our own flights. Also we would need to get shots, passports, visas, etc. the cost can definitely added up. But we had prayed about the decision and felt that we were supposed to be in Nepal this summer so we moved forward with Faith.
Miracle 1: purchasing our flights
We knew the dates we would be going so kept looking for flights. Everything was so expensive and it would cost us almost as much for flights as what we also needed to fundraise. As we got on one night to look at flights it was going to cost $5,000 to get both Keturah and I to Nepal. We kept looking and the prices just kept going up. It had been a long Tuesday and I was thinking that we would never get ourselves to Nepal. I was on the verge of calling Keturah and telling her 'we just can't afford to go and serve'. I pulled up the flights in one last effort to find anything and to my surprise the rates on everything had dropped dramatically. We ended up getting both our flights for under $2000.00. WHAT! I know right. It was a huge miracle and blessing. It once again confirmed to us that we are supposed to be in Nepal.
So with our flights purchased there was no going back. We started fundraising and I started saving and using every penny I earned to get us shots, passports, visa's everything we would need to be prepared to go.
Miracle 2: Fundraising
Neither Keturah or I had the time to fundraise the traditional way. You know bake cookies, go door to door selling things, car washes, krispy kream donuts. I had just rushed into the busiest season at work and was out of town for most of each month. Keturah was in Hawaii in school and working. Miracle 2 came from a good friend in West Virginia who heard that we needed help fundraising and sent us a site called 'gofundme.com'. It was an easy way for people to donate for a cause. It may seem like a small thing and you may not think it much of a miracle but for Keturah and I it was a huge miracle as we were searching for something.
All in all we ended up getting flights, passports, visa's, shots, and raising $1,100 in funds for Nepal. For us that seemed like a miracle in its self just to have gotten that far.
Miracle 3: The girl from Church
Five months ago I was sitting in Relief Society and met a girl from Canada. She was just visiting for the week. We had finally made the official decision to head to Nepal so of course it came up in discussion. As I told her about our plans she lit up and got so very excited. She then informed me she had just returned home form a humanitarian aid trip in Nepal the previous month. She loved it and gave me the contact information of the "Farm" she had been at and told me that one weekend while we were there we should go and visit as it was a beautiful sight and a great thing to see.
Miracle 4: Networking is Great
First before we told the group in Nepal that we hadn't fundraised enough money I reached out to this contact I had received from a Canadian girl who had been visiting at church a few months back. She had told us to visit this place that she had been at so I was decided I better reach out to them before we actually head out there. At least find out where they are and how to get there so that on a weekend we could head up there.
Scott was very kind and said it would be worth my time to come see the farm one weekend. Its a bit of a ways out there so you would need to plan for an overnight trip but we would love to have you come visit.
Miracle 5: The Group said No
Last week we reached out to the group in Nepal. We told them everything we had including the children's books we were collecting to start a library. We informed them we had been able to raise $1,100.00 of the $4,800 they had put us down for. With no hesitation at all the group said that they would not accept us if we did not pay the full $4,800. It was a crushing blow. We had tickets and everything to Nepal. We had just spent everything we had getting shots and malaria pills. We were heading to Nepal in less than 10 days and they were telling us we were not going to be allowed to come. Just writing about it brings back all the feelings of overwhelming stress that I felt. What were we going to do?
I was saying my evening prayers and just pouring out my heart to the Lord. I couldn't understand why we felt so good about Nepal and now everything was coming to a complete stop. I had prayed often during the last few month asking the Lord to let me know if we were doing the right thing. Each time I was met with this feeling of complete peace and comfort. So here I was pleading with the Lord to know what he wanted us to do. Crying out for help. Finally I just said, "Lord I can't do it. I know you want us to be in Nepal. I have had the reassuring feeling many times. I can't do it on my own. Actually I don't think I can do it at all. I am giving everything over to you. Here it is...all of Nepal. We will go and be where you want us to be. We are willing to do anything you need us to do. I will reach out to everyone I can find tomorrow about different groups in Nepal and just everyone I can. I know that I can't make it happen but you can. It's all yours."
I reached out to everyone, it didn't matter what group they were with if they had done something with Humanitarian Aid efforts, Missionary Service, anything to do with Nepal, I reached out to them.
Miracle 6: "If anything happens with your group let us know, we would love to have you on the Farm." - Scott
Miracle 7: Come with what you have
We had informed Scott we only had raised $1100. The rate with the Mountain Fund was twice that much. How would they be able to accept us at the Farm. Scott and his wife made it happen. They said come with what you have. We would love to have you at the Farm.
There would have been no way in heaven that we would have looked at the Mountain Fund and said 'yes lets work with them'. We would have never chosen the option of volunteering at 'Her Farm'. Who knows we may have seen it in our original search and totally skimmed by it. The Miracle of this all is that the Lord has a plan. He hears and answers prayers. He opens doors and moves mountains for us.
We can't wait to be in Nepal and serving the people there. We'll let you know more about the Mountain Fund and Her Farm in a later post as I've already written you a novel tonight.
Miracles Happen!!
Jenessa
Last week we reached out to the group in Nepal. We told them everything we had including the children's books we were collecting to start a library. We informed them we had been able to raise $1,100.00 of the $4,800 they had put us down for. With no hesitation at all the group said that they would not accept us if we did not pay the full $4,800. It was a crushing blow. We had tickets and everything to Nepal. We had just spent everything we had getting shots and malaria pills. We were heading to Nepal in less than 10 days and they were telling us we were not going to be allowed to come. Just writing about it brings back all the feelings of overwhelming stress that I felt. What were we going to do?
I was saying my evening prayers and just pouring out my heart to the Lord. I couldn't understand why we felt so good about Nepal and now everything was coming to a complete stop. I had prayed often during the last few month asking the Lord to let me know if we were doing the right thing. Each time I was met with this feeling of complete peace and comfort. So here I was pleading with the Lord to know what he wanted us to do. Crying out for help. Finally I just said, "Lord I can't do it. I know you want us to be in Nepal. I have had the reassuring feeling many times. I can't do it on my own. Actually I don't think I can do it at all. I am giving everything over to you. Here it is...all of Nepal. We will go and be where you want us to be. We are willing to do anything you need us to do. I will reach out to everyone I can find tomorrow about different groups in Nepal and just everyone I can. I know that I can't make it happen but you can. It's all yours."
I reached out to everyone, it didn't matter what group they were with if they had done something with Humanitarian Aid efforts, Missionary Service, anything to do with Nepal, I reached out to them.
Miracle 6: "If anything happens with your group let us know, we would love to have you on the Farm." - Scott
Miracle 7: Come with what you have
We had informed Scott we only had raised $1100. The rate with the Mountain Fund was twice that much. How would they be able to accept us at the Farm. Scott and his wife made it happen. They said come with what you have. We would love to have you at the Farm.
There would have been no way in heaven that we would have looked at the Mountain Fund and said 'yes lets work with them'. We would have never chosen the option of volunteering at 'Her Farm'. Who knows we may have seen it in our original search and totally skimmed by it. The Miracle of this all is that the Lord has a plan. He hears and answers prayers. He opens doors and moves mountains for us.
We can't wait to be in Nepal and serving the people there. We'll let you know more about the Mountain Fund and Her Farm in a later post as I've already written you a novel tonight.
Miracles Happen!!
Jenessa
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