When God called us to be missionaries, I didn’t think we were cut out to raise the necessary funds. Because of our aversion to fundraising, we nearly turned away from the whole idea of serving with AFM. We also felt inadequate in so many other ways. But God kept making it clear that He wanted us to go to Albania.

I finally cried out in prayer, “You know I’m not capable of doing what You are asking of me. You know I’m not knowledgeable enough or good enough to be a missionary. And on top of everything, I can’t raise money. In fact, I hate the very thought of asking for money. It makes me shudder inside just to think of it. And yet, You still call. I know You don’t make mistakes, but don’t You have the wrong guy? Or maybe I’m mistaken about Your call.”

Then God brought to my mind the many times He had provided for me in incredible ways at just the right time. As I reflected, I realized that, ever since I met Him, He had been training me to trust His provision. Providing for my family was an area where I found it especially difficult to surrender control. God had to bring me through many excruciating, amazing, faith-building experiences to help me begin to gain the peace that comes from believing that He will always provide what I need. He slowly built my faith step by step to bring me to the point where I would be willing to take my family to a strange land with a strange language and strange customs and make these strangers into friends for the purpose of introducing them to their very best Friend.

Then I went back to wondering why He had called me, of all people. Maybe I had only imagined that He had called me. Surely there was someone better qualified for this job. But why else had He brought me to this point? Why else had He put the same burden in my wife’s heart at the same time without her knowing what was in mine? We were perfectly happy to stay or to go, if only we knew for sure God’s will for us. But then there was that fundraising thing . . . This back-and-forth internal dialogue was frequent and distracting. Brenda was going through the same thing. So we asked God to make His will crystal-clear to us.

One day, God seemed to speak to Brenda’s heart with a message of encouragement. “If I have called you, then I will provide the way for you to answer My call. I will enable you. Don’t be afraid, I will make sure you have what you need—even the funds.”

“Okay, fair enough,” I reasoned. “If the funds come in, it will be another confirmation of our call.” This was another faith exercise. We turned in our application to AFM. God not only provided the funds, He also made our calling amazingly clear through divine providence. He continued to point us to Albania. He also touched the hearts of people all across the country and beyond to give.

We ran into one man we had not seen for about nine months. He asked how things were going with our fundraising, and we told him how we had gone backwards some because a regular supporter had had to drop out. He asked how much we had lost, and we told him. A strange look crossed his face, and he paused for a moment before asking when we had lost that monthly support. We told him it was about the time we had last seen him. Tears filled his eyes as he quietly confessed that he had felt impressed to give that exact amount at our previous meeting but had brushed it off as just his imagination. He hadn’t thought God spoke to people like that—at least not to him. He has been a faithful supporter ever since that day more than four years ago.

Even through economic hardship, many are generously giving to further the gospel in truly unreached places of the world. They are trusting God to provide them security rather than grasping and hoarding in fear of the future. We are so encouraged and blessed to witness the faith of His people.

Even those who can’t give very much money are taking time to pray earnestly and faithfully for the missionaries and the people they touch. The time, effort and encouragement they give are extremely valuable. Their prayers are not in vain. We see the results of those prayers often.
Yesterday, for example, we were planning a long trip over the mountains near Macedonia for an upcoming special Sabbath program at a mission church and some baptisms. My friend Zaku asked if he and his teenage son could join us. What a witness that day will be to them!

Brenda tutors a 12-year-old boy named Todi. He and his family have been studying the Bible. Todi recently updated his Facebook profile. Where it says religion, he put “becoming Adventist.” He called me this morning asking me how he can become an Adventist. We are hoping his parents will make decisions to follow Jesus, too. Your prayers are heard!

Later that day, I was traveling back from the capital, and I stopped by a car dealership where I get repairs done. Our project vehicle has served us well for three years, but it is 23 years old and is beginning to cost a lot of time and money for increasingly frequent repairs. We hoped we could sell it for about $1,500 less than we had paid for it.

I asked the dealership owner how much he thought I could get for it, and he gave me a figure that was double what I had paid! I asked him to repeat himself, and sure enough, I had heard correctly. He then offered to buy it from me for that price. I was amazed and gladly agreed. I have never seen a vehicle appreciate in value like that before. So now we need only $10,000 more to upgrade to a well-maintained 2004 model. Nothing is too hard for God.

This is just an example of one day and how God’s hand moved in generous answer to your prayers. Please keep praying! And, if God has put it in your heart to help us take advantage of the opportunity to get a newer vehicle, please designate your donation “Mays vehicle.”

If you feel God calling you to go to the mission field, or to give financially to support mission work, or to give time by praying for and promoting mission work, don’t let the enemy help you come up with reasons why you can’t do it. Trust God to provide a way to do what He asks, say yes to Him and then show Him you mean it.

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