Missio Dei

It's quiet in my house this morning. Both girls are sleeping and I finally have a moment to sit in peace and write down my experience and my thoughts that have been circling in my head. When I agreed to take on the Backpack project for Roseland, my expectations were that I would send out some emails, wait for the backpacks to come and in and then deliver them to Roseland on Sunday, August 16th. I knew it would fulfill an important purpose, but honestly, I must confess that I thought it would be a simple project.

Sunday, August 9th:

John and I come home with 17 backpacks. We already had 3 at home and I knew we had 5 - 6 out there that had not been delivered. Today was the deadline and we had 25 - 26 backpacks. What happened? We had sent out the emails, put it on Facebook, put it in the bulletin and made an announcement. Our goal had been published at 75. Just a few weeks ago, we easily met our goal of 47 games for Roseland. Why didn't people respond to this one? Excuses of being a nomadic church, the economy and others surfaced in our conversation.

Monday, August 10th:

I talked with Paul. We agreed to send an email explaining where we were at in the process in order to try to get a few backpacks. We can't show up with 25 backpacks for 70 plus children!! Then I get a phone call - "I have 5 backpacks plus 13 empty backpacks!" Wow, I have not even sent out the email and we have 31 plus 13 empty. How am I going to fill 13 empty backpacks? Idea: If people donate, I can go shopping!

Tuesday, August 11th:

6:00am - I send Paul the email and within 15 minutes he sends it on to his list. By 7am, we get our first $25 donation. That was quick! Throughout the morning, I receive phone calls and emails asking questions or telling me they have backpacks or supplies. I continue to get texts and emails from Paul saying more donations have come in. I realize - I have to keep track of all of these details or I am going to have no idea what we have for Sunday. So I start a list and I also start to get excited about the response. Wow, people are coming through. At 4:45pm, I load my car up with 20 backpacks from one donor alone!! What are you doing? He responds, "You asked!" I laugh and drive my full van home!

Wednesday, August 12th:

John and I sit down at 5am to figure this all out. I have to go shopping today and I have to be organized. I start to add everything up. We received $425 in donations - Praise God! Plus backpacks. I realize I now have 51 completed backpacks! I still have 13 empty backpacks to fill. What a change from Monday. Then, item by item, I write down what I think each thing costs. I figure out what I need to purchase to fill the 13 backpacks. I still have over $250 left. If each backpack is $20 - 25 a piece, I can get an additional 11 complete backpacks. Did you do the math yet? 51 + 13 + 11 = 75!! Do you see? Do you get it? I could not have organized it this way. There is no way that any of us could have known that each response would lead to exactly 75 backpacks - Our goal!! John and I sit there in tears at the awesome power of our God and Saviour. We are going to have 75 packs to take to Roseland.

Now I can't wait to go shopping! I call Laura TenClay, the volunteer coordinator and our contact at Roseland for this project. I wanted to make sure that we were buying appropriately. What happens if we go over 80 packs - can they use this number? We agree they can use that many packs as well as additional supplies for older students. With their different ministries, they use the supplies in various ways for these students in the community. Shopping is over and I come home totaling my receipts. There were some good deals - notebooks for a penny at Staples! I know we didn't spend everything - in fact, we only spent $300 ($299.77 to be exact!!). I still had $125 to go - Wow! More packs to come. I find out that 9 more packs were brought to camp on Wednesday also!

Thursday, August 13th:

I show up to camp and there is another check in my box with a donation. What is going on? People who do not even attend Missio Dei continue to respond. About 3pm in the afternoon, I get a call from another person outside of Missio Dei interested in helping with the project. We discussed what has happened and I honestly explained that we have reached our goal so I understand if she chooses to not donate. She still responds and sends in a sizeable check. I am in awe! But what do we do. She has expressed her flexibility in what we do with the money so I know that perhaps we need to do something besides buy more backpacks.

After talking with Nathan Phillips and Paul Vroom, we agree that I will call Laura Ten Clay again!! I explain to Laura that I have 90 backpacks plus $500 in donations that Nathan and Paul agreed we shouldn't spend on backpacks. She asks "How many backpacks can you buy for that money?". "Probably another 30 packs since I actually averaged under $20 per pack." She laughs and giggles in excitement. Then she explains her ideas of what we could do with the money. We can purchase more expensive items for the older students or they have an after school program that they do not have funding for. She explains it is about $750 to fund for the year! I said, "Did you say $750?" Then I explain to her that I not only have $500 but I also have $150 that I was going to still spend on supplies. That is $650 of your funding! She says to me "Leah, that would be an answer to prayer. I was just struggling today wondering if we were going to be able to continue that program for this year!"

Again, my heart leaps through my chest as I realize how God has prompted everything this week: from each person responding with a donation, a backpack and supply to the details of my shopping. I could have spent every penny. But no, He prompted me to wait! This can't get any better! At the end of my work day on Thursday, 2 more completed packs show up and 1 bag of supplies for a complete pack - but no pack. I think, well I could go buy another bag. But I remember my promise to Laura. "I won't spend another penny." Bummer I think - it would be nice to have another pack. My thought continue to "maybe John and I can buy another one."

Friday, August 14th:

I go shopping for groceries and think "I could buy that pack." But I really feel that I should not buy it. I sense that either God will provide another pack or we will just have loose supplies to take. In the afternoon, I get a call from Julie at camp. She says, "Hey, another empty backpack was just dropped off. How can I get it to you since Matt and I are leaving tonight?" I smile - another detail covered by God!

I guess this wasn't such a simple project after all!