In the last week, we have been overwhelmed by the response from so many precious friends offering encouragement, prayer, and support as we prepare to go. As of today, we have 17 days until we leave! Wow! It’s just so hard to believe it is finally almost here! Slowly but surely, we are beginning to see the floor again in the house, and the mini storage is being packed up as tightly as it possibly can. ha!
I wanted to send this quick note because we have received many emails in the last week asking how people can help support our family financially. I can’t tell you how this blesses my heart. I know how tight things are in this economy we live in, and so for anyone to desire to help us financially, I am just blown away with gratitude! As we have prepared to enter the full-time mission field, I think the hardest thing for me has been accepting the generosity of others – not because we don’t appreciate it – we do appreciate it very much – but we have just never been in a position where we were completely – totally – dependent on God’s moving in people’s hearts to support us. We both resigned from our jobs and sold everything we have in order to be able to afford to do this, but in order for us to continue after our cushion is gone, we will have to raise support. We have absolutely no doubt that God will provide, but if we don’t share our needs, people won’t know what God is calling them to do or how to help. So here goes…..
Because we no longer have a permanent US address, the best way to contribute to our ministry is to send a check written to But God Ministries mailed to the following address:
But God Ministries – Nursing Ministry
1440 N. State Street
Jackson, MS 39202
Put on the memo line “Nursing Ministry” as well. This will designate it specifically to our family in Haiti. There is an electronic way to do it as well. You can go to the But God Ministries website:
http://www.butgodministries.com and click on the Donate tab. I think there is a place on there where you can include a “Note”. That is where you would note that the donation is specifically for the Nursing Ministry. Of course, to be on the safe side, you might want to shoot Barbara Gladney an email afterwards to make sure she knows that the donation made under your name is for the Nursing Ministry (The West Family). However, you would not need to put our name anywhere on a check. This creates a tax issue I think. Barbara’s email is also on the website. I think Barbara said that she has the ability to send email reminders to people who want to send on a periodic basis as well.
You know, I used to fundraise all the time for Jonathan’s karate events, but asking people to give to our ministry in Haiti is so hard! I guess it is because I fear that people don’t understand why we are going in the first place. Someone asked me a few months ago, “Why Haiti when so many people in America have needs?” And my response was, “We didn’t choose Haiti. God chose Haiti for us.” There are so many people out there who don’t understand about how God calls us to specific places for specific reasons. He sends people to places in the US, and He sends people to places in other countries. We don’t know why He chose Haiti for us, but we do know that He did indeed chose this place and this time for us, and to alter that direction would be disobedient. We are learning how to be missionaries, though, and I think that there will come a day when it is easier for me to ask for help.
Please feel free to email me if you have any questions at all. My email is tnmwest@gmail.com
I will post more later as we move closer to the departure date.
Blessings to you all!
Mickie
haitiwest 