ACTIVATE youth ministry

Hey everyone,
This past Saturday night, 5/22/10, AYM hosted their 2nd annual Missions Banquet & Silent Auction in support of our upcoming AYM missions trip to the Dominican Republic. It was a huge success, and a great night! Before I share with you just how huge a success, let me get you up to speed…

For the past few months, our team of 14 students, and 2 leaders had been sending support letters to friends and family, and selling tickets to our banquet. The cost of the trip is about $1200 per person, and that covers the airline ticket, transportation while in the DR, food, lodging, supplies, etc. Multiply that by 16 and you get a grand total of $19,200. Through our support letters, and banquet tickets, we were able to raise $12,000 towards our goal, and were praying that our silent auction would yield $7,200 in order to cover the remaining funds we needed. Last year our banquet raised $3,500, so quick math says we were in prayer for double last years funds, and I admit, at the beginning of the night I was in prayer, but can’t say I was 100% confident.

Enter, our very big, and able God, working through the many generous people in attendance that evening. At the end of the evening, our silent auction had raised $5,200! I was in awe of God,s provision, but he wasn’t done! As I was thanking our guests for their generosity and sharing with them what we raised, God spoke to one of our guests, and they listened, by writing a $2,000 check! That brought our total to exactly what we needed! Wow, I was floored, and hugged and thanked this couple with unspoken words, and lots of tears…

2 Corinthians 9:8-11 says, “God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it, He throws caution to the winds, giving to the needy in reckless abandon. His right-living, right-giving ways never run out, never wear out. This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.”

Does He ever!! I look forward to God continuing to bless the generous guests we had at our banquet so they can continue to be a blessing to others in a way that causes many to be in awe of God! Our team’s goal, is to now respond to what God has given us, by in turn giving it away, and hoping that it results in full lives full of praise towards God not just in the people we serve in the Dominican, but in us as well!

Thank you for making this trip possible. You are making a huge difference in our world!

-J-