Our Financial Need - Holding the Rope

Our car was broken for about 2 weeks (I think…is that right?)…and it was ROUGH! I can’t get on the back of the motorcycle with John and Josiah anymore…barely enough room and very dangerous. We finally got the money to get the car fixed and I appreciate that car more than ever – no matter how many problems it gives me! We had to have a new alternator put in and it cost us about $100 us dollars!!! ARGg….I don’t know if that’s cheap for the states or not…but it felt like a million dollars to us! But God knows our needs!

I have been told that I really need to make our needs known more. John and I have generally felt that the only person that needs to know is God…but someone made a good point. Some people are being prompted by God to give but sometimes they just don’t listen for whatever reason…and if they were to come to our blog and see the need it would make them realize that they are supposed to give and it’s not just thought in their head…that there is a real need.
So, I talk to John about it and we are going to share a little more about our financial needs and such.

God has provided every month so far- sometimes we’ve had days where we didn’t know if we would have the money to eat the next week…but we had the money for that day. Then there are times when we have a little extra money and we can bless others or take Josiah out to play at the play place here. For some reason for the past 2 months, maybe partly due to all of the catastrophe in many peoples lives in the states due to Katrina and Rita, almost all of our support has stopped.

I can count the number of faithful supporters on one hand! I say this for God’s glory because it has been enough – we have been able to make it! I do need to let this be known though – at the end of November I will be giving birth to a baby boy and the cost for the hospital labor and delivery is about $700 US and then about 2 weeks after giving birth our whole family has to appear at the US Embassy in Bangkok to apply for Jude’s passport and American citizenship – this will cost anywhere from $200-300 more because of the trip there…hotel…and application fees.

While we are in Bangkok we hope to be able to find a doctor that will circumcise our son and I don’t know how much that will cost – but I am told it could be around $100-200 because it is something that is rarely done on an infant in Thailand so it will be expensive – if we are able to find a doctor that will do it.

We also do not have a crib…changing table…or anything for a new baby – except for one awesome thing! We will not have to worry about clothes for a LONG time! My brother and his wife are sending us baby boy clothes (Braden’s clothes – www.bradenbunger.blogspot.com) I do have to say that I am fine with not having a crib or changing table – people do it ALL the time! Currently our income through support varies from $250 – 700 a month. $650 is enough to pay our bills, have gas, and eat. This is not enough to save money for labor and delivery costs unfortunately.

I know God is in control and this will all work out – I have no doubt. John and I have always quoted this little bit about supporting missionaries from Oswald Smith because it really says how we feel:

“Suppose a child should fall into a well, who would get the reward for the child’s rescue, the one who held the rope and lowered the other to the bottom, or both? God says they will share alike. The one who stands at the top and makes it possible for the other to go down into the well in order that the child might be rescued is just as much entitled to this reward as the one who goes down.

You may not be able to go down; you may never see the foreign field, but you can hold the rope. You can make it possible for someone else to go. You can send a substitute; and if you do, if you give your money, your reward will be just as great as the reward of those who actually go.
Everyone must be in the bucket brigade. You may not be the one who throws the water on the fire at the end of the line; you may be somewhere in the center passing the bucket, or you may be dipping up the water. The question is, are you in the line? Do you belong to the bucket brigade? Are you doing something? Or are you merely a spectator? Our motto must be: “Every Christian a Missionary.””

If God has laid it upon your heart to support us in what God is doing here you can click on the ‘make a donation’ button at the top right corner of the screen or refer to the ‘Address and Contact Info’ link on the right side of the screen. If you can not support us financially please remember to support us through prayer! Thank you!