When I was young, I remember a missionary from time to time coming to our local church in Maine needing to raise support either to go to a mission field, or return to the mission field where God had called them.  First of all, I loved meeting new people – and especially those who had gone abroad seemingly living a really interesting life – and perhaps even an exotic one.  As a child, it all truly fascinated me.

The first missionary I remember meeting was John Beveridge – a missionary to Costa Rica.  After church, we all gathered for lunch.  After the lunch all the other children ran outside to play while Mr. Beveridge was fielding questions from the few adults – I chose to remain at the table with the adults and lean into every word he was saying about his very tropical mission field.  He was with us to hopefully gain support for him to return to Central America.  I don’t know if that ever happened, but I was enthralled with every word that came out of his mouth and declared in my heart that ‘someday, I was going to do that’ (what he was doing).  I was only five years old at the time, and though my life took many twists and turns, the Lord never forgot what He had planted in my heart.

Between my 3^rd and 4^th years of college, I spent three months with missionaries in Trinidad/Tobago.  To be truthful, I absolutely can’t remember how that got supported.  It was through a college missions’ program, so perhaps it was taken care of that way.  I just plumb don’t remember.

Later in life, I spent a month in England working with missionaries who had been called to the Gujarati Indians.  I was teaching full-time, so I supported that trip myself.  Then the big challenge – God’s call for me to Romania on what I thought was a one-time mission’s trip.  I went under the auspices of the Mission Board of my church in Foxboro, MA – being told that I needed to raise $3000.00 for the one-month trip.  They sent me little cards to send to everyone I knew to raise money.  But I just couldn’t do it.

I remembered of a wonderful ministry back in the 1950’s and 60’s called The Radio Bible Class.  Daddy would have it tuned in every Sunday morning while he was preparing our breakfast before we took off for Sunday School and church.  I’m sure the messages were great, but what stuck in my head was that this ministry never, never mentioned sending them money.  They asserted that if it were the Lord’s work, then He would take care of it.

I compared that thinking to many other Christian TV/Radio broadcasts’ way of doing things.  If they were given a half hour to share the love of Christ, they used up to half of that time pleading/begging for money.  It never made sense to me!  So I decided that if just a one-time/one month mission’s trip to Romania was from the Lord, then He would take care of it.  I was contacted by the Mission Board with their asking me if I had sent out the cards ‘begging’ for dunds (in in my mind).  I softly and gently told them that that was just not the way the Lord and I had ever worked together . . .     With less than two weeks before having to leave for RO, I let people know what I was about to do.  But! – I never asked anyone for a dime!  And in one week, the entire $3000.00 had come to me for the trip!!  Missionaries in Romania were calling it the ‘Miracle Trip’.  They had never heard of anything like it before!

As most of you know, my calling to the ‘least of these’ in Romania turned out not to be a one-time mission’s trip.  As of this writing, God’s assignment for me is approaching twenty-five years!!  To this day, I have ‘let the ministry’s needs be known from time to time’ (that’s Scriptural), but I have never asked for funds, nor have I done a fund-raiser.  The closest I have ever come to getting funds ‘outside the box’ was when I was cleaning out my house with bags full of ‘stuff’ on its way to the curb for the weekly trash collectors to throw into their truck.  The Lord stopped me in my tracks and whispered in my heart, “You know all that could go into a yard sale”.  I did exactly that!! – with the proceeds going to Love From Above.

I love it that God, Himself is the founder of this ministry.  He is the CEO, CIO, COO (and more) – and most definitely, the CFO.  He has taken care of His work through all these years.  There were times when I ashamedly doubted that – having to leave for Romania without enough funds to even pay my translator, or even feed my self my last month in this, the ‘other land that I love’.  But in leaving for Romania, regardless, ‘by faith’, He had the funds ever so unexpectedly sent to me while ‘on the field’.  He never fails us.  It has been journey of ‘faith’!

Please know that I do not have a problem with missionaries visiting churches in order to raise funds for their work wherever it may be in this world.  It’s just that the Lord told me that I was not to do so – that HE would be the ministry’s Jehovah-Jireh – and for me, personally!  There are many stories I could share within this story, but I’ll share just a couple.  One precious friend who loves me told me that at some point, the ministry should be able to support me.  While I appreciated those kind and loving words, I had to tell this friend that if his eyes could see what my eyes see in Romania, he would know why I could never take a dime from it.

Even knowing, my ‘philosophy’ concerning funds for Love From Above, I have still had a couple of people insist that I do fundraisers – that I ‘beg/plead’ the funds in.  It’s not happening.  I know, clearly, what God means for me to do.  He’s never failed me once.  The most shocking information I have ever received was from a man in my former church that told me face to face, that he would never support a missionary – that it was up to them to earn what they needed.  I was shocked!!  I have to wonder what he thought of the Apostle Paul receiving support from Christians in Macedonia (II Corinthians 11.9) – or, the Philippians (4.15).   From I Corinthians 9:3-7, did this gentleman from my former church condemn Paul and Barnabas?  On his third missionary journey, Paul also collected money from the Gentile churches in Macedonia and Greece for the Jewish church in Jerusalem who had suffered from a severe famine that swept the Roman Empire (AD 45-63).  Paul earned much of his own way as a tentmaker for his missions’ trips, but he also counted on others for his support – and not only for himself, but for the support of the saints!  From I Corinthians 16.15, Paul said that he ‘devoted himself to the ministry of the saints’.  There is much Scripture on this matter . . .

To end this, may I say that I am no Paul.  I am no Mrs. Paul!  😊  But, my  ‘assignment’ from the Lord in Romania has been handled much in the same manner as the apostle.  For personal needs, travel expenses, monetary gifts to those who give incredible needs to the ministry, food/supplies/crafts and books for our ‘kids’/etc.  – all that and more comes from my own ‘pocket’ – to be more specific, my Social Security check.  I consider it a privilege and a pleasure to be able to do it.  However, my gratitude knows no limits for all of those who have been ‘touched’ by the Holy Spirit to support Love From Above and its many, many needs over the years.

One final thought —  remember that I mentioned towards the beginning of this article that the Mission’s Board told me I would need $3000.00 for one month in Romania.  After spending that month here, I began to assess what all the expenses were, and it came to me that without the Mission Board – and doing this on my own, I could do one month (at that time!) for far less.  I learned that it is much more expensive to be a missionary in France, for instance than it is in Romania.  Therefore, the Board gives one an amount to raise, and then part of that goes to more costly areas in support.  I don’t have a problem with that for ‘one’ trip – but I became very aware that God’s plan for me was far beyond a ‘mission’s trip’ – that it would grow and grow into what it is known as today.  It has been JOY – my passion – to work along-side and under my Divine CEO, CFO, CIO, COO – and ALL that He is!