Preparing for Sunday.

I have not posted since I got my letter mailed on Monday. I worked very hard last week to make sure that letter got done, so this week I have just been doing some follow up work. I mailed out a few more letters on Tuesday. I also had my cousin and his girlfriend visiting, so I was busy with them as well as my usual working 40 hours a week.

On Wednesday I went to Conroe, TX to visit one of my cousins and to drop off my other cousin and his girlfriend at the Houston Airport. It was nice to get out of Austin for a while and visit with family. My cousin and his wife have a very cute little 4 year old girl. Seeing little kids is always fun. They are so lively and creative.

Tomorrow, Sunday, I am planning to go to all the services at my church, St. James Episcopal. I have never gone before so many people and asked for money. I recently read an article by Henri Nouwen about fundraising. (If anyone wants a copy of it, please let me know, I can forward it to you.) This article was very helpful because it gave me a way to frame fundraising. He talks about fundraising as a ministry just as important as other ministries. It is hard to see asking for money in that way. When we see fundraising as a way of helping people share in our mission while allowing them to expand their influence and their heart. I am using "heart" in this sense as a word to express the ability that God has to bring people together from all across the world. The people who support me here in Austin will never meet the people that I will work with in Geneva or in Zimbabwe or in Russia, but they can learn to love them. It is this love that I am expanding by asking them to partner with me. If I can view my fundraising like that then when I am asking for money I am doing this for their benefit. Hopefully I can begin to see my fundraising like this. When I see fundraising like this then prayer is just as valuable as money. How much money people give me is much less valuable than the fact they give me a piece of themselves. Currently I am still praying that I can expand my own heart in relation to the people I am asking money from and the people with whom I will be working.

I have my speech ready. I plan to get a good night's sleep tonight before I go to the 8am service tomorrow morning. Three Church services in one day. I am hoping I make it through to the end of it. Pray for me.