Last year I missed out on joining my college's team on our yearly missions trip to Mexico due to health reasons, but this year I can make it.The standard cost per person for the ride down/back, food while we're there, space rental of the campsite we stay at, and cost of tools comes to $500 per student.
I, however, am different (but of course, why just stop at food? ;-).
Because I'm diabetic, allergic to gluten, and no longer have the enzymes in me to be able to eat meat I must prepare and bring my own snacks for the trip, my meals seperetely from the rest of the team (about $65) ... yea for the dehydrator I received for Christmas (thanks Mom!).
I need international health insurance for while I'm down there ($83 ... the other students have health insurance already).
Plus special medical supplies I need to purchase before I leave so I can keep my fingers extra clean while I'm there (there's sewage everywhere in and around our work sites so I must take precautions to make sure I don't infect myself as I am constantly poking holes in my fingers to test my blood sugar level ... one year we even worked around raw, exposed bio-hazardous waste).
Fortunatly I already have my passport or that would be another $189 dollars!
I have continued to pray about this and know that as Father God sees fit that the funds for the trip will come in ... after all it is His urging that guided me to go on my first Mexico mission trip with the college six years ago.
I checked with the other students at my church to see who else was raising funds for their mission trips to various places and will be setting up a poster in the back so our church-family will know how they can help us through prayer or even finances.
Especially beneficial has been the push to figure out and test what I can bring with me for sustenance on this 10 day camping/work trip. I'm further along in the pursuit of meals that I can eat since I've begun this planning.
And the blessing of spending time with and planning such an exciting event with other Christian college students has added a very welcome spark back into my life.
So if you have fundraising ideas our team can partake in that will help us meet our financial goals (and bring us closer together) I'd love to hear them!
