We turned $20 into $5000!

Hello!

Ward and I received $20 in our envelope during the 'Cash for Causes' weekend. We took a few days to think and pray about what to do with it. As we sat at dinner one night, Ward had said, what about the Briner Family.

Eric & Jen Briner have dedicated many years into our Church (good 'ole CCNM) until God called them to Missouri to work with The Navigator's organization, discipling and leading people to Christ at Columbia Missouri University. They have for many years, and still live as "support only" missionaries with The Navigator organization, and continue to live out the Lord's calling in their life and their children's. They live on very little means with 5 children, with HUGE faith where God continually provides their needs. They are amazing testimonies of living in faith, a love & mission to lead people to Christ and live for Him, love for the Lord and contentment with what they are given.

So, that evening we decided to put out our 'Cash For Cause' challenge and decided to do a matching offer. Within 12 hours we had raised $2500 and within the week, we doubled it to raising $5000! Many people got on board and began matching matches, and it was amazing to see the level of love poured out to this amazing family.

The God part of our story was so cool...

The night after we sent out the first email, I was praying for people to respond. I had called a mutual friend of the Briners, Irene Dunlap, and left a message. The following day, with no response yet, I was wondering "why" she hadn't responded. As I stood in my dining room, hands raise high worshiping my favorite song "Word of God Speak", I began to think of Irene...and the phone rang. It was Irene. She was just about screaming into the phone. "I just got your email and message", she said. "I just got off the plane from Missouri." "I can't believe this", she said, "I was there all weekend supporting the Briners in a local fundraiser and we have been praying all weekend for God to raise some money." "How did you know?" "How did you know?", was all she could say.

We had also found out that the Briner's furnace had just burned out and the storms of IKE had flooded their basement and they needed funds (besides living support) to fix the problems.

God has been amazing through His people during this time. Everyday was so exciting to see emails come in and people stepping up to give so beyond for this family who continues to live and breathe for bringing people to Christ and living for Him so dependently!

Thank you for this wonderful challenge.

Maria and Ward