Normally our church raises money in October to be sent to our missionaries as a Christmas gift above and beyond their normal support. Last year they raised about $4,000 dollars. We support about 25 missionaries.
This year nothing was said until after Thanksgiving. The elders and staff had decided they wanted to buy new mattresses for the local homeless shelter. Including our missionaries' Christmas gift, which they had already sent out on faith, they would need to raise $15,000. Now we have a pretty giving church as it is and we haven't escaped the current economic situation so that was quite a step of faith. I forgot to mention that they did not tell the homeless shelter they would do what they could. No, they promised the mattresses.
The Sunday before Christmas was the big day when they would be taking a separate offering just for this "Christmas Wish." Of course, some money had also come in the previous two Sundays since they made their announcement.
At the Christmas Eve service they told us that they had met their goal and had enough money to send the missionaries a second Christmas gift. Then, with the money leftover after the two Christmas gifts to the missionaries and after buying the mattresses they gave the head of the homeless shelter a check for $10,000 for anything else they might need.
This Sunday they said that a little more money had come in for this same project and they had used it to pay medical bills for two missionaries who have had some serious health problems this year.
Wow.
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I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:18-19
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