Battlefields & Blessings

I recently picked up the book Battlefields & Blessings: Stories of Faith and Courage from the War in Irag & Afghanistan and here is a great quote that helps explain what it is that chaplains and MCYM strive to do, and my prayer for myself as I prepare for ministry to military teens:

"Being able to handle the issues of life and death in the context of the eternal is the challenge. It is the work of chaplains and their assistants, and those whom they empower with a living faith. They take care of soldiers with selfless concern, imputing God's love and grace into the most difficult of situations. And then they take care of each other. May God continue to provide such servants to the military forces of our nation, nurturing their faith, strengthening their moral resolve, and lifting their souls toward heaven."

-Chaplain Col. Gene (Chip) Fowler, U.S. Army, Command Chaplain for Combined Joint Task Force 7

Focus on the Family Webcast about MCYM

Focus on the Family recently did an hour long Webcast about military families and the struggles they go through. In the Webcast they interview 2 awesome MCYM/Club Beyond leaders that I know! This is really great information about military families you might not have known before.

http://www.focusonlinecommunities.com/community/webcasts/2010/0707

A couple of budget changes

Some of you may have noticed that I now operate according to some slightly different numbers. :) Or maybe you didn't notice. Regardless, there's 2 things you need to know about my current budget:

1) At 50% funded I was able to add in the $12,000/yr stipend the military will be paying me to work with their chaplain. That bumped me up to 61%, even though I added the total to both my needs and what I'd raised. It doesn't make any sense to me, but then again, I was an English major.

2) My budget was slightly reduced because I decided not to take my required Young Life training classes for academic credit at a seminary, also, I did not do an advanced trip. I did have to add more needs in because of the automatic small raise in salary that happens with all Young Life staff every year, but my budget still ended up reduced. All in all this took my financial needs down to $2,790/month for on-going support ($33,473/yr) and $12,164 for start-up costs.

Both of these things are very encouraging and I am so excited to be moving along in the process! God is good and He provides! Keep praying with me that he will continue to provide the funds to allow me to deploy by this fall! Let me know if I can be praying for you all in any way.

If you did not receive a newsletter and would like to, please email me at

lreisinger@clubbeyond.org

In Christ,

Laura

***EDIT*** Some of you have wondered how my numbers as a whole have jumped up, over in the little thermometer. Now that I have passed 50% I am allowed to add in the $12,000/yr stipend that the military will be giving me, so I added that to both my needs and what I've raised. That's $36,000 total to each side.

61% brings my first newsletter!

From Pre-Deployment Newsletter

From Pre-Deployment Newsletter

New e-mail AND snail mail address!

lreisinger@clubbeyond.org

54 N. Bayshore Dr.

Frederica, DE 19946

If you're a new donor, please note this new address is NOT the one on my brochure or donor cards! Send any new donations to this new address!

Thanks!

43%, budget changes, and moving home!

Hey guys!

I know it's been awhile since I've updated; lots of things have been going on!

I'm moving back home to Delaware exactly 3 weeks from today! I decided this was the best choice because my lease ends in the month of May and I do not want to do anymore moving than I have to. In order to live in Chattanooga I have had to work almost full-time to pay rent and other bills. Living at home I won't have those expenses, so I won't need a job, so I will be able to fundraise full-time! I also want to spend my last few months in the states with family and friends I hardly get to see anymore.

The last few weeks have been insanely packed with getting ready for this move as well as finishing up with my assignments from New Staff Training. I sent everything I own that I can't fit in my station wagon up with another friend who moved from Chattanooga to Delaware, so packing is completely done and I can focus on the last of my fundraising here and my goodbyes.

I am planning on having some of my Young Life musician friends here play a benefit show for me that will double as a going away party. I'm looking forward to that!

There have been some changes in my budget recently. This is because I decided not to take my Young Life training classes for credit at a seminary. I just do not know for sure that I will complete a degree or that it will be essential for a future job that I will want, so I feel that I should just finish paying off my student loans from my undergrad degree and not ask donors to give towards yet more schooling. That took out about $1,200 of my one-time needs. Additionally, I am not making an advance trip. There was $1,000 in my budget for this, so that has been subtracted as well.

Because my first year on the field will be the fiscal year of 2010-2011 at this point, my budget has also increased slightly to accommodate the increase in benefits cost. So after all of this math, here is my most recent budget:

Annual: $33,473 / Monthly: $2,790

One-time: $12,164

So far I have raised $14,280 of my annual budget and $5,090 of my one-time. Praise God! This puts me at 43%!

Prayer requests for these next 3 weeks would be:

-that I say goodbye to Chattanooga and all my friends here well

-the upcoming fundraising concert to come together and be successful

-safe travels to say goodbye to friends in the near area and have donor meetings

Also please pray for some other personal requests:

-the health of my friend Steven who is in a hospital in Philadelphia in critical condition with leukemia for the 2nd time and a bad infection

-the health of many friends at my home church in Delaware who are having major health issues at this time

Thank you all for your prayers, love and support!

27% Funded!!

Just wanted to let you guys know that I have officially passed the quarter mark of my fundraising...I have 27% now and climbing!

God is doing great things along this journey and showing me His faithfulness day after day!

Thank you to all of you who have helped me get this far. 27% may not seem very close, but just a few months ago I was at ZERO.

If you feel like God is nudging you to give to my ministry, let me know if you have any questions and instructions on how to give is on the right hand side of this blog!

In Christ Alone,

Laura