Work hard, plan harder

Before students travel on mission trips, they must raise the necessary funds

Matthew 28:18-20, the Bible passage also known as the Great Commission, has impacted many lives by inspiring people to go out into the mission field and share the gospel of Jesus Christ with people around the country and the world.

Mission trips, which have a shorter time frame than long-term mission trips, may offer opportunities for students to serve others and learn more about themselves, but the cost of the trips may be a deterring factor for some.

To fund these short-term trips to places such as Africa and the Middle East, students, especially around Liberty’s campus, have to think creatively to raise money.

“Think of something you love doing or a talent God has gifted you with and see if there’s a way to make money by it,” Liberty senior Lisa Gum said.

Gum raised money for her trip to Germany in 2012 by making and selling jewelry and accessories.

“I always loved making things,” Gum said. “Through (the fundraising), God showed me I had a passion for making things, and I realized I wanted to keep using this gift to further his kingdom.

Gum’s fundraising efforts influenced her to start her own company, The Artful Sojourn, and eventually led to her decision to major in business administration. Gum continues to make and sell handmade jewelry and accessories through the Artful Sojourn with a social mission in mind. According to the website theartfulsojourn.com, the company gives 20 percent of its profits to World Vision, an organization working worldwide to end poverty and bring justice according to worldvision.org.

Liberty freshman Leah Wright shares the same view as Gum.

“Everybody has at least something (they like to do),” Wright said. “Look at your talents and see what kinds of services you could offer people. People paint canvases, create things they like, bake — the list is endless. Find something you like and work off of that.”

Wright will be traveling to Cameroon this summer with the Center for Global Engagement (CGE). To raise funds for her trip, she has provided hair-cutting services on campus.

According to Wright, a family friend who is also a cosmetologist encouraged her to obtain her cosmetology license while still in high school. She was able to earn her license because her high school had an adjoining technical school on campus.

“I knew I wanted to go to college, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study,” Wright said. “I knew getting my license while still in high school would be a good idea to fall back on as a job.”

When she came to Liberty, Wright began cutting hair as a way to sustain additional funds in order to pay for schooling.

“Before I even thought about going on a mission trip, I knew that I would be able to cut hair to have extra money in my pocket,” Wright said.

When she felt the Lord calling her to Cameroon, Wright turned to her hair-cutting services as a way to fundraise.

She raised $600 from her services last semester, mainly giving haircuts, but she offered highlights, coloring and nail services as well.

To advertise her services, she placed fliers on her hall, and friends and classmates offered to do the same in their dorms.

She also utilized social media, posting on the “Only Girls LU” page, among other Liberty pages. Word of mouth also helped. She said that this semester, she has had some repeat customers from last semester.

When it comes to fundraising as a group for ministry teams, brainstorming is a good way to collaborate on ideas for the group.

“What my group did was we had a think tank to just sit and throw around ideas,” Zack Koons, a Center for Ministry Training team leader, said.

Koons is leading a ministry exposure trip to San Francisco over spring break and a trip to Portland, Oregon, during the summer.

Depending on the season in which the fundraising takes place, the team must work together to find a sponsor willing to support their specific trip.

“It’s all about the timing,” Koons said. “You have to think about the people you want to reach and what it is they want. (We have to think), ‘Who are we trying to reach and what do they want most? How can we best serve them? How can we give them what they want in exchange for their support? For example, we plan on selling roses for Valentine’s Day for students who may not have the money
to buy a big bouquet.”

Selling T-shirts is anther popular idea. Liberty junior Kathryn Ayers sold tie-dye T-shirts to raise money for a trip to El Salvador during her senior year of high school.

“I’ve loved tie dye ever since high school,” Ayers said. “My best friends and I used to tie dye every year before we went to camp, so it seemed like a good idea to raise funds for a mission trip.”

Ayers sold approximately 30 shirts and made around 50 shirts for a family reunion, for which her grandmother provided a generous donation. After paying for supplies and shipping costs, Ayers estimates she made a profit of a little more than $400.

While some people find creative ways to fundraise, others prefer simpler methods.

With various ways to fundraise, some people still prefer the traditional support letter.

“I encourage students to make support raising personal,” Koons said. “There are three ways a student should raise support. First is by letters and emails. Make it personal to the person you’re writing to. You’re not just soliciting them for money, but they’re also partners in the gospel as well. (Next is) phone calls, both as follow-ups to the people supporting you and to call people directly who may not check their emails or read letters as much. (Lastly), conversation. Face-to-face conversation is specifically asking and challenging people to support your cause.”

Through putting forth a little effort and using creativity, people like those listed have optimized their resources and raised the money required of the mission trip successfully.

MAURER is a feature reporter.