And I can guarantee I will not be good at this. So, I am just going to get to the point.
As previously mentioned, we will need to be completely sponsored in Panama. My goal is to inform our supporters of the specific financial (and other...) needs we will have.
Mine and Ephraim's goal is to have approximately $600 - $ 700 monthly. I know, this seems like a lot. And when looking at this number, I feel overwhelmed. But let me break it down for you.
Food: $305.00 -- This includes meals on the base everyday for us.
Room: $110.00 -- This will be either a small private apartment, or room on base (which ever is available.)
AC: $35.00
Internet: $15.00
* Yorman: $25.00 -- A member of our family that we would like to continue to support in Columbia.. We feel very strongly that it is not necessary for us to discontinue support for this young man, even though we will be supported as well.
The above is a monthly review of what we will be needing. We are hoping for at least an extra $100 of a cushion monthly... For those unforeseen expenses that follow a child. But Ephraim and I strongly believe God will provide exactly what we need. We know what it feels like to live life getting by with just enough money, and we are completely comfortable with that.
This is what we are looking for: any of the following.
- COMMITTED monthly supporters. I emphasize committed, because we will really, really need this to be a serious commitment. We are looking for those who can give any where from $5 to $100 a month. (same amount every month.) Yes, just $15 a month would make a big difference... That's less than what you probably spend on coffee each week. Now this could just be a "general" donation of ___ amount per month, going toward whatever. Or you could direct your support to a specific area. Food, Internet ... ect. If you are interested please email me and let me know so I can keep track.
- The occasional supporter. Someone who can't commit to support monthly or to a specific amount but would like to help any ways. This is a much appreciated form of support, like a little cherry on top in our bank account...
- Just giving away money isn't your thing? That's cool too. We are have a second Yard Sale the weekend of 9/21-23. Come buy some stuff. We are eventually selling our car, and a few other big things. Also, Ephraim is such a handy man! He is currently doing random handy work for a few people in the area, and would be available for hire. We also have a few other ideas in store, that will be announced at a later date.
We also have a few needs that are NOT financially based, but still equally important.
- When we leave in January, Sequoia will be about 8 months, and we will be in Panama at least one year. So I am hoping to collect a good amount of warm weather clothing ranging in sizes to cover this next year. For those of you who have not met my daughter in person, she is SMALL. She is 4.5 months now, and her top half is still in 3 months or smaller. BUT her bottom half is almost to 6 months. Thanks to her cloth diapers, my daughter has a rather large (for her size) butt. So any clothes sizes 9 months to 24 months / 2T would be GREATLY appreciated! ALSO, as I mentioned, we use cloth diapers, which are not a cheap investment. But certainly saves in the long run. We are looking for extra cloth diapers to take with us. Please let me know if you have any you are no longer using, I don't mind washing used ones. This is a big part of our goal. Not having to purchase a TON of disposable diapers all the time will really cut down in our expenses. And we are hoping to collect some toys appropriate for a girl under 2. Light in weight for travel purposes.
- We obviously can't take everything we own to Panama. We are getting rid of a lot, and storing the rest. We are hoping not to have to pay for a storage unit if at all possible. (but we will if we have to.) If we could find some people willing to store some of our things, this would be really wonderful. We also have a few things, that wont store well, we are looking for people to pawn off a few things for them to use in their homes. This includes art, a HUGE beautiful painting of a sail boat (approx 5 ft by 4 ft.), an old, half size up right piano, etc. These are things we will want back when we return to the states, as they are very special to us.
- This is kind of an odd request, and though I don't really think this will happen, I can't sweep the feeling that I should include this. Ephraim makes just enough for our family. He works very hard, and my goodness, our God is so good. We make just enough for what we need. Not much more. I am praying and praying to find someone who has the extra space to put up a family of 3 for a couple months. If we were able to save most of what we make monthly, this would help us greatly. And goodness, how we would love to not spend another minute in the apartment building we are in. We would need someone near the Tacoma area, with plenty of space. Privacy for us and them. If you or any one you know may fit this bill, please pray about it and then contact me for us to talk more.
Prayer and words of encouragement are ALWAYS much appreciated when embarking on such an adventure. So please, keep them coming.
I don't really know what else to say, besides thank you. Thank you for reading. Thank you for not closing this page when you realized the topic of this post. Thank you for considering us, and for encouraging us through this.
If you have any further questions or need to contact me for any reason please feel free to:
ephraimandciara@gmail.com
Cheers -- Ciara
Yay for fundraising!! Y'all are awesome and I know that Jesus will come through with the money. We're happy to help in whatever way you need; maybe we can talk about storage when you're here today.
ReplyDeleteI call dibs on monthly expenses for Internet and Air Conditioning. I need to be able to see Little Sprig on Skype regularly. And I need to know that she's happily cool and comfortable. If she's anything like BB (and she totally is), cool and comfortable will be first priority.
ReplyDeleteGood for your family and this exciting adventure.
I have to go now, my eyes are starting to water.
~ BB