A Big Night aka God Is Faithful

2011.

Here are some of the big things that have taken place so far.

I started a new semester at school. I’m taking journalism, communication, public relations, Spanish, and philosophy.

I started a new job as a part-time graphic designer.

I’ve been dating Kerri six months.

And tonight I saw God move across a community, reveal his heart for justice, and open up his storehouses.

For the past few months, through Resonate and Activate I’ve been helping to plan an event as part of an on campus awareness week focusing on global education. The event was a benefit concert and silent art auction with all proceeds going to Chris Low and his non-profit, Yokefellows.

A little over two months ago we had no musicians, no artists, and no place to reasonably host the event. So we prayed.

A month and a half ago my very talented friend Bart Budwig, a local folk musician, generously agreed to play for the event. Around that time Campus Christian Fellowship agreed to sponsor the event. The sponsorship meant we would be able to meet for free in the largest room in WSU’s student union building. A couple artists agreed to donate pieces for the evening. We still needed another musician, many more pieces, and many many other details taken care of. So we prayed.

A month ago, after some searching and much emailing, Samuel Dickison, an amazing and local musician, agreed to play for the evening as well. I asked about payment. He said ten dollars just to cover gas. A couple more artists got back to me and agreed to donate. Still, there was more needed. So we prayed.

Two weeks ago we were pulling hard into Resonate funds (a church plant has very little). My friend Brian Kalwat, the best graphic designer I know, made some amazing flyers to be handed out during awareness week. To my best count I expected fifteen pieces of art. We kept praying.

Last week our on campus newspaper heard about what we were doing for Awareness Week and gave us a weeklong half page ad. That’s a $1000 normally. My friend Matt Slotemaker worked throughout the afternoon and night making a video to promote Yokefellows and the benefit concert/auction. On Sunday four local churches let us show that video and hand out some flyers. Even more artists agreed to donate. And we kept praying.

Tuesday and Wednesday local businesses let us hang up posters for the event. ASWSU, WSU’s student association, heard about Awareness Week and agreed to allocate almost all the funds we needed to make the week a success. Still more prayer.

Yesterday I counted twenty nine pieces of art donated. And we continued to pray.

At 5 pm today a group of amazing people showed up to help set up for the event. By 5:30 there were twice as many there to help.

At 6 we realized the projector we needed for the night had been left in Moscow, a good fifteen minutes away. So Kerri let me use her car and I drove over as fast as I legally (and at times illegally) could. While driving I thought about the evening. I thought maybe fifty people would show up. I hoped for maybe two hundred dollars. As I drove back to Pullman with the projector I prayed desperately and with expectation.

“God, I expect 50 people. Give us 100 more. God, I expect $200. Give us $1000 more.”

Around 7:30, when the event was supposed to start, only a few people had showed up.

By 7:40, out of nowhere, people began to stream in. The musicians played and entertained. Works of art were set up on tables throughout the room and people were bidding.

By 11:00 the sound equipment was loaded back up, the tables were torn down; the cookies were gone; the coffee pot was empty; the art had been collected and brought home by its various new owners. And the final numbers were realized.

Around 20 volunteers. 45 pieces of art donated. More than 150 people attended. And over $2500 raised for Yokefellows.

Whether He gives or takes away, God is faithful to exceed our expectations—may He always be praised.