Our move to Georgia was more than just a change of location – it was a lifestyle change for us as we went from large government paychecks to small ministry salaries. Some people would call us crazy for giving up the stability, but God has blessed our lives over and over in the past six months.

Many of you are new to the concept of how it works to be a missionary, and we wanted to share this with you.

Andy and I get our salaries, in part from Adventures in Missions, and the rest from people just like you. In order to keep trip costs low, and operate without any debt, all Adventures’ staff fundraise at least part of their salary through donations from friends and family who support the work that we do here.

While some of the staff work abroad, we are part of a core group that keep the organization running for all of the overseas staff,  trip leaders, and over 100,000 people that have gone on our short-term mission trips since 1989.

It’s not glamorous, but the IT, accounting, and other organizational work we do here at the headquarters in Gainesville enables thousands of people to go every year. So we think it’s pretty cool work and that’s why we love it! We get to be the hands and feet that mobilize many more hands and feet!

So what does that fundraising look like? Well, it’s a lot of phone calls and letters. We have a goal of $21,000 that we need to raise annually. This money is added to the small salary from Adventures in Missions.

And one of the blessings of fundraising is staying connected.  We are reminded everyday that we are not here on our own, but only with the prayers and support of other people. We are so grateful to all of you, who read our blogs and newsletters, who pray for our family and our work, and for those who are able to financially give. We need all of you, and it’s a blessing to serve you and stay connected with you. Thanks for all the mail, and all the encouragement you give us!

Here's how you can invest in our work at Adventures in Missions (adventures.org):

• You can sign up for our blogs and newsletters! (Just send me an email to sign up for either - jen.schwab@gmail.com)
• Share this post with your friends and family! We love having new friends! :)
• Pray for us! Our work, our family...and the mortgage paperwork on our new house to go through...(you'll want September's newsletter)
• Slide us some dough! If you are able, financial gifts are a HUGE help to us. Monthly gifts are awesome because even small amounts, like $10 or $20 a month really add up over time - and that kind of partnership really encourages us. Right now, we are a little over halfway to our goal. Click HERE to set something up.