First Fundraiser!

(Special thanks to Ace J. for creating this AWESOME sign for us!!) 

We had our first fundraiser at Squealin on the Square this past weekend. Thanks to Hurricane Joaquin, the attendance was LOW. In fact, the lowest attendance I have ever seen at this event! Rain fell steadily throughout the day on Friday and it was a struggle to stay dry, let me tell you!!!

(Cutest kids around! But I might be biased...ignore the baby's missing sock b/c he threw it somewhere and we never found it. Gold star parenting right there folks!) 

The kids came out with Phil to show support and were excited to see us set up our table. They weren't able to stay though, due to the weather, so Daddy took them back home a short time after we finished setting up. 

After that, it was just me and my awesome sister (thanks Lisa!!) who sat out and braved the elements with me for the next 6-7 hours. Not gonna lie ya'll. It was cold. And wet. I have said it before and I will say it again: for friends and family who live up north, I don't know how you do it. It was 50 degrees and I was sure I was DYING. I had on 3 layers of clothes. Still frozen. 

Also, my hair tends to frizz and curl so I looked pretty awesome, as you can see. Hahaha! I have to laugh at myself. So, how did the night go? Let me break it down like this. 

The BAD news? As I said before, very few people showed up at the Square. I can't blame them. Many vendors cancelled or left far earlier than I did. Because of this, not much headway was made in donations/sales of items. Also...it was COLD. Oh and a fight between two young guys broke out right near my table. It was surreal seeing the police golf cart park beside me! I wish I could use emoticons right now to capture my reaction a bit better, but alas. Have I mentioned how cold I was? Oh, right. Yes. Ok, so moving on...

The GOOD news? I made a small profit! I am so very, very, VERY thankful for the kind souls who stopped at my table and ordered items or donated. Thank you! Because of you, we are closer to our goal! 

I also got the awesome opportunity to meet up with friends I have not seen in literally months, if not years. It was so great to catch up and share what God has done in our lives recently. In addition to this, I got to spread the word about adoption to several people who inquired about what the process is like. Even though we are at the very beginning and are new to this ourselves, it felt nice to be able to advocate and educate on the orphan crisis. 

Lastly, it touched my heart when a gentleman that I did not personally know came to my table and began to talk to me about our church's ministry. During our conversation, this man realized he knew my husband and yelled out to a few friends nearby, "Hey guys! Come over here. These are the people who used to run the Chord! They gave almost everything they had for God!" These awesome people then took their time to stand in the rain and pray for me. 

Let me be clear: I don't repeat this to toot my own horn or to give myself a pat on the back. I was truly HUMBLED that God used what we did to affect others in such a way. It brought tears to my eyes. The business has been closed for over 2 years now and still, people remember us and thank us for our work. Thank God, because it furthered his kingdom. If only those people knew my faults and my anger and frustration spent during those hard years. It isn't me folks. It's God. 

I don't know what it's like to be a pastor or a pastor's wife, but I like to think I have a small taste of understanding the joy of seeing your trials and tears be the water that saturates and tills the ground that the Holy Spirit uses to touch people's hearts and lives. That was by FAR the best part of the dreary day I spent.

As you can see, the GOOD far outweighed the BAD!!

For those who have been asking, here are some links to our You Care page. Every dollar raised will go towards our adoption fees:

https://www.youcaring.com/phil-byers-brooke-byers-444845

I also would like to personally thank the following:
Warrior Nations International Ministries: Our church. Your prayers and support has meant the world to us. Thank you for allowing us to use your NP status to save money on our booth and the privilege to share about the ministry with others. Their website: warriornations.org. Check out the live streaming of preaching and events as our pastor, Shawn Patrick Williams, travels internationally spreading the Gospel! 

Rob T., Ace J.: For the table and chair, and awesome awesome sauce signage!!

Lisa E.: Thanks to you and MyMy for braving the weather with me!! You guys rock. 

Arthur B., Matthew M.: For helping me break down and giving me a ride home! Bahaha! 

All who donated and purchased from our table! THANK YOU SO MUCH!