This past fall, Jeff Derby felt God’s call to join some of his Christ Community family for a short-term mission trip to El Dorado, the code name for a country south of Florida, and he fully intended to pay for the trip himself. In fact, being short on time with the money to spare, it just seemed easier to do so. Why hassle with fundraising when he could write a check and be done?

He discovered God had other plans—plans that extended far beyond whatever monies he raised. Likely this is why, in part, Eva Brandt, Assistant Director of Missions, encouraged him to ask for help. “She said I might find people who couldn’t go themselves but would find joy in giving to my ministry,” Jeff said. “I left that meeting thinking, ‘Okay, that’s interesting.’” After contemplating her words further, he decided to follow church leadership and see what happened.

He initially sent out 60-65 letters, mostly to people outside of the church. “[My wife and I] have been really good at keeping records for Christmas cards, so we have a full excel sheet [of contacts].” This list included a wide variety of people, and Jeff had no idea where most of those individuals stood spiritually. But whereas others might’ve been reluctant to seek help from those, potentially, indifferent or opposed to Christianity, God used Jeff’s obedience not only to fully fund his trip, but also to pave the way for deep faith conversations.

One individual in particular who maintained an overall self-centered outlook struggled to understand why Jeff wanted to go to El Dorado. “I wouldn’t be receiving my weekly paycheck,” Jeff said. “I would be away from my family in [a developing] country.” Through this, God provided a tangible image of what sacrificial love, the love He calls us to and empowers us to show, looks like. “That opened the door to many spiritual discussions.” Not just with his skeptical friend, but with everyone who funded his trip. “It broke the ice to be able to talk about religion amongst each other in a more open way.”

God used Jeff’s ongoing communication throughout the trip to reveal deep truths and draw readers to Himself. Each day, Jeff sent out emails to donors, sharing not only interesting cultural experiences but also where and how his faith intersected. When an intestinal bug made him ill, he talked about finding joy during hard and tiring circumstances. He referenced specific passages of Scripture and how God spoke to him through them each day. Then, once he returned to the states, he made it a point to send thank you notes to everyone who helped him financially. 

In short, in inviting others to share in his journey, he issued Christ’s invitation to “Come and see” what a personal, growing relationship with Christ looks like. Through the incredible generosity of his donors, he also was able to raise extra funds that assisted others participating on the trip as well as some of the people living in El Dorado. And while it’s true, he could’ve paid for his trip on his own, he likely would’ve missed the amazing God moments that followed and are still continuing.

“Even though I knew I would be stretched,” Jess said, “saying yes to using my gifts God has given me has helped to strengthen my spiritual backbone and bring more joy to my life than I would have expected!”

Asking for help can be hard. It pricks our pride, but it can also create an atmosphere where relationships thrive and deep conversations occur, within and outside the church.

If you would like to learn more about visiting El Dorado or participating on a short-term missions trip, contact Eva Brandt at evab@cccomaha.org.