Daniel and Karah were appointed to serve with The Hanna Project, an IM partner, in April 2023. The couple received kickstart funds and ministry team support from IM. Kristi Johnson, IM’s development communications manager, invited them to talk about their journey and the way these funds and support impacted their fundraising efforts.
Kristi: Describe your emotions and what was going through your minds on the day you were officially appointed.
Daniel and Karah: We both felt nervous and excited. We thought about how this moment had been many years in the making. We have wanted to be part of the work of spreading the Good News overseas for a long time and felt honored the Father was allowing us to serve Him in this way.
With all the excitement also came the realization we’d soon start the fundraising process. Neither of us knew what to expect or how to begin. The only thing we knew — and what people kept telling us — was it would be hard.
How did your fundraising start?
Before fundraising even began, our car died. (It held on as long as it could.) We knew having a reliable car is essential for fundraising, and we were uncertain how to proceed. We also knew if we asked to use a car from The Hanna Project, our account would go into the negative. [Spoiler: Thankfully, this didn’t happen due to the kickstart money from the WMO!]
In addition, we were in the middle of graduating college and moving to another state. With moving came searching for jobs that would offer us flexibility for fundraising. When we received our budget, fundraising felt like a huge task.
We found part-time jobs, which allowed us to fundraise part time. However, after six months, we’d barely hit 10% funding. This was partly due to being unable to raise funds full time.
To say we were discouraged would be an understatement.
Unfortunately, a rocky start and initial hurdles are not unusual. What things helped you overcome these?
Once our stateside team stepped in and taught us how to fundraise, we felt much better. They were an enormous help and made it possible for us to start sharing with churches immediately. We also began working with a fundraising coach (provided by our stateside team), learning new techniques. The coach encouraged us so much, and we really could not have reached fully-funded status without the extra help.
We were reminded of the expression, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” Step by step, day by day our team helped us tackle this large goal. We are so grateful for them and all the work they do every day!
How did you feel when you learned IM was giving you some WMO funds to help your account?
We were elated! We were thankful and relieved. Because of the WMO, we were able to get a car from The Hanna Project without sending our account into the negative. Those funds and the car gave us a great jumpstart in fundraising. From the beginning, we’ve not worried about our account going into the red, and we praise the Father for that! We thank everyone who gives to the WMO for making that possible!
Describe the day you got the call you were fully funded.
We were returning from a fundraising trip in North Carolina. We’d stopped to spend the night in Nashville and check out our favorite bookstore. We received the call while looking at books. What a quiet place to hear such good news! We wanted to jump up and down and yell, but we tried to celebrate quietly. Once outside, we literally jumped and shouted for joy! We were overwhelmed with gratitude to the Father. We felt the amazing sense of “it’s really happening.”
What are your immediate plans for getting to the field and getting settled?
Right now, we are waiting for our visas to be approved. Once they are approved, we will book flights and hopefully leave the same week. It has been a long time of waiting and preparing. We are eager to get to the field and begin the work. We will stay in a short-term rental once we arrive. We’ll have to obtain Spanish bank accounts and phone numbers before we can find an apartment to rent long-term.
What will your early ministry be like on a day-to-day basis?
Most likely it will consist of working in the community center with our teammates every day. We’ll work in food distribution, a craft co-op, and a soccer program. We’ll start building our language skills. Karah will take daily Spanish classes for the first few months. We’ll begin building relationships and start finding ways to become part of the community.
If you had NOT received the kick-off money from the WMO, how would it have impacted this journey?
Without the funds from the WMO, it certainly would have taken us much longer to become fully funded. The process would have been more stressful and difficult, because it would have taken us longer to reach the point where we could fundraise full time. Either we would have started “in the hole” with a loaner car from THP or would have been further delayed in fundraising efforts. We are immensely thankful for the kickstart money from the WMO.
If not for the initial boost to our account, it’s unlikely we’d be waiting for visas now. We’d probably still be fundraising!
Would you like to add anything else?
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to everyone supporting and giving to the WMO. Because of your giving, we can go to Spain to share the good news with those who have never heard. Your giving makes an eternal impact in the lives of people all around the world. We are blessed by the Father to be a blessing to others. Through your support and giving to the WMO, you have done just that. Thank you so much!
The World Missions Offering (WMO) supports new missionaries and workers with funds to kickstart their fundraising journey. This relieves some of the stress and chaos around the beginning of fundraising. The boost to their accounts builds confidence and helps workers get to their fields to share the good news faster. It’s about the gospel!
