Ten weeks ago, my heart raced as I posted a blog about my desire to become a LifePlan Facilitator. Caught somewhere between courageous and terrified, I could barely sleep the night before. Thinking through what becoming a Facilitator would mean to me, to my family, and to all the women I might work with in the future, my mind raced with ideas about what this Autumn would bring.

When I clicked the Publish link, I sensed that I was instantaneously vulnerable to whatever opinions my audience might hold. By boldly asking my community to support this dream through prayer and financial contribution, I felt completely unarmed and exposed. In moments such as these, boldness is closely accompanied by humility.

With each passing day, I surrendered my moments of doubt to the Lord, knowing that he was in control.

Four days after starting the fundraising efforts, I was surrounded by dear friends to celebrate another year of living – the big 3-0. I received the greatest gifts I could have asked for: the treasured presence of beautiful friends and the words of encouragement they shared about pursuing the Facilitator training certification. My cup was filled to overflowing.

If encouragement could be exchanged for American Dollars, I would have had more than enough to cover every penny of the startup costs for this venture. While such promotion would not pave the way financially, the monetary piece was provided for in a way I could not have expected. From all over the country, various contributors donated to the cause. Those who wanted to complete their own LifePlan started lining up until my weekends were booked through the middle of February. Piece by piece, the percent to goal dwindled to the final 10%.

By September 1, I reached 90% of the fundraising goal.

In October, I will spend four days in Fort Collins, immersed in the LifePlan Facilitator Training course. It is a dream come true and has only been made possible by the support that has poured in.

To each of you who have contributed in some way, I extend my most heartfelt gratitude. To the same degree that I am blessed by you, I pray that the women I work with would be touched by your generosity! I cannot say it enough: THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

All my love,
DeAnza

To read the original post about this next step in the adventure, follow the link below:

https://unwrittenadventure.wordpress.com/2014/06/24/the-lifeplan-my-story/