Friends, it is with deep gratitude that I announce that we are now ready for you to send in the loans and gifts you have pledged. God has been blessing this churchfunding experiment almost beyond what I dared to hope!
Our total fundraising goal is $80,000, and we will continue to accept microloans until we reach that amount. (Those who join now should still email a pledge first, so we can confirm your pledge is needed before you send it.)
Now that we’ve passed $60,000, we can combine your pledges with some gifts from family and proceed with an offer as soon as God clarifies which house to try for! (More on that below.)
So, here are some options for sending the money you’ve pledged.
Note: If you forget how much you pledged or have other questions, do not hesitate to contact us at dghousefund.gmail.com. And don’t be frightened by the first two options below. I didn’t know about them until a few days ago, and even I can say they are “easy peasy, lemon squeezy,” as one of my little piano students liked to say.
U.S. FUNDS (3 Options)
- Facebook Messenger (up to $10,000). If you have a debit card, you can send money over Facebook, directly to my bank account. Read about it here, or just follow these easy steps:
- Open a chat with Dwight Gingrich (see Facebook help if confused)
- Click and enter the amount you want to send
- Click Next to add your debit card and then click Pay
Note: If you’re using Payments in Messenger on your smart phone, first make sure that you have the latest version of the Messenger app installed. If you don’t see, tap
to find it.
- Square Cash (up to $2,500). NOTE: Please do not use this option until we solve a glitch that is causing transactions to fail. Thanks! This works much like the Facebook option, by using debit cards. If you already use Square Cash, simply send a payment to dghousefund@gmail.com.
If you are new to Square Cash, here are two easy options:
1. Just send the money. Open the following link, enter the amount and your debit card information, and you’re done! https://cash.me/$DwightGingrich
2. Create a Square Cash account. If you have a smart phone, sign up at the following link, then send a payment to dghousefund@gmail.com: cash.me/app/KNLHDNM. (This will give both you and Rodney Troyer, the CPA helping me, a $5 bonus.) If you don’t have a smart phone, sign up here then follow option one above: https://cash.me/
Note from SQ: “There’s an initial $250 weekly sending limit for personal use Cash accounts. When you send more than $250 in one week, we’ll automatically ask you to verify your name, date of birth, and the last 4 digits of your SSN to increase the sending limit to $2,500 (in most states). Another option is to link your Facebook account and enter the last 4 of your SSN.”
- Check. Mail a check to Dwight Gingrich the following address, then send an email to dghousefund@gmail.com telling us you have done so:
Dwight Gingrich
25964 265th Ave
Leon, IA 50144
CANADIAN FUNDS (2 Options)
- Bank draft/cheque in U.S. funds. Have your bank create a cheque in U.S. funds, mail it to the following address, then send an email to dghousefund@gmail.com telling us you have done so:
Dwight Gingrich
25964 265th Ave
Leon, IA 50144
Note: If you are wondering if it is safe to mail a bank draft, you may read this assurance from TD Bank.
- PayPal. To use this option, contact me privately and I’ll send you the email address to send the money to. (I don’t want to post that email address here.) Important note: If you use a debit card or credit card to send money over PayPal, there will be a transaction fee on top of the exchange fee: “2.9% + $0.30 per transaction (the sender decides who pays this fee).” To avoid this fee, use your bank account or PayPal balance.
No matter which option you choose, we will plan to send you an email confirming we have received your money. (We will aim to send this email within 4 days of receiving your money. Feel free to contact us if you do not hear from us that soon.)
Progress Report
(As of 6:00 a.m. EST, 10/23/2015)
We are over 3/4 way to our goal of $80,000!
Total pledged so far: $65,894.55 (after tithe deducted)
Total pledgers: 81 generous friends
Largest pledge: $12,000
Smallest pledge: $75
Average pledge: $828.89
Most common pledge: $500 (36 this size)
Total loans with interest: $28, 504.55
Total interest-free loans: $26,140
Total gifts: $12,500
Total tithe to share with those driven from their homes in the Middle East and the building purchase fund of the Missions Training Center in NYC: $1,250, plus nearly $2,500 in tithes from family gifts
Current maximum projected repayment time (if we receive more interest-bearing loans to reach $80,000): 12 years, 2 months
Note: Figures here will fluctuate just a little after we know what exchange rate Canadian contributions actually receive.
How You Can Help
- Pray for the pledger who is about to lose his job. (See “One Story” here). I chatted with him recently, and he said “We can feel many folks praying for us.”
- Pray that God will preserve and provide exactly the right house for us. (See “Update on ‘The House'” here.)
- Pray that we will trust him well, so that he can receive the glory he so richly deserves.
- Pray that God will perfectly control the timing of our move from Iowa to Atlanta, and that we will finish well the work he has for us here before we go.
- Pledgers, be sure you have emailed all your information to dghousefund@gmail.com. (Your name, pledge amount, mailing address and phone number.)
- Spread the word to help us reach $80,000.
- If you want to join in, visit the “Offical Launch” post and send your pledge info to dghousefund@gmail.com. Then join our Facebook group or subscribe to this blog to stay informed. Thanks!
Let me end by repeating our warmest thanks to each of you who are praying, pledging, or otherwise encouraging us in the middle of this faith-walk! We feel God’s love through your love. Thank you.
If you have questions or comments, share them below. God bless!
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