How God Paid for my DTS

Finances. That word alone scares people off from missions. It scares them because we live in a world where if you don’t have any money, you can’t go out and follow your calling. But I follow God and I have seen Him work in ways that I can’t even begin to explain. God turns the impossible into possible!  

I needed to raise $11,000 for my DTS. I only had two months to raise all the money and everyone told me I couldn’t do it. They were right. I couldn’t do it, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. For those two months I worked 90-100 hours a week. This included two full-time jobs and any other side work I could find. I weighed 193 pounds when I began, and after two months of this schedule, I weighed a total of 157 pounds! 

I sat in my bed one night, thinking about all the work and (lack of) sleep I’d be getting that week. I started crying and cried for probably an hour or so. I begged God to make it stop, make all the work end. If the DTS isn’t what He wanted me to do, then I asked Him to make it impossible for me to go. If it was something He wanted me to do, then I would keep on doing what I had to do. It was at that moment that I confessed the work was no longer for me, but for Him. I gave Him total control of my finances! I begged God to tell me by the next day if this was where He wanted me. Let me tell you, He heard me, and He answered! 

I woke up at 4:30 AM the next morning for work. I got a call from my boss saying I didn’t need to come in that day. They said not to bother coming in the next day either, if they needed me, they would call. Years later, I am still waiting for that call! I was so relieved that I went back to bed and slept until noon. When I woke up, I realized I didn’t know my schedule for my second job, so I called the store to ask. They told me that the new guy I had been training was ready to take my spot, and not to come in. I remember getting off the phone with my boss thinking, “What am I to do now? I lost both my full-time jobs and still need $9,000 for my DTS! God, is this you telling me no?”
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God had gotten rid of my full-time jobs, but He sent me smaller, odd-jobs. For example, I moved a bush in someone’s yard and they gave me $1,000 for it! People came up to me with donations, saying that they had seen how hard I had been working. I still look back on those moments today. I didn’t see what God was doing then, but now I understand. By myself, I only raised $2,000, but after I gave it over to God, He paid for the rest! 

I left for my DTS, still owing money, but I knew I could trust God. About a month in, someone paid the $3,000 for the rest of my fees! God had His plan to get me to Him. Needless to say, He was successful! If God is calling you somewhere, He will provide for you. Never let finances be the reason you don’t follow what God has in store for you! 

Struggling to raise money for a DTS and need some prayer? Reach out in the comments below! 

​About the Author ~

Carl Baird did his DTS in Sligo, Ireland in 2014 and has been a full-time missionary ever since. He is passionate about evangelism, board games, and traveling. He currently lives in Texas with his wife, Erin, as they serve on staff at YWAM Ships Corpus Christi.