FAQ - About support

Rather than address every frequently asked question on the sidebar and take half the space, we decided to just put some of them in a blog. If you have other questions, let us know.

Q - When should we start giving?

A - As soon as possible! All monthly support that comes in before we leave goes towards our outgoing expenses. So, if someone begins a $50 a month commitment this month (September 07), then by the time we leave that will be the same as a $600 gift towards our outgoing expenses.

Q - If I begin monthly support, how long is the commitment?

A - There is no formal commitment. It's easiest for us for people to commit to whatever our term length is. Our initial term will be 4 years (beginning Sep 08). If our support falls off while we're on the field, it's more difficult to raise it back up. Of course, we do realize that situations change and some will either choose to or be forced to withdraw support. That's OK. Ultimately, God knows yours and our situation and knows both of our needs.

Q - Why do you need so much?

A - Good question. We thought the same thing at first. One, there are several items that most people have provided by their employers (i.e. health insurance, social security tax, some contribution to retirement, etc.) In our case, we don't have an employer to provide these items. Also, contrary to what you might think; it's more expensive to live in a city (yes, if we were in a village it would be much cheaper) in Senegal than it is in the U.S. One quick example is that a $15,000 car in the U.S. would cost $25,000 in Senegal and gas is close to $6 per gallon!

Q - How much of your support needs to be raised before you can leave?

A - Our mission board will not let us leave until we have 100% of our monthly support commited and coming in (i.e. first check sent) and also 100% of our outgoing expenses in hand.