Auction 2020

I should hand the blogging keyboard over to some of you today because I have a feeling you could write this post better than I could! You have way more knowledge of this even than I do!

This past weekend was supposed to be Gateway Woods' annual auction, which from everything I have heard and seen in my minimal time in this community, is a huge deal. I've seen pictures of campus covered in massive tents and swarming with people. I've heard about the food and how great it always is. And I've caught the smallest glimpse of the needed fundraising that takes place for Gateway Woods during the annual auction.

And like everything else everywhere else, the auction had to go to Plan B this year. They still held one, but it was done online with far fewer items than they normally have. Everyone kept telling us how sad they were that we didn't get to experience the auction in all its normalcy because it is always such a fun day. It's tradition for many people.

I understood the sentiment in my own way. During my years at the station, I had the privilege of being part of four week-long fundraisers, and they were about so much more than money. They were faith-boosters. Those days were filled with stories of how the station impacted lives throughout the year. And the climbing totals were proof of God's care over His ministry. I had a feeling the auction was a similar version of what I'd experienced during Share. And I was a bit sad that I wouldn't get to experience it in the way it had always been.

As you might expect, trying to raise money in a pandemic with limited allowable opportunities is nerve-wracking, and no one had any idea what to expect regarding its outcome! We prayed and trusted God to provide.

So even though we know it wasn't a normal auction experience, here's a peek at our first Gateway Woods auction experience.

On Friday evening, they had an hour-long live event that served as the heart of the auction for this year. We had a little mini-watch party with our tenants.

The live event included pictures and video footage from past auctions, as well as testimonies of how God has used Gateway Woods to impact lives. (I confess to tearing up a little even though I didn't know any of the people from the stories!)

A day or so later, they released the results of the auction, and I did cry then. Despite every obstacle, the auction brought in a record-breaking amount of funds, which means we'll be able to move ahead in the work we're doing in the year to come!

Ryan and I know there is so much we DON'T know about the importance of this event and all it means for the work we're part of at Gateway Woods, but we DO know we're in the middle of His work. What a faith booster it was to see His provision in the auction!

We are so thankful for God's provision and for the chance to be part of this event, even in its altered state!