While I was studying the Bible recently, a picture I had seen came to mind. It was an image of an ox facing an altar and a plow with an inscription below that read, “Ready for Either.” God opened my mind to not only being ready for either but to doing both simultaneously.

Spiritually speaking, no real plowing can take place without sacrifice. Yet, if we sacrifice without plowing, it is in vain. As we seek the power of the Holy Spirit to lay self on the altar, we become able to be yoked to the Gospel plow. And while we are plowing, we must continue to seek that power, especially when self pulls against the yoke, so we can keep working productively in the Lord’s field, trusting His guiding hand.

For me, the struggle can be very difficult as my selfish nature can be strong as an ox sometimes. Though Arnold and I have answered God’s call to serve as Asia Field Directors, there are times when I want to run away from the altar or strain against God’s yoke.

One of those areas for me is fundraising. It is out of my comfort zone and extremely humbling to ask people to support us. As you can tell by our graph, the monthly funding is the hardest to raise because it requires a regular commitment from donors. Yet, it is so critical in order for us to be able to launch next year.

Please pray for me during this preparation phase that I will be “ready for both”—hidden in Christ and boldly asking people like you to consider joining our team as monthly supporters. —Diane Hooker

• Twitter