Needs List, Not in Budget
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Running The Next Step ministry house came with a running list of costs that sat outside its regular monthly budget. A truck repair came in under budget and was paid off in full, and neither Petro nor Kaow had a motorbike to get around, so the house bought a used scooter for $375, a cost that was still looking for a sponsor.
Kaow was hoping to start university that year after finishing a two-year degree, and getting him there needed roughly $400 in sponsorship that wasn't covered by the regular Next Step budget. Recurring costs were adding up too: truck insurance was coming due at about $300 for the year, and a full physical exam with the usual round of blood tests ran a similar amount.
There was also a planned trip back to the USA for a few months, the kind of furlough missionaries typically take every five to seven years to reconnect with family and supporters, with the airfare alone running around $1,350 round-trip. On the equipment side, the house's camera was great for video but only so-so for stills, and a Panasonic Lumix G9 body plus a matching Leica zoom lens (a meaningful expense, around $2,600 together) would have rounded out the kit for sharper, better low-light photography.
The house has closed, so these needs are no longer open. This list is kept as a record.
