How to pay off $33,000 in debt in four years

By a missionary serving in a security-sensitive location — When applying with SEND International, having a mortgage payment or student debt doesn’t disqualify you from being a missionary candidate. But in order to be accepted, you do need to have a “Reasonable Plan for Repayment”—with action steps and a timeline.

I was able to pay off over $33,000 in four years. If, four years ago, I had told our Director of Selection & Training that was my plan, he would have called it unreasonable. He asked me to write down how I did it for tips and encouragement to others still paying off loans. This may not be possible for everyone, but I hope it can be an encouragement and challenge in some way!

When I neared graduation and knew that the 10-year payment plan was keeping me from serving God overseas, I knew I had to trust his timeline and make a plan to pay the money back sooner. In order to do this, here were some decisions I made and lessons I learned along the way:

 
Let’s not let debt stand in our way of pursuing missions!

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