traveling this weekend

So here is the plan. I leave for South East Asia on Saturday at 4pm, arriving at my destination 8am Monday morning (spending the night in the airplane and the Delhi airport…). The purpose for this trip is to finalize all the plans for moving in August. Here is the reality- this is hard. Moving to a country in Asia is not normal, and most people HATE it. But I don’t and that makes me weird. However I cant imagine doing anything else. Now after all those sentence fragments what we are going to be prayerfully considering these next 2 weeks is whether or not this is exactly where I need to be. If it is not only should I not go, but I don’t want to. His plan is infinitely better than anything I could even imagine, so I only want what my father wants. He knows how to give good gifts to his children so when we ignorantly ask for a stone he will give us bread.

The role we are looking at is that of a “facilitator.” I am 22, single, and dumb. Therefore the most effective place I could be is under older wiser more experienced men for a long time. There is a tremendous need for bbl training. Often time chrch leaders will have no training at all. The school I am looking to serve with is not a cheesy bible school with a flannel board up front to put pictures of a blonde YHWH carrying a lamb on his shoulder. It is actually internationally accredited on the bachelor’s master’s and Ph.D. levels. I think it goes without saying that I will not be teaching Ph.D. classes. My role as a facilitator would be simply to serve those that are already teaching. Doing their admin work grading papers WHATEVER they need so that they can teach more often and more effectively. I will be behind the scenes working as a catalyst. There is the possibility of teaching introductory classes through the chrch etc. In addition to being a teachers assistant, I will be taking classes and getting training myself (culturally but also theologically). As time goes they would look to move me into more of a teaching role as I grow and learn. OK lets be honest, you can not tell me that that doesn’t sound like the most amazing opportunity EVER. Period.

I can’t do any of this alone. Yes YHWH is with me but he has ordained the body to work together in striving for the gospel. I need your partnership now. I need everyone I know to prayerfully consider partnering with me now. The next 2 weeks are going to determine a lot and all of us need His wisdom. So please pry with us and seek his face with us. Even now he is going to be glorified and I want everyone to see it.

Christ is Life

Today I went on a run. I do my best (and worst)thinking when I am running. After I got bit in the butt by a huge german shepherd (and after I decided to not run back and kill it with my bare hands) I had a thought.

I like girls (this part wasn't new). I think that's the way the Lord made guys. He created us to be in relationship with the opposite sex. Both sexes are made equally in His image, and both reflect unique aspects of the godhead that the other does not. That image is the only goodness that is found in humanity. Now I also think it would be fair to say that I am not attracted to the wickedness, pride, selfishness and whatever other sin is found in each person but rather glimmer of the image of God that each person resembles. Because lets be honest we all suck, and any goodness, or anything attractive in humanity is just a faint glimpse of a greater goodness found in Christ.

Now we have all either experienced the joy and blessing of a relationship with the opposite sex, or at least the desire for that. Nobody would deny that relationships are good. However the difference between the goodness found Christ and that found in a relationship is as great a difference as that which is between the creator and his creation. How much greater is Christ than man? How much more glorious is the messiah than fallen humanity? The answer is so huge that the question can not even be fully answered. The answer to that question is the same as the difference between the goodness in a relationship v.s. the goodness found in Christ.

So why would we pursue something that was only faint distorted image of something far greater? What Olympian the week before the games would tell his home country he had been training for second, and was aiming for second place? Obviously second place would be great, but all the greatness of a silver and more would be realized in the gold. We are called to run the race with endurance, to fix our eyes on the prize, and our hope on the glory to be revealed at the end of the age. Why do we take a pit stop for a decade to pursue marriage putting our service to Christ on hold? Relationships are great, but he is infinitely greater. Lets seek his kingdom and all these things will be added. Christ is life, Christ is satisfying, Christ is more than everything we could want or need.

Thats what I was thinking as my butt was bleeding through the teeth marks of a german shepherd.

oh and PS I am not saying that anything God made (relationships careers posessions or whatever) has to be pursued or achieved at the expense of the kingdom. It just seems like sometimes it is. especially at my age for relationships. so lets just be careful to keep the main thing the main thing thats all.

The Lord is up to something

So 2 months ago I grabbed starbucks with the pastor. I sat down and asked how his week was, but he didnt want to talk about that. He cut to the chase telling me that i was living a very safe and comfortable life. At the rate i was going i would look back in 40 years having accomplished NOTHING for the kingdom but i was just safe. Needless to say I kinda sat there in a daze thinking "holy crap he's right!" Long story short I realized I needed take a step and trust the Lord to plant my feet. He told abraham to "go" but didnt tell him where when why how and for what purpose. It has always been clear to me that God was telling me to "go" but i was waiting for him to answer my 20 questions. I thought i was waiting on God but he was waiting on me.

So I put in an application with an "m" agency. A good one i have known for a long time. I told them about my desire to go to a specific country (if you know me you can guess which one) and it turns out they were praying for someone to go to this country. A few days later i "just so happened" to apply. They unanimously accepted my application in 1 day. I told the office everything and they gave me time off to raise support (read Nehemiah 1 and 2 thats exactly what happened to me). So far everything has fallen into place

April 17th I will going over to this city (there is a reason I am not saying which country or city so don't ask-security) to meet with the leadership. We are looking at me working as a teachers assistant at a bible school while continuing to take classes and learn. Please pray that this 2 week trip is christ honoring and that his will is done. As of now I will be leaving the end of august to move over there for 2 years.

There is a heck of a lot more to say, and many more things that he has done to proclaim his name but I will post those later. Just wanted to give peeps a heads up to pray for/with me and labor with me in the gospel.

peace!