You Are Cordially Invited

I know it’s been a while since I’ve written anything here… But I want you to know that I am alive and well. In trying to sort through the spaghetti that had become my mind, I’ve “gone dark” and haven’t blogged much.

On November 21st I Ianded in LA from Thailand, and spent a little over a week in my hometown of Orange County, CA with family and friends. The time with my spiritual family there was like water to my spirit, and my ‘sister’ and I gallivanted all over SoCal, catching up on the last 11 months of each other’s lives. I loved every minute of it. Upon my arrival, there was a basket filled with goodies on my bed… mostly goodies to clean my feet. 🙂

One of the highlights of California was “Worlds Collide Day”… 2 of fellow World Racers (Jen and Nate), and 3 of my dear friends from life before the Race (Shauna, Brandon and Josh), all met up for coffee and played on the beach. My two worlds collided (pre and post Race), and it brought me so much joy to have some of my favorite people from different seasons of life all in the same room.

In early December, I hopped on a plane to Houston, TX, where I spent the holidays with my family. I saw the person I missed the most this year: my brother Derek, and got caught up on his recent move and accepted job offer from Microsoft. 2008 was a year of dramatic changes for both of us, but there’s just something about being with siblings… your love can only grow. 

Later in December, my family took a vacation cruise to Mexico with my Grandpa… and the the gorilla suit came, too (a Daniels/East family tradition. The gorilla goes snowboarding, on planes, on cruises, etc… because the 11th commandment in our house is: Thou Shalt Have FUN). The cruise had a lot of down time for me, so I was able to just sleep, sleep, and sleep some more. Who knew how much I needed it??

After my Grandma passed away last October while I was in Cambodia, I’d been itching to spend quality time with Grandpa. He is doing well, though still deeply misses his sweetheart. I’ll always treasure the time we spent and conversations we had on that giant boat. Grandpa is my hero; he loved Grandma faithfully, tenderly, and without excuse… And he can make me laugh more than anyone!

On January 4th, I began the trek across 9 states in America, starting in Houston, Texas and eventually ending in Port Huron, Michigan. Along the way, I picked up my World Race brother Matt, and we stopped in Kentucky to see two of our WR sisters, Andi and Rachel. The four of us talked about life since being back in America, victories and failures, and found a place of comfort in knowing that these people, better than anyone else, understand what we’re going through upon re-entry. I came to the realization that no matter what happens in life, what directions we all choose, and where everyone ends up, there will always be 26 people out there who’ll know what 2008 was. In the years to come, we’ll all change and grow past The World Race, but something deep was solidified in each of us for each other. Only 27 people in the whole world will ever fully understand. And no one/thing can ever take that from us.

By the 24th of January, the other 3 members of the newly formed development/mobilization staff of The World Race will join us here- Rusty Jackson, Caroline Crawford, and Andrea Wendel. And together, we’re submitting to the leadership of Michael and Kathy Hindes, directors of The World Race and other AIM programs.

It’s cold.
       
I mean COLD.
              
…As in negative 15 degrees with wind chill…

But I love it. Though the snow natives around here don’t care too much for it, I think it’s magical and breath-takingly gorgeous. Everything looks so crisp and clean… the whole atmosphere seems to expel a sense of humility. Trees are stripped bare of their leafy glory, and the ground accepts its hidden position beneath the winter season’s star of the show… It all awakens wonder in me.

Yet while I’m glad to be here, I didn’t move to Michigan for the snow, to be close to Canada (sorry Peters), out of default, or just for a change of scenery. I moved here to be based with the people who are giving up their lives to see a generation come alive. I moved here to play my part in getting people out to the nations.

I moved here to help mobilize a generation.

Because our question is: “What is more effective: to send 1 person to Africa, or to send 250 people to Africa?”

What I’m doing here in Michigan is saturated in (but not confined to) The World Race. It’s not really even about The World Race. Its far deeper– the Race is merely a vehicle; a means to the process of realizing identity, walking in authority, and living in response to grace by being about the things that God is. (The vision)  The World Race takes people out and brings them into other nations, helping them recognize the Truth Who is already among them.

I moved here because human trafficking will not be stopped overnight. Nor will the AIDS epidemic in Africa. And I can’t reach 1 million people who haven’t even heard of Jesus Christ yet by myself.

          
…But if we send out 250 people in 2009, our army gets bigger.
                      
…And 500 people in 2010… even bigger.

…Not to mention stronger. We learn who we are and who were aren’t and we don’t accept lies from the gates of Hell. We storm them instead, and bring the millions who’ve lived in agony, loneliness, despair, and fear into God’s presence, where there is life. We need more troops out on the field, because the work to be done is overwhelming.