Take a step back with me about 12 years….well actually 14. Young Dave was living a comfortable life. He had a great family, enjoyed school and went to church, twice on Sundays. Besides the local, co-ed, summer softball league …summer camp was the only, real step out of my “safe”, known world back then. Yet, it was during 
summer camp that I experienced another expression of what having a true relationship with Jesus Christ is like.
summer camp that I experienced another expression of what having a true relationship with Jesus Christ is like.
The camp was called Camp Crossroads, and it was run by the Mennonite Brethren church, which means it had great food and an even greater hunger for worshipping God. We had chapel services twice a day with an exciting worship band and engaging, youth speaker. At the end of a spiritually exciting week, a call was made for anyone who wanted to follow Christ, to take up the physical cross that was lying outside, and carry it down to the lake-side campfire pit (where it stands to this day). A meaningful, visible act was committed for a deeply meaningful and hopefully visible commitment.
Two years later, to make sure everyone in the church in my community knew about this commitment, I made a public profession of faith. In congratulation for this profession, I received two separate cards, from two unrelated people, with the exact same Bible verse quoted inside it.
“If I rise on the wings of the dawn and settle on the farthest side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me and your right hand will hold me fast”. – Psalm 139: 9-10
“If I rise on the wings of the dawn and settle on the farthest side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me and your right hand will hold me fast”. – Psalm 139: 9-10
I tucked these verses and the idea of packing up everything to serve in Africa or somewhere exotic, away in my mind, since I had definite plans to go to college right after high school. I went to college and yet the desire to travel and see what my faith was really made of didn’t go away. Three years out of college and feeling the unsaid pressure to buy a house, settle down, and live the American dream…I finally got to see this inner prompting become reality by going to teach English in Tibet. And now the journey continues!
My Introductory English class Christmas Party – Winter ’05
