Over the past few months of the race I have been hearing the Lord leading me to open a hostel in Buenos Aires. As I continue heeding His call and finding the next steps, I want to include you all in on the journey.
Back in month 5, Thailand, I started feeling convicted about the passions in my life. I love cooking, food, coffee, wine, music, the outdoors, planning, traveling, reading and so many things. During our feedback sessions with our teams I kept letting the enemy whisper lies to me and I kept hearing that I was a "bad Christian" because I liked these things. Which is SO untrue and I can't even believe I was believing that at the time, but I was just thinking that if I was a Christian, shouldn't I only love Jesus? Well, I had an awesome quiet time with Jesus and he was downloading to me that he made me the way he made me for a beautiful reason and I am the exact way I should be. Yes, I shouldn't be glutinous or put any of these things before our living Lord, but he distilled these passions in my heart to show Christ to people through them and let the Lord show me him through them as well; I am to use them for HIS glory and not of selfish pleasure anymore.
Our contacts at the time were former world racers that pioneered a trip to New Zealand doing backpacking ministry and I LOVED the idea! I wanted to go home after the race and start meeting people on the trails, love them, share Christ with them and meet strangers exactly where they are at. I love hiking, but I wanted to use this passion to glorify him!
Beth and Brian Woods – Our contacts in Thailand that
pioneered the backpacking ministry
I let this idea sit for a few months, praying over it, letting it be solidified in my heart. A few months later, in Malaysia, I started noticing the other travellers in the area. There were a lot of leather faced men and women with Hindu dots on their foreheads, Thai pants on that showed Bhuddist tattoos and a cross around their neck. It seemed they we're searching for something, but just grabbing onto different pieces of religion they found along the way. Before this trip I had been travelling around, working at National Parks, and had seen somewhat of the same thing in some of the older folks, a loneliness and hopelessness. I realized that these people, going from place to place, with no roots, don't have missionaries coming to their homes, because they don't have one. I wanted to reach out to these people, meet them in their travels. I started hearing the Lord asking me to do backpacking missions for the rest of my life, not just a backpacking hobby, but a hostel ministry for an occupation. I kept feeling like it should be in Chile or Argentina, but honestly, I was pretty confused about the placement. I had never been to South America, it wasn't a place we visited on the race, why was I feeling called there??
I started leaning towards opening it in the Patagonia area, way down south. Partly for selfish reasons, since I had always wanted to go there and because I hadn't heard definitively where the Lord wanted it. At least I hadn't until I watched a documentary on street children in Bucharest, Romania. We worked with street kids throughout our entire trip and my heart had been broken for them, I remember a few nights with the street kids in the Philippines that completely changed my life.
Street children of Manila, Philippines
At the same time I read an old blog about a missionary doing backpacking missions who met a guy with my same passions that wanted to open up a hostel in Buenos Aires. He said there were only 3 Christian Youth Hostels in the world, back in 2008. I started looking up Buenos Aires and realized there was a big street children population and the people were 97% Roman Catholic and in need of Christians that walk the walk, live in grace and freedom! These are things that I have been learning tons about and am so excited and willing to share with the people. Especially living around the Greek Orthodox churches of Eastern Europe and the rules and idolitry of that religion, I feel it relates to the Roman Catholic view. Quickly after, I found a Christian youth hostel ministry in Amsterdam and fell in love. Their page had about 18 Christian Youth Hostels on a map, but none in South America. I decided to apply to volunteer there to get a good feel for the business. Along the road I also started thinking about seminary for the foundation for the ministry and found Denver Seminary to fit my interests perfectly. Denver Seminary has a Master of Arts program for Intercultural Missions and, also, has an Outdoor Leadership major that I can take some classes as my electives and learn how to do the backpacking ministry better. Also, Denver is an amazing town that my personality fits perfectly in and is surrounded by the Lord's astounding creation that inspires me to no end. So far, my tentative plan is to work in Amsterdam from January 1 to April 1 of next year and then attend seminary for 2 years, starting next fall.
Recently, through researching affiliates with Denver Seminary, I have been put in touch with a group that has been doing backpacking ministry in Argentina and is looking to open a hostel within the next few years. (God is so stinking cool!)
Street children of Busia, Kenya
My idea for the ministry is a lot like the Amsterdam Hostel. I want it to be in the city, reaching as many people as possible. I want to first meet their physical needs, which will open them up to them allowing me meet their spiritual needs. I want to have daily Bible studies they can participate in, always be open for questions and spend as much time with them as possible. I love their idea of allowing people in need of a home, but no money, to come and clean the place for their keep and let me build into their lives. Secondly, I want to be a part of the community. Like I said, I have a burden for street children and I want to provide a weekly shower or class or something for them and send people to meet them on the streets to feed them, love on them and share Jesus with them. Also, if called, I would like to help in other areas of the community. I would like to incorporate the backpacking missions with the hostel, sending groups on the trails with food and invite people to meals and a campfire and love people on the trails and share Christ with them. I want to invite interns and short/long term missionaries and mission groups, like the World Race, to come and help as well.
This idea is still in the beginning stages. I have lots of ideas and hopes for this hostel, but not sure about the time frame or pretty much any concrete details. The biggest thing I am sure of is that I want this to be a spirit driven, Christ centered refuge and a light for His people.
Amsterdam Hostel: http://www.youthhostelministry.org/
Denver Seminary: http://www.denverseminary.edu/
Christian Youth Hostels: http://www.christianyouthhostels.com/
Spiritual Climate of Argentina: http://www.ccci.org/ministries-and-locations/americas/argentina/index.htm
Edit// You can now support my mission trip to Argentina online! http://bit.ly/M2AsLb
