Yea I know we have only recently started the second half of 2010, but I gotta say that I’m pretty pumped about the year 2011. Over the years I’ve learned not to live too much in the future because nothing about it is guaranteed and today is the best time to live life. But it’s still exciting to know or guess some of what God has planned for me in my future. As I shared in a previous blog, I will be going back out on the World Race as a squad leader starting in September for the rest of the year. Most likely I will return to the states sometime in January 2011. So why the anticipation for that time to be here when I have a whole new adventures to live out in all the time I have left this year??? Because, as soon as I am done traveling with the September World Race squad, I will be moving to New York City right away to start an internship with a amazing church in Manhattan, NYC called Graffiti Church. I will be there at least one year living and working in the community, while I also attempt to balance my role as a squad leader from the other side of the world. Which I’m sure will be a great challenge itself. Full time internship in the craziest city in the world at the same time as making myself available and still pouring into several people on a full time basis as they bounce all over the globe till August of 2011. Now if I could only find a way to multiply myself…
I’ve always wanted to spend a season of my life in New York. It’s such a cool city to visit and there is something there for all types of people. Just like Austin, there’s always something fun going on to check out and a crowd to be apart of. I’ve been to NYC several times already to visit family and on short term mission trips with my home church, so I’m sure all those visits will help with the whole transition when the time comes for me to make the move there. I’ve spent the majority of my life growing up in Texas in a small town where I knew tons of people and they knew me. A small town where nothing too crazy ever happens and people felt safe. The loudest time of the day was probably when all the schools got let out and kids were being picked up their parents. Quiet, calm, secure, traditional, peaceful… Now I have to get ready for the city that never sleeps. Loud, chaotic, diverse, hectic, quick pace. It’s an adjustment that I’m sure I’ll be able to handle, partially because of the lifestyle on the World Race. As of now, I don’t plan on staying there for the rest of my life, so I can breathe easy and prepare for what I think will only be a year or so. But only time will tell what God will do to my heart in the time that I spend there…
Compared to all the various places I’ve been to in the past years, I know New York may not jump out as radical as some of the others locations. Yes, I will be serving and working in different ministries while I’m there, but there is so much more that I hope to get out of being there. As I’ve told many people already, my whole purpose for agreeing to this opportunity is obtain knowledge in planting churches and learning about the starting process of a ministry. While I am joining with Graffiti Church on different projects and ministries, I will be taking notice to as many details as possible for my future desires after my time in New York. This will be to actually ask the Lord to place a location on my heart so that I can go and plant His Kingdom. And the coolest part for me is that I feel that I am prepared to spend my life at that location and be in for the really long term time frame. I know I have a calling to go out and make this radical lifestyle (which is really suppose to be referred to as normal more than radical) known to people, start new ministries and churches for all generations, disciple those around me to make them better than myself. So I want to be as intentional as possible during my internship in NYC, so I can build as strong a ministry as possible wherever He takes me in this world.
I know its going to be a challenging time as far as being organized, having strong structure in my days, and balancing my jobs of squad leading and interning at a church. But this is something I feel strongly called to and know will equip me in needed ways. Also, keep in mind that I would love to have people come visit and participate along side me in my ministry, so know that it would be possible for one or two people at a time to stay with me and experience all the hype of NYC. Thanks and see ya soon New York
