Hey all,
So, I’ve been meaning to post for a while now, but the necessary things of life have been consuming me…
Nearly two months from now I’ll officially meet my teammates! It’s with great anticipation that I look forward to this, but there’s still so much left to do!
***Thank you to those who have already supported me financially and have been praying for me! There are many people I still haven’t connected with; so SORRY! I really, really hope we can connect at the end of this month or in December (as I’ll be out of town for the next couple weeks).***
*Please continue to be praying for all of us. We still have more funds that need to be raised and a few of us have had some unexpected car expenditures. Pray that we meet our financial deadlines, otherwise we won’t be able to go. Here are the next deadlines:
December 18th – $10,000 raised
February 29th – $13,000 raised
April 29th – $16,362 raised (FULLY FUNDED)
*Please be praying that we stay encouraged. As with any kind of travel or any big project, doubts, fears and the uncertainty about the unknown is something we’ve all been wrestling with. Pray God makes us confident and filled with peace!
As I’ve been preparing, buying equipment, getting vaccinated, etc., the question of “why go?” keeps coming to mind. Besides the fact that it’ll be an awesome adventure, there is another reason we go…. I was made aware of it when I went to Mongolia to teach English 5 years ago.
While I was there, my students pampered me and took me out for a day to visit local tourist attractions. Later in the day, they even treated me to a traditional Mongolian “BBQ.”
While visiting a temple, I noticed one of my students ritualistically touching some ornaments encircling the temple. When I asked her about it, she said she did it to bring “good luck.” Later that day, while drinking tea, I noticed the same student performing another ritual with the tea. My other students told me it was a tradition so as to appease “the gods.” I found this all quite interesting… But what struck me most was how this student believed wholeheartedly in these rituals and to not perform them meant potentially the absence of blessing in life…
Reflecting upon this, Saint Paul’s trip to Athens came to mind…. He said, “Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.” Acts 17:22-23.
THIS is why we go… To share the good news about God…! The Living God who is KNOWN, by the God-man Jesus Christ. God didn’t only intervene in the FLESH 2000 years ago, but He’s also very much alive today, in the lives of His people and still reaches out to those who seem unreachable – I could tell stories! He still offers hope, healing and real LIFE today! That the nations would know their Maker—the One, true God who INTERVENES!
And so, we GO!
