I’m honestly not sure what information I passed along to all of y’all about this season I am walking in right now. To be honest I wasn’t even fully sure what I was walking into. I knew God had a plan but that’s about it. I am currently doing something the folk round here call squad leading. While it is definitely a time to walk and own my gifts and help others do the same, it’s also really simple. My main objective is to point people to Christ. I have got around 30 young, incredible men and women who are walking through some pretty new situations and probably facing some things that they haven’t had to face in a while. While I do believe I walk in healing and have a lot of that to give away I am reminded of who the real healer is and how complicated we can sometimes make things by trying to have the answer or be the savior. We aren’t the savior. We’re not even close. Yes, we have things to give but it’s God who does the healing. It’s through him I have been healed, redeemed and given authority. A few times when I was talking to people I was trying to come up with some great advice for them and when I finally said I don’t know and asked God he told me just to listen. My job isn’t to point out and guide but help individuals seek that out from their personal relationship with God. Sometimes we can make the simple so complicated.
So I am currently in this role and basically there are five teams out on the field with this squad. And what I do is bounce around from team to team and just try to serve, love, and point these young men and women back to Christ. We still have another two weeks here in Mongolia and I have already slept in 7 different locations with at least two more on the horizon before we leave for China. I’ve been riding trains cross country alone and just trying to jump in and help where I can. Trying to find any sense of regularity is nearly impossible. I set daily goals and monthly goals and to say it’s been challenging to try and keep up is an understatement. It seems the only thing that stays constant is God. Something he’s showing me is how to stay consistent in chaos. I may not be able to get a workout in or hit many other goals but I always have time for journaling and some prayer, even diving into the word has become a big part of my daily routine. These things don’t change and it’s cool because they are really my daily goals that are focusing on Christ. My other goals are just things I want to try and do in order to stay somewhat healthy in a lifestyle that seems nearly impossible to stay healthy in.
About a month ago I applied for a 9 month program in Spain called g42 (generation 42). A few days ago I got the email telling me I had been accepted. I honestly don’t know a ton about it. But here’s what I do know. Their mission is teaching people how to create missional communities. This has almost become my entire life purpose over the last two years and is where I’m heading. I want to create a missional community back home that not only teaches and disciples young men and women but also has an impact greater than itself. Yes, impacting the people involved is great and will have many ripple effects through time but the entire reason for the church is for others. The body of Christ is called to help and love people. So hopefully this community will be something that impacts the members but also the surrounding community and helps change people’s lives. Another one of my long term goals is a community of foster families all living together and raising these so called “unwanted” children and letting them know they are wanted and they do belong. Adoption can have huge implications and deal massive amounts of rejection to the children involved. I’m not shaming or condemning any one by stating that but it’s just a fact. I believe so many children in the foster system jumping from home to home have a large chance of developing beliefs that they are unwanted, unloved and worthless and that’s just not true, Christ made that abundantly clear when he died for us. We are called to know we are loved and wanted, accepted and have intrinsic value that comes from the creator of life laying down his own for our sake. I want to help create a safe environment for them to struggle, grow and find family in its truest sense. So after this mission of the school was explained to me, it became quite clear that’s what my next step was.
In all honesty I came into this season expecting to lead for five months and then go finish my undergrad and get my masters in counseling. It’s funny how God has other plans almost every single time I want something and he points me to something else. And the thought of going home and beginning a career is nice. I could have a secure, decent paying job and become a fully functioning member of society that is beginning to set roots in the place I call home and miss so much. I see myself becoming an uncle and tending to my niece and future nephew. Maybe even finding someone and starting a family of my own. Being surrounded by the family and friends I have become so in love with. Very few things mean more to me than my community back home. The past year has been hard and so will the next year and a half. But while I want these things so badly I feel called to this school. I feel this is my next step and God’s continuing to ask me to surrender my wants. And I will. Because he gave everything for us.
In Galatians our freedom is explained.
“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.”
??Galatians? ?5:13?.
The freedom I have found is incredible and if I really wanted to go home I could and God would not be one bit upset or disappointed because that’s not who he his. But I also know that he’s doing a work in my life right now that is going to impact men and women in the kingdom of God for a very long time. I am being refined and trained so that maybe others don’t have to go through what I went through. So that some of God’s own children who feel lost and hopeless may find hope. They can feel like they are finally a part of a family. To experience a love that isn’t even comprehendible until you are immersed in it. So I’m choosing to put my desires of my flesh and my dreams on a temporary pause so that in the future I can better steward those dreams and further his Kingdom. The school is 9 months long and it is funded by myself and all of you. Anyone who feels called to donate is more than welcome. I will be home working a job in January and February helping pay for this. I haven’t found a job yet so if you have any leads or side jobs please let me know. The total cost is 10,500 dollars. I will be posting the link with some more information on Facebook soon. To those of you who continue to support in prayer please do I have felt the prayers and they are greatly influencing me. I appreciate all of the love on Facebook and blog comments and it means more to me than you all know.
We’ll be heading to China hopefully within two or three weeks so please pray we get our visas approved and I probably won’t have much communication so who knows when my next blog will be. Auburn kicks off tomorrow morning for me. I don’t think I’ve been more excited for football and while I’ll be missing the atmosphere back home I’ll be enjoying it from my bed.
God is good. All the time.
Thomas Pond
