A Far Different Month

     August has now arrived. Today, I wanted to update all of you and share about what August signifies. Just under three months have elapsed since pushing back my launch date, and most of the summer has taken place as well. This month- if there was no Covid 19- was going to be our original launch period to begin our 11 month Expedition trip in western Asia. It was going to be a month where our Expedition Squad united to serve the LORD and travel overseas to reach the nations. Yet things have taken place much differently than expected. I am at home with my family today- spending it together and visited a local park within my home county over the weekend. We cooked some tasty bread and celebrated being together and enjoying a restful weekend in the mountains. A bonus is that two relatives came down to visit- which is very much to be cherished in times like these. Yes, there is a lot to be thankful for. But having plans for missions changed in significant fashion is challenging as well. As the summer starts to wind down and I begin my graduate program at App State, I just wanted to take some time and reflect on what has taken place over the summer.

              An important development is that in this time, God has been calling me to surrender my plans and motivations to Him. This has not been an easy process, but it has been fruitful. This season has been teaching me that even as we make plans, we are to trust in God and be ok if those plans do not come together. A lot of terrific things took place over the summer. I am now part of a house church in Boone that does outreach and worships the LORD. It has been terrific to be part of this church family for 3 months and get to seek the Lord together. Meanwhile, my father and I started riding motorcycles together, which has been a great activity to connect as father/ son. We have ridden some off-road trails, and I have really been enjoying it. Later in the summer, our family took a trip to Florida to visit some relatives, and we enjoyed seeing family that we did not cross paths with for many months. As the summer continued to unfold, one of the key concepts that God has been showing me is building the foundation. This season is a time of laying that foundation and preparing for the structure that is to be built for the Kingdom. This is something that must be completed with patience. However, building the foundation will carry over important times of growth long into the future as we are sent out.

              Yet during this summer, America has been shaken as well. As a nation, we are continuing to fight the novel coronavirus as scientists race to develop a vaccine. The pandemic has forced Americans to adapt to a much different lifestyle of social distancing and staying out of large groups- things completely unexpected in January. Although the nation has re-opened somewhat since April, we are still focused on fighting the virus through the summer and beyond. Please pray as more research sheds light into medical interventions and the virus itself. Meanwhile, the protests caused by the death of George Floyd have caused us to re-examine our relationship with race and how we are going to move forward as a country. These incidents show that injustice (racism in this case) does continue to exist in our country. But the events also revealed another side to this nation: we are divided. In the weeks following George Floyd’s death, thousands of people across the world passionately advocated their views. Some people wholeheartedly supported law enforcement (Blue Lives Matter) while others supported the Black Lives Matter movement. While many advocated for both racial justice and an effective law enforcement presence, the events galvanized people with many different views on the topic. This led to a significant amount of conflict in our nation. As Christians, we must ask ourselves: How are we to respond to a divided country? How are we to build relationships and shine the light of Jesus into an increasingly polarized era in this nation?

              As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, many missionaries in other countries moved back to their home countries (in my case the US). Other missionaries who are preparing to launch to other nations are waiting on the Lord’s timing and for the world to open back up for international travel. These months have cast a powerful spotlight on the local mission field. As missionaries, how are we to serve those closest to home during these times? The summer has been very humbling seeing this take place. Some of my most cherished moments were spent prayer walking throughout Boone, NC and sharing the Gospel with those that God has placed in our lives. We also did outreach and held church outdoors at a local park near the center of Boone. A common quote that is being tossed around is “The Church has Left the Building”. This is very true today. In addition, God is also teaching me about discipleship as well. Being able to focus on a few people that He has placed into my life to meet one-on-one to do Bible studies and discipleship (with the goal to grow their faith and equip them as leaders) is crucial in a missions context. With the reduction of group sizes and the ability to preach a message face to face to a large group, building these connections with other believers and discipling them serves an important role. But as we serve locally, I also lift up those overseas. While most of our interactions with those overseas is through technology today, powerful sustained prayer can be used to call for God to move among Asia even as the pandemic unfolds. Prayer is a powerful tool that can be utilized anywhere- even right at home.

              Yet as August begins, I am continuing to pray over what will take place in the future. I really hope to be able to take this trip next year and go to the nations in Asia. But as the pandemic and other events unfold, I also realize that God may be calling me into a different path instead. While we do make plans, God can disrupt them and take us on a different journey than we initially sought to take. As I look towards future fundraising and planning for what is ahead, I am continuing to keep this in mind. However, I am also excited for the fall semester. Studying geography at App State will be a neat experience, and I look forward to connecting with the department and finding out about map related career opportunities. Learning about cartography and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) will be an eventful experience that I look forward to applying in the field. God is also continuing to guide my vision and where He is ultimately calling me to serve. Over this year, I will continue to pray over this and press into pursuing this vision for His Kingdom. It is exciting to be involved in different communities in the great outdoors and on campus, and it will be terrific to find out where this leads.

              Thank you for your prayers during this time, and I plan to provide updates to this blog throughout this year and next. Please feel free to reach out, and I look forward to continuing to serve locally as I prepare to travel internationally…

A rainbow makes a strong appearance from a viewpoint along the Colbert Ridge Trail in North Carolina’s Black Mountains. It is a reminder to hold onto God’s promise even when things are very uncertain today.

Genesis 9: 12 – 17: “And God said: ‘This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth’. So God said to Noah: ‘This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth’.”