Gliding Across the Snow

THROWBACK SERIES, PART 1

Thank you again for lifting up this time in prayer. It has been terrific to serve on this trip and get to see great things take place. Yet in the midst of this, I wanted to share some stuff that happened in the past that greatly affected preparations for the World Race- and also how the Lord moved in the midst of the pandemic era. These are the Throwback Posts- diving into more stories and uncovering some pretty awesome stuff that’s happened back in the States.

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I can say that I come from a family that loves to ski. It’s woven into the dynamic of my family, and my parents have told me stories about them skiing out in the Tahoe area before I was born. As a child, I remember very well being taken to Beech Mountain to learn how to ski. My father encouraged me as I began to master and learn this skill. One of my favorite memories from my childhood was taking a “snow day” from school- and the entire family would hit the slopes at one of the local mountains in my area (Sugar Mountain, Beech Mountain, or Appalachian). My sister was born, and she also learned how to ski. Many families that we got to know in our area also ski together, and it gained traction as a significant social activity when I was in high school.

Eventually, I went off to college and was not as close to the mountains. I did not ski as much- given everything that was going on. However, I would return home over the Winter Break and work at one of the local ski resorts. This was a great way to earn some money on the side while also staying connected with the skiing community back home. Then the world got turned upside down when Covid-19 hit. I did not know what the future would hold, and things were very tense surrounding social gatherings. I stayed home with my family once more- and settled into grad school as the pandemic took place (with plans to travel on the World Race put on hold).

Yet the Lord used this time for me to rediscover skiing and use it for His Kingdom. I worked at the resort again this past winter, and doors opened to engage people. I loved also getting to meet fellow believers in the ski / snowboard community as well! In one instance, a group of guys from Appalachian State went together to Beech Mountain for a fun time of fellowship and hitting the slopes. It was a very good time. Meanwhile, my family and I also skied a lot over the winter- and it was one of our main ways of getting out of the house. The Lord also put a special friend in my life, Wesley, and us getting to ski together provided a crucial avenue for him to grow closer to Christ. For sure an awesome praise! We keep in touch to this day, and I look forward to shredding some more powder together when I return.

Later on, my family and I decided to take a trip to Colorado to ski together. We ended up meeting with other relatives from different parts of the country as well. One of the highlights was doing a challenging run with one of my cousins from Texas- that I do not get to see super often. It was for sure terrific to be able to hang out with him and shred the slopes! Copper Mountain is a huge place- but we tried our best to explore as much of it as possible. Meanwhile, as we relaxed at our condo, I was doing my Bible reading. One of my other cousins saw this- and we had a great convo about faith and God’s word. These things warm my heart- and I loved being able to pour into my family and relatives over this time. Our time out there ended with shredding Arapahoe Basin and Loveland- where we were blessed with a spectacular powder day.

After this trip ended, the skis went into the attic. But the story and the adventure lives on. While on the World Race, the Colorado trip has come up as a topic of conversation multiple times. It is neat to see the Lord using this as an open door to engage people out in the field. In one instance, I was hanging out with a group of skateboarders in Romania. As someone who loves to ski, I ended up showing one of the guys a video of Arapahoe Basin. I shared with him about my experience there, and that man was super interested because he loves to snowboard. Meanwhile, Kosovo has an up-and-coming snow sports culture. Many young people love to hit the slopes, and this allowed me to share about skiing as well. These common interests have opened doors towards building friendships and deeper conversations.

In the future, I hope to continue to be used by the Lord in this way to further spread the Gospel. The snow sports community has a special place in my heart, and I look forward to getting to meet more snowboarders and ski bums while out on the field. In particular, please pray over our upcoming ministry in Georgia and Armenia. While there, there may be a chance to shred some powder and also get to meet people while doing it. I will be excited to see how this ends up working out. While out in the field, I also learned about the organization “Skiers and Snowboarders for Christ” (SFC). They have a group in the Boone area, and it would be neat to connect with them when in the States. They have established ministries across many different mountains throughout the world.

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“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5: 14-16