NYC and the NOC

            This blog has been a post that I wanted to write for some time since returning home from New York City (NYC) and the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC). However, I just got my wisdom teeth yanked out last Tuesday (OUCH!), which is having me write this blog in increments. Pardon for the delays- but thankful to be recovering. Please pray that I develop no complications from the recently completed procedure and that I am able to stay well enough to engage in ministry in the near future. This post is a bit on the lengthy side, but I am choosing to post it all at once (minus the photos) to simplify the process while recovering from surgery. Enjoy!

NYC

            New York City was one of the most interesting trips that I have ever taken; yet it set the stage for the journey that lies ahead. At first, the trip started out with a goodbye and a reunion. We said our goodbyes to a missionary family moving to Central Asia. However, once we arrived in New York, we reunited with friends who moved there. Reunions are an amazing sight to behold. We flew in from Charlotte and got settled in the Queens area. The church that I am affiliated with took the trip- and most of the people that I served with were part of my community back home. We were there to assist and encourage long-term missionaries who are working there; and to also engage international ethnic communities with the Gospel. And yes, sharing the Gospel cross-culturally is much different compared to campus evangelism in North Carolina. Groups went out into local parks to share with people, and I saw what it was like to enter an immigrant owned business and be able to connect with the business owner. Later that night we had dinner at an Asian restaurant and began our time together as a team. It was neat to see what the area was like, and there is a significant Indian presence in this community.

            Further into the trip, we took a train ride to visit an East Asian community in the area. This brought back memories from when I was in East Asia 2 years ago. The streets reminded me of Asia- and the desire to connect with these people continued to resonate within me. While the scene can easily be overwhelming, it felt welcoming. East Asia was a huge turning point in my walk with the Lord, and being able to connect with the culture again is awesome. With a few friends, we explored some of the restaurants, the street full of vendors, and the large mall at the center of the town. Yet what struck me is that many people in these communities do not speak a significant amount of English. As a result, there is a significant language barrier to cross- even in the United States. During the weekend, the door opened to share the Gospel with East Asian people groups and be able to learn more about their culture. It was very eye-opening to carry out these conversations, and we discussed as a church some of the blessings and challenges of ministering in a cross cultural context. Yet there are going to be the times where we are challenged by God to be able to talk to complete strangers and share His message. This is a humbling yet crucial time to grow in faith and boldness as the Lord seeks to expand His kingdom on the earth.

            As the middle of the trip progressed, God humbled me in multiple ways. One of the biggest takeaways is the importance and the ability to rest. For me, I love to explore new places and always consider myself “on-the-go” when I get the chance. It is at times difficult when I am called to stay back and rest (especially if others are to take a different path with more travel involved). This is because in the past, I often saw myself as an opportunist who realized that most of these places that I could see I could never get the chance to see again. There is a show on the Travel Channel called 1000 Places to See Before You Die. While the title is humorous, it underscores a key temptation: to try to cram in as much travel as possible in this life. Yet this must be examined in a different lens. Perhaps it is not about seeing as many places as possible before one dies- but instead placing travel in the Lord’s hands as He takes us to where He wants us to go. And if we are always trying to get from place to place, how can we be part of the place that the Lord has put us in now? As missionaries, the resting can be some of the most fruitful time spent in a place. It rejuvenates the soul and allows mission work to be sustainable over the long term. No rest means getting burned out on the field.

            Yet what happened on this day of rest? A couple of my friends and I stayed at our AirBnb for the morning and then went to town for lunch. We relaxed and talked about what the Lord has been teaching us. We got to have real and honest conversations. A while after having lunch, we sat down at a park and just relaxed. I chose to read a book and call my family back home. Yet I also took some time to take in the sights. The birds chirped as people played and laughed together. The cars went by and honked their horns. These sights, while always present- began to sink in me. I was no longer a “transient visitor” to Queens- but was learning to become “part of Queens”. In the afternoon, we visited a house church and saw what community is like. It was a super uplifting experience, and we got to discuss a lot about past ministry experiences in Eastern Europe that the family did. This especially piques my interest because we are hoping to go there on the World Race in the latter half of the Fall. Furthermore, while having dinner, we got to know South Asian friends that the house church made- a genuine “Oikos” network of friendships being made as the Gospel is being lived out. This is so cool! Not to mention the game of soccer played on the street. It was an amazing time together, and we didn’t want to leave.

            Later, we had the chance as a group to visit different cultures and learn about other religions throughout the world. Part of the group spent the day learning about Islam / Islamic culture; while the other part learned about Sikh beliefs / Sikhism. As we came back together later in the day, we shared about our experiences and recalled the stories that emerged from the day. We are continuing to lift this up in prayer as well. In the evening, four of us went to Manhattan and explored Times Square. It was terrific to have dinner in the city and be able to be together as friends. Yet what struck me was the homeless population living near Times Square. One man approached us, and we shared the Gospel with him. As we continued to talk, he began to cry as he looked back on his life. A few minutes later, he departed and we went to Times Square. But a few days later, the thought of that man would not leave me. As the Parable of the Good Samaritan played through my mind, I wondered if the solution at times can be radical and uncomfortable. What would have happened if we paid for a hotel room for the man, stayed with him, and got to hear his story? I cannot deny that stepping out and helping people like this can lead to open doors for the Gospel and ultimately result in lives being changed through Jesus. Praying for boldness (and discernment) to minister through the doors that the Lord opens!

            One of the favorite things that I love doing on mission trips (and even travel in general) is to read a good book. While in New York City, I decided to read through Seth Barnes’ Kingdom Journeys– which will also be a helpful resource for the World Race. Kingdom Journeys talks about going on a journey that stretches and pushes one’s faith in the Lord and learning to rely on Him through the stages of abandonment, brokenness, and dependence. Yet it is taken to a new level when these three things manifested themselves on the New York trip. Abandonment (surrendering our desires and our comforts to the Lord) presented itself early in the trip. It soon became evident that God wants me to continue surrendering relationships to the Lord- and be content even amid the uncertainty regarding some friendships and also the path towards marriage down the road. Also before the trip, I extensively searched my room for a power bank to be able to charge my phone on the go. It never turned up before I left. As a result, my phone did not have enough charge for me to be able to keep it on the whole day to be able to navigate with it. Navigation has been something that the Lord has blessed me with for many years- but this time it would be others that would ultimately navigate me. Near the end of the trip, I met a friend who challenged me in a big way to rethink how I was approaching God and missions. This forced me to confront my own brokenness and trying to go through the motions instead of organically seeking God at many points in my faith journey. The conclusion is that being able to seek the Holy Spirit first and have a greater intimacy with the Lord is crucial to bearing fruit on the mission field- even more so than trying to “do ministry” or “being productive”. The story of Mary and Martha was illuminated as a major paradigm shift took place in my faith life. Missions, ultimately, is not about doing ministry among those who need to hear the Gospel. It is being present with the Lord and being His hands and feet as the Gospel is proclaimed to those who need to hear it. And out of following Jesus wholeheartedly flows organic ministry that is driven by the Holy Spirit and proclamation of the Gospel that brings others to faith.

            This forced me into further dependence on Him as the trip ended. The last day was spent in Manhattan exploring areas near the High Line Park. The High Line is a beautiful elevated area near the Hudson River, and it felt like a slice of the woods from home. I continued to process things with my church community, and they were very encouraging. We got to eat at a Georgian restaurant with amazing food (Georgia is one of the countries that we may visit on the Race)! Yet during this time, it was encouraging to further dive into intimacy with the Lord and to pray whenever different scenarios emerged. As the trip wrapped up and we flew home, the Lord opened multiple doors to be able to share the Gospel with others. Hard questions were asked, and my faith was cross-examined. Yet inside I felt a deep peace and was not nervous about grappling with this. It is amazing to be able to share His message while abiding and seeking Him. This further reiterated the importance of prayer and seeking Him first as the message is proclaimed. Being broken is not easy- but being put together by the Lord and seeking true intimacy with Him is a beautiful thing. After getting back to Charlotte, we all eventually parted ways & drove home.

THE NOC

            Located near the Smoky Mountains, the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) serves as a regional outpost for outdoor recreation, a hostel for Appalachian Trail thru-hikers, and an important site to receive wilderness medical training. The day after the New York trip ended, I began the drive to the NOC to take a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) Recertification class. As the road entered the mountains, I continued to lift up what happened while in New York and also what was to take place this weekend. After some curves in the road, I reached Fontana Lake. While this is my first time visiting Fontana Lake, it was a very beautiful area and further reminded me of the desire for the outdoors that the Lord placed within me. Soon, I was on the trail. After 3 uphill miles, the top of the Shuckstack Tower sported spectacular views of the lake as I continued to reflect on recent events. It is in these times- like in climbing the mountains or driving winding roads beside the lake that I often pray and seek the Lord as things that have taken place are lifted up. It is both a time of struggle and joy as I continue to think about where the Lord is taking me. After driving in the mountains and through Robbinsville, I eventually reached the NOC and checked in for the night.

            Wilderness First Responder is an intense 9 day course that certifies individuals in how to perform first aid and respond to wilderness related emergencies. Because the certification lasts for 2-3 years, a 2-day class allows students to keep their certification current. While it is definitely a lot of material to learn in two days, it was nevertheless a great experience. One of my favorite aspects of taking wilderness medicine courses is the ability to bond with classmates and get to know them on a deeper level. Because we train together in mock scenarios and get to spend time together (especially if taking the 9 day course), a lot of conversations can take place over the course. Furthermore, being able to have a set process to complete first aid and wilderness care is crucial when going out to remote settings in the mission field. Taking this course prior to the upcoming Alaska trip and the World Race was definitely on the agenda, and it was terrific to be able to dive into medical care tactics. Furthermore, the NOC had a great outfitter store that I visited to purchase some gear for the upcoming World Race trip.

            Yet one of the highlights of being at the NOC is the tight-knit outdoor community presence that is there. As an outdoorsman, it has continued to be on my heart to minister and share the Gospel with fellow outdoor adventurers whenever the opportunities arise. Because so many people in the outdoors come from different walks of life, this was a great chance to meet people who often have very different views on faith. The conversations that were had gave me a lot of encouragement; especially as God opened doors to tell others about Jesus. But one gesture in particular stood out to me that drove home what authentic community is like: being invited to eat a meal and have fellowship with people that barely knew who I was. They did not care whether or not I was not a long-term staff member of the NOC or if I had known them before. They saw me as a friend who loves the outdoors- just like them. And out of this flowed genuine conversations as we got to know each other and build bonds of friendship. As I continued to learn how they lived out community, I am also praying about how the Body of Christ can continue to function as a community. How can we invite others into our lives and our churches- and get to hear their stories and pray over them? Being able to be together day in and day out, share our lives with each other, and be united in the purpose of glorifying Jesus’ name is a beautiful thing.

            Wilderness First Responder ended, and dad and I went to the Deep Creek area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This is a neat area with a 3-waterfall hiking loop and a beautiful tubing run along Deep Creek. Shops just outside the park rent and sell tubes for floating down the water. The trail run through the woods was very picturesque; it is amazing to be in the woods- in God’s creation. Yet after our run, we went to Bryson City for dinner. Bryson City is a place with a number of memories in my life. Four years ago, we hung out in the city during my freshman year of college as I spent spring break taking the Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course. Dad and I had conversations at Bryson City back then; just as we did when we were there recently. I see the place as a time of reflection and getting to spend time with my father. We got to walk through the downtown area and discuss some of the things that happened in New York City. While a lot of amazing things happened on the trip- there were also a lot of important lessons to be gleaned from it as well. After this took place, I went back to the NOC and journaled at the Thru-Hikers Kitchen where backpackers often stop on their way to Maine (or Georgia).

            The last day of the trip involved checking out of the NOC and Dad & I meeting Lee Heiner at Tsali mountain bike park. Lee is going on the World Race this August; and it was terrific to be able to close out the adventure by meeting him. In the morning, we started on the Mouse Branch loop and saw a beautiful overlook of Fontana Lake. When one of the rocks was turned over, it read “Jesus Saves”. How awesome is that! During lunch, Lee and I shared our testimonies and dove deeper into our faith and why we are going on the Race. The afternoon involved us and my father tackling the Thompson Loop. Around mile 5, Lee sustained serious leg cramps. Yet after praying and some rest, the Lord enabled him to successfully walk out and reach the trailhead. When we reached the trailhead, a woman ran into us at the parking lot- where we were able to pray over and encourage her. It is neat to see God time things out like that- and we were able to make a new friend because of it! We had a terrific day together- along with getting to push and challenge each other (both physically and spiritually). Looking forward to serving with Lee on the World Race as God uses us to spread His Good News in the Nations. Please feel free to view Lee’s account of this adventure, available here: https://leeheiner.theworldrace.org/post/preparing-for-the-unknown/

            After parting ways, I drove back up the mountain to Boone, NC- where we ate dinner together as a church and shared stories from the recent adventures. It was great to see friends again and be able to catch up together. We got to celebrate a friend’s birthday and also share in the excitement of an upcoming marriage that is to take place next month. From there, I got home and then spent the rest of the week recovering from surgery and preparing for the upcoming Alaska trip. Thank you again for your prayers as this mission work comes to pass, and please feel free to comment if you have any further questions about what took place!

– Brett