Our World Mandate

In early October, members of Antioch Boone assembled together for a time of worship and pouring ourselves out to the Lord. A big screen in front of us streamed the World Mandate conference, where speakers like Francis Chan talked about the importance of God’s word. Members from a team that participated in risky extraction / rescue work from the front lines of Ukraine also spoke as well. As a group, we sat in the presence of the Lord as we remembered our mandate- the Great Commission- to take the Gospel to all nations!

Since August 15, 2022, I have been back in the mountains of North Carolina. To be honest, I’ve not travelled a lot since then- but instead entered a time of rest and getting back on my feet. The Lord faithfully prepared the way to join Antioch Church in Boone, and also to finish my Master’s degree in Geography. Shortly after getting back to my hometown, I took the comprehensive graduate exams for the Geography Master’s program. It took a little over a month to grade them, but I did find out that I passed. Hallelujah! After two days of straight grinding through those tests though, I enjoyed a fun time visiting Hobnail Trekking Co when they came to Boone- talking about trekking in the Himalayas of Nepal. The spirit of exploration within me skipped a few beats, even though I knew I would be back home for a while.

The first few weeks began with getting to know my community once more. In late August, I drove down to Asheville to re-establish connections with the caving community there, and went on a crazy vertical pit cave adventure in Tennessee over Labor Day Weekend. In September, I got to catch up with some of my old friends who I used to do house church with before leaving on the World Race. We were at that same house, where we shared hard stuff (https://bretthaas.theworldrace.org/post/at-the-foot-of-the-cross1) but also prayed over what God is doing in Boone now. Shortly before the semester began, Kim and I prayer walked over the Appalachian State Univ campus with the same group that prayed over me less than a week before beginning the Race last year.

And so, in Boone, NC, I began my time at Antioch Church. Here is the big piece of news so far in this season. A few weeks after joining Antioch, the opportunity to enroll in Antioch Discipleship Training (ADT) took place. I prayed over this as a potential way to grow in Christ and also get to know the church community better. In my mind, I view this program in a similar fashion like G42 or CGA (common next steps for Alumni Racers to take to better connect with community and grow in their walk with Christ in the Post-World Race) era. I felt peace about joining ADT, and enrolled shortly thereafter. It is an 8 month discipleship training course, where participants meet on Sundays after church to debrief readings, pray together, and discuss evangelism strategies. We are also planning to do evangelism outings once a month to engage the lost with the good news of Jesus.

I remember growing up in the same place that I find myself now, deep in the mountains of Western North Carolina. My mother had a decoration that said “Home is Where the Heart Is”. This is indeed my home, and I am back. For how long, I’m not sure. With my parents, we watched Appalachian State beat Texas A&M, and I relaxed with church friends at the Eversons’ cabin deep in the mountain holler. Meanwhile, a group of old and new friends gathered at another cabin in the woods near Banner Elk to listen to some music. Musicians from Wisconsin travelled through the area, opening the door to fellowship deep in the fall woods. Birthdays were celebrated, and festivals sprang up (Valle County Fair, Wooly Worm) full of vendors selling their local fare as Autumn kicked into full gear. This is where my heart is. Driving the Blue Ridge Parkway showcases God’s creation in full display.

Boone, NC is a peaceful place that I believe God is using to raise up missionaries and welcome those who are seeking healing from their past. It is a peaceful place- and also the location where Samaritan’s Purse is headquartered out of. The last time I checked, they have a field hospital in Eastern Ukraine (https://samaritanspurse.org/article/new-emergency-field-hospital-deployed-in-ukraine/), and also are responding to those affected by Hurricane Ian. Boone has a unique and special Christian community that I look forward to being part of in the coming months. Sure- things have changed some. There are not as many house churches as there were before I left, but some new churches are also establishing themselves. Yet those who are called to the nations have their sending communities that support them and send them out. And I believe that Boone is my sending community- both now and in the future. Where I will get sent to- the Lord knows at this point!

During the World Mandate conference, we took a beautiful hike in the mountains, admiring the fall leaves and the amazing views. A Christian from the middle east and his wife came and spoke at the church, sharing testimonies and stories about what it is like to be persecuted for the faith. May we keep those who are suffering greatly or had to pay a high cost for their faith in Christ be kept in our prayers. At the last session of the streamed conference, we watched people worship and parade with country flags from all over the world. This resonated with me as we continued to remember our World Mandate to be part of a global Church that sends people to the far flung reaches of the earth so that everyone has a chance to hear the Gospel. May there be No Place Left on this planet that has not had the presence of the Gospel within their midst. Amen!