Really important content in this email update…it’s MARCH and that means college basketball in the States. While I’m still here, I’ll enjoy it. I’ll have to research the cultural relevance of ‘March Madness’ in Burundi (should be a short search).
To test my listening skills below are my Final Four picks for the 2018 NCAA bracket. Keep in mind I’ve watched approximately 48 game-minutes of college basketball this season. IF my past history is any indication these teams are doomed in the tourney. But…what the hey:
Virginia vs Houston
Kansas vs West Virginia
Kansas over Virginia
Enjoy the games. Enjoy our culture. Enjoy one another.
Below you will see a picture of me after 5 steps on Burundi soil. I’ll let you write the caption:)
The phrase I use to describe the trip is ‘eye-opening.’ It has been some time since I’ve been to a developing country and there were many adjustments for me. Things we take for granted here in North America (air conditioning, infastructure, technology) are not ‘givin’ there. It’s one thing to visit a location and experience the culture and it is entirely different to visit a location knowing you will be living there in the near future. I was convicted, on several occasions, of my entitlement to luxury and comfort that God has afforded me by being born into North America. To live in any space outside of that requires a change in attitude. There are attitudes and postures that I must surrender. Jesus tells us ‘anything is possible’ in Mark chapter 9. It is not impossible for me to live in Burundi; it is just different and that is part of God’s journey for me. To live cross-culturally presents so many challenges. The Lord will guide me in this adjustment (Psalm 86:11, ‘teach me your ways, O Lord…).
I did notice the differences, but I was also encouraged by the people. The families were so welcoming to me. From hosting, to feeding, to showing me around, they knew what I needed to see. The local people were ecstatic (and surprised) when they heard I would be moving to their country this year. What exactly I will DO when I get there is still open. To start I’ll focus primarily on how to BE there.
After a few days back stateside when asked how I viewed the trip I reflected to a friend the analogy of a pineapple. On the outside it is prickly, and wild, and rough. But when you cut it open and get to the middle you find a soft, and fresh, and sweet core. He will reveal to me what I need to learn about Burundi, about myself, and about Him.
Your prayer support was fierce! Thank you!
Caption this…Capital city of BujumburaPastor’s conferenceRequired Africa photo (they absolutely loved having their picture taken)
Tomorrow I leave for a 17-day trip to Burundi. I will join a team of folks in Toronto and we will fly to Paris/Nairobi/Bujumbura. The trip was established with the purpose of building relationships among Christian leaders. It is a chance for all involved to listen and learn how God is moving in the world. And I get to tag along. This will be my first impression and a chance for me to see, hear, taste, and smell what life is like in Burundi. I am excited to be a part of it!
I will return in early February. I hope to have access to email (or WhatsApp/Viber) while I’m gone.
Many thanks for your support and encouragement. I look forward to telling you more once I return.
As I traveled this continent on my way back to Kansas I passed through Twin Falls, Idaho. I arrived from the north of town and crossed a 1,500ft bridge which connects the walls of the Snake River Canyon (picture attached). If you have enough years on your driver’s license this landmark may jog your memory. In 1974 the American stuntman Evel Knievel attempted to launch himself across this impressive divide using a “rocket cycle.” If you have not seen it in person the Snake River Canyon is a massive gap! Birds probably have to fly to the bottom to rest before continuing to the other side. Did he honestly think he would be successful??? At any rate, he went for it, he was determined and committed. You can search YouTube for footage of this stunt (I may have spent waaaaay too much time researching this).
As I watched some videos I thought:
What was he thinking as he walked to the “rocket cycle?”
What was he thinking as he climbed INTO the “rocket cycle?”
Did he say a prayer?
Wait.A.Minute…
What am I thinking as I prepare to “jump the canyon?” What prayers am I saying as I prepare to live and breathe on a different continent with an entirely different culture? Do I honestly think I will be successful?
Prayer support is crucial to my journey. Some of you have already been praying for this journey (I thank Him for your devotion). I don’t know what you’ve been praying but I can tell you it was on target. I have felt God’s peace at each point of the journey. Before I can get to Africa I need to secure commitments to pray. I’m looking for 40 committed prayer partners. If this is something you can be involved with there is a form attached to this email for you to complete and return to me.
A Google search revealed that Mr. Knievel did not know Christ during his days as a stuntman. Years later he shared his testimony to thousands of people. He said, “Jesus Christ is everything! I know that now. If I had known that years and years ago, I would have been three times the man I thought I was.”
I am so blessed to include you in these updates. Thank you, thank you for your financial support and dedicated prayer during my time in Canada!! Your responses and interest were encouraging to me.
I am back in Wichita! It is good to be back in a place that means so much to me. It is also a different feeling as I process all the things that I have experienced these past 15 weeks. While in Canada (I only had 1 Wizard of Oz reference) it dawned on me that this is the longest I’ve ever lived outside the borders of Kansas. I’ve had a lot of “windshield time” to make sense of all this and I’m still chewing on it. As I try to find a new routine and schedule for my time in Kansas, I do hope to connect with you in a more meaningful way than just email.
GIVING
That being said, I do recognize we are approaching the end of the year. A part of our culture places importance on the tangible financial benefits of end-of-year giving. There’s no shame or guilt in it, that’s just a part of living in North America. I get it. I’ve done it. If you are still looking for a gift to be included in 2017 attached are a few links for my project with MB Mission. These are the cold, hard, transactional facts, but I would love to catch up with you in person in 2018.
I pray you have peace this Christmas and can enjoy one another (Ephesians 4:2),
I have been listening and praying for a few weeks now about the invitation to Burundi. Many of you have also faithfully been praying through this time of discernment for which I say ’thank you.’ I am at peace with Burundi. Praise God for a destination to start praying into!!
What I Know
There are currently 2 Canadian families working with MB Mission who live in the capital city of Bujumbura. I will join their team and serve alongside them. The team serves local ministries in a variety of roles which include discipleship for church planters and administrative support, to name a few. To start I’ll focus my time on learning the language (French and Lingala), learning the culture, and learning how to live (seems this could be important).
Challenge
Psalm 86:11—Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.
It will be a challenge (#nosnakesplease), but I believe God has something He wants to teach me in Burundi. I am excited to see His majesty in such a foreign place to me.
Note:
I will be in Wichita at First MB Church on the morning of November 19. It will be a short stay as my flight leaves later in the day. I won’t have much time but would love to see you in person, if only briefly. Training ends December 1 and I intend to be back in Wichita by mid-December. I look forward to connecting again.
It continues to be a time filled with challenges, but I suppose that’s part of the deal when you go through a period of transition (is that what I’m calling this?). Our training topics are designed to challenge our thinking, to equip us with His authority, and to search our souls. At this point I can confidently say ‘mission accomplished’ but the learning continues and will do so throughout this journey.
Recently, our team had a week of training on the core principles needed to “do church.” What specifically is necessary for church? I had a difficult time answering this question. For one thing, I don’t know if I’ve ever thought about it before. Second thing, my U.S. culture makes it easy for me to slip into a consumer mentality. Only the highest quality product (sermon, worship, service opportunities) will satisfy my church experience. I ended the week asking, “when I think of church, what items are non-negotiable and what items do I just prefer?” I really had to peel at my own experiences to define core principles.
Do I need a worship band?
Do I need a sermon?
Do I need free coffee in the lobby?
Do I need the Lord’s Supper?
Do I need…
The teaching for the week helped us identify three categories of “church authority.”
New Testament Commands—things Jesus (or the apostles) commanded us to do. Examples: pray, give, love
Apostolic Practices—practiced in the early church, but not commanded. Examples: fasting, worship on Sunday, speaking in tongues
Human Traditions—practices not mentioned in the New Testament. Examples: Sunday school structure, dressing up for services
Just for fun, take inventory the next time you are “doing church.” What things are non-negotiable and what things are preferences?
Our group made verinika from scratchOctober 13, just outside Williams Lake, British ColumbiaOctober 14, just outside Williams Lake, British Columbia
Our training team of 8 people from all over the world (Austria, Canada, Germany, Ukraine, USA) met for the first time in Winnipeg in mid-August. We spent 10 days getting to know one another and trying to form our own community. Our housing was an abandoned warehouse refurbished to accommodate a church; Winnipeg Centre Vineyard.
Winnipeg Centre Vineyard
We each selected a Sunday school room to serve as a bedroom and cobbled together various bedding to form our individual beds. We cooked and shopped for our own meals. We tried to find some kind routine to our day even though we would be there for a short period of time.
Training
Our days were filled with experiences of a new culture and new city. We partnered with several churches in the North End of the city to experience their model of ministry. The North End has a high population of First Nations people and we received several teaching sessions on history, traditions, ceremonies, and testimonies. We met some very open and friendly people who blessed us with their stories. It was a full 10 days of learning.
Mural on wall of Winnipeg Centre Vineyard
Adjustments
There were numerous adjustments as we entered the training process; new culture, new community, new routines, and new languages. That was intentional. This piece of training was designed to give us experiences we can reflect on when we face new and different circumstances in the future. What do you do when faced with traditions that are not your own? How do you react in circumstances that make you uncomfortable? How do you find common ground with people who are different from you? Scripture and prayer were our guideposts as we were challenged to listen, to engage, and to experience all that was presented. Some of these items we’ll reflect on throughout our time in Canada.
On to Abbotsford (to paraphrase Coach Belichick)…
Travis
Preparing to jump the border in North DakotaStage at Winnipeg Centre VineyardOur dining table
What is God calling each of us into? For me, I believe He wants me to explore His world and to carry His message to a region where people do not trust Jesus. Does that sound big? I agree, and that’s why I’m including you. He wants me to use the skills that you (yes, you) have been developing in me over these many years. I invite you to be a part of this journey.
This Journey
Reflecting on the meaningful experiences in my life I recognize that I was often invited into a majority of those experiences. This is no different. I believe God has invited me on this journey. A journey I never imagined I’d be on, a journey with questions I can’t answer, and a journey without a formula to follow. What.Am.I.Doing!! When I get overwhelmed and things don’t make sense I just try to focus on getting to the ‘next step.’ I rest in being available and humble and attentive. In His sovereignty He might have something to teach me in the journey; more so than in the destination.
How I Got Here
The short version of the story goes like this: Over the past year there were several invitations to a ‘next step.’ For the second time I traveled with a team to Paris to support our missionaries and while there God broke my heart. While walking in a Parisian market I said (out loud) “God, what do you want me to tell them?” Shortly after the second trip God opened my heart to the possibility of serving His Kingdom in a new way. Did I dare to challenge the comfort zone I lived in? With guidance from some of you I followed the ‘next step’ of discernment and attended a retreat. I desperately wanted a clear path (a burning bush would do it), but I did not receive it. I did, however, receive an open path. An open path meant filling out an application with MB Mission (a missions organization with workers all over the world). It couldn’t hurt to answer some questions and put an experienced team in the driver seat. My application was accepted and I was invited to an intentional time of discernment specifically with MB Mission. During this time God revealed to me that I was not adrift in my own thoughts, but that He had ways to use me which I had never considered before. After a few more evaluations I was invited to attend a training session. A 15-week training session. In Canada. This fall. And there I stood; at a crossroad. Those ‘next steps’ had turned into THEE ‘next step.’ A very public and very monumental decision was right in front of me. Would I remain at my job of 20 years OR continue on with this journey. In an act of obedience to follow His guidance I surrendered the world that I so comfortably navigated and I submitted my resignation effective this August.
What Is The ‘Next Step’
I will attend a 15-week training session with MB Mission in Canada starting mid-August. At the end of training we will discern my assignment with the intent of placing me overseas. That’s about all I know (have I mentioned I don’t have a lot of answers?). Therein lies my reason for writing you. I invite you to walk, seek answers, and explore these ‘next steps’ with me. I’m looking for 40 committed prayer partners (please respond to this email) and $6,500 in fundraising (click here) for my time in training. I welcome your prayers and visions and please pass them on as you feel led. I marvel at moments in this journey where people have shared something to affirm my own thoughts and prayers. I humbly submit to His leading in both of these areas for you.
Forever blessed to be able to call on you for something like this. Thank you for your time and consideration.
