The Nations Prove
Ever hear the song “Ill be home for Christmas” and openly weep giant man tears? Yea, me neither. Not only is this my first Christmas away from home (and all the hot cider, goofy sweater, candy filled stocking goodness that accompanies that), but it is also my first Christmas in a completely unfamiliar place that for the most part could not care less about celebrating Immanuel. There are few Christians here, but all that means is that when we do get together to celebrate the Lord’s birth, the pressure is on to do it right…no slacking. I’ve already learned and experienced many things during my… Read more >>
Houston, We Have Lift Off
Here's a fun fact: NASA astronauts spend 6-8 hours a day in underwater replicas of the International Space Station in order to prepare for their upcoming missions. We can call it dedication, or adult swim on steroids. Despite all this training, something tells me when they finally get into outer space they are nonetheless surrounded by an inexplicable aura of differentness. Despite hours of weightlessness in an Earth-bound pool, surely nothing can completely prepare oneself for the otherworldy sights, sounds, smells, and feeling of space. I feel like an astronaut. Granted, my GPA was likely… Read more >>
Look Up
“…palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy” No, those are not the lines from a popular early 2000s rap song. On the contrary, those words are the finite description of the wearisome reality I landed myself in over a month ago as I all but crawled up a mountain in the Ouchita National Forest of the Arkansas back country. I love backpacking. I love backpacking like Kel loves orange soda and like Baptists love fried chicken. However, as thrilled as I am about being in no man’s land for days relying on nothing but Cliff Bars and sheer wit for survival, when there is nothing but the July sun… Read more >>A Mid Summer Update
[Note: This post is an extension and edit of my newsletter update] What a summer it has been, and what a good God we follow! We’re just over halfway done with the summer, so I wanted to catch everyone up on where I’m at right now. Nine weeks ago I embarked upon the summer support raising process in order to make my move to the Middle East, and it is safe to say I’m not the same person I was nine weeks ago…in a good way! The past nine weeks have been full of challenging conversations, personal growth, countless meetings, and seeing God’s hand at work and providing in ways I’ve… Read more >>