As I sit here in the comforts of my living room with the sun shining through the window and light snow falling I can't help but think about how different our lives will be in one year from now. Everyone we share the news with, about our trip, comments on how amazing it will be and how much our kids will benefit from the experiences. I have to agree but what will make it amazing for me? In my heart I know that in order for me to feel it was worth the effort to make this a reality will be how much of a difference we, or more specifically I will make. To do missions is great in theory, but what do I have to offer? I am doing a lot of soul searching at the moment and praying for God's guidance to reveal to me His plan for this trip. To quote from a book I am currently reading and may want to refer back to again (on our trip) here are some things worth remembering:
"The average North American enjoys a standard of living that has been unimaginable for most of human history. Meanwhile, 40 percent of the earth's inhabitants eke out an existence on less than two dollars per day. No single sector can alleviate poverty on its own. Like all human beings, poor people have a range of physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs. Hence, appropriate interventions for poor people include such diverse sectors as economic development, health, education, agriculture, spiritual formation, etc. While we all have a responsibility to help the poor, there is enormous diversity in the ways that each person is to fulfill this biblical mandate. Remember, the goal is for everyone involved to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever, not just to increase people's incomes. All of us have been heavily influenced by the modern worldview, which believes that human reason and effort are able to understand and control the material world without a need for understanding or relying upon God. As a result, we are very prone to putting our trust in ourselves and in technology to improve our lives, forgetting that it is God who is the Creator and Sustainer of us and of the laws that make the technology work."
What I am seeing is that all the money in the world will not solve a persons, community, village, or countries problems. Relying solely on ourselves will never work and we will never be satisfied. You just have to take a look at all the people in the world who are extremely wealthy yet still not happy. A person's worth or happiness is not based on their income, it is measured by the number of satisfying relationships in their life beginning with a relationship with our Creator.
"A helpful first step in thinking about working with the poor in any context is to discern whether the situation calls for relief, rehabilitation, or development. In fact, the failure to distinguish among these situations is one of the most common reasons that poverty-alleviation efforts often do harm. "Relief" can be defined as the urgent and temporary provision of emergency aid to reduce immediate suffering from a natural or man-made crisis. "Rehabilitation" begins as soon as the 'bleeding' stops; it seeks to restore people and their communities to the positive elements of their pre crisis conditions. "Development" is a process of ongoing change that moves all the people involved-both the "helpers" and the "helped" - closer to being in right relationship with God, self, others, and the rest of creation. Development is not done to people or for people but with people. One of the biggest mistakes that North Americans make-by far-is in applying relief in situations in which rehabilitation or development is the appropriate intervention."
Keeping the above in mind I will strive to build relationships with those I meet and apply the principle's I've learned so that my efforts do make a difference and their lives as well as my own will benefit.
Whew...... all for now!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Our purpose
2011 has arrived.....the one year countdown is now on!
Since JC's trip to Guatemala in November we've decided to partner with FH (food for the hungry) and will attend a boot camp later this month. We want to learn as much as we can about missions work so that we will have a better opportunity to be more effective in the area's we visit. It's difficult to know the best way for our family to serve. What is God's purpose for us? What does He want us to accomplish? If we keep these questions in mind while planning our trip then surely where we are meant to go and what we do when we get there will be answered. There are so many ways in which one can serve but you have to look at your own abilities and talents. We would be kidding ourselves if we thought we could help build something knowing what we know about building...aka nothing! However, building relationships with people suits our family perfectly and add using sports as the tool is even better. To borrow a quote from the YWAM website we need to... live more like Jesus and identify your unique gifts and purpose to use in missions. "Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations" Matthew 28:19.
Since JC's trip to Guatemala in November we've decided to partner with FH (food for the hungry) and will attend a boot camp later this month. We want to learn as much as we can about missions work so that we will have a better opportunity to be more effective in the area's we visit. It's difficult to know the best way for our family to serve. What is God's purpose for us? What does He want us to accomplish? If we keep these questions in mind while planning our trip then surely where we are meant to go and what we do when we get there will be answered. There are so many ways in which one can serve but you have to look at your own abilities and talents. We would be kidding ourselves if we thought we could help build something knowing what we know about building...aka nothing! However, building relationships with people suits our family perfectly and add using sports as the tool is even better. To borrow a quote from the YWAM website we need to... live more like Jesus and identify your unique gifts and purpose to use in missions. "Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations" Matthew 28:19.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
It won't be perfect.....
as we endure long waits in numerous airports
struggle with foreign languages
all the important decisions we'll have to make
the mistakes we may make along the way
sleeping in unfamiliar places
seeing poverty and realizing our limits on what we can do to help
spending 24/7 x 365 days together as a family - WOW!
struggle with foreign languages
all the important decisions we'll have to make
the mistakes we may make along the way
sleeping in unfamiliar places
seeing poverty and realizing our limits on what we can do to help
spending 24/7 x 365 days together as a family - WOW!
I will miss......
Meghan
my bed
friends and family
long hot showers
my soccer team - Go Drillers!
snow
clean drinking water (when there is none)
feeling safe and secure at all times
our home
my bed
friends and family
long hot showers
my soccer team - Go Drillers!
snow
clean drinking water (when there is none)
feeling safe and secure at all times
our home
I will not miss.....
sorting all the papers from school & mail
trying to keep a clean house
the COLD weather during the winter months
decorating the house for Halloween and Christmas
rushed mornings and making lunches on school days
the endless 'TO DO' list
trying to keep a clean house
the COLD weather during the winter months
decorating the house for Halloween and Christmas
rushed mornings and making lunches on school days
the endless 'TO DO' list
Pre-trip thoughts
It's November 14, 2010, only 14 months until we depart on our trip of a lifetime! I've been inspired to create this blog by reading the words of another family of 4 who are currently on a world trip. Excitement is starting to set in since I know how fast a year can go by!!!!
Although I don't want our trip to be micro-planned I do want to have a vague idea of where we will be and when and I do want to research the places we plan to visit in order to get the most out of our holiday. My plan is to speak to everyone we know that have done any travelling to the places we plan to visit. This will take time.....hopefully just over a year is long enough! Originally this trip was going to consist of being tourists 80% of the time and plan a couple missions endeavors along the way. We have since had a change of heart and feel that we will get more satisfaction by doing missions work any chance we get. This will mean connecting with organizations already established to find out what we, as a family, can contribute to the need of the country/village we will be visiting. Again, more research to do but will be worth it!!!
Another idea is to do an act of kindness every day!!! This should help get us through those days when things don't go as planned. If we can leave the world a littler better than we found it then our mission will be accomplished. We want to make a difference, we want to meet people that we can help in some way even in a small way. We want the environment to benefit from our family's presence even if that means picking up garbage, that is what we will do. We want to help children in any way we can, teach english, draw with them (Tianna), play guitar for them (Landon), hold and love them (me), give them a workout :-) (JC). We will each take away something different from this experience, mostly good, some bad and we will undoubtedly grow beyond measure!!!
It is my hope and dream that a year away from all of our life's comforts will shape and mold us into a person, a family, who truly knows what it is like to sacrifice, to feel challenged and rise above any hardships we encounter. In some ways a year is a long time, yet in another way it can go by so quickly and we will be home before we know it but not before we enjoy experiences that will be with us for the rest of our life!! 2012.....bring it on......we'll be ready!!!
Although I don't want our trip to be micro-planned I do want to have a vague idea of where we will be and when and I do want to research the places we plan to visit in order to get the most out of our holiday. My plan is to speak to everyone we know that have done any travelling to the places we plan to visit. This will take time.....hopefully just over a year is long enough! Originally this trip was going to consist of being tourists 80% of the time and plan a couple missions endeavors along the way. We have since had a change of heart and feel that we will get more satisfaction by doing missions work any chance we get. This will mean connecting with organizations already established to find out what we, as a family, can contribute to the need of the country/village we will be visiting. Again, more research to do but will be worth it!!!
Another idea is to do an act of kindness every day!!! This should help get us through those days when things don't go as planned. If we can leave the world a littler better than we found it then our mission will be accomplished. We want to make a difference, we want to meet people that we can help in some way even in a small way. We want the environment to benefit from our family's presence even if that means picking up garbage, that is what we will do. We want to help children in any way we can, teach english, draw with them (Tianna), play guitar for them (Landon), hold and love them (me), give them a workout :-) (JC). We will each take away something different from this experience, mostly good, some bad and we will undoubtedly grow beyond measure!!!
It is my hope and dream that a year away from all of our life's comforts will shape and mold us into a person, a family, who truly knows what it is like to sacrifice, to feel challenged and rise above any hardships we encounter. In some ways a year is a long time, yet in another way it can go by so quickly and we will be home before we know it but not before we enjoy experiences that will be with us for the rest of our life!! 2012.....bring it on......we'll be ready!!!
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