Global Impact (WFI) Updates

His subtle reminders and revelation are what I’m most thankful for this month. It didn’t all happen this month, but He has definitely been starting to pull together some of what He has highlighted over this past year or two. Words and pictures He has been giving are starting to make sense. From the bigger leadership changes in WFI to the fine-tuning He is doing with my understanding of purpose and vision, it’s amazing how He brings it all together at just the right time.

picture with a new friend taken by an old friend

November started with a few days at a local Christian university’s mission fair. I’m not a great sales rep, but I love the community that is built among all the different orgs’ representatives. There is no sense of competition or fear: we know our own individual missions don’t dominate the fulfillment of the Great Commission, so we can freely enjoy talking with students, hearing their hearts and questions, and directing them to whatever mission might be a good fit for who God made them to be — even if it isn’t our own. I had such a good time catching up with friends I’ve made at similar events in the past, as well as making new friends and hearing stories from those who have more experience than I. Praise God for the larger Body of Christ! The funny thing is that there is also a pretty high turnover rate each time. We all want to be out on the front lines in some way, so mobilizing is fulfilling for us, but ultimately a step toward where most of us really want to be.

Within a week after that, I was on a plane to Japan. This wasn’t a WFI trip, but there are definitely opportunities to incorporate worship and solid missiology into what this organization does. It had been 6 years since I’d been in that country, but there was no doubt throughout the entire 10 days I was supposed to be there. Lots of ideas floating around…some distantly related with what I’m assigned to do here, and some for my personal pursuit of God. Turns out, those two things are not as disconnected as we try to keep them. That’s a good thing. It means less likelihood of being spread too thin. Here are some of the things I feel He has been releasing me to explore:

1. The door has opened for me to teach the strategy of this mission at a small Christian university. That means not only continuing to help facilitate the logistics of a short-term mission, but developing a curriculum for an accredited school. That’s actually been one of my hopes over the last two years: to raise the level of short-term mission endeavors from “volunteer” to “accountable.” By making the mission the “practicum” part of a class, I can ask for more from our teams in terms of commitment to preparation and strategic development. This also requires teams to take more ownership and responsibility for their participation. It’s both exciting and intimidating to realize the idea God dropped in my head a year and a half ago is now moving beyond “what if…” to “let’s do this!” Please pray God will guide my thoughts as I develop the class. Pray also for students who are willing to go that extra mile (or extra several thousand miles) in their pursuit of Him.
2. On top of that, I feel like He has been encouraging me to consider teaching music, with, in part, a special focus on (but not limited to) the international community in a nearby city. This was totally unexpected, as it incorporates elements I thought I would never want to emphasize: teaching music, ESL, and regularly interacting with young children. Since there is actually an eagerness and a desire within me for this, I’m going to blame this direction on the Holy Spirit. He has already provided a place that is open and flexible to my schedule; now He just needs to provide the students. If you know of anyone in the San Gabriel Valley area who would like to take some beginning music lessons (focusing more on foundational basics/theory and music appreciation), let me know! This will be pretty low-key and relaxed…like me! My hope is that people will walk away from this with the ability to understand music in such a way that they can enjoy it more. If they want to be a concert pianist…well, I have friends to whom I can direct them. I don’t plan on doing tests and recitals. Foreign passport not required. Please pray I will yield to His schedule and receive students He has chosen with joy, kindness, and an excellent learning experience so they can learn to love Him through music.
3. While this is not a new direction, we have the possibility of one team so far for next summer. I’d like to improve upon what we did this past year, so in that sense, things will be new because they will be different (hopefully for the better). Please pray for continual growth in how we send out teams so they will be more effective and empowered in their mission assignments while growing more in love with Jesus.

Each of the possibilities He has put in front of me is distinct, yet interconnected to each other as steps in more intentionally growing and enjoying the gifts and interests He has assigned to me. My prayer is they will set me up to be a powerful force for His Kingdom. Yes, they are jobs, “work.” But work and career paths aren’t mutually exclusive to our spiritual lives. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have enough time or energy to work on top of or apart from actively trying to draw closer to Him and grow in Christ-likeness. It helps if those are all bundled into the same activity.

I’m excited for these changes, but not sure how it will all work out. What I am pretty sure I can expect, though, is for God to make Himself known if I look for Him before I look for understanding. That may be all He is asking of me, though…of any of us. We don’t have to say, “Yes, I can do that.” We only have to say, “Yes.”

As with any love relationship, this will take a lot of work. However, unlike any human-level interaction, I can be sure any effort on my part will be returned in multiplied measure. If He doesn’t reciprocate, this would just be a waste of time and an exercise in futility. Thankfully, I know without a doubt He will be faithful.

He has shaped each person in turn; now he watches everything we do. No king succeeds with a big army alone, no warrior wins by brute strength. Horsepower is not the answer; no one gets by on muscle alone. Watch this: God’s eye is on those who respect him, the ones who are looking for his love. He’s ready to come to their rescue in bad times; in lean times he keeps body and soul together. We’re depending on God; he’s everything we need. What’s more, our hearts brim with joy since we’ve taken for our own his holy name. Love us, God, with all you’ve got – that’s what we’re depending on.
Psalm 33.15-22