Encounter in the Park
If you’ve been following my newsletters, you’ll remember that I went to the park in the beginning of December, and after having a strange feeling that I should bring an extra coffee mug, I did indeed receive an unexpected visitor when a little girl (and her little dog too!) appeared in the quiet park and stopped a while to chat. This evening park-picnic ended with an invitation to a second more official park-picnic. I wasn’t quite sure how God would use this, but I knew He would. Within the SAME WEEKEND, I got the idea that maybe God was using that first encounter in... Read more
Those One on Ones
“Well, how are you doing?” A long pause. A sigh. Silence… “Umm, well… so often I just feel… like I’m just messing up… all the time… and I’m struggling and upset, and going through stuff… and I don’t know what I’m doing… and you call me and say things like, ‘I’m so proud of you, I’m encouraged to see your life, and watch you say yes to God over and over again,’ and… sometimes I don’t even want to talk to God. Even though I know deep down that I love Him with all my heart… I just… don’t want to read my Bible enough, and I’m just… not the leader role model that you would think... Read moreAdvent Reflections
The observance of Advent, a time of heart preparation for the celebration of Jesus Christ becoming flesh, is not something I’ve been very aware of or focused on in past years. This year I am seeking to more fully engage in anticipation and longing for the coming of Jesus into our weakness and need as Savior, Counselor, Healer, and Prince of Peace. What a gracious and loving God who would humble Himself in this way to restore to us the relationship with Him that we had rejected! I’m enjoying a weekly advent devotional with the church plant team in Mexico City, and also going through this free... Read more
2020 happened...but God
I know this is a cliché at this point, but 2020 has not looked at all like what I had expected. When I returned to the U.S. in late March, I thought it was only temporary; I certainly did not think I would still be in NJ in December. While I have experienced my share of frustrations, disappointments, and challenges since March, I don't want to dwell on things I cannot change. 2020 has undoubtedly been a difficult year, but God has done great things as well, and He deserves the credit. Here are some ways that I've seen God move and answer prayers: 1. Blessing in disguise. In the months... Read more
My Letter to Potential and Future Goers
I will never forget the first few days that GoCorps was introduced to me and my then girlfriend, now wife, Sophie. The amount of peace, excitement, and clarity the Holy Spirit brought to us was a total gift. Well, that’s a slight simplification. With a lot of prayer, talking to family and friends, and time weighing the pros and cons, we knew the best option forward was pursuing missions in Peru. Whether that was coincidental missions nights, having Peru pop up everywhere, or listening to wise leaders in our lives, all directions pointed towards GO. I’m not sure if you’ve already passed by... Read more
The Sun is in the Sky...
Dear Diary… I really am blessed and thankful. There have been some rough ups and downs- some bumpy patches this month as expected. But today, the sun is in the sky, shining again- still, regardless of my puny circumstances. And this I find as evidence of God’s incomprehensible, constant, greatness. Read more
I went to the beach this weekend...
I went to the beach this weekend… and it was really nice: A miniature city just for tourism, humidity thicker than Houston, Texas, flat, open, sandy beaches, with huge, curling waves- water stretching for miles until it touched the clouds. My neighbor and I played that slug bug/punch buggy game, but the tourist edition. We dressed up, and went out to a fancy dinner, we stayed in a little surf camp hotel, aimed at backpackers and surfers (obviously) that had a community kitchen and a library of travel books to share. (And a dog named Teo who guarded the pool.) At the beach, we laid... Read more
Implicit Curriculum AKA How to Play Boliche
In my first education course, “Students and Learning,” we had to memorize the definition of curriculum. Of course by now I’ve forgotten it, but I remember it being something about, “the stuff that you teach the students, both EXPLICIT and IMPLICIT.” (Emphasis on that explicit and implicit thing- because you’re always teaching someone something, whether you realize it or not.) I’m not sure about each of you, but sometimes as I’m teaching the kids in Sunday school or the teens in youth group, I feel that explicit teaching thing does not go so well. Or maybe just because... Read more