Photo by Sergi Kabrera on Unsplash
In the last week, keep finding myself at the keyboard trying to write my thoughts. Apparently, all this COVID-19 stuff has created a need in me to process . So I guess I’m blogging again. I’ll be posting some things here while I’m feeling the need. I do hope you enjoy. Feel free to connect through the comments or by using the Contact Us page.
Here we go…
I'm reading this book with the group of Mission Adventures leaders from our San Antonio del Mar (TJ) and Ensenada campuses. We've divided up the book into ten weekly chunks that we're reading and commenting on using Slack. So far we're two weeks into this, and I'm loving it.
If you don't know who Coach Wooden is, here's the short version: He won a whole bunch of basket ball games and championships while coaching at UCLA. He was a man of principle and of faith. He developed a system for coaching that really has turned out to be a system for life.
Here's my favorite quote so far:
"A leader creates belief—in the leader's philosophy, in the organization, and in the mission."
In the last few weeks I've been asked to speak at a couple of different YWAM bases to the staff that are running their Mission Adventures ministries. I talked about things like what it means to be on staff, how to minister to teenage students, and how to be partners with youth workers and pastors. I talked about the history of Mission Adventures and shared some stories from the early days.
And it seemed to me that the people I was talking to were super eager to know what to do, how to do it, and why it should get done. I mean they were very conscientious about wanting to do a good job, and it was clear that they wanted to help bless and encourage the students and their leaders.
Of course, both Kay Charlotte and I have lots to say about the why, how, and what of leading Mission Adventures. But I came across this list on Instagram during some downtime, and I realized that much of what we had been encouraging the staff to do was summarized pretty well here. And it turns out, this isn't exactly Mission Adventures specific. If you want to make a difference, or be a great employee, or an amazing boss or leader, this is some great encouragement!
Judah was with us for fourteen years.
June 1, 2016 was Judah's last day. Levi, Taylor and I said our goodbyes and gave him some last treats. We facetimed with Kay Charlotte so she could be there too. I'm sad. I'm grateful.
Judah was a good dog. He tried my patience. He shed and he slobbered. But he was eager to please and wanted to be where we were. He reminded me of me. At times he showed me my shortcomings and just by being himself he showed me that I want to be a better man. And he reminded me of my own mortality, and he showed me that mercy is often the best course.
I love that Judah was an optimist. He was a living example of how to be enthusiastic for simple things. He always believed for one more throw of the ball, and always hoped for a stray piece of popcorn on the floor. I am impressed with him in that he faced aging and even his last days, (which must have been more painful than we know), with tremendous hope. He never got snappy or even had a hint of a bad temper. Instead he chose to sleep close to the back door instead of on his bed. I think it's because he wanted to be a little closer to us while he was hurting.
Levi and I stayed with him and stroked his ears while the vet gave him the injection. It was short, without any drama. He licked his chops and laid his head down one last time. I am deeply saddened that his story has ended. But I think we did it right. We didn't wait too long, and we didn't rush to get rid of him like he was inconvenient. I think we gave him a good life, and I think he enjoyed it, and I think he helped us be more human.
Two mothers honor the life of a daughter.
Josephine must have run out of hope the day she sold Robina to a man from their village. When I first heard the story, my heart broke, “How could this have happened?” I thought it would’ve been for a large sum of money, but, no. Robina was sold for a kilo of sugar and a bar of soap. Perhaps Josephine was tired of being filthy from digging for roots to feed her other children. Maybe she wanted sugar to ease the taste of her bitter, muddy-water tea. My mind cannot even begin to imagine…
My rage and disgust turned to mercy and forgiveness. I saw a mother who felt she had no options. My heart went out to Josephine the day we first met. She threw herself at my feet, begging me to forgive her, and not to turn her over to the police. Her arms were muddy from digging for roots, and working in the fields. The purple traditional dress she wore was filthy but she walked her steps towards me with eloquence and regret. Her eyes were streaming tears of shame and guilt beyond imagination, for her act of hopelessness resulting in “our” daughter’s untimely death. I knelt down to pick her up, and said, “The only one we bow to, is the one neither of us are worthy to approach, his name is Jesus.” She stood up, and wiped her tears with her dress. I motioned for her to sit next to me. She continued to try to bow to me for mercy, but I kept motioning for her to stand up and sit by me.
I’m sure her mind replayed the moment she realized Robina was pregnant by the man she sold her to. It’s possible she remembered all the lies she’d told to keep her pregnancy secret, so she could continue to keep Robina in school. Robina’s trunk was packed and ready for High School, but her mom kept telling people, “Robina has a headache and can’t go to school yet.” The truth was, Josephine had taken Robina to a witch doctor and gotten herbs to abort the baby, but after taking the potion, Robina bled to death. I got a text that same night, saying. “It is unbelievable that Nakikandwe Robina is dead.” I was shocked!
And there I sat with Josephine and told her God is a God of mercy. She was surprised when I said I did not come to judge her, nor was I mad at her, and I was not going to call the police to put her in prison. I said, “I forgive you.” She sobbed, and sobbed. I said, “If you ask God for forgiveness, He is faithful to forgive, and clean you from all things you do wrong.” She asked for forgiveness that day, and will never be the same.
I’ll never be the same either. I’d only read about mercy triumphing over judgment through the blood of Jesus. That day, I lived it out. I got the unique and life-changing opportunity to truly let mercy and the kindness of God lead someone to repentance. Someone I’d judged harshly, someone not deserving of forgiveness, and yet, I couldn’t do anything but forgive, because God was forgiving her through me. It was marvelous.
Josephine and I planted a fruit tree in memory of Robina that day. As we did, I quoted the scripture, “Unless a seed falls to the ground and dies, it remains single, but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” I believe the fruit from the seed of Robina’s life will be for Josephine and the people of the village to remember that mercy truly triumphs over judgment. Only God can work that kind of forgiveness into someone’s heart. For that I’m thankful and free. So glad I didn’t wear black but chose flowers instead.
Vulnerability is key to becoming wholehearted… as is coffee…
I heard about Brené Brown a few years ago. Several of my Facebook friends posted links to a video of her Ted Talk in Houston called, “The Power of Vulnerability”. If you haven’t seen it, be sure to check it out.
http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability
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A few months ago, I came across a CD set of her teaching on vulnerability, authenticity, connection and courage. I’ve listened to it several times and Brown’s work has become a key component of the talks I give on relationships in YWAM’s Discipleship Training Schools.
Key lessons for my life have included:
The thing that strikes me is that, even in my middle years, I have more growing to do. I'm not done, and I have opportunities to become a better human. I'm very grateful for Brené Brown and for her work because she inspires me in the right direction.
So I'm in Long Beach, California this week. I'm teaching in one of YWAM's Discipleship Training Schools. (This is the entry level course for our University of the Nations. It's offered at more than 400 locations around the world). I've got 12 students from 5 nations and this week we're discussing Mission and Outreach. It's a timely topic for them because a week from Thursday these students finish up the classroom phase of their school and they head out for two months of cross-cultural outreach.
I'm telling you, it's a real privilege for me to get to do this. I've found that I love teaching, and of course, I'm passionate about the topic, so that makes it easy and hard. It's easy to be motivated to do it, but hard to figure out what I'm going to say—there's just so much! I think my favorite part is those moments where I say something, and I see the light bulbs go on… kinda like in the cartoons you know? For example, today I was talking about how God is already active in the places that the students are going. He's been on the move, and it's their privilege to see what He's been up to, and join Him in the work He's prepared them to do. And I saw it—the lightbulb. I saw them grasp it and I saw that the pressure they'd been putting themselves of having to bring Jesus to these people melt away as they realized He's already there waiting for them to arrive.
I ask that you pray for me and for my students the rest of this week. Pray for more, lightbulb moments. And pray too, for my health. I've been fighting a bit of a cold this week, and I can feel it draining my energy. Thanks so much for being on this mission with us!