Interested in serving as a missionary in another country or culture? Then you might be interested in attending The Journey Deepens.
These weekends help prospective missionaries explore what it is like to
be a missionary, discover whether a missionary or sender role is God's
fit, and connect with mission agencies.
This is for high school seniors, college students, young adults, mid-lifers,
baby boomers – anyone willing to explore becoming a missionary.
Each retreat of 50 participants and 10
missionaries from multiple agencies is highly relational with extended worship,
small group discussions, personal reflection and much prayer. Discussions
include guidance, finances, singles/families, etc.
In fall 2008 the dates and locations
are:
- Oct 17-19 in Pasadena, California at the U.S. Center for World
Mission
- Nov 14-16 near Atlanta, Georgia at the Operation
Mobilization conference center
The Journey Deepens is
presented by Finishers/MissionNext and co-sponsored by ACMC, Caleb Resources,
Perspectives and the U.S. Center for World Mission. Here are comments from those
who came to one of the nine previous retreats:
"The retreat helped me
focus my passion into reachable goals. Maybe I can't leave for the field
tomorrow but I can pursue what will prepare me now for what God has in the
future."
"You should be aware of some items that were lost. We lost our
fear of being missionaries. We lost our pride and entitlement to be comfortable.
We lost our rights of security and safety. Most important, we lost our
preconceptions of what we thought God had for our future and discovered a new
direction."
"This weekend gave me a clearer view and vision for what I
would like to do and how I can get there. It brought people into my life to help
me along the journey in many ways."
See the online promo
video and FAQ &
cost. Come with an open heart -- willing to connect with God, with one
another, and with a missions agency. Meet others and compare maps on the
journey. Discuss your compass with missionaries and missions coaches who have
traveled this way already.
At this retreat you will not be overwhelmed
with overchoice! Here's some of the subjects that will be covered:
- I feel a pull from God to the nations. What should I do next?
- Which of my gifts and interests could I use in another culture?
- How can I deal with school loans?
- What's involved in raising prayer and financial support?
- How do I discuss [KEEP READING]
The following is a guest post on the Desiring God blog by Johnathon Bowers, a student at The Bethlehem Institute. He blogs at The Fool's Gold and loves dreaming about the future with his wife, Crystal.
* * *
God has been on the move in your heart lately. Maybe it all started with that sermon. Maybe it was that National Geographic issue on Iran. Maybe your Chinese friend. Maybe the missionary biography you just finished. Maybe Romans 15.
Whatever it was, you can't get the nations out of your mind now. You've begun to think of other countries in terms of unreached people groups rather than their diplomatic relationship with America. Missions used to bore you. It was for…you know…"other people" (said in hushed tones with a shifty gaze).
But now, it's strangely attractive. You start to get wobbly-kneed and giddy whenever you hear someone mention "contextualization" or "strategic access country." When you meet someone who is interested in missions, you talk at length with them and ask lots of questions. You're hooked. It's taken a while, but you are seriously considering a missionary career.
When you finally muster the pluck to tell your spouse about your change of heart, his response is unsettlingly cool.
Polite, but cool.
He just doesn't know if he could ever see the two of you overseas. Dinner is awkward that night. He asks for the check. The two of you drive home in silence. What you thought would be a glorious evening of united passion for missions has turned into a glorified punch in the gut.
What do you do?
M. David Sills, professor of Christian missions and cultural anthropology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has just written a book called The Missionary Call: Finding Your Place in God's Plan for the World. In it he includes a chapter devoted to this very issue.
His counsel? Wait. Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (Ephesians 5:25). Wives, be subject to your own husbands and win them over by your respectful and pure conduct (1 Peter 3:2-3).
As it is with a call to faith, so it is with a call to missions. God must act. And you must wait, because a divided and resentful couple is no asset on the field.
But let your waiting be active. There is plenty to do to plow the soil that a unified call will sprout from. Sills writes:
While you wait, grow your marriage to be as healthy as it can be. Work on [KEEP READING]
Today some members of the D.R. team were blessed with the opportunity to travel to some of the Makarios students’ homes in Chichiga, a Haitian batay outside of Montellano. As the group headed away from the Makarios school, the ocean breeze swirled through the van in the afternoon heat.
After passing rows and rows of sugar cane, the “gua gua” turned down a dusty dirt road. The first image in sight upon arriving in Chichiga was the shining faces of the excited children ready to head off to preschool. When the van came to a stop, the group stepped out to tour the batay with Robin, a teacher at the Makarios school. As the group walked around the village, numerous smiling faces greeted Robin and welcomed the group with a friendly “hola.” The short tour around Chichiga ended within ten minutes and upon returning to the van we found it full of preschoolers ecstatic to journey to school.
The “gua gua” once again headed off down the road filled with bumps and turns. The tightly squeezed van ride did not end the preschoolers excitement for school, the entire “gua gua” ride the children sang to one another a song in Creole, the Haitian native language. Intially, I believed, because even Robin could not understand the Creole the children used as a first language, the linguistic differences would provide a division between Haitians and Dominicans at the Makarios school similar to that division present in the modern day Dominican Republic.
This division in the D.R. is especially prevalent in batays where towns divide themselves in half by nationality. However, the moment the “gua gua” arrived at the Makarios school the Haitian preschoolers, who had traveled with the group, became united with the rest of the school children. The occurrence of friendships amongst children without regard for nationality gave the whole group great hope in the promise of tomorrow for Dominican society. The possibility that one day all people living in the Dominican Republic can live together and regard one another just as the preschoolers do, without the influence of prejudice, provides a great chance for a future of peace.
(Madeline Baird)
As followers of Jesus, we are all called to be on mission with God. This should be done on a personal level and can be done on an organizational level as well, such as by a for profit business.
Check out this awesome list of the top 25 business's that are on mission with God to advance His Kingdom!
It is still pitch black outside when we awake sharply to a wailing sound in the humid air, a reminder that we are in the Middle East... mixed with a lingering hint of jet lag. It is somewhere around 4:15 in the morning as the call to prayer begins. If we listen carefully we can hear the drawn out call from four different mosques. The difference between here and Austin is so obvious and I don't just mean by the lack of Tex-Mex. The very worldview of the people here is so polar opposite, everywhere from their values to what they consider sin. They truly are beautiful, with individual personalities and lives hiding behind the veils and robes. Yet the need for a Savior is so blatant! In a recent conversation with a local man he tried to tell me that Christians and Muslims are not so different than us in what we believe! How we look forward to discussing more with men such as this in the future to show them what is so decidedly different about this life we have in Christ! The field here is difficult, and the workers are decidedly few. We know we have so much to learn to be able to reach this culture on the other side of the world, but we are eager to learn, and feel the call of God strongly on our hearts. We come back to the States to prepare for a life with few American comforts, but rich in the peace and reward of walking in the center of God's will. We were raised by our families for this purpose and we know that all that God has done in our hearts has been working up to this time.... this place. What a life God has for us if we will become expendable and surrender to His sovereign plan!
On the rec team, we get a class everyday and divide them via wristbands into the red and blue teams. Once we divide, after the kids eat their snack, we all make the short walk from the school to the Play, which is what they call the baseball field in the center of the village. Usually the kids hold our hands and we walk and talk a little (generally they talk and we listen and don’t understand a word of what they say). Today we were making the walk, and my team (the red team) started gathering together and walking as a team with no encouragement from us. They started saying “Rojo va a ganar!” (red is going to win!) and they even did that football chant thing where they all put their hands in the middle and yelled “uno, dos, tres, ROJO!!!” then shot their hands straight into the air like they had exploded.
They were so excited to go out into the hot sun and play kickball. Their eyes gleamed and they smiled a lot. It was amazing to me. They joined together as a team and just wanted to play. I was so encouraged by their joy. We were walking on the street over a pretty gross sewer ditch, past shacks with 5 kids sitting out front and more inside who lived there, with some adults yelling angrily at the kids from their doorsteps, and here these kids were, just being kids. Even though I know they’re the same as kids in the US, it seems so often that they have much more responsibility to look out for themselves and their families. But they just want to play.
God’s been teaching me about joy throughout this trip, and it was amazing to see it so active and alive in the street! He doesn’t let His joy get buried under poverty or hardship. He keeps it alive! Sometimes, it shines through in crazy ways, like through a confident team of little Dominican children chanting that their team is going to win a kickball game facilitated by a group of gringos from the States.
And just for the record, ROJO did win. . . or it would have if we’d kept score.
(Samantha Greeson)
[From Jessie Solomon...]
Today was a lesson of humility and for sure an indelible memory of my trip to Sri Lanka. We visited a large hearing school outside Colombo with one class of, as they call it "differently abled" children, several of which were deaf/hard of hearing. We spent an hour or so reading to and loving on the children there that are so often the outcasts of not only the school but the whole community. It certainly made a statement to the teachers and students alike that the Americans came for the purpose of encouraging those in the margins of their society.
Before we left, we stood at the door of the classroom saying our goodbyes, when the teacher told them to show their gratitude for our visit. To my surprise one by one each child knelt on the ground at my feet some touching each of my dirty bare feet and others kissing each one. Tears began to run down my face as the last child, a deaf child with CP, struggled to bend his week legs to the ground and then to lift his heavy head up again as he mustered enough muscle control to crawl to each of our feet.
I felt so unworthy of such an act! A vivid picture ran through my head. A picture of me, a pauper, in all my imperfections, on my face before the merciful throne of Jesus in heaven. The only person that deserved such treatment is Christ Himself.
The missionary I was with reminded me that the only thing that makes us worthy of anything is Christ in each of us. He is also the reason that we are to serve, wholeheartedly, the people that are ignored, seemingly unlovable, living in the margins of societies around the world...they are the ones that He loves, they are His beloved and we are to be His hands and feet."
I can’t tell if it’s hotter here or in Texas. They’re probably about the same, but in Texas, I experience the summer heat in brief intervals when I’m en route from one air conditioned building to another…in my air conditioned car. In light of that, the biggest thing God has shown me this week is His mighty strength through His unending love. The staff and interns at Makarios are absolutely amazing to watch. The kids here are the same as kids in America; they have a seemingly endless amount of energy and they need God’s love. The staff and interns give plenty of both to these kids on a daily basis even though the novelty of being a missionary in a foreign country has probably long since worn off. We serve an amazing God, who truly does equip His people to do good works.
As a side note, we also serve a brilliant God. There two kids pictured above (Jacob and Isaac) understand English, Spanish, Creole and American Sign Language…and they’re three years old!
(Riley Dallas)
Today our team had our first opportunity to meet and play with some of the kids in the local villages, which was a great joy in itself; however, in addition, today I was given a unique opportunity to finally meet a friend of mine who lives here in the Dominican Republic. Asnael, or "Nanael" as he is known by his friends, is an eight-year-old boy who lives in the village of Pancho Mateo and attends the Makarios School.
Back in September, God laid it upon my heart to support the ministry of Makarios, and more specifically, to become a sponsor for a child here in the Dominican Republic. Each month, God gives me the means to send a check to Makarios so that Nanael can attend school. And actually, this small investment in the ministry that I had from the states is what drew me to come on this trip in the first place. I knew that God was doing great things here through Makarios and its staff, and I felt like I was getting to play a small role in that ministry. But when deciding where I should go this summer to join in God’s mission, I could not pass up the opportunity to come see with my own eyes the things God is doing here. And He truly is doing great things.
The love of Christ is poured out in these villages through the Makarios staff that He has chosen to serve here. I feel fortunate to be a part of the work they are doing, even if only for one week. And today I truly felt blessed to meet Nanael. I will forever remember the huge smile on his face, which to me was evidence of a true hope that He now has as he hears daily of an amazing Savior who loves and died for him.
(Candace Durden)
Today we were given the unique opportunity to worship Jesus with some Dominicans at a local church called ‘Templo Biblico.' Most of our team could not understand the Spanish sermon or hold a basic conversation with the congregation, so we found other ways to communicate. We sang hymns with them, we prayed with them, we exchanged warm grins and hearty handshakes. We knew little about each other or each others culture, yet we did not feel like outsiders. I saw how alike we truly are when I recognized one hymn we sang as a personal favorite, ‘Santos, Santos, Santos! (Santos is Spanish for Holy).
I was also encouraged to see strong bonds rapidly built between the team today as we shared household chores, a few meals, and a walk on the beach. The Lord does amazing things! (Even through simple means.)
(Quinn Smith)
Our team arrived in Puerto Plata, DR today ready for what the Lord has planned for us in the days ahead. Robin, Anne, and Garrett met us at the airport, and after loading our luggage we were off to the Makarios house.
Back at the house we got settled in, had dinner and a short devotional time. Tomorrow we'll worship at Templo Biblico, a local church. We are excited to experience worship in a cross-cultural setting. We will try to update this blog daily to let you know how God is working in this city and among these people.
Pray that our team continues to dive in deep with Christ this week and that the God gets glory from our work here.
A little over a month after saying I do, Anaka and Quinn Smith have joined up with The Austin Stone to serve in the Dominican Republic this summer. Inside their suitcases: jigsaw puzzle pieces for kids’ art projects. Inside their hearts: the desires to bring God’s love to a community almost 2,000 miles away from their home in Austin.
Why did you decide to join this trip to the D. R.?
Quinn: We both felt passionate about going to another country and serving people in another country. We just didn’t necessarily know where. We both felt that individually, and then it was confirmed when we found out that we both felt the same way. We were kind of called together and separately.
Anaka: We both grew up in the church but are relatively new to actually pursuing Christ like living in community and making disciples—those elemental things, I guess. Making disciples has really been sort of local for us … like Church Under the Bridge… As we started to kind of form what we wanted to do, it just kind of naturally came into place.
In terms of preparation, how are you feeling about the upcoming trip?
Quinn: We very much don’t know what we’re doing…. That’s a good place to be. Everything that God’s called me to do has [a situation where] I had no idea what I was doing. It leaves me feeling anxious and very inadequate. Every single time, it’s proven to me. It’s very different and humbling for me.
Any expectations?
Quinn: For me personally, that it would be a bit of a wake up call. To see how the body of Christ exists in another culture, first of all. Then to see the difference in the culture in general. … But there’s a lot that I have absolutely no expectation for. I expect to have my world shaking up a lot.
Anaka: I guess I don’t have any expectations about what I’m going to gain from it. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I guess one of the things one of the things that I am expecting to happen is for God to sort of reveal to us whether or not that’s a place where He wants us long term—not necessarily the D.R. but just [serving overseas] in general because I know we’re completely open to it. We know that it is not something we can completely decide ourselves but the Holy Spirit moving that in us allowing us to know. That’s all I’m expecting. I don’t know. I guess I’m expecting it to be great.
Anaka and Quinn will be serving with 14 others in the Dominican from July 25 until August 2. They will be encouraging and working with the [KEEP READING]
This year, the Lord is using The Austin Stone to send around 17 trips to the nations. On these trips, partners with The Austin Stone are doing all kinds of ministry – serving the poor, providing medical care, evangelism, encouraging believers, praying for the lost, college ministry, and so on.
Yesterday afternoon another team from our church arrived in a major city in Central Asia. They were welcome by others from The Stone who are here in this city – it was like an Austin Stone reunion across the world! Their trip agenda is to be exposed to the people, pray for them, and to build relationships with them.
Today, the team visited a local church that is about average in size for this country (5-20 regular attendees) and then the team spent time fellowshipping with the pastor of the church, loving some of non-Christian visitors to the church, and learning some of the local language! It was a blast.
Check back here for more updates from this team in the days ahead.
[Written by Devin Garza, M.D.] Reflections on my trip back to North Africa… it is difficult to put into words…I can speak for the team when I say that we experienced powerful passionate prayer and witnessed true miracles of physical and spiritual healing by God’s hand for His glory! A woman very troubled with chronic severely painful swollen legs was literally dancing in the waiting room telling everyone her pain was gone after the team laid hands on her… a man from “Trash City” was healed of a solid kidney tumor by God as an answer to prayers of the first Austin Stone team ( I saw the reports myself). Humble testimonies of bravery in the face of persecution and the faithfulness of God were sobering and inspiring. We ministered to and were ministered by the local team of North Africans led by an American trained MD and my good friend.
We saw about 250 patients with various Obstetric and Gynecologic problems during six of the ten days we were there. Some refugees from Darfur, some that live and raise children in one of the city dumps called “The Mountain” (population about 10,000), and still others simply underprivileged North Africans in the capitol city or towns over 100 miles away.
Because of our status as an American medical team and our affiliation with a local health outreach we had the awesome privilege to lay hands on and pray with each patient, their spouses and families, both Christian and Muslim alike – in JESUS’ name. We prayed that they would know His presence because the Father went to extreme measures to bring us together to let them know that they are precious children in His sight, and to acknowledge that as the creator of life, He can heal anything if He wills it. We prayed with them to help them approach God in humility… asking forgiveness and accepting of His will in their unique case so that they would tell others of His greatness and become a light in this dark world as they reflect His glory – because He is the source of the light. We prayed specific prayers of healing so that if the infertile couple becomes blessed with a long awaited pregnancy, they would raise their child to know Him, love Him and follow Him. But if prayers were not answered the way they wanted, God’s glory would not be diminished… He simply has a better plan for them though they cannot see it now. The vast majority of prayers ended with them in tears as much pain and heartache was released by His touch. I can’t wait to hear of [KEEP READING]
If you are looking for a way to live missionally, consider opening your home to host an International exchange student. These are high school students that come for a semester or a full school year to learn about the our culture and improve their English skills. What if they went home with the gospel as well?
For more information please contact deanna valdes at teamv3austin@gmail.com. Read Deanna's journey toward this great opportunity below!
There is an amazing opportunity we've been given in the ownership of our homes. It's easy to take for granted that everyone I know has a home and confess that sometimes I feel entitled to have one. But several years ago, I learned an important lesson about letting go and giving up ownership. My husband left me to parent two young children. All of a sudden, all the "man jobs" were mine and this house was just too much to handle on my own. During that season of life, a friend gave me the challenge of living out this verse: "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (1 Cor 10:31) I struggled with how I could glorify God in the mundane tasks of housekeeping and motherhood. How in the world could God be glorified as I cleaned the toilets of two toddler boys with bad aim?
I never did figured it out, until I loosened my grip on what I thought was mine and let go of the home I was so afraid to lose. This is not my home. It is a tremendous blessing that God has given it to us to live in, but it is not mine any more than these precious boys are mine.
I've served in Africa and the DR. I've been to places like Belize and Mexico. I knew in my mind that I was blessed. But I didn't actually experience blessing until I gave up ownership. Once my tight little fists and heart were open, God showed me how He was glorified by using this house for so many things. I can't tell you how many people have sat in the living room, that I vacuumed for the glory of God, so that we could study the Word, pray for each other, live in community and sit under amazing teaching. God moved in my cheerio-free living room and lives were changed!
As long as this is HIS house, then He will be glorified.
We all have the same opportunity. To honor God and glorify Him with all He's give us. We can use our homes as places to retreat from the world or we can use our homes as places to welcome the world.
Right now God is bringing and unprecedented amount of [KEEP READING]