Tag Archives: risk

…on becoming #AIMkids

February 12, 2014 By in People, Process Tags: , , , , 8 Comments

It wasn’t always easy to keep our plan from the kids, but it was necessary.

Kept in the Dark

Although Liz & I have mentally been “in process” for over a year now, our kids found out about our “new adventure” on December 31, 2013… New Year’s Eve.

Why we waited? …to maintain a tight reign on who knew about our plan until it was announced to our church family at MissionPoint. We didn’t want any other churches or groups to know about it first and then have it filter back to our home church second hand… via social media or in conversation.

At the same time, it wouldn’t be fair for our kids to find out only on January 5th, at the same time as everyone else. So, for a couple of reasons, we decided to tell them on New Year’s Eve:

  • Given the holiday break in the church schedule, it would give them a few days to “digest” the news, without seeing their church friends (again, protecting the flow of information).
  • New Year’s provides a natural opportunity to talk about new projects, new ideas, new plans and a new direction. 2014 would definitely be all of that for us.

Given the fact that we are a homeschooling family and therefore together nearly all the time, it wasn’t easy to be discreet about our plans… but thankfully it worked.

Unveiling the Plan

It was important to us to root the plan in the Word of God, so after our New Year’s Eve company had left, I opened the Bible to Joshua chapter 1 (the passage that began this process) and read verses 1-9: highlighting the following:

  • As Joshua’s life was taking on a new role and a new direction… God met with and talked to Joshua.
  • 3 times, God says to Joshua “Be strong and of good courage” (vv. 6, 7 & 9).
  • 2 times, God says to Joshua that if he wants to have success, he needs to take in, meditate on and observe the law of God or, God’s word. (vv. 7 & 8).
  • Kids' JournalsGod would be with Joshua, wherever he went (v.9)

I also gave each of the kids their own personal travel journal inscribed as follows:

“Sophie / Dominic / Timo …  Here is a place to write down your thoughts, questions and yes, perhaps even your fears, concerning the next great adventure that God is about to take our family on. Write them down and you will see that God will answer your questions, honor your thoughts and calm every fear. He’ll do it because he loves you and wants to do something incredible both in and through your life.

Love, Mom & Dad”

We then let them know that within a year or so, we would be moving to France, possibly for as long as 2 years, to replace Bro. & Sis. Brochu as missionaries, under the AIM program.  Following our discussion, we prayed together as a family.

The Reaction

They were very surprised, but also very, very excited. There were a barrage of questions, some of which we didn’t yet have answers for (including…. “Can we get a dog?”).

They were quite excited about the idea that they may need to be involved in music in the church after the Brochu’s leave, kidsjournalTimo_sm440because they both look after music (our kids have varying degrees of piano skills, Dominic is learning guitar already and Timo dreams of playing drums).

Two things sum up well their reaction.

  • First, Timo’s first journal entry
    (see pic)    .
  • Second, Timo’s prayer:
    “God, fill the people of France with the Holy Ghost.”
    (talk about melt a parent’s heart!)

Summing it up:

Without question, we believe that the Lord has been preparing the hearts and desires of our kids in the same way that he’s been preparing us. They are now… #AIMkids.

Other posts on how patience has played a key role in the process to date: 
Patience is a Virtue
Controlled Burn

Invitation to Dream

December 18, 2013 By in Process Tags: , , 2 Comments

Has God ever asked you to dream?

I don’t mean daydream. I don’t mean… new car, new house, great Christmas, etc. I don’t mean “What would you do with a bank-account full of money? kind of dream.” I mean a daring kind of dream. Something that it would take God to accomplish or fulfill because it’s so big. God did that for me some time ago.

Let me quote you from my personal journal:

“I will do what you ask, but you’ve got to ask. I’m not only (asking you) to work for and fulfill someone else’s dreams, I’m asking you to dream as well, because I want to fulfill your dreams also. I want you to know what it feels like to put something impossible in my hands and see it come to pass. I want you to know what it feels like to put yourself in my hands and see what I can do in and through you. I want you to know what it’s like to be an instrument for my glory: Not that the instrument gains more intrinsic value… it only has value as long as it’s associated with my glory. Like the branches that only bear fruit and are worth keeping so long as they are attached to the vine (John. 15).” 

Uncomfortable

This is something that the Lord spoke to me during one of the darkest periods of my walk with, and service to, Him… and it was uncomfortable.

Uncomfortable?

Yes, uncomfortable.

Why?

Because we’re not all that used to dreaming. We’re used to our day to day life, for the most part. We are comfortable with what we know… what is familiar, and while a dream may represent a desired-state… it takes risk to get there and the perceived pain involved in taking the risk overcomes our desire for change. So we put the dream back on the shelf and say “One day….”  (we say this with a wistful look in our eye, a bit of a sigh on our lips and a bit of deflation in our heart…. but we say it).

Uncomfortable …also because it’s much easier to buy into someone else’s dream (note that he mentions that and note… there is a time and a place for buying into someone else’s dream – it’s often the training ground for ministry) than it is to put your own dreams on the line.… it requires less vulnerability.

Uncomfortable …also because we are so unaccustomed to dreaming for ourselves that we’re “rusty”. A child dreams frequently and so has little difficulty when asked to dream. Adults on the other hand have become so conditioned to practicality that we can forget how to dream.

Where & Why?

Where do I start? 
Why start?

God said it… because he wants me to know what it feels like to see that impossible dream take shape. Talk about the ultimate thrill-seeker.

But here’s the catch…

In the end… it’s not about me. It’s about him. It’s about his plan. It’s about his glory.  The kind of dreams that God takes pleasure in fulfilling are not those that will bring me any notoriety, but those that will:

  • advance his kingdom
  • bring him glory
  • see lives changed

So I’ve been dreaming and that dream has been slowly taking shape over a period of numerous months.  Has it completely taken shape? Not yet, but as I take definite steps toward a certain direction, God hones the vision and clarifies the details.

This dream called AIMLong is taking shape slowly but surely.
Thank you for being part of it.

What about you?

Has God issued you an invitation to dream?

,

Sensing God’s Direction…

December 14, 2013 By in Process Tags: , 8 Comments

OK, God has said something distinct…. now what?

In this post I want to tell you about a jewel of a find!

It was a Sunday night and earlier that day I had been involved in two services in Western France, the first in an established church, the second in a hotel meeting room with only two other people present. Despite the small number, however, the presence of God was as thick as I’ve ever felt it!  He was writing something on my heart. For the rest of the 4-hour drive back to my home-base I was in a strange place… wanting to glean as much information from the missionary as I could without necessarily wanting to specifically discuss what I’d felt earlier in the day. It’s tough to speak intelligibly about something so new after all.

Once back in the hotel room and by myself… I prayed and then went looking for something that could help. I didn’t even know what I was looking for, but I did find it.

Sensing God’s Direction booklet

Sensing God’s Direction (SGD) is an incredible sensing gods direction cover smalllittle booklet written by Rev. James Poitras (Director of Education and AIM, UPCI) with collaboration from Rev. Bruce Howell (Global Missions Director, UPCI).  With over 80 pages, SGD will detail some of the things that you can do to foster a sensitivity to the quiet voice of the Lord, leading you into the center of his will (cultivating a love for souls, embracing solitude, being open to both surrender and sacrifice, etc.).  Over and above the incredibly practical content provided by Rev. Poitras, various stories and anecdotes from contributors such as Rev. Howell and Melinda Poitras (MK – missionary kid – from Ghana, West Africa) bring context to the content.

While SGD is written by United Pentecostal ministers and can be purchased here, through The Pentecostal Publishing House, the content is not limited to the pentecostal experience. The principles are broad enough yet practical enough that people from any Christian background would find it a beneficial read… and I highly recommend it!

If you’re interested in knowing more about short-term missions opportunities, check out www.AIM2Go.org for information on the AIM and Next Steps programs. As of December 2013 there are 207 AIMers or AIM families serving around the world… You could be next on that list!

Let’s come back to my initial statement…
“God has said something distinct… Now what?”

Now…

  • get yourself a copy of Sensing God’s Direction
  • spend time prayerfully going through it
  • talk about it with your pastor
    (watch for an upcoming post about this)

God has spoken and you’re wanting to answer… the possibilities are endless!
Have you read “Sensing God’s Direction”? What did you think?

Dream Days…

December 3, 2013 By in Blog Tags: , , 1 Comment

Mondays are my Dream Days.

I can almost see the rise in social media traffic as people voice their disbelief at what I just said. Poor Monday, above all other days of the week, is the butt of just about every joke in the book. Nonetheless, it seems as though Mondays truly are my dream days. For example, If you were to look at my Instagram feed, you’d see that three of my four #24HrRead -tagged items were finished on a Monday.

What are Dream Days? How would I describe them?

  • They’re days when I get to spend with my family.
  • They’re days when I can drink a second cup of stove-top espresso at 9, 10 or 11am… in sock feet.
  • They’re days when I can take off in the car at the drop of a hat and stop to take pictures of a half-frozen stream if the fancy strikes.
  • They’re days when I can dream. Dream the dreams that God has put in my heart without a dozen interruptions, by phone, email or footstep.

What’s involved in the dreaming?
I can…

brushingclouds

  • Marvel at the fact that God would allow me to dream, confide his dreams to me and invite me to take part in his dreams.
  • Be intermittently fearful at the prospect of such big dreams. They’re so big. They require such change. The demand such faith (do I have such faith? Today, yes. Tomorrow, no. The following day… without question. What a ride!).
  • Plan the dream. How would I do it? Which experiences do I draw from? What fits my personality? What suits the personality of the community I work in (or will work in)? What about my personality does God want to override in favour of His Spirit within me?
  • Share the dream with those who will take the ride with me. If this is God’s dream, then it’s more than just my dream and it will take more than just me to carry it out. If I will share the dream with people around me, those that I lead… they will have a greater opportunity to understand it, take part in it and share in the joy of accomplishing it.

This is when I’m truly alive. When I can dream.

This is when you are truly alive…. when you come alongside of God and are quiet enough, focused enough, without some of the other daily distractions… to hear His Spirit speaking into your spirit. Living for God is not merely walking through the drudgery of daily life with simply a different world-view… at least, not if we’ll get close enough to Him to hear his heartbeat (His dreams).

Psalm 126:

When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. 2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them. 3 The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. 4 Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south. 5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

What happens when we are living the dream?

Our mouth is filled with laughter & singing and even people who know nothing about nor serve God will recognize that He does great things for us dreamers (v.2). Sometimes there are tears involved in seeing our dream come to pass, but if we’ll keep pursuing it, in spite of the tears, we’ll bear the fruit of the dream (v.5-6).

By now, you probably get the fact that because of my work, Monday is my day off, which is why it’s my dream day.

On what day are you invited to dream?
What do you do with that invitation?

Short Term Nightmare

November 30, 2013 By in Process Tags: , 1 Comment

Rest assured, no one wants your brief time in missions to be a nightmare. Everyone who applies for a short term missions experience, expects that things will go well; that it will be a positive and spiritually fulfilling experience. Most times, this is the case, however there are also scenarios where an experience can go bad.

Here are eight reasons that things can go wrong.

  1. Lack of sufficient language skills: You could feel like you’re spending a disproportionate amount of time on language and not enough making what you perceive to be a “real” contribution to the mission field.
  2. Insufficient cultural knowledge: Can make it difficult to understand the actions / reactions of others, or to be understood yourself.  Even if the language spoken is the same as your own… the culture can be very different.
  3. Personality clashes: Both you and the missionary you are going to work with are both (are you ready for it?)… human, and different personality types can rub the wrong way.  They are possible to overcome but if your time frame on the field is short, it may be difficult.
  4. Withdrawal: A very common behaviour, when we feel the least bit uncomfortable with people or situations, is to withdraw… overtly or secretly. In the context of short term missions, withdrawal only compounds any frustration that you may already be dealing with. Don’t withdraw!
  5. Lack of clarity concerning what is expected of you and or what you expect of your experience. It’s important to have as much dialogue as possible with your missionary, either before heading to the field, or, at the very least… at the beginning of your AIM term.
  6. Lack of flexibility can usher in frustration (for you AND your missionary). You may go to the field with certain expectations and find your job description changed upon arrival. Within reason, this should not be a problem… be flexible. Remember, the LORD knew of the change long before you applied or arrived and has equipped you. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your heart (Ecclesiastes 9.10)… you’ll be a blessing.
  7. Impatience can be a major source of frustration. Your short term missions experience doesn’t only begin when you arrive on the field… it begins the moment God calls you, you inquire and you apply…  If you’re not patient, the process will be a source of frustration before you even get to the field… flavouring the entire process.
  8. An unteachable spirit: Remember… the missionary you work with, has most likely been on the field much longer than you. They know the people, the church, the culture and the language. In all likelihood, they do know better than you what is needed in a given context. They may ask for and consider your advice, but ultimately they make the final call (as they will likely be on the field long after your AIM term has ended and need to live with the consequences of all decisions.) Don’t be offended if they don’t follow your advice to the letter.

The danger of an AIM term gone bad is that it could endanger a very real call that God has placed on your life. Discouragement with a particular STM experience could keep you from pursuing other missions experiences down the road, or even ministry altogether.

Guard yourself against these eight pitfalls and your time in missions will be rich and fulfilling. One of the biggest things that will help you firm up all of these areas is a good dose of patience.  Two posts that discuss the value of patience are:

What other pitfalls that I’ve missed?  Can you think of some?