In The Beginning

I'm sure that this blog will start slowly, but I hope that it will soon explode with new thoughts, ideas, and experiences. I was once an active member of First Baptist Church in Winston-Salem. Although I didn't pay much attention at the time, First Baptist and First Presbyterian were making several joint trips each year to Mission Emanuel in the Dominican Republic. My friend, Monty Y., went with a mission team, for a week, one summer. He returned changed. He sat in our Sunday school class and tried to recount his experiences. He got pretty choked up telling of his visit; the things he had seen and the things he had done. It was clear that the Holy Spirit was moving in him. I wasn't sure where the thought was taking me, but I knew immediately that I wanted and needed some of whatever blessings he had received. Each of the next two years, I made a DR mission trip myself. The work was hard, but the reward was so much greater. As time allowed, I tried to stay involved in Mission Emanuel and in reaching across cultures in my own home town. Because my mother and other members of my family were active at Maple Springs UMC in Winston, my wife, Sara, and I moved our membership back to Maple Springs, the church I had grown up in. From my experiences, I knew, and told family members and friends that, should Sara happen to leave this world before me, I would need to involve myself in missions in order to keep my soul alive and my heart from breaking. I now believe that God has plans for me that don't include doing things based on my idea of when a good time to begin would be. That takes me up to now. A couple of years ago, I retired from a career in computer systems and went to work as a historic interpreter at Old Salem . In January of this year, I got caught in an economic layoff. Even without a "burning bush" experience, I strongly feel that God has spoken to me and said, "I want you to work for me now." So, with a loving and supportive wife still beside me, I began to look around for doors that God was opening. I first approached Jack Larson, the director of Mission Emanuel. Although I thought I would be a good fit, Jack lovingly and logically let me know that Mission Emanuel was not a door that God had opened. He encouraged me to keep praying and seeking God's will. Two days later, on Monday, February 16th, I met with Terry Matthews, the senior pastor at Maple Springs, to talk about service opportunities. In hindsignt, Terry is a resource I should have approached earlier. I've known him for a lot of years and have grown closer to him over the last couple. Terry has long been active in working with the Methodist churches, on the Navajo reservation, in Arizona. He was instrumental in leading Maple Springs to unite with the Window Rock, AZ church in missions to the Navajo. I told Terry that I felt that I was being called to mission work, but that I needed to get out of my comfort zone and to immerse myself in a different culture. Being able to go home to dinner and my own bed each night was not where I felt I was supposed to be. Terry had an idea. As our church becomes more active in missions to the Navajo, there would seem to be a benefit in having a presence on the reservation. Terry knows the director of FCNAM (Four Corners Native American Ministry) and promised to contact him for us. Yesterday, exactly one week after our meeting, I heard good news. There is a need and a position for me on the Navajo reservation. I will begin in May serving a three month internship - the oldest intern they've ever had. The internship can be extended if all parties agree and this is something I fully expect to happen. Although the needs must be fleshed out, initially I will be involved in helping to coordinate the mission trips made by other churches to the reservation. I will also accompany the Navajo youth on two summer trips that they have scheduled. Other times will be given to assisting the Navajo pastors of the Methodist churches at Window Rock and Sawmill. Between now and May, I will be involved in raising funds to support the trip and will be preparing myself spiritually, mentally, and physically. Life's a trip and I'm beginning a new leg of the journey. More later.