The Long Journey Home

My two weeks of training at SIM turned out to be a great time of connecting with people involved in the agency. I was one of 16 appointees, all of whom were passionate about seeing God's glory proclaimed among the nations. Over meals we would sit around the tables and glean from the wisdom and experience of long time missionaries. In the dorms and on weekends we would hang out together playing games, working on presentations, and lighting things on fire (don't worry, we didn't burn anything down!). At the end of two weeks it was time to say goodbye yet again as I set Charlotte in the rearview mirror and started making my way north.

My first stop was Indianapolis where I visited two college buddies who are youth pastors at two very different churches. I love how God has uniquely gifted each of them to thrive in His particular calling on their lives. Next up, I stopped in Chicago, then on to Milwaukee where I stayed with my former college roommate and his wife who came to Namibia on a summer team a few years back. Then I turned back east and stopped to see a friend in Indiana and finally landed in west Michigan to see some extended family and more college friends. I went to a small Bible college where we were specifically training for ministry. Now while not all of my friends have pursued careers in full-time ministry, I love how God has spread us out to be shining lights in the different communities where He has placed us. College was a great environment when you have all your friends close by and you could encourage each other toward godliness. But Jesus didn't tell his disciples to stay in Jerusalem and form a little Christian clique. He sent them out into the world. That's exactly what my college friends are doing, going into many different communities taking the light of the gospel and the love of Christ wherever they go.