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ideasmack
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Name: Scott
Gender: Male
Interests: tennis, biking, hanging out with friends, reading leadership books, pursuing God, talking with friends about how to change the world, movies, U2 and Coldplay, facilitating change in organizations, The Chaos Group
Expertise: dreaming big ideas, having fun, theology
Occupation: Administrative
Industry: Nonprofit
Message: message me
Member Since:
5/23/2005
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| If you’ve ever been to Africa or watched a movie like Blood Diamond, you have probably heard the expression “This is Africa,” uttered when something happens that makes no sense to the western mind or culture. Like when you’re at the front of the line waiting for a ticket agent at the Nairobi airport and several people cut in front of you simply because you stooped over to grab your bags and they were ready to cut in front of you with their bags already in hand. Or the ticket agent tells you that you can’t board the plane because the airline spelled your name wrong on the ticket and you have the option of trying to board the plane with the misspelled ticket and no matching passport (which doesn’t work) or trying to board with the correct passport and no ticket (which doesn’t work either). TIA.
I went on my first trip to Africa prepared for TIA moments. Perhaps I wasn’t prepared for how many GOD moments I would have.
I went to Africa prepared to see suffering and deprivation, but mostly I saw God—and hope—and courage. Sure, I saw the typical villages without electricity or running water. I saw the orphans robbed of parents by AIDS. I walked down streets with no telling what littered all around.
But each of those places is also where I saw God so clearly.
I saw Him in the lives of native missionaries who are giving their lives to build friendships with Muslim adherents bound by centuries of darkness and demon oppression. One of these missionaries reminded me so much of Jesus himself (or what I think Jesus would be like) that I just wanted to stay around and listen to his wisdom and be mentored under his father-like care. I wanted to learn the tenacious strength that emanated from his closeness to God.
I saw God crush demonic strongholds with his boundless power, freeing people in His mercy. I saw the Kingdom come to earth a little more—maybe a lot more.
I saw God in the faces of 200 kids orphaned by AIDS or poverty or irresponsibility. I saw God in them not because they were cute but because they are being served by people who love them and educate them and challenge them to grow and break the cycle of disease and poverty. These kids are the hope of Africa.
I saw God in a young Zambian pastor and his wife who spent hours seeking the counsel of a visiting American pastor. The couple recounted how they had been on their knees crying out for God’s guidance for how to engage the youth of Africa. If this pastor follows the vision God has given him, there are many more young kids who will encounter God’s truth.
I saw God in the community that is created when teams of people work together for the glory of God and so others may live. I saw him in the selflessness of these teams and the fun they created in everything they did.
Every mission trip is different; there are unique things to learn and experience. I think I came away from this trip with two big ideas growing in my heart. First, I really don’t need to be the center of my life. True fellowship with Christ occurs as I live for His glory and so others may live (by the way if you haven’t seen the movie The Guardian, watch it from a missions/leadership perspective). Second, I was reminded of the simple power of the gospel of Christ. Jesus really did live, die and live again, for His glory and so that we may live. And his Kingdom is one of power and mercy that utterly changes those who will receive it.
So, the next time I hear TIA, I’ll think of crazy ticket lines or malaria mosquitoes. But even more I’ll think of the power of the gospel—the raw, life shattering power of Christ.
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| I'm currently in Nairobi Kenya visiting ORU mission teams and loving every minute. Over the weekend I had probably the most unique experience of my life. We visited an island on the coast that is about 98% muslim. It is an ancient village and one of the most "holy" islamic sites in the world. If Muslim pilgrims cannot make it to Mecca for their yearly pilgramage, they can go to this island and offer sacrifices at the grave of one of Mohammed's relatives. The city is literally hundreds, even thousands of years old. There are basically no cars. You walk everywhere and you have to take a boat to get to the island. I think those 24 hours on the island (with about 3 hours sleep) did amazing things for my faith. Gave me incredible perspective and was very challenging. Anyway, I could go on about that forever. We're off to Zambia tomorrow and then back to the states in about 4 days. Today we got to pet baby elephants and feed giraffes. I even kissed a giraffe. Yes that's right kissed a giraffe. What can you do when you're travelling with your boss and her boss and both of them dare you to kiss a giraffe?????? All I can say is I love Africa. | | |
| Here's a shoutout to all my friends on mission around the world this summer. Leave it all on the field. For the glory of God and so others may live. Rock on!
I started reading this book the other day called "Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking." It's about how our initial snap judgements of people, things, relationships, and sitiuations we encounter are often accurate. The idea is that I could learn about more about you if I spent a few minutes just looking in your dorm room or seeing a short video clip of you interacting with someone than I could if I spent prolonged time with you. Numerous psychologists have conducted experiments which apparently prove the theory. Taking "thin slices" of human behavior and basing decisions or predictions on these slices has worked well--at least in clinical studies. It's an interesting theory...especially if you factor in the ability of the Holy Spirit to speak instantaneously to us about decisions. And since it is very possible that God hard wired us to make decisions quickly without having to succumb to the typical "paralysis by analysis."
Psych theories are cool. Even if you never know if they're totally true.
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| Well, its been a while since I've posted here. Way too long.
Life is good. I'm working full time for ORU and loving it. I spent spring break in Juarez helping facilitate the ORU trip there. It was a challenging time of learning the importance of mentoring and discipleship. Some of the things I learned are helping me rethink some leadership ideas and methods. One really helpful exercise we did there was to spend an hour sitting on a random street in the city listening, watching, smelling, and simply observing everything we could. It was a way to heighten our sensitivity to the culture and allow God to speak to us through our observations. I filled two or three pages with notes. Good times.
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