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Dear Praying Friends,
Happy New Year! I pray that the Christmas holiday season has been a blessing to you and your loved ones, and that 2024 brings you fresh possibilities and new perspectives on God’s goodness and purposes.
For my part, this past year has been one of significant change for me. It’s been a year of discombobulation and deconstruction, as well as reshaping and renewing. At the heart of all this is the main news that I want to share: I am actively seeking God’s will about returning overseas as a missionary.
So how did all of this come to be? From my vantage point, it has been a rapidly-unfolding story. On July 1st, I had just finished an amazing week in France and Germany on a “wine pilgrimage,” and was now flying to Prague, where I would meet up with a couple friends to do some traveling around central Europe for a couple weeks. As a child of the Cold War, I’d never considered the Czech Republic as a place I needed to visit, but it was a convenient meeting point for us; and I would soon need to be back there to meet up with the West Side short-term mission team. At least it was a new country to add to my “visited” list (No. 38)!
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As the plane made the final approach to Prague, my mind was occupied with trivialities like whether my bag would arrive with me (it had spent the first week chasing me all over Europe). But something unusual happened when the plane touched down. I was shaken by a sudden conviction that my relationship with this place would be neither short-term nor casual. The words “welcome home” rang inside my head. Now, I am skeptical of intrusive thoughts, and I think rightly so. Nevertheless, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this didn’t come from anywhere inside of me. Over the next few days, as we explored Prague, it continued to gently dog me. I found myself looking around at everything with a strange sense of reverse déjà vu: Will this all become familiar to me some day? Could I actually live here?
English Camp with the West Side team was a powerful experience (as I shared in my previous prayer letter), but it took me while to connect it to these stirrings of mine. Before all this, the Czech Republic was just a potato-shaped country on the map, with a troubled history…but now it was a place where I knew people—people I’d grown to love, who had names and stories; with whom I’d stood shoulder-to-shoulder in worship. People who faced an uphill battle as followers of Christ in a culture that poses unique challenges to Christians. I realized that the things that stirred me about ministry in the Czech Republic were the same things I had found so compelling about ministry in Utah. They are both places where the gospel often seems like a lonely voice crying out in the wilderness…where the Church is hard pressed, and in need of encouragement and support. But other than being sympathetic, I had no idea what this had to do with me. Then a brief conversation in Prague with a missionary friend alerted me to the possibility that some ministries there might benefit from someone with multimedia experience. So…we agreed to stay in touch. And the conversation has slowly unfolded.
Now in principle I have always told God that I would do whatever—and go wherever—He might call me. But the reality was, I was settled into life in Richland, and I expected that this would be where I would live out my days indefinitely. I was not entertaining any thoughts of moving—let alone overseas. I’ve done that rodeo once or twice, and have no romantic notions about living abroad. It was challenging enough when I was in my 20s and could get by in Spanish. But now…I’m heading into my late 50s, and my Czech is limited to phrases like Where is the cheese? and That dog is old. Though it’s a useful enough phrase, because I sometimes find myself asking: are there any new tricks left in this old dog? So I try to remind myself: Jsem velký kluk. To zvládnu. (“I’m a big boy. I can do this.”)
I have lots of questions. Is this really what God is calling me to? Do I have anything to offer that would meet needs over there? How would I learn a complex and difficult language like Czech? How long would it take to make this whole thing a reality? Many doors still need to open, and there are just as many ways that God could close this path. But one thing I’m reasonably certain of: I’m supposed to lean into this. As for what the end result will be…I try to hold lightly to expectations. So I keep moving forward, pushing gently on doors, as the Lord opens them. If this is His plan for me, then it will happen…when and how it’s supposed to.
What are the next steps? Until now it has all been talk. But it’s now time to put real money where my mouth is, so to speak. I am traveling to Europe on January 12, if all goes as planned—first to Spain to attend a conference for singles in cross-cultural ministry, and then to Prague, with the objective of meeting people involved in multimedia ministry there, and to explore possible opportunities for service. Ultimately my goal is to seek more clarity about what God is calling me to.
So what would this mean for my current missionary role? For the time being, things remain as they are. I am still working for Main Street Church. My friends and colleagues in Utah have been encouraging and supportive of me as I pursue this new venture. And even if I relocate to Europe, I may still be able to continue in this role on a limited basis, since most of what I do for the church in Utah is done remotely via Internet. I also continue to be active with the local ministry, Flourish Mid-Columbia, and serving as a deacon with West Side Church. In other words, as long as I am here, I am here…for however long that may be.
I do feel overwhelmed at times. Contemplating fresh possibilities has reinvigorated my imagination, but sometimes I wake up with my heart pounding, asking myself, “Is this pure madness?” This would be an enormous change at a stage of life when most of my peers are thinking about retirement in the not-too-distant future, and preparing to “nest down” for the final third of life. The prospect of leaving the comforts of friends, community, and familiarity, and setting out for the unknown…I don’t mind admitting that it terrifies me at least as much as it tantalizes me.
With all the uncertainties, I need to return to the things that I am sure of: God is faithful, His purposes are good, and He will have His way, for His glory, and for the blessing of His people and His world. Regardless of where and how He leads, my confidence and hope must be centered in Him. My times are in His hands (Psalm 31:15). And what good hands those are! As I reflect back on how God’s faithfulness has sustained me over the years, in many different places and circumstances, and in many amazing ways—not least of which is through the generous financial, prayer, and moral support of so many of you—I can’t help but overflow with gratitude. My boundary lines have truly fallen in pleasant places (Psalm 16:6).
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FOR YOUR PRAYERS…
- * Please pray that I find my rest in God’s faithfulness in the midst of the questions and the challenging discernment process. May my confidence be in Him, regardless of what happens, when it happens, how it happens, and even if it happens.
* Pray for my upcoming trip to Spain and the Czech Republic this month. Pray that the Lord would orchestrate good connections with people and ministries, enlightening conversations, and that He would use this time to bring greater clarity about what He is calling me to.
* Please pray for the work that continues to be done in the meantime, as well as the preparations for any potential relocation, that I would be given God’s wisdom and make good use of my time and energy.
Blessings in Christ,
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