Big Picture Stuff (Part 1)

“Security is mostly a superstition.  It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it.  Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure.  Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”

Helen Keller

So here I am, two months after returning home from The World Race, broke and living in parents’ basement.  I cannot tell you the number of times I’ve heard, “What’s next for you?” since I’ve been home.  Not that I mind the question - it’s a legitimate one - but I haven’t really been able to give a straight answer.  Until now.  

I began this blog to continue the relationship I have with my readers and supporters and to let you in on what is happening next for me.  I want to begin by explaining my vision, or my “Kingdom dream.”

Last week, about a hundred recently-returned (and not-so-recently returned) World Racers gathered at the AIM headquarters in Gainesville, Georgia for Project Searchlight, a week dedicated to helping us discover our passion and take the next steps to making our “Kingdom dreams” a reality.  

I had no idea what I was getting myself into. 

I believe that God has given me a dream, something much bigger than myself.  I don’t even know the whole dream, but I've learned that God's not big on letting you in on the details.  I want to share fully and openly with you, my friends.   There’s a lot to it, so I’m breaking it into several parts.  

I have to take you back to Cambodia, our ninth month of ministry on The World Race.  The ministry we worked with was TransformAsia, and we worked with women who had been taken out of the commercial sex trade and were being reintegrated into society.  While at the site where we were, the girls learned a trade - either sewing or cosmetology - that would allow them to get a job and begin to provide for themselves.  We also visited another organization, Daughters of Cambodia, a similar organization in which women choose to leave their jobs at the brothels and come and work in one of their businesses.  This visit sparked something in me:  a desire to be involved in businesses that are helping empower people through education and employment.  This was it!  

So I returned to the States in November with a direction:  business as missions.  I’m a teacher.  I have no background in business, no experience running a non-profit, and no idea how to get started.  Not to mention I had very little money and was unemployed.  

So my next step was to LEARN.  I wanted to find someone who was doing what I wanted to do and come alongside them and LEARN.  My initial thoughts were, “I’ll find a ministry similar to Daughters and go overseas for a year as an intern/missionary.”  This was my plan.

Searchlight was my golden ticket.  It was perfect!  I knew my Kingdom dream but didn’t know how to reach it.  I was there to find that opportunity and to jump on board!

Again, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. 

TO BE CONTINUED (I know you can’t wait.) .   .   .