Mt. Kilimanjaro
My oldest daughter and I are off to serve on a short term mission trip to Tanzania, Africa. I’m extremely excited to share this time with her. I’m praying for God to reveal Himself to both of us in a way that will radically impact our lives.
There’s really something powerful about putting yourself out there, and watching how God works. It doesn’t have to be abroad either. It can be right in our own backyards. But I do believe traveling abroad gives us a sense of the enormity of the world. It gives us a chance to see how others live. It gives us a chance to some extent to be vulnerable to the culture we’re visiting, in a way that for us Americans is quite humbling.
I am grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to see quite a bit of the world. As a Navy brat I traveled to visit my father in Asia. I remember a trip there as a kid, and they still allowed smoking on planes! Can’t even begin to imagine that today. It was a bad idea then too! On that same trip I visited Tokyo Disneyland, and felt an earthquake as we drove around downtown Tokyo.
As a college student I took a year off from school to serve as a student missionary in Korea. It was a powerful year of growth and learning about God. During that year I visited the Philippines and China and made some lifelong friends. In fact, the most memorable part of the year in Korea was serving alongside my fellow student missionaries. They were from all over. We spent a week together in Hawaii before spreading out all over Asia. I met a great friend in Andy Nash who mentored me in writing my book. Of course I did introduce him to the woman who would become his wife, so I guess he owed me one. There was another “SM” who I asked to be a groomsman in my wedding. I was also mentored by a very godly couple that exemplified what it meant to truly serve. To this day their example is still imprinted on my mind.
Since then the best times of traveling abroad have been with my amazing wife Christina. We’ve been to Europe a few times traveling to the Czech Republic, Poland, and Germany. In 2011 we took an amazing family trip to Italy, and Spain. Having our 3 girls travel with us and experience a different part of the world was truly a blessing.
This trip is put together by World Health Services. A small but effective organization providing healthcare for people in some pretty remote regions. Please take the time to check them out at World Health Services Our team is made up of roughly 20 from what I can tell. We’ll be running a medical, dental, and eye clinic for the people in this mountain village. We’re from all over the country. Doctors and other medical professionals. I’ll be doing some preaching and lending a hand in whatever area I can. I’ll also be giving some talks to the local High School students.
This will likely be my last post for a bit unless I’m able to find a way to connect and drop a few lines. We’ll be in the Pare Mountains in the Kilimanjaro region.
Coveting your prayers as we we join with God in serving and learning in Africa.
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