Why Not?

Why Not???

Okay...so here is my challenge to all my friends, co-workers, acquaintances, and family who are currently in college (or just graduated and haven’t made any long-term commitments yet). Take the spring semester off of school and come to Tanzania with me.

I laugh as I say that, because I say it like it is no big deal...but seriously, is it? I mean...sometimes we get so tied down to thinking that we have to get started on our careers or we have to finish school as fast as possible, but for what? Especially those who want to go into “full-time ministry”...what is the rush to get a job at a church? I mean...this would be "full time ministry" What is the rush to get your credentials? Or those of us who want to be lawyers, business men and women, polititians...will it really matter 20 years from now if you started your “career” 6 months latter then you were supposed to?

Can you imagine if ten of us decide to devote three months to non-stop, around the clock, outreach and “missions.” What a great opportunity to touch lives of children across the world or to build relationships/ friendships with Muslims and share the Truth with them. What an incredible chance to tell people who may have never heard the name “Jesus” all about who he is and what he can do for them. What an unbelievable opportunity to hold a child who has lived most of their life sniffing glue on a street to keep their stomach from feeling hungry. America is not this world...the horrors that we expect children to be sheltered from are norms in other countries, what are we going to do about it?

Not only that...but our world-view is so warped... I was thinking this morning how often I use the word “need” and I felt a little nauseous. “Need”...I do not even really know the meaning of that word, I have never had an unmet physical “need” in my life. The only way that our generation has a chance at changing this world is if we can shift our focus from “me” to “them” and from “selfishness” to “selflessness.” There is this Keith Green song that I love that says, “it is so hard to see when my eyes are on me...” how true is that? What are we going to do to get our eyes off of ourselves and onto others? Think about how an experience like this would change our hearts and our eyes/view forever.

Okay...so we are not all going to end up living in third world countries for the rest of our lives. But why not for a small period of time? What is three months in light of eternity? It is just three months. Will you miss your friends and family? Of course. Will it be difficult and lonley at times...probably. But if not now, then when? If you don’t make the time to do something like this...it isn’t going to just happen.

So it cost a lot of $...but there are so many things we could live without for the next 6 months to save for it. So our family thinks its crazy and irresponsible to take time off of school...I think God would be totally cool with it. So we haven’t “audibly” heard from God that we should do this...umm, wait...I think there is something at the end of Matthew 28? We want to wait and see if the door is opening up for us (creek...hear that sound? That is the sound of the door opening up for you =))

Okay...enough rambling. I am only challenging you to this because I think something like this could change us in a way that would bring about change to this world. I think we all need a bigger dose of passion and compassion...and what better way to get it then from putting ourselves in a situation where we can see first hand how great the need is in this world and how we can be used by God to touch it. So pray about it...think about it...email me about it and I will pray with and for you...and if it isn’t Tanzania in January, then pray and plan on serving somewhere soon (before life gets too committed and too crazy) somewhere outside of the good ol’ USA. I think each of us really should spend some amount of time outside of what we have always known to be true here in America...it would do the world (and America) SO much good to see what most of this world is living with day in and day out. If anything, it will give you experiences that you can use right here in Arizona, Rhode Island, and everywhere in between to reach people.

Email me if you want the information. Here are some web sites to check out too:
www.pureopportunity.blogspot.com
www.emmanuelcenter.blogspot.com