Anticipating Adventure

Positive and exciting news:

In about thirty-six hours, I set off on my first overseas journey and missions trip, with many of my favorite people to Cambodia.

I will be going there with nine other members of Clovis Christian’s college-age group, including my godly girlfriend-best friend and two honorable men I count as brothers, along with the seasoned explorer and spiritual mother who serves as our church’s mission director.

Keeping in mind that flexibility is required for any missions endeavor, we plan to invest our time in Cambodia on 1) encouraging the Fleenors (a full-time missionary family of seven sent from our church family), 2) learning more about the ministries which strive to prevent and heal the violence of child sex trafficking, 3) pouring our energy and talents into a kid’s club for impoverished and at-risk children, and 4) exploring firsthand the land and culture of the Khmer (pronounced: k-my) people. Much of our work will be done in the city of Battambang and a town nearby (for the kid’s club), but we will also visit the capital, Phnom Penh, as well as Siem Reap (both of which have safe houses and churches for the rescued girls), the ruins of Angkor (a temple-city), and at least one of the Killing Fields monuments (where the brutal executions and hasty burials under the Khmer Rouge took place).

I leave at 6am this Thursday, and land in Cambodia 10:10pm the next day (because it’s 14 hours ahead there, so 8:10am Friday in California). I will return at 6:40pm on July 30th. We have a long layover in Seoul, South Korea on the way back, so we should have a nice tour and meal times there also.

I was blessed with the opportunity and resources to give Rachel an awesome, fancy little camera, so I’m also looking forward to seeing her pictures and placing them alongside any reflective writings I later post (my profile picture, by the way, is her doing).

Please keep us in your prayers. You can follow our blog for updates here.

Less positive, but honest and important confession:

I’ve fallen short of the minimum goals I put forth for this blog.

My original objective was to produce two projects a month, which I only accomplished in March. Lucifer’s Favorite Bible Terms, my latest release, was posted at midnight… which technically counts as July, though I meant it to be for June. The actual difference is miniscule, but I don’t like that there’s a gap for June now, when this blog is meant to be a consistent portfolio.

That said, I don’t mean to beat myself up; I am content with the quality of my projects. I tend to take various things in life with caution and forethought, and research for writing on a topic follows that same pattern. Additionally, I’m constructing a novel and the universe for it, and I consider that a behind-the-scenes area of growth and achievement, as I learn to revisit that story frequently even as life is busy.

I do not wish to excuse myself, as this is a personal goal I failed to reach. Still, I have a clear conscience because there are several things I prioritize above my writing and career ambitions. Without veering to an extreme where I discard my plans for the future irresponsibly, I hope to actively value my select friends, family, church family, girlfriend, and Christian teaching opportunities… despite the emphasis our culture places upon work performance. So I really do intend to improve at writing regularly, but first I’m going to fit in time with loved ones and chances to communicate Truth personally. Oh, and I want to secure resting time in the midst of all that too, as it is very crucial though tricky to manage for the quality of every other time.

Least immediate, yet impactful stuff ahead:

I want to be a writer, but as far as I’m able to plan my paid career, I’ve decided to become a teacher.

Writing, or ministry as a secondary option, are both professions I originally aimed for-- they are mostly within what I am already comfortable with and passionate about, and it would be very nice to make my living doing them. Unfortunately, neither promises a stable job in return for a degree... making my intended career and backup plan still less reliable than a single solid pursuit.

Please note: I’m not saying God can’t lead me to that rare job, provide for my needs, etc. He totally can. I have free will to choose which career path to take, and so long as I’m not stopped by a miraculous message against my choice, I fully trust that He will faithfully bless and guide me. This is a personal decision rather than a universal rule; other people can choose differently.

Still, I wish to balance a trust in God’s power with appropriate steps of responsibility. I’m not going to stake my future, along with my future family’s future, on rockstar-esque aspirations which will carry challenges even with God’s supernatural intervention. There is a need for more teachers, a straightforward path to a job from earning a degree, and substantial pay for doing so.

More than that though, I’ve realized this year that while writing and ministry are passions of mine, I am more passionate about personal relationships. Our culture emphasizes work ethic so strongly, and I wish to improve in that area, but never in a way that devalues being a friend, husband, father, (and for me, teacher). C.S. Lewis stated that “The homemaker has the ultimate career. All other careers exist for one purpose only - and that is to support the ultimate career.” I desire for my work to find its purpose, not in personal preferences, peoples’ praise, or promotions with paychecks… but through supporting a home, and investing in the next generation. I will make sacrifices in the means for that eternal meaning.

As it turns out though, it’s more of an unexpected dream job than a sacrifice. :) I will work at a time of day which harmonizes with youth ministry and future children, can enjoy ministry and writing without the pressure of relying on them for income, and all the while I’ll be using my God-given talents (I already teach and work with youth) toward a passionate pursuit of making students’ school experience suck less.

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Moving on from that though and finishing up this post, I’d like to add what you can expect from my next posts.

I want to release something big as my next project. I mentioned earlier that I have a novel in the works, and now I wish to write a short story which will introduce the universe it takes place in. This will be a blend of fantasy and sci-fi, in a similar vein to Star Wars (space and technology, with elements of what is essentially magic). There will be cool elves, theological/worldview discussion within the narrative, and the beginnings of a cosmic darkness which the following adventures will later bring to light.

So... expect that after I get back, perhaps after - but not too long following - a reflection of my Cambodia journey.

Thank you sincerely, for reading all this and supporting what I do. Though my professional plans have changed and I prioritize my most personal matters first, this blog is still very important to me, and I hope to still write in it between all the things going on currently... and eventually on my summer vacations especially!