The point is this: my experience of being stuck in Canada has caused me to critically evaluate the social structures and context that I am in, which has in turn revealed to me an ugly reality that I think we all would do well in recognizing: our economy and social structures are set up for people like me, at the expense of folks who are born into poverty or lower socioeconomic statuses. I’m a student at The University of Iowa and just wrapped up my second to last semester. I traveled to the Twin Cities to meet up with some friends as well as go to Winnipeg, Canada with my boyfriend for the weekend. I had several unfortunate things happen to me during the trip, resulting in my current state: writing this post on a 19-hour Greyhound Bus ride to Calgary, Canada to get an emergency Passport so I can get back to the US. The trip started off well—I spent quality time with my friends at Bethel University. However, early on in the week marked the first unfortunate event: losing my wallet. Thankfully, I did not have a lot of cash in the wallet, nor did I have my passport or anything else of significant value, just a few credit cards and debit cards, my Driver’s License, and some gift cards. Although cancelling my credit cards was a bit of a hassle, I knew I would be okay. I simply had to get a temporary debit card to get me through Canada. I wasn’t planning on driving at all to Canada, so I wasn’t really worried about losing my Driver’s License. Little did I know that in Canada I would also misplace my passport. Once I realized this, I began to panic a bit. Not only did I lose the one document I needed to get across the border, I also had no way to identify myself. No Driver’s License. No birth certificate on hand. No citizenship papers. Nothing. After realizing this, I went on a desperate search throughout Winnipeg to find my passport. We looked at every restaurant we had eaten at, as well as several locations where we sat down. Unfortunately, we were unable to locate the passport.
I had to submit several reports, including police reports to the local police indicating a lost passport, as well as a form to the US State Department. Additionally, I had to schedule an appointment with the US Consulate, which was done exclusively online since they were closed on the weekend and therefore couldn’t take a phone call. I also had to print off several items as well, which required a trip to Staples. I write this because as I have reflected on this experience, I realized that, while this will make a slight dent in my savings account, I am going to be just fine. In fact, I consider this an extended vacation in Canada. But here’s the thing: so many people could not survive this. The total costs of replacing my Driver’s License, Passport, as well as the bus ride and plane ticket will exceed well over $500. Consider also the resources I needed—a laptop and phone in order to submit the required forms, money to pay for the copies, access to a car to travel around the city and look for my passport. Not to mention the food I have to spend, as well as the hotel room that my dad booked for me. This is simply not feasible for so many Americans. Events like these financially destroy families. Furthermore, in my situation, it was partly my fault. I was irresponsible in losing my wallet and passport (assuming I wasn’t pick pocketed). Even so, everyone makes mistakes. This could happen to virtually anyone. What’s more, there are a plethora of events that could lead to disaster for so many families that are completely out of their control. One bad medical diagnosis, one car accident, one tragedy. Any of these very well could lead to insurmountable costs for so many families. The difference in me being okay versus so many hard-working families not being okay has nothing to do with how “hard-working” we are. The difference is in large part a result of my being from a family that is doing just fine. “Hard-work” is certainly not sufficient to guarantee economic security. It takes a lot of luck.
The injustice actually manifests itself earlier. Consider folks like me who are able to take unpaid internships in the summer to boost their resume, which will help me get a higher paying job in the future. An unpaid internship is not realistic for so many of my peers. Here lies just one piece of this cycle embedded into an economic game rigged against lower income folks.
Yes, it is certainly true that there are individual cases where folks are able to make significant strides in social mobility. And for that, I am very grateful! However, the macro level data suggest otherwise. (See the two studies at bottom of post for more). The point is this: my experience of being stuck in Canada has caused me to critically evaluate the social structures and context I am in, which has in turn revealed to me an ugly reality that I think we all would do well in recognizing. Our economy and social structures are set up for people like me, at the expense of folks who are born into poverty or lower socioeconomic statuses. Until we recognize that, I fear that poor folks will continue to get hurt by economic policies. I hope by sharing my story of me being slightly irresponsible (and unlucky), I have been able to show the extent to which our economic well-being is largely a byproduct of forces outside of our control. And that even though we all are susceptible to unfortunate events whether rich or poor, these unfortunate events disproportionately harm poor folks. Sources: https://www.minneapolisfed.org/institute/working-papers/17-21.pdf http://equitablegrowth.org/working-papers/the-decline-in-lifetime-earnings-mobility-in-the-u-s-evidence-from-survey-linked-administrative-data/
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Dear Johnston friends, alumni, parents, and everyone else in the community,
In light of the prevalence of mental health struggles and suicides, I am ready to take a stand and, with the help of some friends, form a nonprofit operation in an effort to address this epidemic. Last week we lost another beautiful soul to suicide. Dawson Kerr was a friend—someone who was always cracking jokes, someone who didn’t have a mean bone in his body, someone who had huge ambitions, goals and a huge heart. It is with much regret that action wasn’t taken earlier. Many well-intentioned folks fear that bringing up suicide is somehow sensationalizing and/or glorifying it. I disagree—raising awareness about mental health hardly constitutes the glorification of it. In fact, raising awareness and talking about it does the opposite. It creates a sense that it is okay to struggle, and that feeling down is normal. Depression or a period of depression is extremely common, especially amongst teenagers. There are so many challenges high school students face that are unique to their experience—pressure to decide what to do after graduation, pressure to succeed in academics and extracurricular activities, pressure to fit in with the “popular crowd,” pressure to find a first job, pressure (for those who identify as LGBTQ) to figure out who they are and how to come out. The list goes on and on. From my experience of battling my own mental health concerns, talking to others and hearing the normalization of depression and anxiety proved to be incredibly helpful. This underscores an important point. Depression feeds on feelings of loneliness; silence on the matter serves to only exacerbate the problem. If the conversation around mental health continues to be mute, then the stigma continues to escalate. This is not to the fault of those experiencing depression, but rather the fault lies in our unwillingness to directly confront this topic. If you are experiencing mental health concerns, please know this. This is normal. It is okay. Please talk to someone. A parent, a teacher, a coach, a counselor, a friend. People are willing to listen. I am willing to listen. Our nonprofit operation has a 4 pronged approach: (1) to chip away at the stigma; (2) to teach how to deal with and accept depression and depressive thoughts; (3) to show that everyone, including those who seem like they have it all together, has experienced depression or a depressive spell at some point in their life; and (4) to prevent more kids from taking their own lives. If you want to help us achieve those goals, please reach out. All support is welcomed, and appreciated. We are stronger when we work together. Join me in starting this long-overdue conversation. With much love, Marcus When the rainbow flag of bright colors flies with boldness and pride, it is partly a symbolic statement meant to represent the obstacles that LGBTQ folks have overcome or are currently battling today. It’s pride month, a month when the LGBTQ community celebrates. One question might arise in the minds of many folks, and that question is as follows: What are they celebrating? It’s a question that manifests itself in a lot of different ways. Whether it be from folks genuinely confused on LGBTQ matters or others who respond with wanting a “straight pride” month, understanding what we are celebrating is an important step in our quest for true freedom. Freedom to be who we are without apology. Freedom to hold a partner’s hand without feeling shamed. Freedom to use the restroom that corresponds with one’s gender identity. One question might arise in the minds of many folks, and that question is as follows: What are they celebrating? I think a necessary piece to this puzzle rests in getting a glimpse into what it is like being LGBTQ. While everyone’s experiences within the LGBTQ community will vary due to different factors (intersectionality, for all of you social justice warriors), I can say with confidence that being LGBTQ brings with it a host of obstacles that non-LGBTQ folks simply don’t face. This is in no way an attempt to shame others for their identities, but rather a gentle reminder of the different realities LGBTQ folks and non-LGBTQ folks face in their day to day lives. It can be little things, such as having to worry about whether your friend will accept you. It can be difficult things like not knowing whether one’s parents will let you live in their house anymore. It can be devastating things such as being bullied so much to the point where one is driven to believe that the only solution to the pain is through self-harm or suicide. It is true that depression can affect anyone regardless of one’s status of being LGBTQ or non-LGBTQ, but the fact of the matter is that LGBTQ youth are at an increased risk for mental health problems, substance abuse and suicide attempts. Other barriers include dealing with the f-word being thrown around casually. (No, I do not mean the word that rhymes with truck). Being discriminated against in multiple faith communities, being told that one’s marriage is somehow inferior than others simply because of gender, and being told that I can simply “pray away the gay” are just a few things that I have personally experienced.
It’s about the young teenager who is still in the closet struggling on the daily to find words to describe their sexuality and/or gender identity. It’s about the transwoman in high school who feels uncomfortable using the restroom for fear of being the victim of violence. It’s about the bisexual girl who is told she isn’t “lesbian enough” or that she “needs to be more decisive” and as a result turns to cutting. It’s about the trans folks who are living on the streets being brutally murdered and attacked. It’s about the young gay teenager who gets bullied for being too “girly.”
So, what exactly are we celebrating? We are celebrating a host of things—our identities, overcoming adversity, and legal victories just to name a few. It isn’t a “gay agenda” attempting to ruin the moral foundation of America as some folks would characterize it. When the rainbow flag of bright colors flies with boldness and pride, it is partly a symbolic statement meant to represent the obstacles that LGBTQ folks have overcome or are currently battling every day. It isn’t just rainbows and butterflies (pun slightly intended)—no, it’s a statement proclaiming that we are here together, we are here to stay, and we will continue to fight for true freedom.
We are in 2016/2017 and discrimination is still happening. I'm writing this for the main purpose of giving a voice to those who feel like they have no one to look up to, and no opportunity to speak up. For those who are teased, bullied, and discriminated against for being yourself-- I stand with you.
This year's lock-in was during Thanksgiving Break for college students, so current high school FCA leaders reached out to alumni, asking us if we would be interested in volunteering for the event. I agreed to do so, and signed up for a time slot. When I was in high school, I was not out of the closet. However, it was early my 2nd year in college where I publicly came out as gay. Because of this, I was not allowed to volunteer. FCA may claim it was my beliefs that were the reason I couldn't come back (i.e. I didn't subscribe to the traditional "biblical" definition of marriage being one man and one woman). However, the only way I can logically perceive this situation is that I was discriminated against due to my sexual orientation. As I see it, claiming it was due to beliefs is simply an attempt to disguise discriminatory action. Here's the thing-- it is very upsetting, yes. It is wrong. We are in 2016/2017 and discrimination is still happening. What's worse, it's all done in God's name. But that's not the main point. The point is that there are so many young, vulnerable middle school and high school students who are trying to figure themselves out, and who do not have the platform or privilege that I do to speak up. Being LGBTQ is not easy, especially during teenage years. As someone who is gay, I want to personally say I hear you. I know what it is like to feel hopeless, to feel confused, to feel lost, and to feel misunderstood. And if there's one thing I want you to know, it's that you are loved and you are perfect the way you are. Don't let anyone tell you that you have to change
It is my hope that they are fully embraced and unconditionally loved by the Church. It is my hope that society will be at the point where we look back at events such as discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the name of God with as much disgust as we do when thinking about discrimination on the basis of race. Because unfortunately, racial discrimination was justified using the Bible, which parallels the situation and dynamic we see happening today.
If you are an ally of the LGBTQ community, I urge you to continue to be vocal supporters. We need you to be bold and help us in our fight for justice. If you are someone who identifies as LGBTQ and feels voiceless, or is suffering in silence, I am sorry. You are never alone. DM me, talk to a friend, go to an affirming faith community, listen to coming out stories on YouTube, the list goes on and on. There are resources for you to help you through the process of accepting yourself, and navigating our heteronormative world. Here's the good news-- history is on our side. If we keep fighting to have our voices heard, I am optimistic that love will conquer fear. That the light will outshine the darkness. And justice will overcome oppression. Because in the end, Love Wins. My prayer is that when discussing this specific topic, both sides of the conversation would remember that it is not about winning arguments but rather it is about bringing others to Christ." I believe that the Gospel often times gets lost in the heat of sharp disagreements amongst fellow Christians, specifically in conversations about the LGBT community. While it is easy to blame the Church as a whole, I must own up to my contribution to the problem. I too have, at times, forgotten the basis of our faith—that the heart of any discussion in the Church should be focused on Jesus. A year ago I was someone who held to a non-affirming theology of marriage. After much study and prayer, I am now someone who fully embraces and supports monogamous, Christ-centered relationships between straight or gay people. Just so we are all on the same page, when I use the term “non-affirming,” I am referring to the theology that marriage is solely between one man and one woman. When I use the term “affirming,” I am referring to the theology that affirms LGBT people wishing to pursue a monogamous, committed, and Christ-centered marriage.
With this in mind, I want to avoid mischaracterizing the motivations behind those who hold to a non-affirming theology. Like I said, I used to think that the Bible was clear; marriage should be reserved for one man and one woman. I know that the majority of people who have a non-affirming theology do so with good intentions. They do not seek to cause any harm for anyone, nor are they bigoted or hateful. They simply believe what they presume the Bible says to be true. But here’s the deal. An important and practical part of shifting this conversation to being truly united for the Gospel is to think about the reasons for holding one’s beliefs about this topic. If we are going to place high authority on the Bible, it is imperative that we give it a careful examination. We have to understand that the Bible was written in a certain time, place, and culture--something we cannot disregard when reading it. The more I studied the verses that have been used to condemn homosexuality, the Greek and Hebrew roots of the verses, as well as the culture and context of when the Bible was written, and over a course of a year wrestling with this topic, God slowly revealed to me the fallacies and flaws in a non-affirming theology. I hope you are willing to give this issue a fair assessment, keeping in mind the importance of context.
At the end of the day, even if there is still dispute after further study and genuine friendship with someone in the LGBT community, I hope we can agree on two things: first, this issue may not be as black and white as it often seems, and second, our job is to love. Even if you think that acting upon “same sex attraction” is wrong, I encourage you to love like Jesus did; impartially, seeing all God’s children as being made in His image. Here’s the deal (again). I love Jesus. I really do. My identity is in Him. I also happen to be gay. I recognize this makes some people uncomfortable, and I pray that any barriers that exist would be torn apart. I am more than willing to engage in dialogue about this, as well as get to hear and try to understand your perspective on the topic. Below you will find a link of resources that I found particularly helpful when delving more into what the Bible says. If non-affirming Christians aren't grieved about the migration of even just one LGBT individual from the Church, and if non-affirming Christians aren't troubled by the pain that even just one LGBT individual faces as a result of harmful teaching, then they don't know God's heart. This cannot be something we put on the back burner; this is a topic that affects so many people. If non-affirming Christians aren’t grieved about the migration of even just one LGBT individual from the Church, and if non-affirming Christians aren’t troubled by the pain that even just one LGBT individual faces as a result of harmful teaching, then they don’t know God’s heart. Our approach to this topic must change, and this shift must occur too. I earnestly want to see the Church come to fully embrace LGBT individuals. But I recognize that is not going to happen overnight, and so I want to encourage people with a non-affirming theology to shift the conversation from being against gay people to being for Christ and the Gospel.
Resources: -God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships by Matthew Vines -Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays-vs.-Christians Debate by Justin Lee -Blue Letter Bible Website (provides Greek and Hebrew translations for any verse!) -Walking the Bridgeless Canyon by Cathy Baldock -Changing Our Mind by David Gushee - Bible, Gender, Sexuality: Reframing the Church’s Debate on Same-Sex Relationships James V. Brownson Days 1 & 2
Day 3 Today we visited a local church ministry for street children. The ministry is called Mission to the World Philippines Foundation. We visited a girls home called Peace Home, where abandoned girls with different backgrounds (some of them are absolutely horrifying) live. There was a boys home called Grace Home that I didn't get a chance to visit, but some of our other team members did. At the Peace Home, the girls are provided food, shelter, and counseling. One really cool thing that happened today was that I found a violin and guitar to play music for the children. This story is actually really cool, and it was an amazing reminder of God's faithfulness. Prior to the trip, Jenna Smith and I were talking about potentially bringing instruments to play music for the kids. After much thought and consideration, we ultimately decided not to bring anything, simply because of the added luggage. However, we both prayed that we could somehow find a violin or guitar so we could still share our talents with the kids. Today, one of our team members, Bailey, was playing with some girls. All of a sudden, one of the girls told Bailey that they had some violin and guitars that they had never opened, and they were wondering if anyone on our team knew how to play them. Bailey immediately rushed to get me and Jenna, and it was at that moment where I realized how amazing God was. Jenna and I performed some of the girls' favorite songs, and it was incredible seeing their joy as they sang along. After a wonderful lunch at the shelter, the girls and our team headed to a park and met up with the boys home (Grace Home). This park had some rides for the kids to ride on, and it was sort of like a really nice carnival, only it was permanent. At the park, I was with a young boy named Michael. Michael didn't speak English, so it was very hard to communicate. But we still had a lot of fun, smiling and laughing as we rode rides together. I later learned from talking with some of the leaders of the ministry about Michael's tragic past. Michael was 7 years old, with a mental age of 3. He was physically abused as a child, with scars and burns all over from people burning him with cigarettes and hot coals. He also became an alcoholic, as his guardians had forced him to take shots of liquor. His front teeth rotted away due to the alcohol. I am glad that I didn't know about Michael's past when I was with him at the park, because otherwise I think I would have thought about it way too much. I never would have guessed that Michael had such a terrible past; he was calm for the most part and acted like any normal 7 year old. It is amazing to see the work of the Grace Home and how God has worked through Michael to help him recover. As we traveled to the park, located about an hour and a half from Manila, from the girls Peace Home, we saw some extremely impoverished areas. I think the most eye opening part was the fact that there were such nice, and clean stores quite literally across the street from some filthy shacks made out of scrap metal. The division of wealth was extreme, and tough to comprehend at first. By the end of the trip, I sadly was used to seeing all of it. Day 4Wow. Today was an incredible day, filled with so many amazing memories. It started off with going to a church service that our youth Pastor, Jay preached at. Our youth group was invited to perform a couple of special songs for the service, so we formed a mini band! It was pretty cool. Nick played the drums, Shannon played the bass guitar, Mikayla played the piano, I played the violin, and Ellie and Kennedy sang. We basically had no time to prepare, but we did our best and people told us afterwards that it didn't sound too bad! After the church service, we went to lunch at Pizza Hut (I know, kinda silly). At lunch, a pastor from Georgia, Dee, was prepping us for what we were about to see. He had been to the Philippines several times before and he knew the local ministry workers. Our next stop was the squatter villages. Once we arrived to the first village, I was absolutely heartbroken. So much poverty, so many kids, so much filth. Broken glass pieces were literally everywhere, and children who had no shoes on were playing and running around. One kid literally had no clothes on. I had never seen anything like it, and it was incredibly hard playing games with the kids and not thinking about what we have in America compared to what I was seeing right in front of my eyes. After some games, I shared the Gospel with the kids and then some of the members shared their testimonies. Another group of members were serving some food and drinks to the kids, which was also tough to watch, as many of the kids were fighting each other for it. You could tell they were desperate for the food. This village was probably the worst village we encountered the entire trip. As we departed and headed off to our next destination, another church inside a squatter village, I couldn't help but ask myself why I was given a second chance. Being adopted, I was asking myself a lot of questions internally about why I was one of the few who got rescued. The reality is, had my American parents not come and adopted me, my life could have very well been similar to the kid's lives at the village. It is tough to think about, and I can only thank God for my incredible fortune of living in a loving home with everything I need. Once we arrived at the church, we were asked to play a song as well. This time I played the guitar, and because there was no pick for me to play with, I ended up using a credit card! I was also asked to perform a fiddle song, so I jammed out with the Orange Blossum Special. The locals seemed to really enjoy that. After I performed, some of the local teenagers performed as well. One teenage boy rapped about Jesus in their native language. Although I couldn't understand anything he was saying, it was cool to see his passion. He had actually been part of a gang a year ago, and this church reached him and now his life has completely changed. Another group of teenagers danced to a popular Christian song which was cool as well. Their dedication was inspiring to see. After the church service, I met some of the performers, and they were some of the kindest people I had met. They were very encouraging and it was very humbling to see their humility. They call me "Chinaman." At first, they were pronouncing it like "cinnamon." But once we realized they meant China Man, it was great! Day 5Today was a much happier day. I got to teach one of the girls how to play Jesus Loves Me on the violin! Her name was Daizy, and she was enrolled in college. She caught on extremely quickly, and seeing the joy she got from playing was one of my favorite parts of the trip. Our entire day was spent at the Girls Home. The girls thought it was funny to make fun of my eyes, so they looked at me, pointed at me, and said "Your eyes.... so squinty!!" We had the opportunity to walk some of the girls to their school, which was about a 5-10 minute walk. The streets in the Philippines are almost always crowded, and so it is a very dangerous walk for the girls. Once we arrived at the school, I noticed how different it is compared to schools in the US. There were classrooms literally outside, with gates acting as the walls to separate the classes. I couldn't imagine trying to learn in the heat, let alone the loudness and the distractions all around. After taking the girls to school, we returned to a wonderful meal prepared for us at the home. As soon as we finished lunch, I headed outside to start painting the playground. It was a simple task, but I could tell it meant so much to not just the girls, but the staff members as well. As we were painting, I got to know one of the sweetest girls I have met in my life. Her name is Girly, and her story is absolutely heartbreaking. She was left to die on the streets, with no name and no records indicating her age. The only reason they guessed she was 20 years old was because a dentist who looked at her teeth guessed that. Girly was incredibly shy, and she was still in 3rd grade. As a young girl, she had been sexually abused as well. She is getting counseling at the Girls Home, and the staff have said she has made a lot of improvement since they first took her in. Day 6Today we went to 2 different squatter villages, and we also went to a street at night where many kids go to since they have no home. At the first squatter village, I met a kid named Rainer. (An amazing story about how I remember his name will come later in the blog). Rainer didn't speak a ton of English, but we still played basketball together and hung out. I visited his home, and met his mother, Edith. She was a sweet lady, and I shared the Gospel with her and prayed for her and her family. This particular village we visited had about 100 families. We headed to a mall to grab some lunch after the first village. I was at a restaurant with our team, and I ordered a delicious pork entre. In addition to the pork, I ordered a side of fried rice. We got the order to go, so we were given the items in a to-go bag. Once we got to the place we would eat, we started handing the food out. In the Philippines, white rice is similar to bread in America; it is often times served alongside the meals without an additional cost. So, there were packages of white rice in the bag. At first, we were impressed with their generosity, considering there was a lot of “free” rice. However, once the bag was emptied, I realized I didn’t have my fried rice that I ordered. We were confused for a little bit, and then one of our team members asked how many packages there were in the bag. I told them five, and then another team member made the connection: the person I ordered thought I said “five rice” instead of “fried rice.” I guess I need to learn how to enunciate better! As soon as we finished lunch, we headed to the second village. This village was in some pretty bad shape as well. A lot of filth and bugs. However, this village had one of the most joyful kids I have ever met in my life. He had the biggest smile, and just loved everyone he interacted with. His laugh was contagious and his love and joy he had was simply amazing. His name is John- John, and although he didn't speak any English, we communicated through laughing and smiling. Our last destination was to meet some street kids. This was a tough time as well, because we would hear story after story that just broke your heart. We met a young girl who had to drop out of school because of family issues. A lot of the kids had terrible wounds on their legs that needed medical attention right away. I bandaged some of the wounds up, and while I was helping them, I would ask how they got the wounds. The kids would either not respond, or they would lie, saying it was an animal bite. Based off the wounds, I knew for a fact they weren't animal bites. I started wondering if maybe their parents told them to lie about their wounds in order to cover up the fact that they are abusing their children. I also learned from a local missionary that many parents would drug their kids and send them out to the streets to beg for money. The drugs would make them look sicker, which the parents hoped would make the people more inclined to donate. The drugs obviously had a terrible effect on the kids, and many of them have mental disorders because of it. While with the street children, I spent the majority of time with a young boy. If I had to guess, he was 3 years old. He didn't speak any English, but he was very calm and gentle. At one point, he decided to lay on me, which at first I thought was weird. But then I realized that my body could potentially be the most comfortable thing he would find to sleep on all night. I noticed his stomach was starting to get a little round, and I realized that it might be due to malnutrition, which was incredibly hard to think about. One cool thing that God taught me today was that God knows each and every one of those kids. He knows their pain, he knows their suffering and he knows their names. I was having a tough time remember all of the kid's names, and I realized that God knows them. Day 7Today started off amazingly. Last night, as I was praying for the kids I met, I couldn't remember the name of the kid I met at the first village (Rainer). So I prayed that God would somehow reveal the boy's name somehow, whether it be through a dream, or something. In the back of my head, I thought it was practically impossible, because I was the only group member who spent much time with Rainer, and so know one knew it. However, this morning one of our team members, Olivia, received a friend request on Facebook, and a message that said "Hi, this is Rainer, where is Marcus?" That was an incredible moment for me, realizing that God provides. One of our team members, Ellie, brought up a good point that not only did I get the name, but I also got a way to contact him. We are now friends on Facebook. She said that shows how God provides abundantly, which I definitely experienced first hand. Our day mainly consisted of working with a local church and visiting the homes of the members of the church and praying for them. We went to a village where many of the members lived. This village was situated on a mountain, so houses lined up the mountain. When I say houses, I mean shacks. It was a tragic visual of the parable of building the house on rock or soil. The houses were on unstable foundations, and so we prayed for the safety of the village. The villagers explained that whenever it rains, the sand underneath that the homes are built on could easily collapse. I also learned that this village had a big problem with drugs, and that many of the kids were negatively affected. Today was the last day we did outreach, and so this is where I will stop the blog. We had 2 more days, one of which we spent at Corregidor Island, and the other we spent encouraging the local leaders. Thank you so much for reading about my experiences. This trip was life changing in so many ways, and I learned so much over the course of the trip. Seeing Christ's work half way around the world was incredibly humbling; I play such a small role in God's big plan. I have less than 24 more hours until I will be on my way to the Philippines. Words cannot adequately describe my excitement. I will be spending a week with some of my best friends serving Jesus and traveling the world. What could be better?
Our first flight will take us from the Des Moines Airport to Minneapolis. From there, we will be flying over to Tokyo, Japan, where we will then head to our final destination: Manila, Philippines. I am nervous, and to be honest, curious to see what "jet lag" is like. I have heard many accounts of what the symptoms are and such, but I haven't actually ever experienced it. I will be sure to update this either throughout the trip, or as soon as I get back. (Not sure if I will have access to internet, yet alone a computer). Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers as 32 of us leave the country! A few things you could pray about: -safety -energy to get through jet lag -patience when things don't go as planned -unity within our team -boldness and courage as we share the Gospel with the locals But here's the thing: shouldn't we always be on a mission trip?" I am so excited for my mission trip. I have just under 4 weeks left, and I don't go a day without thinking about it. I have been blessed to have received both financial and prayer support from people like you, who are reading this right now. I am so fortunate to have the resources, the time, and the ability to go out and spread the Gospel to the Philippines. I will never take for granted the amazing community I live in either, who have supported me. But I realized I forgot something. I forgot something big. In the midst of my excitement and anticipation towards my big trip across the globe, I have forgotten to put 100% of my effort and focus into my mission now. What do I mean, "now?" Everyday of our lives, we have interactions with people. Whether it is with co-workers at work, peers at school, or family members at home, you are pretty much guaranteed to interact with at least one other person everyday. (If you don't, then I am sorry for you haha). While it is a blessing to be able to travel the world and share Christ's love with people from a different culture, we are called to reach out to everyone we know. I caught myself focusing too much on my future mission trip, and forgetting about the time God has given me now, right in this moment. In the midst of my excitement and anticipation towards my big trip across the globe, I have forgotten to put 100% of my effort and focus into my mission now." It is also worth mentioning that in order to be an effective disciple, you do not have to travel. Some people are not called to go serve in a far away country. But everyone is called to love others as themselves, and spread the Good News of Jesus no matter where you are. We all know people in our lives that don't know what Jesus has done, don't believe, or just don't really understand. And if you don't know someone like that, then you aren't branching out enough. These people need to hear the message just as much as the people who live across the world. It has become the norm for people to come back from mission trips from all around the world with a "spiritual high" that lasts for about a week, and then fades. But here's the thing: shouldn't we always be on a mission trip? Why does it take traveling the world to spark urgency in sharing the Gospel? If we truly believe what the Bible teaches, we should have the mentality that our mission field is everyone we come in contact with. So as I continue to prepare for my trip, I will focus on being a warrior for Christ now. I won't wait until my trip to the Philippines. I will live in the moment and take advantage of the time and opportunities I have now. And I challenge those who are followers of Jesus to join me. Join me as we make a difference for God's kingdom everywhere we go, whether it be in Johnston or the Philippines. Just the other day I was listening to a song on the radio called "Words" by Hawk Nelson. As I was listening, I heard a phrase that stuck with me and made me think. The lyrical phrase was "Words can build you up, words can bring you down. Start a fire in your heart, or put it out." This song has a Christian spin on it, but I think the message of the power of words applies to everyone, regardless of their beliefs.
The power of words is astronomical. Ironically, there are no words to describe the impact they have on us. With this in mind, I was challenged by this song to always think about what kind of words are coming out of my mouth. No, I don't mean swear words. While obviously that is something I try to avoid, I am referring to something much deeper than that. Do people feel encouraged every time I speak? Am I helping to make the world a better place with the words I say? Am I building people up, or am I bringing people down? These questions are tough. Let's not be naïve... everyone at one point in their lives has used words in a harmful way. If we are brutally honest, we probably have used words in a way that we know we shouldn't every single day of our lives that we have known how to talk. And sometimes it isn't intentional. A sarcastic comment to someone could unknowingly ruin someone's day. The world is a dark place for many people; we never know what people are going through. While you can't control what is happening in their lives, you can control what you say to them. Words are the primary means of communication. We have the power to improve someone's day with a simple compliment, or we have the power to ultimately destroy someone's day with a snarky or rude comment. I have never been able to figure out what someone gains through saying rude things to others. Is it a twisted confidence issue, where tearing someone down somehow makes them feel better? Is it a humor thing, where it is somehow funny to be mean? I just don't get it. It's important to keep in mind the necessity for words and actions to align. Without such consistency, words mean absolutely nothing. I can only hope that I live out my beliefs. I can only hope my actions meet what I preach. Although it is unrealistic to say that I will never offend anyone or never say anything that makes someone mad, it is however a realistic goal to be a light to a dark world through the usage of positive and encouraging words. While the truth can hurt, and the content of what you are saying may offend others, the way you go about delivering your message should always be done with love. So here we go. I have decided to keep a blog about my journey to the Philippines. Hopefully I will have internet access while on my trip- if not, I will be sure to update this when I get back. I leave July 23rd and will arrive back August 1st! Check back for more... who knows, I might end up continuing to use this when I get back!
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Marcus MillerHello! Thank you for checking out my blog. I graduated from Johnston High School in Iowa back in 2015, and am attending the University of Iowa, where I am studying political science and ethics and public policy. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Archives
May 2018
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