Discovering That There Will Always Be a Learning Curve in Ministry

As of my last update to you all, my bags were packed and was waiting with many mixed emotions for my plane to depart from Mexico City.  {Ahead of me was a familiar adventure –I wouldn’t consider it one of my easiest or most favorite of adventures- but know it has to be done for this ministry}  I left Mexico with many hard things to say goodbye to and was greeted with comforts of home when landing in Chicago.  Today marks just over a month of being back State-Side and it has been a learning experience to say the least {A curve ball that many people in international ministry know so well}. 

Although being home sounds like a treat, a second to catch my breath and relax, this experience has also be complimented with a little something called “reverse culture shock”.  Being the great ministry that it is, Avance had prepared us for this moment… the three day debrief that we had seemed to be a little lengthy for me and I said to myself, “Eh, I don’t need this because I am NOT going to be experiencing a reverse shock coming back into my home culture –I can keep my cool” {However, the reality of things showed that indeed, NO, Erik couldn’t rough it out as he had thought}.  Although it was an exhausting process to walk through, I am now thankful to have that experience because I learned the realities of re-entry and how this soon will become just a normal factor in my life as a missionary.  Physically {Sick for two straight weeks}, emotionally {I became a mild wreck when no one was looking}, and spiritually {even found moments where it was hard to rely on the Lord to get me through such a particular season} I suffered for two to three weeks until finally I started to feel like myself again.  So those stories about culture shock: they are real.

Despite the interesting experience of re-entry shock, I am finally exiting this season and am now face-to-face to a significant support trip that is serving as my “kick-off” lengthy journey of raising full-time support {It still excites me to think that the Lord has blessed me with what could be considered a “dream job” before the age of 24}.  With that, I have been scrambling the last 12 days {Approximately right after telling myself its time to get over the slump that I was in} to string together a trip that I am praying to provide a good part of the $2,200 monthly support that I am looking for.  Regardless of how many financial partners are discovered during this trip, I am looking for the endless opportunities to share the vision of how God is moving through United World Mission and the Avance ministry.  The Lord is a billion {number not accurate} times bigger than me and I know what is ahead of me is written by Him and that is something to rejoice in.  It was an emergency support trip that I took last May that revealed to me how powerful God is when you put all hope in His promise { It was also the same trip that showed me that He had been preparing me for something bigger – a position in full-time ministry }.  With that said, despite the minor panic attacks that I receive between the hours of 7pm and 10pm, I know that He has divinely appointed this upcoming trip.

This is where I need all of you reading this blogpost to join me in this upcoming adventure { Prayer, prayer, prayer }.  So in just TWO HOURS { crap… so much to do in 120 minutes}, I will be embarking on a journey through the Midwest for 12 days.  Please join me in prayer especially during this time {Sept. 13^th -25^th} for the following:

1.     That the vision of Avance and what the Lord looks like in Mexico City can be clearly articulated, regurgitated, understood, and received when talking to all of the complete strangers {well, not compleeeetly strangers –just other brothers and sisters in Christ that I am yet to meet}

2.     That the car the God has graciously dropped in my lap will work well {without problems, accidents, etc.} and keep us safe while cruzing through a very large majority of the Midwest.

3.     That I can stay obedient in the Word as it will be a VERY busy schedule.

4.     I am also praying that this trip could generate at least $700 in monthly gifts from new and existing partners.

5.     That my co-pilot and I can find “Dinosaur World”  on our way down to Nashville { If you’re interested... http://dinosaurworld.com/kentucky/ }

6.     That our health keeps up and that my co-pilot, Jordan, and I are still friends after such a long trip in a car together.

7.     Lastly, a chance to enjoy ourselves while exalting what the Lord is doing in this ministry in Mexico City!

Thank you all for your prayers and support in this season of seeking new partners for the ministry.  Please be checking my blog throughout the next two weeks to see how the Lord is moving to share a greater vision of His work in Mexico City.

Many Blessings,

Erik