SEAsia Trip Report & Moving Forward

Shared this morning for a rushed six minutes at the 10:30am service. I intro'ed and Ali did slides outlining organizational progress and goals, and why we should and how we could concern ourselves as a church to better support our missionary in Sabah.

From EPC Missions Committee we hope that moving forward, our church can more fully enter the story in Sabah rather than just hear and tell it, so that our engagement in this trip would bear the fruit for the kingdom that the investment of resources, time, and heart made by the church in our travels should.

Grant us discernment and new hearts to invest wisely in the kingdom, not just engage in spiritual tourism.

Realtalk.

Many friends have given me WAY too much credit for my short stay in the slums of Sabah. Not that it wasn't glorious... just the glory's not mine.

Let me assure anyone tempted toward such praise with an open admission:

I definitely did not outstay the novelty.

My camera compositions are as subjective as my reporting is selective.

I capture what is newsworthy, new to me.

But a lot of it is familiar too.

For example, I wrote about walking these planks...

but there were also these boardwalks,

and these.

This school,

but also this classroom,

and this one.

In any case, shanty as they may appear from outside,

many of the houses were quite amenable!

with gas stoves...

electric wiring, wall art (including freakin precious moments),

and overhead lights...

floors, ceilings, and safe hydration...

more-than-full meals...

couches, fans...

in the upper left you can see part of the TV's surround sound system!

there and here, i have more than enough.
learning to live with less,
to live simply, so that others may simply live...
so that i might truly Live.
excess is not abundance--
LORD, help me to see true worth.

No reserve. No retreats. No regrets.

6. Resolved, as it is the only way to guard the heart, to run after the imperishable Reward and know its lasting joy. LORD You know that this last year I have chased the unrewarding and have known reserve, retreat, and regret; but You are able to keep me from stumbling and to present me blameless before the presence of Your glory with great joy.