When my friend Bob told me that he was taking part in a summer internship in Hawaii this past May, I was pretty jealous. Who wouldn't want to spend 3 months in Hawaii? Right before he left I joked with him that maybe I would come and see him. It turned out that I was able to do exactly that, thanks to the kindness of some of my friends and the kindness of some friends that I hadn't met yet.
The church that Bob interned at was Central O'ahu Christian Church in Wahiawa, HI. They let me stay at the church with Bob. Another friend of mine, who works for Delta Airlines, let me use some of his buddy passes for the flights.
So there I was, in Hawaii, the first real vacation I've had in years. While I was there the pastor of Central O'ahu Christian Church, Sam Lubag, asked me to consider teaching for a year in the Philippines.
The idea immediately struck me as a good one. Ever since I finished my master's degree I had been searching for God's purpose in my life and had been extremely frustrated up to that point. I knew I wanted to teach New Testament and Bible & Culture on a college level, but I was unsure exactly how to proceed. I wanted to do doctoral work but I was unsure where and how I might accomplish this. I also knew I wanted to get into some teaching right away, but there didn't seem to be any opportunities. Also, in the past I had been open to the idea of doing some work overseas, but hadn't felt particularly called in that direction.
God, it seems, is pretty good at putting things together. I now have this opportunity to combine these interests, goals, and dreams into one experience where I can see God do his work through me. I have officially been invited to teach at Aparri Bible Seminary in the Philippines. Aparri is a city on the northern tip of the island of Luzon in Cagayan province. The seminary is run by Philippine Mission Churches of Christ of Northern Luzon and is unable to compensate me for my time there, which is cool, because it gives you and I an opportunity to let God work a little bit.
Using an abacus and a series of tree branches, as well as information from Sam Lubag, I have determined that $25,000 is what it will take to get me to the Philippines, to work and teach there for a year, and to return home. There is some margin in this number and it is my intent to live as cheaply as possible while there. Once my year is up, any remaining funds will be donated directly to Aparri Bible Seminary.
Let's talk numbers for a minute. This amount can be broken down to 23 partners who are willing to donate $20 a week for a year, a total contribution of $1080. $20 dollars a week is very reasonable and within the means of many churches and families. And, because I'm not leaving until May or June of 2011, there is no rush. If you literally need to do $20 a week, that's fine because all I need upfront is airfare and a few months living expenses. There is plenty of time for God to raise this money.
I earnestly thank you for the opportunity to tell you about this and to ask you for assistance in this matter. I'm currently discussing some financial options with my church, Whitewater Crossing Christian Church. Hopefully I will have full information for you soon about how and where you can give to support this cause. We are currently discussing options to make all contributions tax deductible and are working towards this goal.
Lastly and most importantly I ask for your prayerful consideration on these matters as well as your support in prayer for this endeavor, that God would be glorified through it, (and he will friends) and that everyone involved will see the Lord's powerful hand working.
I am and remain your humble servant. You can email me if you have any questions.
Nick
Friday, December 10, 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
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