The Reconciliation of All Things

I’m in Guatemala City today, beginning a 10 day trip in which I’m observing, asking questions, and just listening. I’m here scouting for creation care opportunities, or, what you might call “environmental missions”. Poverty and the decay of creation often go hand in hand, but that doesn’t mean wealthier peoples or cultures are excluded from poverty that takes on other forms, nor from the decay of creation. In fact, wealthier nations often cause much of the decay of creation that the poorer ones suffer from, or at least exacerbate it. But I digress...back to today. Guatemala City is a very unique place—having suffered civil war for more than 30 years, as well as an earthquake in 1976, the city has not had the chance to do much “city planning”, so that shanty towns and other communities of squatters developed wherever they could build a shelter after the earthquake, and have remained there since. As a result, all of the garbage that the city produces, goes to the city dump. This is loc...

Read this really great article that talks about how important it is we spend time out in God's creation, and the consequences of NOT doing that on our spiritual walk with God. The benefits far outweigh the negatives... Take a look! https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/the-spiritual-dangers-of-disconnection-from-creation/

While most people were enjoying some time off work or being with family between Christmas and New Year's, I joined over 11,000 students at URBANA, a large triennial missions conference put on by Intervarsity Christian Fellowship in St. Louis, Missouri. Five of TEAM's coaches (missions mobilizers), myself, and two other TEAM missionaries interacted personally with over 200 individuals that came to our booth to learn about TEAM. Our group at URBANA At the end of one seminar on creation care put on by some colleagues, I was able to share about how students can use their gifts and interests and environmental degrees for missions. In fact, one young woman, Emily, sat next to me and said she went to a Bible college but grew up on an organic farm her family owns in western PA. She has a love for the lost, and a passion to work the land, but just didn't know how she could use her non-science degree to help with environmental stewardship and reaching the lost. I couldn't k...