Navigating Stormy Seas

When I was in high school, I went on a mission trip with my church’s student ministry to the country of Grenada. It would be the first of many global adventures throughout my lifetime. I had a sheltered childhood growing up in the affluent suburbs of Pittsburgh, so I was excited to go on an adventure to the Caribbean with my friends and youth group leaders. We spent months preparing for the trip with training and fundraising. I was excited to experience other cultures and to participate in God’s redemptive mission abroad. 

 

Our group landed in Grenada and hit the ground running. I can still remember the new sights, sounds, and smells of the island as we weaved our way through winding roads in an old van to the missionary base where we would be staying. I loved the food, I loved the fun, and I loved the people that we met through our outreach ministries and construction projects. For the first couple of days, I felt like my relationship with Jesus was coming alive! I was experiencing a spiritual high of some sort. We visited rural communities on the island where we met residents who were struggling economically. We also visited a bustling port city where we interacted with many different types of people. Everywhere we went, we were warmly received. 

 

After a couple days, though, my teenage hormones must have inevitably kicked in, and my mountaintop experiences began to turn into a deep valley of struggles. I sliced the bottom of my foot on something sharp while I was swimming in the Caribbean with my friends. From that point on, I limped my way through the rest of the mission trip, literally and figuratively. My foot injury slowed me down. We met a person in the marketplace who was trying to swindle us. I noticed several large spiders in our men’s dormitory room, nestled snuggly in their gigantic webs just a few feet away from where I was supposed to sleep on the top bunk. I started getting irritable, and my friends all noticed and started calling me out on it. I tried to pray about it and adjust my mindset, but that didn’t help. God seemed distant, and I was homesick and moody. The things that initially enamored me about the culture in Grenada suddenly started to irritate me. I was deeply troubled and overwhelmed by the signs of need that we saw each day. I didn’t know what was happening, and I just wanted to go home. 

 

Everything came to a head when, about two thirds of the way through our trip, our group carved our way through the sea on a banana boat to visit a tiny island. As we set out to sea, a storm developed and our boat was tossed about in big waves. We had been explicitly told by our leaders to stay inside the indoor cabin of the boat. But I was not getting along with anybody, and I have a bit of an independent streak in me. I snuck out of the indoor cabin, and I went to the very front of the boat by myself. I had a tumultuous storm raging inside of me, and there was something about experiencing the big waves and wind in my face in the front of the boat that resonated with me. I edged my way as far as I could to the front of the boat, peering over the edge and feeling the salty spray on my face as the waves violently splashed. 

 

What happened next is hard to explain because it happened so fast. All that I can say is, an unexpectedly large wave hit the boat, and I went flying up while the front of the boat was going down. I was on a one-way trajectory out of the boat and into the sea. I was helpless, and my young life was flashing before my eyes. Just then, I felt someone grasping me by my ankles and pulling me into the boat. I landed in the boat with a thud, and I turned around to see who had rescued me. It was one of my student ministry leaders from church, Tim. I have always been big and tall my whole life, even in high school, so it was no small accomplishment for Tim to pull me back in the boat when all my momentum was taking me out of the boat. I’m still impressed to this day that he was able to save me. 

 

As we sat there taking everything in, my initial thought was that of gratitude. My mind started to wander, though. Was he going to yell at me? Was he going to send me home from the trip early? Maybe that would have been the merciful thing to do at that point. Was he going to make an example of me in front of the other students about what not to do on a mission trip? Instead, he didn’t choose any of those scenarios. He demonstrated remarkable grace toward me. He said something like, “Let’s go back inside.” It turns out, he had been paying attention to how much I was struggling on the trip, and he had noticed when I went out to the front of the boat. He spent time with me, helping me to unpack why I had done what I had done so that I could learn from it. As he invested in me and helped me to process everything that I was going through, I felt myself starting to come around. 

 

Tim kept a close eye on me for the rest of the trip. He would tell me how much Jesus loves me, and that God had big plans for my life. He became a sage guide who helped me to learn and grow, not only on that trip, but for years to come. He became a trusted person who I could talk to about things. He helped me see the potential that I had. He helped to draw out the best in me and understand my calling from God. A low point in my journey through life in Grenada became the start of a lifetime of adventures navigating across cultures as part of God’s redemptive mission in the world. God has worked through Tim to show up at critical points in my life and in my journey of leadership. We still go on big adventures in different countries around the world. When Tim shows up as a leader, something good always happens. 

 

Leadership matters. Tim is a fine example of a transformational leader because his impact on me led to positive changes in my life and in the lives of people who I have in turn led. In a world that is filled with chaos at times, we need more people to show up in the best possible ways to provide steady guidance through the storms in life. Healthy leadership can lead to transformation in our personal lives and in the organizations and communities where we live, work, and play. In the same way, transactional leadership that is either too passive or overly aggressive can leave a path of destruction in individual lives, organizations, and communities. 

 

Transformational leaders have a strong sense of calling from God to remain committed to relationships with the people that they are leading. These types of leaders are present, physically, spiritually, intellectually, and emotionally, with others. They reflect on complex circumstances and discern ways to influence others that lead to positive change. Instead of lording power over others, they serve others in meaningful ways. They take the time to get to know people and the unique context of each leadership scenario. They seek to understand how the world is increasingly globally interconnected, and they catalyze others to bring about flourishing in families, workplaces, and cities. They speak truth to the powerful and show remarkable grace and mercy to the powerless with equal integrity. Let’s work together to raise more transformational leaders in this generation!

2024 Dallas City Immersion

 I had the joy of learning alongside of leaders from around the world utilizing the city of Dallas as a classroom to study transformational leadership during the past 10 days. I led a Dallas City Immersion in 2019 that was focused on Christian Community Development since it was wrapped around the CCDA national conference. That was such a great experience, and so was this one although it was unique in its own ways. This city immersion focused more on the DFW region, as we spent time in Forth Worth and other surrounding areas in addition to time in the city center of Dallas. 

One tradition that we enjoy in Dallas is spending time at the home of our Chancellor, Dr. Brad Smith. He cooked up some wonderful Texas brisket for our international crew. 

We intentionally expose our students to a wide variety of leadership styles from business, government, churches, and nonprofit organizations throughout the week. One of my favorite parts of every immersion is helping the students to frame what they are learning through eight transformational leadership perspectives. 

We visited an organization called The Heights that shares its space with 15-20 other nonprofit organizations who provide full service support for individuals and families from their community. They are a wonderful example of partnership to serve a region. 

This city immersion featured leaders from many different parts of the U.S., Guyana, Ethiopia, Switzerland, Nigeria, South Africa, and Canada. Everyone bonded through our peer learning approach. 

The group spent time with lots of different leaders, including city council members. 

The visit to the stadium where the Dallas Cowboys play was definitely a highlight for the group. Professional sports are an integral part of the culture of most U.S. cities. 

We ate well! The Dallas area definitely delivers when it comes to culinary experiences. 

Another highlight was a visit to RCCG U.S. headquarters in Dallas. The denomination from Nigeria has planted thousands of churches around the world, including more than 500 in the U.S. and Canada. 

There was some robust dialogue at a roundtable discussion with key business and political leaders from Dallas. This particular discussion took place at the home of a local leader. We were so appreciative of the hospitality that we received throughout the week. 

I am so thankful for the work that God did in drawing this group together and leading us into becoming more transformational change agents in our own cities by utilizing DFW as a classroom. I'm looking forward to seeing how the seeds of leadership that were planted over the past 10 days will grow as the leaders make their way back to their own cities. 

July 3 Honduras Update

 Most of the BGU students have made their way back to their cities. Lennox from Cayman Islands is hanging out with our short term mission team for a couple days, and Funmi and Kolade are spending a couple days with Olu to see more of his ministry in Honduras up close. The mission team is currently relaxing in Valle de Angeles after a wonderful camping experience with young people from Hope For Honduras. 

The kids learned about God's Grand Narrative. Their Bible study times focused on that, and they had many activities related to that topic. 

We celebrated the ending of the camp with a lunch. And, we watched a fun video of all of the antics from three days of camp. 

There were lots of hugs as we all said goodbye. There were also lots of commitments to stay in touch, and many members of the mission team have expressed that they want to come back next year. 

For many years, Lisa and I dreamed about putting together a short term mission trip that would inspire people and serve to expand Lisa's ministry in Honduras. We also dreamed about combining a mission team with a BGU city immersion. It's so amazing to see those dreams come together! I'm thankful for God's goodness. 

July 1/2 Honduras Update

 The Honduras city immersion with Bakke Graduate University students has officially come to a close. The North Way short term mission team is still going strong with the camp that they're helping to lead for students from Hope For Honduras. It's a beautiful camp and I enjoyed having both the BGU group and the mission team together there again yesterday. It was awesome to see the groups bond so well together around our common purpose to learn from the people of Honduras. 

The campground is an incredible place. We were thankful that the director showed us around and shared about the vision of the camp.

After the camp tour and a session with a CCI counselor who shared about the vision of camp, the BGU group participated in an experiential learning activity together. 

The mission team starting working on getting crafts and games ready for later in the day. The slime that they prepared turned out great!

The approach to camping is for the kids to connect with God. Local Honduran leaders serve as camp counselors, and our team works alongside them to connect with the kids and to jump in at various points to join in on all of the fun. The campers seem to be having a wonderful time!

After lunch I traveled back to the retreat center with the BGU students to do one final debrief of our time together in Tegucigalpa. We discussed how the powerful examples of transformational leadership that we saw throughout the week could lead to our students serving as more powerful examples of transformational leaders in their own cities. And I had them design their own cities from some craft supplies that I had on hand. They had a lot of fun!

I'm thankful for another excellent urban immersion from BGU. These never get old! Each one is unique, and God shows up in special ways. Praise God for his goodness to all of us!

June 29/30 Honduras Update

Our main goal over the past couple of days has been to fully immerse ourselves in the streets with the amazing people in Tegucigalpa. We wrapped up two full days of immersion with a powerful time of prayer for the city from a popular lookout point and park. 

One of my favorite parts of leading city immersions is seeing how the students from different parts of the world enter as strangers who over the course of just a couple days develop relational connections that will last a lifetime. 

There are lots of inside jokes the emerge through all of the ups and downs of exploring a new city and culture together. Our friend Lennox suggested that we snap a photo with our backs to the camera so that we could show off our t-shirts with Hope For Honduras, an urban ministry that we visited and served with earlier in the day. This fountain that is located right in the entrance to the park is such a beautiful place to sit and reflect on the day's activity.

Our BGU and North Way Christian Community teams met up to serve together at Hope For Honduras. We divided up into groups, and we went out into the community to serve others. Some spent time with smaller children in their classrooms at their school, while others went out into the streets to distribute food and pray with people. It was a powerful time of ministry together. We had the opportunity to spend time with the founder of Hope For Honduras to reflect on their work and the experience of serving. 

Our groups have been meeting up each day at a central meeting point in the city where host families drop off their new family members and where the BGU team is dropped off from the retreat center. There's also good coffee there which everyone seems to appreciate!

Yesterday we had the opportunity to exegete the city of downtown Tegucigalpa. I started us off with a tour of some historical sites like churches and museums, sharing about some of the history and culture of the city. 

After the initial tour, I unleashed five groups to head out into the city for a scavenger hunt. That's always a fun way to get to know a new place. I think everyone had a good time!

Our BGU group is enjoying the adventure. It's been a pretty packed bus over the past couple of days with two large teams traveling around together. 

Today, the BGU team will head out to visit another nonprofit organization and then we'll head to Valle de Angeles, a beautiful small town in the mountains, to do some shopping and exploring. The North Way team will start their camp with students from Hope For Honduras today. Please pray for them as they work with local leaders to present a meaningful camp for the kids. Dr. Lisa will be with the North Way team all day today as they prepare, and I'll be with the BGU team. Should be another good day! 

Honduras Update 6-28-23

 Our BGU team started out the day by visiting a beautiful basilica, one of the largest in Central America. We met with priests who are doing some remarkable work in Tegucigalpa.

The views from the location in front of the church were amazing. We could see out to the whole city! And we got a tour of the entire facility with the priest. It's hard to describe the beauty of this place. 

We gathered for lunch, where we reflected on the ministries that we had learned about during our visit to the basilica. We were fortunate to be entertained by some local musicians.

In the afternoon we met up with the short term mission team from Pittsburgh. We joined forces with our translators, and we sent everyone out in groups to explore the city through a cultural immersion exercise. 

In the evening, the short term team unloaded all of the materials that they brought down from Pittsburgh for this week's camp with children from a local urban ministry. They'll be staying in the homes of local Honduran families, so they met up with their families and we prayed for them and sent them on their way. They're getting a fully Honduran cultural experience!

It's a joy to have both of these groups together. Today we'll be setting out to explore the city center of Tegucigalpa. More adventures to come!

Honduras Update 6-27-23

 Yesterday we spent all day at our retreat center, with guest lecturers visiting us from different parts of the Tegucigalpa to share with us about their leadership approaches and models that are utilized at their businesses and nonprofit organizations. We're staying at a beautiful place! It's perfect for us to enjoy God's creation while have a hub to explore the city. 

The first leader that visited us has an amazing ministry to women and children who are victims of domestic abuse. We were all inspired by her passion, and by the powerful example of calling-based leadership that she lives out. 

Dialogue is a big part of our educational approach at BGU. Our students have been asking thoughtful questions, interacting well with each of the leaders that we're learning from this week. The leadership examples are powerful, and often disorienting to students with absorbing so many new concepts. We do a lot of reflection and do our best to connect with each person to help them process what they're doing and what the Lord is doing in their lives through this immersion experience. 

In the afternoon, we met with a business leader who is doing remarkable work with building and leading a hospital that is doing great work in the community. His heart broke for the conditions that he saw in many hospitals in Honduras, and he set out to create a hospital through a foundation that is truly a safe and clean space with excellent health care. From his journey, we were all impressed by his servant leadership. He's an architect by trade, and he's combining those skills of place making with community development acumen to build an asset in the city. 

After that presentation, we had several leaders from a local nonprofit organization who are doing child advocacy work visit with us. They modeled prophetic leadership in their approach to advocacy. It was another inspiring example for us. Throughout the day yesterday, Lisa and I connected with our doctoral students to assist them with shaping their projects for this course and with some brainstorming about their dissertations. Our BGU students make a significant different in the world with their research, so it's fun to dream together. Today, we're heading out to do some more exploring in Tegucigalpa. We'll visit one of the most breathtaking basilicas in Central America, and we'll visit with the priests. This afternoon, we're meeting up with the short term mission team from North Way Christian Community to do some cultural immersion exercises. Should be an interesting day!