Adam Speaks
Hello
When I was a little kid of about 6 or 7 my cousin asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I said a preacher, but being shy and quiet he thought I said that I wanted to be a creature. I’ve never been a great public speaker nor liked being in the spotlight, so as I grew up I realized that being a preacher from a pulpit was not the kind of preacher I wanted to be. Just before my sophomore year of highschool, I went on a short-term mission trip to the Dominican Republic. This is where I realized that the kind or preacher I wanted to be, one that preaches the love of God through acts of service and building relationships.
Since my first mission trip, I have been on trips to India, El Salvador, Mexico, and the BYU campus in Idaho. Most of the trips I’ve taken have been focused more on acts of service. I feel that Mission Year will help equip me to focus on both service and relationship building.
About Mission Year
Mission Year is a year long urban ministry program focused on Christian service and discipleship. We take teams of young people, place them in an area of need, and help them to serve people and create community. We are committed to the command of Jesus to “love God and love people,” by placing the needs of our neighbors first and developing committed disciples of Christ with a heart for the poor. Learn more about our first year program…
Adam Speaks's Blog
Summer is Coming / Jun 2, 11:19 AM
Warming up in Chicago.
The winter felt as if it would never end, looking back it went by really fast. This whole year is going by fast.
It feels like just two days ago, I was longing for the cold of winter to hurry up and leave, now I’m trying not to miss the opportunities to grow during the two months I have left here. Strange how that works.
Update / Jan 20, 11:34 AM
once again, I put off writing a new blog post for far too long.
We have just completed reading Brennan Manning’s The Ragamuffin Gospel. I just want to share a quote that has been resonating in my mind.
“ I can more easily contain Niagara Falls in a teacup than I can comprehend the wild, uncontainable love of God”
more posts to come soon.
Grace and Peace
-adam
I'm finally writing on my blog. / Oct 28, 10:44 AM
To any body who has been waiting to see me write something on this thing, here it goes.
“Our missionary efforts fail when they are based on pity, rather than true compassion. Instead of seeking to do something with the African and Asian peoples, we have sought only to do something for them.”
-Martin Luther King, Jr. Strength to Love
I have been reading through some of Martin Luther King, Jr.‘s sermons in the book Strength to Love. This just one of the many points that have really captivated me. I know that this is a pretty basic though that most of the time when we think of helping people we think of simple giving them things, when we should be empowering them to gain the resources that many take for granted (water, food, clothing, you name it). When we are just trying to do something FOR people, whether we realize it or not, we dehumanize them, but when we take the time to get to know and love the person and help them figure out how to get to the root of they’re suffering so it doesn’t continue we affirm that they, like us, have been made in the image of God.
I cannot deny that feels good to do something For others, but I am convinced that God wants us to do more, that He wants us to love others in a way that we are seeking not only to meet their physical needs, but the spiritual, relational, emotional needs too.
In Hindu culture they use this greeting, “Namaste.” (Nom a stay) Namaste literally means I salute the God within you or Your spirit and my spirit are ONE. I don’t really agree with the Hindu teachings about gods actually being in each of us or that we are all a part of god, but I think when we greet/help people this is an awesome concept to keep in mind. One way I would re-word the definition is: I am acknowledging that the same God who created and loves me, created and loves you.
Namaste to all.
Grace and Peace
Adam.
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